marie-第68章

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Then；　as　I　reserved　my　cross…examination　until　I　heard　all　the　evidence

against　me；　Henri　Marais　was　sworn　and　corroborated　his　nephew's

testimony　on　many　points　as　to　my　relations　to　his　daughter；　his

objection　to　my　marriage　to　her　because　I　was　an　Englishman　whom　he

disliked　and　mistrusted；　and　so　forth。　　He　added　further　that　it　was

true　Pereira　had　told　him　he　had　sure　information　that　Marie　and　the

Boers　were　in　danger　from　an　attack　upon　them　which　had　been　arranged

between　Allan　Quatermain　and　Dingaan；　that　he　also　had　written　to　Retief

and　tried　to　speak　to　him　but　was　refused　a　hearing。　　Thereon　he　had

ridden　away　from　Umgungundhlovu　to　try　to　save　his　daughter　and　warn　the

Boers。　　That　was　all　he　had　to　say。



As　there　were　no　further　witnesses　for　the　prosecution　I　cross…examined

these　two　at　full　length；　but　absolutely　without　results；　since　every

vital　question　that　I　asked　was　met　with　a　direct　negative。



Then　I　called　my　witnesses；　Marie；　whose　evidence　they　refused　to　hear

on　the　ground　that　she　was　my　wife　and　prejudiced；　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo

and　her　family；　and　the　Meyers。　　One　and　all　told　a　true　story　of　my

relations　with　Hernan　Pereira；　Henri　Marais；　and　Dingaan；　so　far　as　they

knew　them。



After　this；　as　the　commandant　declined　to　take　the　evidence　of　Hans

because　he　was　a　Hottentot　and　my　servant；　I　addressed　the　court；

relating　exactly　what　had　taken　place　between　me　and　Dingaan；　and　how　I

and　Hans　came　to　escape　on　our　second　visit　to　his　kraal。　　I　pointed　out

also　that　unhappily　for　myself　I　could　not　prove　my　words；　since　Dingaan

was　not　available　as　a　witness；　and　all　the　others　were　dead。　　Further；

I　produced　my　letter　to　Marie；　which　was　endorsed　by　Retief；　and　the

letter　to　Retief　signed　by　Marais　and　Pereira　which　remained　in　my

possession。



By　the　time　that　I　had　finished　my　speech　the　sun　was　setting　and

everyone　was　tired　out。　　I　was　ordered　to　withdraw　under　guard；　while

the　court　consulted；　which　it　did　for　a　long　while。　　Then　I　was　called

forward　again　and　the　commandant　said：



〃Allan　Quatermain；　after　prayer　to　God　we　have　considered　this　case　to

the　best　of　our　judgment　and　ability。　　On　the　one　hand　we　note　that　you

are　an　Englishman；　a　member　of　a　race　which　hates　and　has　always

oppressed　our　people；　and　that　it　was　to　your　interest　to　get　rid　of　two

of　them　with　whom　you　had　quarrelled。　　The　evidence　of　Henri　Marais　and

Hernan　Pereira；　which　we　cannot　disbelieve；　shows　that　you　were　wicked

enough；　either　in　order　to　do　this；　or　because　of　your　malice　against

the　Boer　people；　to　plot　their　destruction　with　a　savage。　　The　result　is

that　some　seven　hundred　men；　women；　and　children　have　lost　their　lives

in　a　very　cruel　manner；　whereas　you；　your　servant；　your　wife　and　your

friends　have　alone　escaped　unharmed。　　For　such　a　crime　as　this　a　hundred

deaths　could　not　pay；　indeed；　God　alone　can　give　to　it　its　just

punishment；　and　to　Him　it　is　our　duty　to　send　you　to　be　judged。　　We

condemn　you　to　be　shot　as　a　traitor　and　a　murderer；　and　may　He　have

mercy　on　your　soul。〃



At　these　dreadful　words　Marie　fell　to　the　ground　fainting　and　a　pause

ensued　while　she　was　carried　off　to　the　Prinsloos'　house；　whither　the

vrouw　followed　to　attend　her。　　Then　the　commandant　went　on：



〃Still；　although　we　have　thus　passed　judgment　on　you；　because　you　are　an

Englishman　against　whom　it　might　be　said　that　we　had　prejudices；　and

because　you　have　had　no　opportunity　of　preparing　a　defence；　and　no

witnesses　to　the　facts；　since　all　those　whom　you　say　you　could　have

called　are　dead；　we　think　it　right　that　this　unanimous　sentence　of　ours

should　be　confirmed　by　a　general　court　of　the　emigrant　Boers。　　Therefore

to…morrow　morning　you　will　be　taken　with　us　to　the　Bushman's　River　camp；

where　the　case　will　be　settled；　and；　if　necessary；　execution　done　in

accordance　with　the　verdict　of　the　generals　and　veld…cornets　of　that

camp。　　Meanwhile　you　will　be　kept　in　custody　in　your　own　house。　　Now

have　you　anything　to　say　against　this　sentence？〃



〃Yes；　this；〃　I　answered；　〃that　although　you　do　not　know　it；　it　is　an

unjust　sentence；　built　up　on　the　lies　of　one　who　has　always　been　my

enemy；　and　of　a　man　whose　brain　is　rotten。　　I　never　betrayed　the　Boers。　

If　anyone　betrayed　them　it　was　Hernan　Pereira　himself；　who；　as　I　proved

to　the　General　Retief；　had　been　praying　Dingaan　to　kill　me；　and　whom

Retief　threatened　to　put　upon　his　trial　for　this　very　crime；　for　which

reason　and　no　other　Pereira　fled　from　the　kraal；　taking　his　tool　Henri

Marais　with　him。　　You　have　asked　God　to　judge　me。　　Well；　I　ask　God　to

judge　him　and　Henri　Marais　also；　and　I　know　He　will　in　one　way　or

another。　　As　for　me；　I　am　ready　to　die；　as　I　have　been　for　months　while

serving　the　cause　of　you　Boers。　　Shoot　me　now　if　you　will；　and　make　an

end。　　But　I　tell　you　that　if　I　escape　your　hands　I　will　not　suffer　this

treatment　to　go　unpunished。　　I　will　lay　my　case　before　the　rulers　of　my

people；　and　if　necessary　before　my　Queen；　yes；　if　I　have　to　travel　to

London　to　do　it；　and　you　Boers　shall　learn　that　you　cannot　condemn　an

innocent　Englishman　upon　false　testimony　and　not　pay　the　price。　　I　tell

you　that　price　shall　be　great　if　I　live；　and　if　I　die　it　shall　be

greater　still。〃



Now　these　words；　very　foolish　words；　I　admit；　which　being　young　and

inexperienced　I　spoke　in　my　British　pride；　I　could　see　made　a　great

impression　upon　my　judges。　　They　believed；　to　be　fair　to　them；　that　they

had　passed　a　just　sentence。　　Blinded　by　prejudice　and　falsehood；　and

maddened　by　the　dreadful　losses　their　people　had　suffered　during　the

past　few　days　at　the　hands　of　a　devilish　savage；　they　believed　that　I

was　the　instigator　of　those　losses；　one　who　ought　to　die。　　Indeed；　all；

or　nearly　all　the　Boers　were　persuaded　that　Dingaan　was　urged　to　this

massacre　by　the　counsels　of　Englishmen。　　The　mere　fact　of　my　own　and　my

servant's　miraculous　escape；　when　all　my　companions　had　perished；　proved

my　guilt　to　them　without　the　evidence　of　Pereira；　which；　being　no

lawyers；　they　thought　sufficient　to　justify　their　verdict。



Still；　they　had　an　uneasy　suspicion　that　this　evidence　was　not

conclusive；　and　might　indeed　be　rejected　in　toto　by　a　more　competent

court　upon　various　grounds。　　Also　they　knew　themselves　to　be　rebels　who

had　no　legal　right　to　form　a　court；　and　feared　the　power　of　the　long　arm

of　England；　from　which　for　a　little　while　they　had　escaped。　　If　I　were

allowed　to　tell　my　tale　to　the　Parliament　in　London；　what　might　not

happen　to　them；　they　wonderedto　them　who　had　ventured　to　pass　sentence

of　death　upon　a　subject　of　the　Queen　of　Great　Britain？　　Might　not　this

turn　the　scale　against　them？　　Might　not　Britain　arise　in　wrath　and　crush

them；　these　men　who　dared　to　invoke　her　forms　of　law　in　order　to　kill

her　citizen？　　Those；　as　I　learned　afterwards；　were　the　thoughts　that

passed　through　their　minds。



Also　another　thought　passed　through　their　mindsthat　if　the　sentence

were　executed　at　once；　a　dead　man　cannot　appeal；　and　that　here　I　had　no

friends　to　take　up　my　cause　and　avenge　me。　　But　of　all　this　they　said

nothing。　　Only　at　a　sign　I　was　marched　away　to　my　little　house　and

imprisoned　under　guard。



Now　I　propose　to　tell　the　rest　of　the　history　of　these　tragic　events　as

they　happened；　although　some　of　them　did　not　come　to　my　knowledge　till

the　morrow　or　afterwards；　for　I　think　this　will　be　the　more　simple　and

the　easier　plan。







CHAPTER　XXI









THE　INNOCENT　BLOOD











After　I　had　been　taken　away　it　seems　that　the　court　summoned　Hernan

Pereira　and　Henri　Marais　to　accompany　them　to　a　lonely　spot　at　a

distance；　where　they　thought　that　their　deliberations　would　not　be

overheard。　　In　this；　however；　they　were　mistaken；　having　forgotten　the

fox…like　cunning　of　the　Hottentot；　Hans。　　Hans　had　heard　me　sentenced；

and　probably　enough　feared　that　he　who　also　had　committed　the　crime　of

escaping　from　Dingaan