marie-第69章

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

escaping　from　Dingaan；　might　be　called　on　to　share　that　sentence。　　Also

he　wished　to　know　the　secret　counsel　of　these　Boers；　whose　language；　of

course；　he　understood　as　well　as　he　did　his　own。



So　making　a　circuit　up　the　hillside；　he　crept　towards　them　on　his　belly

as　a　snake　creeps；　wriggling　in　and　out　between　the　tufts　of　last　year's

dead　grass；　which　grew　here　in　plenty；　without　so　much　as　moving　their

tops。　　At　length　he　lay　still　in　the　centre　of　a　bush　that　grew　behind　a

stone　not　five　paces　from　where　they　were　talking；　whence　he　listened

intently　to　every　word　that　passed　their　lips。



This　was　the　substance　of　their　talk；　that　for　the　reasons　I　have

already　mentioned　it　would　be　best　that　I　should　die　at　once。　　Sentence；

said　the　commandant；　had　been　passed；　and　could　not　be　rescinded；　since

even　if　it　were；　their　offence　would　remain　as　heavy　in　the　eyes　of　the

English　authorities。　　But　if　they　took　me　to　their　main　camp　to　be

re…tried　by　their　great　council；　possibly　that　sentence　might　be

rescinded　and　they　be　left　individually　and　collectively　to　atone　for

what　they　had　done。　　Also　they　knew　that　I　was　very　clever　and　might

escape　in　some　other　way　to　bring　the　English；　or　possibly　the　Zulus；

upon　them；　since　they　felt　convinced　that　Dingaan　and　I　were　working

together　for　their　destruction；　and　that　while　I　had　breath　in　my　body　I

should　never　cease　my　efforts　to　be　avenged。



When　it　was　found　that　they　were　all　of　one　mind　in　this　matter；　the

question　arose：　What　should　be　done？　　Somebody　suggested　that　I　should

be　shot　at　once；　but　the　commandant　pointed　out　that　such　a　deed；　worked

at　night；　would　look　like　murder；　especially　as　it　violated　the　terms　of

their　verdict。



Then　another　suggestion　was　made：　that　I　should　be　brought　out　of　my

house　just　before　the　dawn　on　pretence　that　it　was　time　to　ride；　that

then　I　should　be　given　the　opportunity　of　escape　and　instantly　shot

down。　　Or　it　might　be　pretended　that　I　had　tried　to　escape；　with　a　like

result。　　Who；　they　urged；　was　to　know　in　that　half…light　whether　I　had

or　had　not　actually　attempted　to　run　for　my　life；　or　to　threaten　their

lives；　circumstances　under　which　the　law　said　it　was　justifiable　to

shoot　a　prisoner　already　formally　condemned　to　death？



To　this　black　counsel　they　all　agreed；　being　so　terribly　afraid　of　a

poor　English　lad　whose　existence；　although　most　of　them　did　not　know

this；　was　to　be　taken　from　him　upon　false　evidence。　　But　then　arose

another　question：　By　whose　hand　should　the　thing　be　done？　　Not　one　of

them；　it　would　seem；　was　anxious　to　fulfil　this　bloody　office；　indeed；

they　one　and　all　refused　to　do　so。　　A　proposal　was　put　forward　that　some

of　their　native　servants　should　be　forced　to　serve　as　executioners；　but

when　this　had　been　vetoed　by　the　general　sense　of　the　court；　their

counsels　came　to　a　deadlock。



Then；　after　a　whispered　conference；　the　commandant　spoke　some　dreadful

words。



〃Hernando　Pereira　and　Henri　Marais；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　on　your　evidence

that　this　young　man　has　been　condemned。　　We　believe　that　evidence；　but

if　by　one　jot　or　one　tittle　it　is　false；　then　not　justice；　but　a　foul

murder　will　have　been　committed　and　his　innocent　blood　will　be　upon　your

heads　for　ever。　　Hernando　Pereira　and　Henri　Marais；　the　court　appoints

you　to　be　the　guards　who　will　bring　the　prisoner　out　of　his　house

to…morrow　morning　just　when　the　sky　begins　to　lighten。　　It　is　from　_you_

that　he　will　try　to　escape；　and　_you_　will　prevent　his　escape　by　his

death。　　Then　you　must　join　us　where　we　shall　be　waiting　for　you　and

report　the　execution。〃



When　Henri　Marais　heard　this　he　exclaimed：



〃I　swear　by　God　that　I　cannot　do　it。　　Is　it　right　or　natural　that　a　man

should　be　forced　to　kill　his　own　son…in…law？〃



〃You　could　bear　evidence　against　your　own　son…in…law；　Henri　Marais；〃

answered　the　stern…faced　commandant。　　〃Why　then　cannot　you　kill　with

your　rifle　one　whom　you　have　already　helped　to　kill　with　your　tongue？〃



〃I　will　not；　I　cannot！〃　said　Marais；　tearing　at　his　beard。　　But　the

commandant　only　answered　coldly：



〃You　have　the　orders　of　the　court；　and　if　you　choose　to　disobey　them　we

shall　begin　to　believe　that　you　have　sworn　falsely。　　Then　you　and　your

nephew　will　also　appear　before　the　great　council　when　the　Englishman　is

tried　again。　　Still；　it　matters　nothing　to　us　whether　you　or　Hernando

Pereira　shall　fire　the　shot。　　See　you　to　it；　as　the　Jews　said　to　Judas

who　had　betrayed　the　innocent　Lord。〃



Then　he　paused　and　went　on；　addressing　Pereira：



〃Do　you　also　refuse；　Hernando　Pereira？　　Remember　before　you　answer　that

if　you　do　refuse　we　shall　draw　our　own　conclusions。　　Remember；　too；　that

the　evidence　which　you　have　given；　showing　that　this　wicked　Englishman

plotted　and　caused　the　deaths　of　our　brothers　and　of　our　wives　and

children；　which　we　believe　to　be　true　evidence；　shall　be　weighed　and

investigated　word　by　word　before　the　great　council。〃



〃To　give　evidence　is　one　thing；　and　to　shoot　the　traitor　and　murderer

another；〃　said　Pereira。　　Then　he　added　with　an　oath；　or　so　vowed　Hans：

〃Yet　why　should　I；　who　know　all　this　villain's　guilt；　refuse　to　carry

out　the　sentence　of　the　law　on　him？　　Have　no　fear；　commandant；　the

accursed　Allan　Quatermain　shall　not　succeed　in　his　attempt　to　escape

to…morrow　before　the　dawn。〃



〃So　be　it；〃　said　the　commandant。　　〃Now；　do　all　you　who　have　heard　those

words　take　note　of　them。〃



Then　Hans；　seeing　that　the　council　was　about　to　break　up；　and　fearing

lest　he　should　be　caught　and　killed；　slipped　away　by　the　same　road　that

he　had　come。　　His　thought　was　to　warn　me；　but　this　he　could　not　do

because　of　the　guards。　　So　he　went　to　the　Prinsloos；　and　finding　the

vrouw　alone　with　Marie；　who　had　recovered　her　mind；　told　them　everything

that　he　had　heard。



As　he　said；　Marie　knelt　down　and　prayed；　or　thought　for　a　long　while；

then　rose　and　spoke。



〃Tante；〃　she　said　to　the　vrouw；　〃one　thing　is　clear；　that　Allan　will　be

murdered　at　the　dawn；　now　if　he　is　hidden　away　he　may　escape。〃



〃But　where　and　how　can　we　hide　him；〃　asked　the　vrouw；　〃seeing　that　the

place　is　guarded？〃



〃Tante；〃　said　Marie　again；　〃at　the　back　of　your　house　is　an　old　cattle

kraal　made　by　Kaffirs；　and　in　that　cattle　kraal；　as　I　have　seen；　there

are　mealie…pits　where　those　Kaffirs　stored　their　grain。　　Now　I　suggest

that　we　should　put　my　husband　into　one　of　those　mealie…pits　and　cover　it

over。　　There　the　Boers　might　not　find　him；　however　close　they　searched。〃



〃That　is　a　good　idea；〃　said　the　vrouw；　〃but　how　in　the　name　of　God　are

we　to　get　Allan　out　of　a　guarded　house　into　a　mealie…pit？〃



〃Tante；　I　have　a　right　to　go　to　my　husband's　house；　and　there　I　will　go。

　Afterwards；　too；　I　shall　have　the　right　to　leave　his　house　before　he　is

taken　away。　　Well；　he　might　leave　it　in　my　place；　_as　me_；　and　you　and

Hans　might　help　him。　　Then　in　the　morning　the　Boers　would　come　to　search

the　house　and　find　no　one　except　me。〃



〃That　is　all　very　pretty；〃　answered　the　vrouw；　〃but　do　you　think；　my

niece；　that　those　accursed　vultures　will　go　away　until　they　have　picked

Allan's　bones？　　Not　they；　for　too　much　hangs　on　it。　　They　will　know　that

he　cannot　be　far　off；　and　slink　about　the　place　until　they　have　found

him　in　his　mealie…hole　or　until　he　comes　out。　　It　is　blood　they　are

after；　thanks　to　your　cousin　Hernan；　the　liar；　and　blood　they　will　have

for　their　own　safety's　sake。　　Never　will　they　go　away　from　here　until

they　see　Allan　lying　dead　upon　the　ground。〃



Now；　according　to　Hans；　Marie　thought　again　very　deeply。　　Then　she

answered：



〃There　is　a　great　risk；　tante；　but　we　must　take　it。　　Send　your　husband

to　chat　with　those　guards；　and　give　him　a　bottle　of　spirits。　　I　will

talk　with　Hans　here　and　see　what　can　be　arranged。〃



So　Marie　went　aside　with　Hans；　as　he　told　me　afterwards；　and　asked　him