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marie-第8章

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sheep were penned at night; about one hundred and fifty of the former

and some two thousand of the latter; to say nothing of the horses; for

he was a large and prosperous farmer; there arose a sound of bellowing;

neighing; and baaing; and with it that of the shouting of men。



〃They are driving off the stock;〃 said Marie。  〃Oh! my poor father; he

is ruined; it will break his heart。〃



〃Bad enough;〃 I answered; 〃but there are things that might be worse。 

Hark!〃



As I spoke there came a sound of stamping feet and of a wild war chant。 

Then in the edge of the mist that hung above the hollow where the cattle

kraals were; figures appeared; moving swiftly to and fro; looking

ghostly and unreal。  The Kaffirs were marshalling their men for the

attack。  A minute more and it had begun。  On up the slope they came in

long; wavering lines; several hundreds of them; whistling and screaming;

shaking their spears; their war…plumes and hair trappings blown back by

the breeze; the lust of slaughter in their rolling eyes。  Two or three

of them had guns; which they fired as they ran; but where the bullets

went I do not know; over the house probably。



I called out to Leblanc and the Kaffirs not to shoot till I did; for I

knew that they were poor marksmen and that much depended upon our first

volley being effective。  Then as the captain of this attack came within

thirty yards of the stoepfor now the light; growing swiftly; was

strong enough to enable me to distinguish him by his apparel and the

rifle which he heldI loosed at him with the 〃roer〃 and shot him dead。 

Indeed the heavy bullet passing through his body mortally wounded

another of the Quabies behind。  These were the first men that I ever

killed in war。



As they fell; Leblanc and the rest of our people fired also; the slugs

from their guns doing great execution at that range; which was just long

enough to allow them to scatter。  When the smoke cleared a little I saw

that nearly a dozen men were down; and that the rest; dismayed by this

reception; had halted。  If they had come on then; while we were loading;

doubtless they might have rushed the place; but; being unused to the

terrible effects of firearms; they paused; amazed。  A number of them;

twenty or thirty perhaps; clustered about the bodies of the fallen

Kaffirs; and; seizing my second gun; I fired both barrels at these with

such fearful effect that the whole regiment took to their heels and

fled; leaving their dead and wounded on the ground。  As they ran our

servants cheered; but I called to them to be silent and load swiftly;

knowing well that the enemy would soon return。



For a time; however; nothing happened; although we could hear them

talking somewhere near the cattle kraal; about a hundred and fifty yards

away。  Marie took advantage of this pause; I remember; to fetch food and

distribute it among us。  I; for one; was glad enough to get it。



Now the sun was up; a sight for which I thanked Heaven; for; at any

rate; we could no longer be surprised。  Also; with the daylight; some of

my fear passed away; since darkness always makes danger twice as

terrible to man and beast。  Whilst we were still eating and fortifying

the window…places as best we could; so as to make them difficult to

enter; a single Kaffir appeared; waving above his head a stick to which

was tied a white ox…tail as a sign of truce。  I ordered that no one

should fire; and when the man; who was a bold fellow; had reached the

spot where the dead captain lay; called to him; asking his business; for

I could speak his language well。



He answered that he had come with a message from Quabie。  This was the

message: that Quabie's eldest son had been cruelly murdered by the fat

white man called 〃Vulture〃 who lived with the Heer Marais; and that he;

Quabie; would have blood for blood。  Still; he did not wish to kill the

young white chieftainess (that was Marie) or the others in the house;

with whom he had no quarrel。  Therefore if we would give up the fat

white man that he might make him 〃die slowly;〃 Quabie would be content

with his life and with the cattle that he had already taken by way of a

fine; and leave us and the house unmolested。



Now; when Leblanc understood the nature of this offer he went perfectly

mad with mingled fear and rage; and began to shout and swear in French。



〃Be silent;〃 I said; 〃we do not mean to surrender you; although you have

brought all this trouble on us。  Your chance of life is as good as ours。

 Are you not ashamed to act so before these black people?〃



When at last he grew more or less quiet I called to the messenger that

we white folk were not in the habit of abandoning each other; and that

we would live or die together。  Still; I bade him tell Quabie that if we

did die; the vengeance taken on him and all his people would be to wipe

them out till not one of them was left; and therefore that he would do

well not to cause any of our blood to flow。  Also; I added; that we had

thirty men in the house (which; of course; was a lie) and plenty of

ammunition and food; so that if he chose to continue the attack it would

be the worse for him and his tribe。



On hearing this the herald shouted back that we should every one of us

be dead before noon if he had his way。  Still; he would report my words

faithfully to Quabie and bring his answer。



Then he turned and began to walk off。  Just as he did so a shot was

fired from the house; and the man pitched forward to the ground; then

rose again and staggered back towards his people; with his right

shoulder shattered and his arm swinging。



〃Who did that?〃 I asked through the smoke; which prevented me from

seeing。



〃I; parbleu!〃 shouted Leblanc。  〃Sapristi! that black devil wanted to

torture me; Leblanc; the friend of the great Napoleon。  Well; at least I

have tortured him whom I meant to kill。〃



〃Yes; you fool;〃 I answered; 〃and we; too; shall be tortured because of

your wickedness。  You have shot a messenger carrying a flag of truce;

and that the Quabies will never forgive。  Oh! I tell you that you have

hit us as well as him; who had it not been for you might have been

spared。〃



These words I said quite quietly and in Dutch; so that our Kaffirs might

understand them; though really I was boiling with wrath。



But Leblanc did not answer quietly。



〃Who are you;〃 he shouted; 〃you wretched little Englishman; who dare to

lecture me; Leblanc; the friend of the great Napoleon?〃



Now I drew my pistol and walked up to the man。



〃Be quiet; you drunken sot;〃 I said; for I guessed that he had drunk

more of the brandy in the darkness。  〃If you are not quiet and do not

obey me; who am in command here; either I will blow your brains out; or

I will give you to these men;〃 and I pointed to Hans and the Kaffirs;

who had gathered round him; muttering ominously。  〃Do you know what they

will do with you? They will throw you out of the house; and leave you to

settle your quarrel with Quabie alone。〃



Leblanc looked first at the pistol; and next at the faces of the

natives; and saw something in one or other of them; or in both; that

caused him to change his note。



〃Pardon; monsieur;〃 he said; 〃I was excited。  I  knew not what I said。 

If you are young you are brave and clever; and I will obey you;〃 and he

went to his station and began to re…load his gun。   As he did so a great

shout of fury rose from the cattle kraal。  The wounded herald had

reached the Quabies and was telling them of the treachery of the white

people。







CHAPTER III









THE RESCUE











The second Quabie advance did not begin till about half…past seven。 

Even savages love their lives and appreciate the fact that wounds hurt

very much; and these were no exception to the rule。  Their first rush

had taught them a bitter lesson; of which the fruit was evident in the

crippled or dying men who rolled to and fro baked in the

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