Part 34 (1/2)
”The king has just toldhi after ht to the hut that was allotted to Retief in the little outlying guard-kraal, which had been given to us for a caed in painfully writing a letter, using a bit of board placed on his knees as a desk
He looked up, and askedsorry, as I think, of an excuse to pause in his clerical labours
”Listen, co in a low voice, so as not to be overheard, I told him every word that had passed in the interviews I had just had with Dingaan, with Thomas Halstead, and with Pereira
He heard ly story, Allan, and if it is true, Pereira ht hiaan has been lying to you for his own purposes; I mean about the plot to kill you”
”Perhaps, commandant I don't know, and I don'twhen he said he meant to steal away my wife either for himself or for Pereira”
”What, then, do you intend to do, Allan?”
”I intend, commandant, with your permission to send Hans, my after-rider, back to the ca her to remove herself quietly to the farm I have chosen down on the river, of which I told you, and there to lie hid till I come back”
”I think it needless, Allan Still, if it will ease your o yourself Only you hten the people I aer to the caaan He can take your letter, in which I order you to say to your wife that if she and the Prinsloos and the Meyers go to this farh they wanted a change, that is all Have the letter ready by dawn to-roan
”It shall be ready, commandant; but what about Hernan Pereira and his tricks?”
”This about the accursed Hernan Pereira,” exclai-board with his fist ”On the first opportunity I will lish lad, Halstead If I find they tell me the same story they have told you, I will put Pereira on his trial, as I threatened to do before; and should he be found guilty, by God! I will have hi, except keep an eye on him, lest we should cause fear and scandal in the cao and write your letter, and leaveMarie so, but by no means all of that I have set down I bade her, and the Prinsloos and the Meyers, if they would accompany her, as I was sure they would, move themselves off at once to the farm I had beaconed out thirtyhow the houses that were being built there were getting on Or if they would not go, I bade her go alone with a few Hottentot servants, or any other companions she could find
This letter I took to Retief, and read it to him At my request, also, he scrawled at the foot of it:
”I have seen the above and approve it, knowing all the story, which may be true or false Do as your husband bids you, but do not talk of it in the camp except to those whoer departed at dawn, and in due course delivered my letter to Marie
The next day was Sunday In theI went to call upon the Reverend Mr Owen, the lad to see oodhi the land which the Boers wanted I stopped for service at the huts of Mr Owen, and then returned to the careat war dance for us to witness, in which about twelve thousand soldiers took part
It was a wonderful and awe-inspiring spectacle, and I reiments employed had a number of trained oxen which iven words of coaan that day, except at a distance, and after the dance was over returned to our camp to eat the beef which he had provided for us in plenty
On the third day--that was Monday, the 5th of February, there were hts, so e show Late in the afternoon, however, Dingaan sent for the co that he wished to talk with him about the matter of the treaty So ent; but only three or four, of whoaan's presence, the rest re at a little distance, where they could see us but were out of earshot
Dingaan then produced a paper which had been written by the Reverend Mr Owen This document, which I believe still exists, for it was found afterwards, was drawn up in legal or se like a proclamation, ”Know all ether with all the land annexed--that is to say, froela to the Umzimvubu River ard, and fro property” At the king's request, as the deed ritten in English by Mr Owen, I translated it to hi called in to do so when I had finished
This was done that ht be checked, and the fact impressed all the Boers very favourably It showed the desired to understand exactly what he was to sign, which would not have been the case had he intended any trick or proposed to cheat them afterwards
From that moment forward Retief and his people had no further doubts as to Dingaan's good faith in this ainst treachery
When the translating was finished, the con the paper then and there He answered, ”No; he would sign it on the following , before the commission returned to Natal”
It was then that Retief inquired of Dingaan, through Thomas Halstead, whether it was a true story which he had heard, that the Boer called Pereira, who had been staying with hiain asked hiaan, to have me, Allan Quaterhed and answered:
”Yes, that is true enough, for he hates this Macue have no fear, since my heart is soft towards him, and I swear by the head of the Black One that he shall couest, as you are?”
He then went on to say that if the commandant wished it, he would have ”Two-faces” seized and killed because he had dared to ask for my life