marie- 第50部分

The　mystery　was　too　greatgreat　enough　to　throw　off　its　balance　the

mind　of　a　young　man　who　had　witnessed　such　a　fearsome　scene　as　I　have

described。



For　some　days　really　I　think　that　my　reason　hung　just　upon　the　edge　of

that　mental　precipice。　　In　the　end；　however；　reflection　and　education；

of　which　I　had　a　certain　amount；　thanks　to　my　father；　came　to　my　aid。　　I

recalled　that　such　massacres；　often　on　an　infinitely　larger　scale；　had

happened　a　thousand　times　in　history；　and　that　still　through　them；

often；　indeed；　by　means　of　them；　civilisation　has　marched　forward；　and

mercy　and　peace　have　kissed　each　other　over　the　bloody　graves　of　the

victims。



Therefore　even　in　my　youth　and　inexperience　I　concluded　that　some

ineffable　purpose　was　at　work　through　this　horror；　and　that　the　lives　of

those　poor　men　which　had　been　thus　sacrificed　were　necessary　to　that

purpose。　　This　may　appear　a　dreadful　and　fatalistic　doctrine；　but　it　is

one　that　is　corroborated　in　Nature　every　day；　and　doubtless　the

sufferers　meet　with　their　compensations　in　some　other　state。　　Indeed；　if

it　be　not　so；　faith　and　all　the　religions　are　vain。



Or；　of　course；　it　may　chance　that　such　monstrous　calamities　happen；　not

through　the　will　of　the　merciful　Power　of　which　I　have　spoken；　but　in

its　despite。　　Perhaps　the　devil　of　Scripture；　at　whom　we　are　inclined　to

smile；　is　still　very　real　and　active　in　this　world　of　ours。　　Perhaps

from　time　to　time　some　evil　principle　breaks　into　eruption；　like　the

prisoned　forces　of　a　volcano；　bearing　death　and　misery　on　its　wings；

until　in　the　end　it　must　depart　strengthless　and　overcome。　　Who　can　say？



The　question　is　one　that　should　be　referred　to　the　Archbishop　of

Canterbury　and　the　Pope　of　Rome　in　conclave；　with　the　Lama　of　Thibet　for

umpire　in　case　they　disagreed。　　I　only　try　to　put　down　the　thoughts　that

struck　me　so　long　ago　as　my　mind　renders　them　to…day。　　But　very　likely

they　are　not　quite　the　same　thoughts；　for　a　full　generation　has　gone　by

me　since　then；　and　in　that　time　the　intelligence　ripens　as　wine　does　in

a　bottle。



Besides　these　general　matters；　I　had　questions　of　my　own　to　consider

during　those　days　of　imprisonmentfor　instance；　that　of　my　own　safety；

though　of　this；　to　be　honest；　I　thought　little。　　If　I　were　going　to　be

killed；　I　was　going　to　be　killed；　and　there　was　an　end。　　But　my

knowledge　of　Dingaan　told　me　that　he　had　not　massacred　Retief　and　his

companions　for　nothing。　　This　would　be　but　the　prelude　to　a　larger

slaughter；　for　I　had　not　forgotten　what　he　said　as　to　the　sparing　of

Marie　and　the　other　hints　he　gave　me。



From　all　this　I　concluded；　quite　rightly　as　it　proved；　that　some　general

onslaught　was　being　made　upon　the　Boers；　who　probably　would　be　swept　out

to　the　last　man。　　And　to　think　that　here　I　was；　a　prisoner　in　a　Kaffir

kraal；　with　only　a　young　woman　as　a　jailer；　and　yet　utterly　unable　to

escape　to　warn　them。　　For　round　my　hut　lay　a　courtyard；　and　round　it

again　ran　a　reed　fence　about　five　feet　six　inches　high。　　Whenever　I

looked　over　this　fence；　by　night　or　by　day；　I　saw　soldiers　stationed　at

intervals　of　about　fifteen　yards。　　There　they　stood　like　statues；　their

broad　spears　in　their　hands；　all　looking　inwards　towards　the　fence。　

There　they　stoodonly　at　night　their　number　was　doubled。　　Clearly　it

was　not　meant　that　I　should　escape。



A　week　went　by　thusbelieve　me；　a　very　terrible　week。　　During　that　time

my　sole　companion　was　the　pretty　young　woman；　Naya。　　We　became　friends

in　a　way　and　talked　on　a　variety　of　subjects。　　Only；　at　the　end　of　our

conversations　I　always　found　that　I　had　gained　no　information　whatsoever

about　any　matter　of　immediate　interest。　　On　such　points　as　the　history

of　the　Zulu　and　kindred　tribes；　or　the　character　of　Chaka；　the　great

king；　or　anything　else　that　was　remote　she　would　discourse　by　the　hour。　

But　when　we　came　to　current　events；　she　dried　up　like　water　on　a　red…hot

brick。　　Still；　Naya　grew；　or　pretended　to　grow；　quite　attached　to　me。　

She　even　suggested　naively　that　I　might　do　worse　than　marry　her；　which

she　said　Dingaan　was　quite　ready　to　allow；　as　he　was　fond　of　me　and

thought　I　should　be　useful　in　his　country。　　When　I　told　her　that　I　was

already　married；　she　shrugged　her　shining　shoulders　and　asked　with　a

laugh　that　revealed　her　beautiful　teeth：



〃What　does　that　matter？　　Cannot　a　man　have　more　wives　than　one？　　And；

Macumazahn；〃　she　added；　leaning　forward　and　looking　at　me；　〃how　do　you

know　that　you　have　even　one？　　You　may　be　divorced　or　a　widower　by　now。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked。



〃I？　　I　mean　nothing；　do　not　look　at　me　so　fiercely；　Macumazahn。　　Surely

such　things　happen　in　the　world；　do　they　not？〃



〃Naya；〃　I　said；　〃you　are　two　bad　thingsa　bait　and　a　spyand　you　know

it。〃



〃Perhaps　I　do；　Macumazahn；〃　she　answered。　　〃Am　I　to　blame　for　that；　if

my　life　is　on　it；　especially　when　I　really　like　you　for　yourself？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　　〃Tell　me；　when　am　I　going　to　get　out　of　this

place？〃



〃How　can　I　tell　you；　Macumazahn？〃　Naya　replied；　patting　my　hand　in　her

genial　way；　〃but　I　think　before　long。　　When　you　are　gone；　Macumazahn；

remember　me　kindly　sometimes；　as　I　have　really　tried　to　make　you　as

comfortable　as　I　could　with　a　watcher　staring　through　every　straw　in　the

hut。〃



I　said　whatever　seemed　to　be　appropriate；　and　next　morning　my

deliverance　came。　　While　I　was　eating　my　breakfast　in　the　courtyard　at

the　back　of　the　hut；　Naya　thrust　her　handsome　and　pleasant　face　round

the　corner　and　said　that　there　was　a　messenger　to　see　me　from　the　king。　

Leaving　the　rest　of　the　meal　unswallowed；　I　went　to　the　doorway　of　the

yard　and　there　found　my　old　friend；　Kambula。



〃Greeting；　Inkoos；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃I　am　come　to　take　you　back　to　Natal

with　a　guard。　　But　I　warn　you　to　ask　me　no　questions；　for　if　you　do　I

must　not　answer　them。　　Dingaan　is　ill；　and　you　cannot　see　him；　nor　can

you　see　the　white　praying…man；　or　anyone；　you　must　come　with　me　at

once。〃



〃I　do　not　want　to　see　Dingaan；〃　I　replied；　looking　him　in　the　eyes。



〃I　understand；〃　answered　Kambula；　〃Dingaan's　thoughts　are　his　thoughts

and　your　thoughts　are　your　thoughts；　and　perhaps　that　is　why　he　does　not

want　to　see　_you_。　　Still；　remember；　Inkoos；　that　Dingaan　has　saved　your

life；　snatching　you　unburned　out　of　a　very　great　fire；　perhaps　because

you　are　of　a　different　sort　of　wood；　which　he　thinks　it　a　pity　to　burn。　

Now；　if　you　are　ready；　let　us　go。〃



〃I　am　ready；〃　I　answered。



At　the　gate　I　met　Naya；　who　said：



〃You　never　thought　to　say　good…bye　to　me；　White　Man；　although　I　have

tended　you　well。　　Ah！　what　else　could　I　expect？　　Still；　I　hope　that　if　I

should　have　to　fly　from　this　land　for　_my_　life；　as　may　chance；　you　will

do　for　me　what　I　have　done　for　you。〃



〃That　I　will；〃　I　answered；　shaking　her　by　the　hand；　and；　as　it　happened；

in　after　years　I　did。



Kambula　led　me；　not　through　the　kraal　Umgungundhlovu；　but　round　it。　　Our

road　lay　immediately　past　the　death　mount；　Hloma　Amabutu；　where　the

vultures　were　still　gathered　in　great　numbers。　　Indeed；　it　was　actually

my　lot　to　walk　over　the　new…picked　bones　of　some　of　my　companions　who

had　been　despatched　at　the　foot　of　the　hill。　　One　of　these　skeletons　I

recognised　by　his　clothes　to　be　that　of　Samuel　Esterhuizen；　a　very　good

fellow；　at　whose　side　I　had　slept　during　all　our　march。　　His　empty

eye…sockets　seemed　to　stare　at　me　reproachfully；　as　though　they　asked　me

why　I　remained　alive　when　he　and　all　his　brethren　were　dead。　　I　echoed

the　question　in　my　own　mind。　　Why　of　that　great　company　did　I　alone

remain　alive？



An　answer　seemed　to　rise　within　me：　That　I　might　be　one　of　the

instruments　of　vengeance　upon　that　devilish　murderer；　Dingaan。　　Looking

upon　those　poor　shattered　and　desecrated　frames　that　had　been　men；　I

swore　in　my　heart　that　if　I　lived　I　would　not　fail　in　that　mission。　　Nor

did　I　fail；　although　the　history　of　that　great　repayment　cannot　be　told

in　these　pages。



Turning　my　eyes　from　this　dreadful　sight；　I　saw　that　on　the　opposite

slope；　where　we　had　camped　during　our　southern　trek　from　Delagoa；　still

stood　the　huts　and　wagons　of　the　Reverend　Mr。　Owen。　　I　asked　Kambula

whether　he　and　his　people　were　also　dead。



〃No；　Inkoos；〃　he　answered；　〃they　are　of　the　Children　of　George；　as　you

are；　and　therefore　the　king　has　spared　them；　although　he　is　going　to

send　them　out　of　the　country。〃



This　was　good　news；　so　far　as　it　went；　and　I　asked　again　if　Thomas

Halstead　had　also　been　spared；　since　he；　too；　was　an　Englishman。



〃No；〃　said　Kambula。　　〃The　king　wished　to　save　him；　but　he　killed　two　of

our　people　and　was　dragged　off　with　the　rest。　　When　the　slayers　got　to

their　work　it　was　too　late　to　stay　their　hands。〃



Again　I　asked　whether　I　might　not　join　Mr。　Owen　and　trek　with　him；　to

which　Kambula　answered　briefly：



〃No；　Macumazahn；　the　king's　orders　are　that　you　must　go　by　yourself。〃



So　I　went；　nor　did　I　ever　again　meet　Mr。　Owen　or　any　of　his　people。　　I

believe；　however；　that　they　reached　Durban　safely　and　sailed　away　in　a

ship　called　the　Comet。



In　a　little　while　we　came　to　the　two　milk　trees　by　the　main　gate　of　the

kraal；　where　much　of　our　saddlery　still　lay　scattered　about；　though　the

guns　had　gone。　　Here　Kambula　asked　me　if　I　could　recognise　my　own

saddle。



〃There　it　is；〃　I　answered；　pointing　to　it；　〃but　what　is　the　use　of　a

saddle　without　a　horse？〃



〃The　horse　you　rode　has　been　kept　for　you；　Macumazahn；〃　he　replied。



Then　he　ordered　one　of　the　men　with　us　to　bring　the　saddle　and　bridle；

also　some　other　articles　which　I　selected；　such　as　a　couple　of　blankets；

a　water…bottle；　two　tins　containing　coffee　and　sugar；　a　little　case　of

medicines；　and　so　forth。



About　a　mile　further　on　I　found　one　of　my　horses　tethered　by　an　outlying

guard　hut；　and　noted　that　it　had　been　well　fed　and　cared　for。　　By

Kambula's　leave　I　saddled　it　and　mo