Part 38 (1/2)
My voice choked infrom behind a rock I moved towards her She sawwhisper:
”Oh! husband, has God sent you to call me? I am ready, husband, I a fall the vessel, that clanked upon the ground
”Marie!” I gasped at length; and at that word the blood rushed to her face and brow, and I saw her draw in her breath as though to scream
”Hush!+” I whispered ”It is I, Allan, who have escaped alive”
The next thing I remember was that she lay in my arms
”What has happened here?” I asked when I had told , Allan,” she answered ”I received your letter at the ca the others why, because you remember the Commandant Retief wrote to us not to do so So ere out of the great slaughter, for the Zulus did not knohere we had gone, and never followed us here, although I have heard that they sought for me My father and my cousin Hernan only arrived at the ca our hiding-place--I know not which--rode on hither They say they came to warn the Boers to be careful, for they did not trust Dingaan, but were too late So they too were out of the slaughter, for, Allan, many, many have been killed--they say five or six hundred, most of them women and children But thank God!
many more escaped, since the men ca parties, and drove away the Zulus, killing them by scores”
”Are your father and Pereira here now?” I asked
”No, Allan They learned of theAlso they got the bad news that Retief and everyone with hih the treachery of the English, who arranged with Dingaan that he should kill theo on”
”Then, Allan, they came and told me that I was alike many other women--I who had never been a wife Allan, Hernan said that I should not grieve for you, as you deserved your fate, since you had been caught in your own snare, being one of those who had betrayed the Boers The Vrouw Prinsloo answered to his face that he lied, and, Allan, I said that I would never speak to himent Seat of God; nor will I do so”
”But I will speak to him,” I muttered ”Well, where are they now?”
”They rode thisa party of them here to settle, if they like this place, as it is so easy to defend They said they would return to-morrow, and that s that all the Zulus were back over the Tugela, taking some of their wounded with theaan But come to the house, Allan--our home that I had made ready for you as well as I could
Oh! my God! our home on the threshold of which I believed you would never set a foot Yes, when the moon rose from that cloud I believed it, and look, they are still quite close together Hark, what is that?”
I listened, and caught the sound of a horse's hoofs stuhtened,” I answered; ”it is only Hans with my horse
He escaped also; I will tell you how afterwards” And as I spoke he appeared, a woebegone and exhausted object
”Good day, missie,” he said with an atteive ht the baas back safe to you Did I not tell you, baas, that everything would corew silent from exhaustion Nor e sorry, who at that moment did not wish to listen to the poor fellow's talk
Soone by since the reeted the Vrouw Prinsloo and all my other friends, and been received by them with rapture as one risen froratitude was added to their love, since had it not been forthey also must have made acquaintance with the Zulu spears and perished It was on their part of the caons hardly anyone escaped
I had told them all the story, to which they listened in dead silence
Only when it was finished the Heer Meyer, whose natural gloom had been deepened by all these events, said:
”Allemachte! but you have luck, Allan, to be left when everyone else is taken Now, did I not know you so well, like Hernan Pereira I should think that you and that devil Dingaan had winked at each other”
The Vrouw Prinsloo turned on him furiously
”How dare you say such words, Carl Meyer?” she exclailish, which he cannot help? For aan it was the stinkcat Pereira Otherhy did he co that madman, Henri Marais, with him?”
”I don't know, I am sure, aunt,” said Meyer humbly, for like everyone else he was afraid of the Vrouw Prinsloo
”Then why can't you hold your tongue instead of saying silly things which ive pain?” asked the vrouw ”No, don't answer, for you will only make matters worse; but take the rest of that meat to the poor Hottentot, Hans”--I should explain that we had been supping--”who, although he has eaten enough to burst any white stoe another pound or two”