marie-第64章

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clear　of　the　bush　and　reeds　that　grew　down　to　the　water；　fearing　lest

the　Zulus　should　follow　and　take　me　back　to　Dingaan　to　explain　my　rather

imprudent　message。　　Seeing　no　signs　of　them；　I　halted；　a　desolate

creature　in　a　desolate　country　which　I　did　not　know；　wondering　what　I

should　do　and　whither　I　should　ride。　　Then　it　was　that　there　happened

one　of　the　strangest　experiences　of　all　my　adventurous　life。



As　I　sat　dejectedly　upon　my　horse；　which　was　also　dejected；　amidst　some

tumbled　rocks　that　at　a　distant　period　in　the　world's　history　had　formed

the　bank　of　the　great　river；　I　heard　a　voice　which　seemed　familiar　to　me

say：



〃Baas；　is　that　_you_；　baas？〃



I　looked　round　and　could　see　no　one；　so；　thinking　that　I　had　been

deceived　by　my　imagination；　I　held　my　peace。



〃Baas；〃　said　the　voice　again；　〃are　you　dead　or　are　you　alive？　　Because；

if　you　are　dead；　I　don't　want　to　have　anything　to　do　with　spooks　until　I

am　obliged。〃



Now　I　answered；　〃Who　is　it　that　speaks；　and　whence？〃　though；　really；　as

I　could　see　no　one；　I　thought　that　I　must　be　demented。



The　next　moment　my　horse　snorted　and　shied　violently；　and　no　wonder；　for

out　of　a　great　ant…bear　hole　not　five　paces　away　appeared　a　yellow　face

crowned　with　black　wool；　in　which　was　set　a　broken　feather。　　I　looked　at

the　face　and　the　face　looked　at　me。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃is　it　you？　　I　thought　that　_you_　were　killed　with　the

others。〃



〃And　I　thought　that　_you_　were　killed　with　the　others；　baas。　　Are　you

sure　that　you　are　alive？〃



〃What　are　you　doing　there；　you　old　fool？〃　I　asked。



〃Hiding　from　the　Zulus；　baas。　　I　heard　them　on　the　other　bank；　and　then

saw　a　man　on　a　horse　crossing　the　river；　and　went　to　ground　like　a

jackal。　　I　have　had　enough　of　Zulus。〃



〃Come　out；〃　I　said；　〃and　tell　me　your　story。〃



He　emerged；　a　thin　and　bedraggled　creature；　with　nothing　left　on　him　but

the　upper　part　of　a　pair　of　old　trousers；　but　still　Hans；　undoubtedly

Hans。　　He　ran　to　me；　and　seizing　my　foot；　kissed　it　again　and　again；

weeping　tears　of　joy　and　stuttering：



〃Oh；　baas；　to　think　that　I　should　find　you　who　were　dead；　alive；　and

find　myself　alive；　too。　　Oh！　baas；　never　again　will　I　doubt　about　the

Big　Man　in　the　sky　of　whom　your　reverend　father　is　so　fond。　　For　after　I

had　tried　all　our　own　spirits；　and　even　those　of　my　ancestors；　and　met

with　nothing　but　trouble；　I　said　the　prayer　that　the　reverend　taught　us；

asking　for　my　daily　bread　because　I　am　so　very　hungry。　　Then　I　looked

out　of　the　hole　and　there　you　were。　　Have　you　anything　to　eat　about　you；

baas？〃



As　it　chanced；　in　my　saddle…bags　I　had　some　biltong　that　I　had　saved

against　emergencies。　　I　gave　it　to　him；　and　he　devoured　it　as　a　famished

hyena　might　do；　tearing　off　the　tough　meat　in　lumps　and　bolting　them

whole。　　When　it　was　all　gone　he　licked　his　fingers　and　his　lips　and

stood　still　staring　at　me。



〃Tell　me　your　story；〃　I　repeated。



〃Baas；　I　went　to　fetch　the　horses　with　the　others；　and　ours　had　strayed。

　I　got　up　a　tree　to　look　for　them。　　Then　I　heard　a　noise；　and　saw　that

the　Zulus　were　killing　the　Boers；　so　knowing　that　presently　they　would

kill　us；　too；　I　stopped　in　that　tree；　hiding　myself　as　well　as　I　could

in　a　stork's　nest。　　Well；　they　came　and　assegaied　all　the　other　Totties；

and　stood　under　my　tree　cleaning　their　spears　and　getting　their　breath；

for　one　of　my　brothers　had　given　them　a　good　run。　　But　they　never　saw

me；　although　I　was　nearly　sick　from　fear　on　the　top　of　them。　　Indeed；　I

was　sick；　but　into　the　nest。



〃Well；　I　sat　in　that　nest　all　day；　though　the　sun　cooked　me　like　beef　on

a　stick；　and　when　night　came　I　got　down　and　ran；　for　I　knew　it　was　no

good　to　stop　to　look　for　you；　and　'every　man　for　himself　when　a　black

devil　is　behind　you；'　as　your　reverend　father　says。　　All　night　I　ran；

and　in　the　morning　hid　up　in　a　hole。　　Then　when　night　came　again　I　went

on　running。　　Oh！　they　nearly　caught　me　once　or　twice；　but　never　quite；

for　I　know　how　to　hide；　and　I　kept　where　men　do　not　go。　　Only　I　was

hungry；　hungry；　yes；　I　lived　on　snails　and　worms；　and　grass　like　an　ox；

till　my　middle　ached。　　Still；　at　last　I　got　across　the　river　and　near　to

the　camp。



〃Then　just　before　the　day　broke　and　I　was　saying；　'Now；　Hans；　although

your　heart　is　sad；　your　stomach　will　rejoice　and　sing；'　what　did　I　see

but　those　Zulu　devils；　thousands　of　them；　rush　down　on　the　camp　and　kill

all　the　poor　Boers。　　Men　and　women　and　the　little　children；　they　killed

them　by　the　hundred；　till　at　last　other　Boers　came　and　drove　them　away；

although　they　took　all　the　cattle　with　them。　　Well；　as　I　was　sure　that

they　would　come　back；　I　did　not　stop　there。　　I　ran　down　to　the　side　of

the　river；　and　have　been　crawling　about　in　the　reeds　for　days；　living　on

the　eggs　of　water…birds　and　a　few　small　fish　that　I　caught　in　the　pools；

till　this　morning；　when　I　heard　the　Zulus　again　and　slipped　up　here　into

this　hole。　　Then　you　came　and　stood　over　the　hole；　and　for　a　long　while

I　thought　you　were　a　ghost。



〃But　now　we　are　together　once　more　and　all　is　right；　just　as　what　your

reverend　father　always　said　it　would　be　with　those　who　go　to　church　on

Sunday；　like　me　when　there　was　nothing　else　to　do。〃　　And　again　he　fell

to　kissing　my　foot。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃you　saw　the　camp。　　Was　the　Missie　Marie　there？〃



〃Baas；　how　can　I　tell；　who　never　went　into　it？　　But　the　wagon　she　slept

in　was　not　there；　no；　nor　that　of　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　or　of　the　Heer

Meyer。〃



〃Thank　God！〃　I　gasped；　then　added：　〃Where　were　you　trying　to　get　to；

Hans；　when　you　ran　away　from　the　camp？〃



〃Baas；　I　thought　perhaps　that　the　Missie　and　the　Prinsloos　and　the

Meyers　had　gone　to　that　fine　farm　which　you　pegged　out；　and　that　I　would

go　and　see　if　they　were　there。　　Because　if　so；　I　was　sure　that　they

would　be　glad　to　know　that　you　were　really　dead；　and　give　me　some　food

in　payment　for　my　news。　　But　I　was　afraid　to　walk　across　the　open　veld

for　fear　lest　the　Zulus　should　see　me　and　kill　me。　　Therefore　I　came

round　through　the　thick　bush　along　the　river；　where　one　can　only　travel

slowly；　especially　if　hollow；〃　and　he　patted　his　wasted　stomach。



〃But；　Hans；〃　I　asked；　〃are　we　near　my　farm　where　I　set　the　men　to　build

the　houses　on　the　hill　above　the　river？〃



〃Of　course；　baas。　　Has　your　brain　gone　soft　that　you　cannot　find　your

way　about　the　veld？　　Four；　or　at　most　five；　hours　on　horseback；　riding

slow；　and　you　are　there。〃



〃Come　on；　Hans；〃　I　said；　〃and　be　quick；　for　I　think　that　the　Zulus　are

not　far　behind。〃



So　we　started；　Hans　hanging　to　my　stirrup　and　guiding　me；　for　I　knew

well　enough　that　although　he　had　never　travelled　this　road；　his　instinct

for　locality　would　not　betray　a　coloured　man；　who　can　find　his　way

across　the　pathless　veld　as　surely　as　a　buck　or　a　bird　of　the　air。



On　we　went　over　the　rolling　plain；　and　as　we　travelled　I　told　him　my

story；　briefly　enough；　for　my　mind　was　too　torn　with　fears　to　allow　me

to　talk　much。　　He；　too；　told　me　more　of　his　escape　and　adventures。　　Now

I　understood　what　was　that　news　which　had　so　excited　Kambula　and　his

soldiers。　　It　was　evident　that　the　Zulu　impis　had　destroyed　a　great

number　of　the　Boers　whom　they　found　unprepared　for　attack；　and　then　had

been　driven　off　by　reinforcements　that　arrived　from　other　camps。



That　was　why　I　had　been　kept　prisoner　for　all　those　days。　　Dingaan

feared　lest　I　should　reach　Natal　in　time　to　warn　his　victims！







CHAPTER　XX









THE　COURT…MARTIAL











One　hour；　two　hours；　three　hours；　and　then　suddenly　from　the　top　of　a

rise　the　sight　of　the　beautiful　Mooi　River　winding　through　the　plain

like　a　vast　snake　of　silver；　and　there；　in　a　loop　of　it；　the

flat…crested　koppie　on　which　I　had　hoped　to　make　my　home。　　Had

hoped！why　should　I　not　still　hope？　　For　aught　I　knew　everything　might

yet　be　well。　　Marie　might　have　escaped　the　slaughter　as　I　had　done；　and

if　so；　after　all