marie-第65章

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

if　so；　after　all　our　troubles　perchance　many　years　of　life　and　happiness

awaited　us。　　Only　it　seemed　too　good　to　be　true。



I　flogged　my　horse；　but　the　poor　beast　was　tired　out　and　could　only

break　into　short　canters；　that　soon　lapsed　to　a　walk　again。　　But　whether

it　cantered　or　whether　it　walked；　its　hoofs　seemed　to　beat　out　the

words〃Too　good　to　be　true！〃　　Sometimes　they　beat　them　fast；　and

sometimes　they　beat　them　slow；　but　always　their　message　seemed　the　same。



Hans；　too；　was　outworn　and　weak　from　starvation。　　Also　he　had　a　cut　upon

his　foot　which　hampered　him　so　much　that　at　last　he　said　I　had　better　go

on　alone；　he　would　follow　more　slowly。　　Then　I　dismounted　and　set　him　on

the　horse；　walking　by　it　myself。



Thus　it　came　about　that　the　gorgeous　sunset　was　finished　and　the　sky　had

grown　grey　with　night　before　we　reached　the　foot　of　the　koppie。　　Yet　the

last　rays　of　the　sinking　orb　had　shown　me　something　as　they　died。　　There

on　the　slope　of　the　hill　stood　some　mud　and　wattle　houses；　such　as　I　had

ordered　to　be　built；　and　near　to　them　several　white…capped　wagons。　　Only

I　did　not　see　any　smoke　rising　from　those　houses　as　there　should　have

been　at　this　hour　of　the　day；　when　men　cooked　their　evening　food。　　The

moon　would　be　up　presently；　I　knew；　but　meanwhile　it　was　dark　and　the

tired　horse　stumbled　and　floundered　among　the　stones　which　lay　about　at

the　foot　of　the　hill。



I　could　bear　it　no　longer。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃do　you　stay　here　with　the　horse。　　I　will　creep　to　the

houses　and　see　if　any　dwell　there。〃



〃Be　careful；　baas；〃　he　answered；　〃lest　you　should　find　Zulus；　for　those

black　devils　are　all　about。〃



I　nodded；　for　I　could　not　speak；　and　then　began　the　ascent。　　For　several

hundred　yards　I　crept　from　stone　to　stone；　feeling　my　way；　for　the

Kaffir　path　that　led　to　the　little　plateau　where　the　spring　was；　above

which　the　shanties　stood；　ran　at　the　other　end　of　the　hill。　　I　struck

the　spruit　or　rivulet　that　was　fed　by　this　spring；　being　guided　to　it　by

the　murmur　of　the　water；　and　followed　up　its　bank　till　I　heard　a　sound

which　caused　me　to　crouch　and　listen。



I　could　not　be　sure　because　of　the　ceaseless　babble　of　the　brook；　but

the　sound　seemed　like　that　of　sobs。　　While　I　waited　the　great　moon

appeared　suddenly　above　a　bank　of　inky　cloud；　flooding　the　place　with

light；　and　oh！　by　that　light；　looking　more　ethereal　than　woman　I　sawI

saw　Marie！



She　stood　not　five　paces　from　me；　by　the　side　of　the　stream；　whither　she

had　come　to　draw　water；　for　she　held　a　vessel　in　her　hand。　　She　was

clothed　in　some　kind　of　a　black　garment；　such　as　widows　wear；　but　made

of　rough　stuff；　and　above　it　her　face　showed　　white　in　the　white　rays　of

the　moon。　　Gazing　at　her　from　the　shadow；　I　could　even　see　the　tears

running　down　her　cheeks；　for　it　was　she　who　wept　in　this　lonely　place；

wept　for　one　who　would　return　no　more。



My　voice　choked　in　my　throat；　I　could　not　utter　a　single　word。　　Rising

from　behind　a　rock　I　moved　towards　her。　　She　saw　me　and　started；　then

said　in　a　thrilling　whisper：



〃Oh！　husband；　has　God　sent　you　to　call　me？　　I　am　ready；　husband；　I　am

ready！〃　and　she　stretched　out　her　arms　wildly；　letting　fall　the　vessel；

that　clanked　upon　the　ground。



〃Marie！〃　I　gasped　at　length；　and　at　that　word　the　blood　rushed　to　her

face　and　brow；　and　I　saw　her　draw　in　her　breath　as　though　to　scream。



〃Hush！〃　I　whispered。　　〃It　is　I；　Allan；　who　have　escaped　alive。〃



The　next　thing　I　remember　was　that　she　lay　in　my　arms。





〃What　has　happened　here？〃　I　asked　when　I　had　told　my　tale；　or　some　of

it。



〃Nothing；　Allan；〃　she　answered。　　〃I　received　your　letter　at　the　camp；

and　we　trekked　away　as　you　bade　us；　without　telling　the　others　why；

because　you　remember　the　Commandant　Retief　wrote　to　us　not　to　do　so。　　So

we　were　out　of　the　great　slaughter；　for　the　Zulus　did　not　know　where　we

had　gone；　and　never　followed　us　here；　although　I　have　heard　that　they

sought　for　me。　　My　father　and　my　cousin　Hernan　only　arrived　at　the　camp

two　days　after　the　attack；　and　discovering　or　guessing　our

hiding…placeI　know　not　whichrode　on　hither。　　They　say　they　came　to

warn　the　Boers　to　be　careful；　for　they　did　not　trust　Dingaan；　but　were

too　late。　　So　they　too　were　out　of　the　slaughter；　for；　Allan；　many；　many

have　been　killedthey　say　five　or　six　hundred；　most　of　them　women　and

children。　　But　thank　God！　many　more　escaped；　since　the　men　came　in　from

the　other　camps　farther　off　and　from　their　shooting　parties；　and　drove

away　the　Zulus；　killing　them　by　scores。〃



〃Are　your　father　and　Pereira　here　now？〃　I　asked。



〃No；　Allan。　　They　learned　of　the　massacre　and　that　the　Zulus　were　all

gone　yesterday　morning。　　Also　they　got　the　bad　news　that　Retief　and

everyone　with　him　had　been　killed　at　Dingaan's　town；　it　is　said　through

the　treachery　of　the　English；　who　arranged　with　Dingaan　that　he　should

kill　them。〃



〃That　is　false；〃　I　said；　〃but　go　on。〃



〃Then；　Allan；　they　came　and　told　me　that　I　was　a　widow　like　many　other

womenI　who　had　never　been　a　wife。　　Allan；　Hernan　said　that　I　should

not　grieve　for　you；　as　you　deserved　your　fate；　since　you　had　been　caught

in　your　own　snare；　being　one　of　those　who　had　betrayed　the　Boers。　　The

Vrouw　Prinsloo　answered　to　his　face　that　he　lied；　and；　Allan；　I　said

that　I　would　never　speak　to　him　again　until　we　met　before　the　Judgment

Seat　of　God；　nor　will　I　do　so。〃



〃But　I　will　speak　to　him；〃　I　muttered。　　〃Well；　where　are　they　now？〃



〃They　rode　this　morning　back　to　the　other　Boers。　　I　think　they　want　to

bring　a　party　of　them　here　to　settle；　if　they　like　this　place；　as　it　is

so　easy　to　defend。　　They　said　they　would　return　to…morrow；　and　that

meanwhile　we　were　quite　safe；　as　they　had　sure　tidings　that　all　the

Zulus　were　back　over　the　Tugela；　taking　some　of　their　wounded　with　them；

and　also　the　Boer　cattle　as　an　offering　to　Dingaan。　　But　come　to　the

house；　Allanour　home　that　I　had　made　ready　for　you　as　well　as　I　could。

　Oh！　my　God！　our　home　on　the　threshold　of　which　I　believed　you　would

never　set　a　foot。　　Yes；　when　the　moon　rose　from　that　cloud　I　believed

it；　and　look；　they　are　still　quite　close　together。　　Hark；　what　is　that？〃



I　listened；　and　caught　the　sound　of　a　horse's　hoofs　stumbling　among　the

rocks。



〃Don't　be　frightened；〃　I　answered；　〃it　is　only　Hans　with　my　horse。　　He

escaped　also；　I　will　tell　you　how　afterwards。〃　　And　as　I　spoke　he

appeared；　a　woebegone　and　exhausted　object。



〃Good　day；　missie；〃　he　said　with　an　attempt　at　cheerfulness。　　〃Now　you

should　give　me　a　fine　dinner；　for　you　see　I　have　brought　the　baas　back

safe　to　you。　　Did　I　not　tell　you；　baas；　that　everything　would　come

right？〃



Then　he　grew　silent　from　exhaustion。　　Nor　were　we　sorry；　who　at　that

moment　did　not　wish　to　listen　to　the　poor　fellow's　talk。





Something　over　two　hours　had　gone　by　since　the　moon　broke　out　from　the

clouds。　　I　had　greeted　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　and　all　my　other　friends；　and

been　received　by　them　with　rapture　as　one　risen　from　the　dead。　　If　they

had　loved　me　before；　now　a　new　gratitude　was　added　to　their　love；　since

had　it　not　been　for　my　warning　they　also　must　have　made　acquaintance

with　the　Zulu　spears　and　perished。　　It　was　on　their　part　of　the　camp

that　the　worst　of　the　attack　fell。　　Indeed；　from　those　wagons　hardly

anyone　escaped。



I　had　told　them　all　the　story；　to　which　they　listened　in　dead　silence。　

Only　when　it　was　finished　the　Heer　Meyer；　whose　natural　gloom　had　been

deepened　by　all　these　events；　said：



〃Allemachte！　but　you　have　luck；　Allan；　to　be　left　when　everyone　else　is

taken。　　Now；　did　I　not　know　you　so　well；　like　Hernan　Pereira　I　should

think　that　you　and　that　devil　Dingaan　had　winked　at　each　other。〃



The　Vrouw　Prinsloo　turned　on　him　furiously。



〃How　dare　you　say　such　words；　Carl　Meyer？〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃Must　Allan

always　be　insulted　just　because