marie-第6章

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for　miles　round　considered　a　wanton　and　premeditated　murder。　　The　deed

done；　the　fiery　old　Frenchman　mounted　his　nag　and　rode　quietly　home。　　On

the　road；　however；　as　the　peach　brandy　evaporated　from　his　brain；　doubts

entered　it；　with　the　result　that　he　determined　to　say　nothing　of　his

adventure　to　Henri　Marais；　who　he　knew　was　particularly　anxious　to　avoid

any　cause　of　quarrel　with　the　Kaffirs。



So　he　kept　his　own　counsel　and　went　to　bed。　　Before　he　was　up　next

morning　the　Heer　Marais；　suspecting　neither　trouble　nor　danger；　had

ridden　off　to　a　farm　thirty　miles　or　more　away　to　pay　its　owner　for　some

cattle　which　he　had　recently　bought；　leaving　his　home　and　his　daughter

quite　unprotected；　except　by　Leblanc　and　the　few　native　servants；　who

were　really　slaves；　that　lived　about　the　place。



Now　on　the　Monday　night　I　went　to　bed　as　usual；　and　slept；　as　I　have

always　done　through　life；　like　a　top；　till　about　four　in　the　morning；

when　I　was　awakened　by　someone　tapping　at　the　glass　of　my　window。　

Slipping　from　the　bed；　I　felt　for　my　pistol；　as　it　was　quite　dark；　crept

to　the　window；　opened　it；　and　keeping　my　head　below　the　level　of　the

sill；　fearing　lest　its　appearance　should　be　greeted　with　an　assegai；

asked　who　was　there。



〃Me；　baas；〃　said　the　voice　of　Hans；　our　Hottentot　servant；　who；　it　will

be　remembered；　had　accompanied　me　as　after…rider　when　first　I　went　to

Maraisfontein。　　〃I　have　bad　news。　　Listen。　　The　baas　knows　that　I　have

been　out　searching　for　the　red　cow　which　was　lost。　　Well；　I　found　her；

and　was　sleeping　by　her　side　under　a　tree　on　the　veld　when；　about　two

hours　ago；　a　woman　whom　I　know　came　up　to　my　camp　fire　and　woke　me。　　I

asked　her　what　she　was　doing　at　that　hour　of　the　night；　and　she　answered

that　she　had　come　to　tell　me　something。　　She　said　that　some　young　men　of

the　tribe　of　the　chief　Quabie；　who　lives　in　the　hills　yonder；　had　been

visiting　at　their　kraal；　and　that　a　few　hours　before　a　messenger　had

arrived　from　the　chief　saying　that　they　must　return　at　once；　as　this

morning　at　dawn　he　and　all　his　men　were　going　to　attack　Maraisfontein

and　kill　everyone　in　it　and　take　the　cattle！〃



〃Good　God！〃　I　ejaculated。　　〃Why？〃



〃Because；　young　baas；〃　drawled　the　Hottentot　from　the　other　side　of　the

window；　〃because　someone　from　MaraisfonteinI　think　it　was　the　Vulture〃

（the　natives　gave　this　name　to　Leblanc　on　account　of　his　bald　head　and

hooked　nose）〃shot　Quabie's　son　on　Sunday　when　he　was　holding　his

horse。〃



〃Good　God！〃　I　said　again；　〃the　old　fool　must　have　been　drunk。　　When　did

you　say　the　attack　was　to　beat　dawn？〃　and　I　glanced　at　the　stars；

adding；　〃Why；　that　will　be　within　less　than　an　hour；　and　the　Baas　Marais

is　away。〃



〃Yes；〃　croaked　Hans；　〃and　Missie　Mariethink　of　what　the　Red　Kaffirs

will　do　with　Missie　Marie　when　their　blood　is　up。〃



I　thrust　my　fist　through　the　window　and　struck　the　Hottentot's　toad…like

face　on　which　the　starlight　gleamed　faintly。



〃Dog！〃　I　said；　〃saddle　my　mare　and　the　roan　horse　and　get　your　gun。　　In

two　minutes　I　come。　　Be　swift　or　I　kill　you。〃



〃I　go；〃　he　answered；　and　shot　out　into　the　night　like　a　frightened

snake。



Then　I　began　to　dress；　shouting　as　I　dressed；　till　my　father　and　the

Kaffirs　ran　into　the　room。　　As　I　threw　on　my　things　I　told　them　all。



〃Send　out　messengers；〃　I　said；　〃to　Maraishe　is　at　Botha's　farmand　to

all　the　neighbours。　　Send；　for　your　lives；　gather　up　the　friendly

Kaffirs　and　ride　like　hell　for　Maraisfontein。　　Don't　talk　to　me；　father；

don't　talk！　　Go　and　do　what　I　tell　you。　　Stay！　　Give　me　two　guns；　fill

the　saddle…bags　with　powder　tins　and　loopers；　and　tie　them　to　my　mare。　

Oh！　be　quick；　be　quick！〃



Now　at　length　they　understood；　and　flew　this　way　and　that　with　candles

and　lanterns。　　Two　minutes　laterit　could　scarcely　have　been　moreI

was　in　front　of　the　stables　just　as　Hans　led　out　the　bay　mare；　a　famous

beast　that　for　two　years　I　had　saved　all　my　money　to　buy。　　Someone

strapped　on　the　saddle…bags　while　I　tested　the　girths；　someone　else

appeared　with　the　stout　roan　stallion　that　I　knew　would　follow　the　mare

to　the　death。　　There　was　not　time　to　saddle　him；　so　Hans　clambered　on　to

his　back　like　a　monkey；　holding　two　guns　under　his　arm；　for　I　carried

but　one　and　my　double…barrelled　pistol。



〃Send　off　the　messengers；〃　I　shouted　to　my　father。　　〃If　you　would　see　me

again　send　them　swiftly；　and　follow　with　every　man　you　can　raise。〃



Then　we　were　away　with　fifteen　miles　to　do　and　five…and…thirty　minutes

before　the　dawn。



〃Softly　up　the　slope；〃　I　said　to　Hans；　〃till　the　beasts　get　their　wind；

and　then　ride　as　you　never　rode　before。〃



Those　first　two　miles　of　rising　ground！　　I　thought　we　should　never　come

to　the　end　of　them；　and　yet　I　dared　not　let　the　mare　out　lest　she　should

bucket　herself。　　Happily　she　and　her　companion；　the　stalliona　most

enduring　horse；　though　not　so　very　swifthad　stood　idle　for　the　last

thirty　hours；　and；　of　course；　had　not　eaten　or　drunk　since　sunset。　

Therefore　being　in　fine　fettle；　they　were　keen　for　the　business；　also　we

were　light　weights。



I　held　in　the　mare　as　she　spurted　up　the　rise；　and　the　horse　kept　his

pace　to　hers。　　We　reached　its　crest；　and　before　us　lay　the　great　level

plain；　eleven　miles　of　it；　and　then　two　miles　down　hill　to

Maraisfontein。



〃Now；〃　I　said　to　Hans；　shaking　loose　the　reins；　〃keep　up　if　you　can！〃



Away　sped　the　mare　till　the　keen　air　of　the　night　sung　past　my　ears；　and

behind　her　strained　the　good　roan　horse　with　the　Hottentot　monkey　on　its

back。　　Oh！　what　a　ride　was　that！



Further　I　have　gone　for　a　like　cause；　but　never　at　such　speed；　for　I

knew　the　strength　of　the　beasts　and　how　long　it　would　last　them。　　Half

an　hour　of　it　they　might　endure；　more；　and　at　this　pace　they　must

founder　or　die。



And　yet　such　was　the　agony　of　my　fear；　that　it　seemed　to　me　as　though　I

only　crept　along　the　ground　like　a　tortoise。



The　roan　was　left　behind；　the　sound　of　his　foot…beats　died　away；　and　I

was　alone　with　the　night　and　my　fear。　　Mile　added　itself　to　mile；　for

now　and　again　the　starlight　showed　me　a　stone　or　the　skeleton　of　some

dead　beast　that　I　knew。　　Once　I　dashed　into　a　herd　of　trekking　game　so

suddenly；　that　a　springbok；　unable　to　stop　itself；　leapt　right　over　me。　

Once　the　mare　put　her　foot　in　an　ant…bear　hole　and　nearly　fell；　but

recovered　herselfthanks　be　to　God；　unharmedand　I　worked　myself　back

into　the　saddle　whence　I　had　been　almost　shaken。　　If　I　had　fallen；　oh！

if　I　had　fallen！



We　were　near　the　end　of　the　flat；　and　she　began　to　fail。　　I　had

over…pressed　her；　the　pace　was　too　tremendous。　　Her　speed　lessened　to　an

ordinary　fast　gallop　as　she　faced　the　gentle　rise　that　led　to　the　brow。　

And　now；　behind　me；　once　more　I　heard　the　sound　of　the　hoofs　of　the

roan。　　The　tireless　beast　was　coming　up。　　By　the　time　we　reached　the

edge　of　the　plateau　he　was　quite　near；　not　fifty　yards　behind；　for　I

heard　him　whinny　faintly。



Then　began　the　descent。　　The　morning　star　was　setting；　the　east　grew

grey　with　light。　　Oh！　could　we　get　there　before　the　dawn？　　Could　we　get

there　before　the　dawn？　　That　is　what　my　horse's　hoofs　beat　out　to　me。



Now　I　could　see　the　mass　of　the　trees　about　the　stead。　　And　now　I　dashed

into　something；　though　until　I　was　through　it；　I　did　not　know　that　it

was　a　line　of　men；　for　the　faint　light　gleamed　upon　the　spear　of　one　of

them　who　had　been　overthrown！



So　it　was　no　lie！　　The　Kaffirs　were　there！　　As　I　thought　it；　a　fresh

horror　filled　my　heart；　perhaps　their　murdering　work　was　already　done

and　they　were　departing。



The　minute　of　suspenseor　was　it　but　seconds？seemed　an　eternity。　　But

it　ended　at　last。　　Now　I　was　at　the　door　in　the　high　wall　that　enclosed

the　outbuildings　at　the　back　of　the　house；　and　there；　by　an　inspiration；

pulled　up　the　mareglad　enough　she　was　to　stop；　poor　thingfor　it

occurred　to　me　that　if　I　rode　to　the　front　I　should　very　probably　be

assegaied　and　of