marie-第66章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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

always　be　insulted　just　because　he　is　English；　which　he　cannot　help？　

For　my　part；　I　think　that　if　anyone　winked　at　Dingaan　it　was　the

stinkcat　Pereira。　　Otherwise　why　did　he　come　away　before　the　killing　and

bring　that　madman；　Henri　Marais；　with　him？〃



〃I　don't　know；　I　am　sure；　aunt；〃　said　Meyer　humbly；　for　like　everyone

else　he　was　afraid　of　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo。



〃Then　why　can't　you　hold　your　tongue　instead　of　saying　silly　things

which　must　give　pain？〃　asked　the　vrouw。　　〃No；　don't　answer；　for　you　will

only　make　matters　worse；　but　take　the　rest　of　that　meat　to　the　poor

Hottentot；　Hans〃I　should　explain　that　we　had　been　supping〃who；

although　he　has　eaten　enough　to　burst　any　white　stomach；　I　dare　say　can

manage　another　pound　or　two。〃



Meyer　obeyed　meekly；　and　the　others　melted　away　also　as　they　were　wont

to　do　when　the　vrouw　showed　signs　of　war；　so　that　she　and　we　two　were

left　alone。



〃Now；〃　said　the　vrouw；　〃everyone　is　tired；　and　I　say　that　it　is　time　to

go　to　rest。　　Good　night；　nephew　Allan　and　niece　Marie；〃　and　she　waddled

away　leaving　us　together。



〃Husband；〃　said　Marie　presently；　〃will　you　come　and　see　the　home　that　I

made　ready　for　you　before　I　thought　that　you　were　dead？　　It　is　a　poor

place；　but　I　pray　God　that　we　may　be　happy　there；〃　and　she　took　me　by

the　hand　and　kissed　me　once　and　twice　and　thrice。





About　noon　on　the　following　day；　when　my　wife　and　I　were　laughing　and

arguing　over　some　little　domestic　detail　of　our　meagre　establishmentso

soon　are　great　griefs　forgotten　in　an　overwhelming　joy；　of　a　sudden　I

saw　her　face　change；　and　asked　what　was　the　matter。



〃Hist！〃　she　said；　〃I　hear　horses；〃　and　she　pointed　in　a　certain

direction。



I　looked；　and　there；　round　the　corner　of　the　hill；　came　a　body　of　Boers

with　their　after…riders；　thirty…two　or　three　of　them　in　all；　of　whom

twenty　were　white　men。



〃See；〃　said　Marie；　〃my　father　is　among　them；　and　my　cousin　Hernan　rides

at　his　side。〃



It　was　true。　　There　was　Henri　Marais；　and　just　behind　him；　talking　into

his　ear；　rode　Hernan　Pereira。　　I　remember　that　the　two　of　them　reminded

me　of　a　tale　I　had　read　about　a　man　who　was　cursed　with　an　evil　genius

that　drew　him　to　some　dreadful　doom　in　spite　of　the　promptings　of　his

better　nature。　　The　thin；　worn；　wild…eyed　Marais；　and　the　rich…faced；

carnal　Pereira　whispering　slyly　into　his　ear；　they　were　exact　types　of

that　man　in　the　story　and　his　evil　genius　who　dragged　him　down　to　hell。　

Prompted　by　some　impulse；　I　threw　my　arms　round　Marie　and　embraced　her；

saying：



〃At　least　we　have　been　very　happy　for　a　while。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　Allan？〃　she　asked　doubtfully。



〃Only　that　I　think　our　good　hours　are　done　with　for　the　present。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　she　answered　slowly；　〃but　at　least　they　have　been　very　good

hours；　and　if　I　should　die　to…day　I　am　glad　to　have　lived　to　win　them。〃



Then　the　cavalcade　of　Boers　came　up。



Hernan　Pereira；　his　senses　sharpened　perhaps　by　the　instincts　of　hate

and　jealousy；　was　the　first　to　recognise　me。



〃Why；　Mynheer　Allan　Quatermain；〃　he　said；　〃how　is　it　that　you　are　here？　

How　is　it　that　you　still　live？　　Commandant；〃　he　added；　turning　to　a

dark；　sad…faced　man　of　about　sixty　whom　at　that　time　I　did　not　know；

〃here　is　a　strange　thing。　　This　Heer　Quatermain；　an　Englishman；　was　with

the　Governor　Retief　at　the　town　of　the　Zulu　king；　as　the　Heer　Henri

Marais　can　testify。　　Now；　as　we　know　for　sure　Pieter　Retief　and　all　his

people　are　dead；　murdered　by　Dingaan；　how　then　does　it　happen　that　this

man　has　escaped？〃



〃Why　do　you　put　riddles　to　me；　Mynheer　Pereira？〃　asked　the　dark　Boer。　

〃Doubtless　the　Englishman　will　explain。〃



〃Certainly　I　will；　mynheer；〃　I　said。　　〃Is　it　your　pleasure　that　I　should

speak　now？〃



The　commandant　hesitated。　　Then；　having　called　Henri　Marais　apart　and

talked　to　him　for　a　little　while；　he　replied：



〃No；　not　now；　I　think；　the　matter　is　too　serious。　　After　we　have　eaten

we　will　listen　to　your　story；　Mynheer　Quatermain；　and　meanwhile　I

command　you　not　to　leave　this　place。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　I　am　a　prisoner；　commandant？〃　I　asked。



〃If　you　put　it　soyes；　Mynheer　Quatermaina　prisoner　who　has　to

explain　how　some　sixty　of　our　brothers；　who　were　your　companions；　came

to　be　butchered　like　beasts　in　Zululand；　while　you　escaped。　　Now；　no

more　words；　by　and　by　doubtless　there　will　be　plenty　of　them。　　Here　you；

Carolus　and　Johannes；　keep　watch　upon　this　Englishman；　of　whom　I　hear

strange　stories；　with　your　guns　loaded；　please；　and　when　we　send　to　you；

lead　him　before　us。〃



〃As　usual；　your　cousin　Hernan　brings　evil　gifts；〃　I　said　to　Marie

bitterly。　　〃Well；　let　us　also　eat　our　dinner；　which　perhaps　the　Heeren

Carolus　and　Johannes　will　do　us　the　honour　to　sharebringing　their

loaded　guns　with　them。〃



Carolus　and　Johannes　accepted　the　invitation；　and　from　them　we　heard

much　news；　all　of　it　terrible　enough　to　learn；　especially　the　details　of

the　massacre　in　that　district；　which；　because　of　this　fearful　event　is

now　and　always　will　be　known　as　Weenen；　or　The　Place　of　Weeping。　

Suffice　it　to　say　that　they　were　quite　enough　to　take　away　all　our

appetite；　although　Carolus　and　Johannes；　who　by　this　time　had　recovered

somewhat　from　the　shock　of　that　night　of　blood　and　terror；　ate　in　a

fashion　which　might　have　filled　Hans　himself　with　envy。



Shortly　after　we　had　finished　our　meal；　Hans；　who；　by　the　way；　seemed　to

have　quite　recovered　from　his　fatigues；　came　to　remove　the　dishes。　　He

informed　us　that　all　the　Boers　were　having　a　great　〃talk；〃　and　that　they

were　about　to　send　for　me。　　Sure　enough；　a　few　minutes　later　two　armed

men　arrived　and　ordered　me　to　follow　them。　　I　turned　to　say　some　words

of　farewell　to　Marie；　but　she　said：



〃I　go　where　you　do；　husband；〃　and；　as　no　objection　was　made　by　the

guard；　she　came。



About　two　hundred　yards　away；　sitting　under　the　shade　of　one　of　the

wagons；　we　found　the　Boers。　　Six　of　them　were　seated　in　a　semicircle

upon　stools　or　whatever　they　could　find；　the　black…browed　commandant

being　in　the　centre　and　having　in　front　of　him　a　rough　table　on　which

were　writing　materials。



To　the　left　of　these　six　were　the　Prinsloos　and　Meyers；　being　those　folk

whom　I　had　rescued　from　Delagoa；　and　to　the　right　the　other　Boers　who

had　ridden　into　the　camp　that　morning。　　I　saw　at　a　glance　that　a

court…martial　had　been　arranged　and　that　the　six　elders　were　the　judges；

the　commandant　being　the　president　of　the　court。



I　do　not　give　their　names　purposely；　since　I　have　no　wish　that　the

actual　perpetrators　of　the　terrible　blunder　that　I　am　about　to　describe

should　be　known　to　posterity。　　After　all；　they　acted　honestly　according

to　their　lights；　and　were　but　tools　in　the　hand　of　that　villain　Hernan

Pereira。



〃Allan　Quatermain；〃　said　the　commandant；　〃you　are　brought　here　to　be

tried　by　a　court…martial　duly　constituted　according　to　the　law　published

in　the　camps　of　the　emigrant　Boers。　　Do　you　acknowledge　that　law？〃



〃I　know　that　there　is　such　a　law；　commandant；〃　I　answered；　〃but　I　do　not

acknowledge　the　authority　of　your　court…martial　to　try　a　man　who　is　no

Boer；　but　a　subject　of　the　Queen　of　Great　Britain。〃



〃We　have　considered　that　point；　Allan　Quatermain；〃　said　the　commandant；

〃and　we　disallow　it。　　You　will　remember　that　in　the　camp　at　Bushman's

River；　before　you　rode　with　the　late　Pieter　Retief　to　the　chief

Sikonyela；　when　you　were　given　command　of　the　Zulus　who　went　with　him；

you　took　an　oath　to　interpret　truly　and　to　be　faithful　in　all　things　to

the　General　Retief；　to　his　companions　and　to　his　cause。　　That　oath　we

hold　gives　this　court　jurisdiction　over　you。〃



〃I　deny　your　jurisdiction；〃　I　answered；　〃although　it　is　true　that　I　took

an　oath　to　interpret　faithfully；　and　I　request　that　a　note　of　my　denial

may　be　made　in　writing。〃



〃It　shall　be　done；〃　said　the　command