Part 32 (1/2)
”Of course I will obey you, husband Have I not just sworn to do so?”
Marie said with a sad smile
”And so will I, Allan,” said the vrouw; ”not because I have sworn anything, but because I know you have a good head on your shoulders, and so will h why you should think you will have anythat is hidden from us,” she added shrewdly ”You say you don't; well, it is not likely you would tell us if you did Look! They are calling, you o Come on, Marie, let us see theathered on horseback, just in ti the people, or, rather, the last of his words
”Friends,” he said, ”we go upon an important business, from which I hope we shall return happily within a very little tih country, and we have to deal with rough people Therefore my advice to all you who stay behind is that you should not scatter, but keep together, so that in case of any trouble the men who are left may be at hand to defend this ca to fear froood-bye Come, trek, brothers, trek!”
Then followed a few moments of confusion while men kissed their wives, children and sisters in farewell, or shook each other by the hand I, too, kissed Marie, and, tu on to my horse so was bitter When I could see clearly again I pulled up and looked back at the camp, which was now at soh the stor over it, the sun still shone upon the white wagon caps and the people ent to and fro aht that within a little tions would be riddled with assegais, and that the wo there must most of them lie upon the veld mutilated corpses dreadful to behold? Alas! the Boers, always impatient of authority and confident that their own individual judgment was the best, did not obey their coether
They went off this way and that, to shoot the ga their families almost without protection Thus the Zulus found and slew them
Presently as I rode forward a little apart from the others someone overtook me, and I saw that it was Henri Marais
”Well, Allan,” he said, ”so God has given you to ht it? You do not look to e is not natural when the bridegroom rides off and leaves the bride of an hour Perhaps you will never be really ives sons-in-law, can also take them away, especially when He was not asked for the into French, as was his hen moved, ”qui vivra verra! qui vivra verra!”
Then, shouting this excellent but obvious proverb at the top of his voice, he struck his horse with the butt of his gun, and galloped away before I could answer him
At that moment I hated Henri Marais as I had never hated anyone before, not even his nephew Hernan Almost did I ride to the co to myself, first that he was undoubtedly half mad, and therefore not responsible for his actions, and secondly that he was better here with us than in the saave up the idea Yet alas! it is the half-erous of lunatics
Hans, who had observed this scene and overheard all Marais's talk, and who also knew the state of the case well enough, sidled his horse alongside ofvoice:
”Baas, I think the old baas is kransick and not safe He looks like one who is going to harun off by accident; you knoe coloured people are very careless with guns! The Heer Marais would never be troubled with any more fancies, and you and the Missie Marie and all of us would be safer Also, _you_ could not be blao off sometimes, baas, when you don't want theun had chanced to ”go off,” I believe it ht have saved a multitude of lives!
CHAPTER XVIII THE TREATY
Our journey to Uundhlovu was prosperous and without incident When ithin half a day's march from the Great Kraal we overtook the herd of cattle that we had recaptured from Sikonyela, for these beasts had been driven very slowly and well rested that they ood condition Also the commandant was anxious that we should present the this multitude of animals before us--there were over five thousand head of them--we reached the Great Place on Saturday the 3rd of February about ates into the cattle kraals Then we off-saddled and ate our dinner under those two ood-bye to Dingaan
After dinner , and with them the youth, Thomas Halstead, who told the commandant that all weapons ht appear before the king arers appealed toif that were not the custom of their country
I answered that I had not been in it long enough to know Then there was a pause while they sent for someone to bear evidence; at the tih to Thomas Halstead to make inquiries Presently this someone appeared, and turned out to be none other than Hernan Pereira
He advanced towards us attended by Zulus, as though he were a chief, looking fat and well and handso Retief, he lifted his hat with a flourish and held out his hand, which, I noted, the commandant did not take
”So you are still here, Mynheer Pereira!” he said coldly ”Now be good enough to tellof our aran Hernan
”Charges you to say, Mynheer Pereira! Are you then this black man's servant? But continue”