Part 40 (1/2)
Now I propose to tell the rest of the history of these tragic events as they happened, although soe till the morrow or afterwards, for I think this will be the more simple and the easier plan
CHAPTER XXI THE INNOCENT BLOOD
After I had been taken away it seems that the court summoned Hernan Pereira and Henri Marais to accoht that their deliberations would not be overheard In this, however, they wereof the Hottentot, Hans Hans had heard h feared that he who also had coht be called on to share that sentence Also he wished to know the secret counsel of these Boers, whose language, of course, he understood as well as he did his own
Soa circuit up the hillside, he crept towards the in and out between the tufts of last year's dead grass, which grew here in plenty, without so th he lay still in the centre of a bush that grew behind a stone not five paces fro, whence he listened intently to every word that passed their lips
This was the substance of their talk; that for the reasons I have already mentioned it would be best that I should die at once Sentence, said the commandant, had been passed, and could not be rescinded, since even if it were, their offence would relish authorities But if they took reat council, possibly that sentence ht be rescinded and they be left individually and collectively to atone for what they had done Also they knew that I was very clever and lish, or possibly the Zulus, upon the together for their destruction, and that while I had breath in ed
When it was found that they were all of one mind in this ested that I should be shot at once, but the coht, would look like murder, especially as it violated the terestion was ht out of my house just before the dawn on pretence that it was tiiven the opportunity of escape and instantly shot down Or it ht be pretended that I had tried to escape, with a like result Who, they urged, was to know in that half-light whether I had or had not actually attempted to run for my life, or to threaten their lives, circumstances under which the law said it was justifiable to shoot a prisoner already formally condereed, being so terribly afraid of a poor English lad whose existence, although most of them did not know this, was to be taken from him upon false evidence But then arose another question: By whose hand should the thing be done? Not one of them, it would seem, was anxious to fulfil this bloody office; indeed, they one and all refused to do so A proposal was put forward that some of their native servants should be forced to serve as executioners; but when this had been vetoed by the general sense of the court, their counsels came to a deadlock
Then, after a whispered conference, the commandant spoke some dreadful words
”Hernando Pereira and Henri Marais,” he said, ”it is on your evidence that this young man has been condemned We believe that evidence, but if by one jot or one tittle it is false, then not justice, but a foul murder will have been committed and his innocent blood will be upon your heads for ever Hernando Pereira and Henri Marais, the court appoints you to be the guards ill bring the prisoner out of his house to-hten It is from _you_ that he will try to escape, and _you_ will prevent his escape by his death Then youfor you and report the execution”
When Henri Marais heard this he exclaiht or natural that a man should be forced to kill his own son-in-law?”
”You could bear evidence against your own son-in-law, Henri Marais,”
answered the stern-faced commandant ”Why then cannot you kill with your rifle one whoue?”
”I will not, I cannot!” said Marais, tearing at his beard But the commandant only answered coldly:
”You have the orders of the court, and if you choose to disobey thein to believe that you have sworn falsely Then you and your nepheill also appear before the great council when the English to us whether you or Hernando Pereira shall fire the shot See you to it, as the Jews said to Judas who had betrayed the innocent Lord”
Then he paused and went on, addressing Pereira:
”Do you also refuse, Hernando Pereira? Remember before you answer that if you do refuse we shall draw our own conclusions Re that this wicked Englishman plotted and caused the deaths of our brothers and of our wives and children, which we believe to be true evidence, shall be weighed and investigated word by word before the great council”
”To give evidence is one thing, and to shoot the traitor and murderer another,” said Pereira Then he added with an oath, or so vowed Hans: ”Yet why should I, who know all this villain's guilt, refuse to carry out the sentence of the law on him? Have no fear, commandant, the accursed Allan Quatermain shall not succeed in his attempt to escape to-morrow before the dawn”
”So be it,” said the commandant ”Now, do all you who have heard those words take note of the that the council was about to break up, and fearing lest he should be caught and killed, slipped away by the saht was to warn uards So he went to the Prinsloos, and finding the vrouw alone with Marie, who had recovered herthat he had heard
As he said, Marie knelt down and prayed, or thought for a long while, then rose and spoke
”Tante,” she said to the vrouw, ”one thing is clear, that Allan will be murdered at the dawn; now if he is hidden away he may escape”
”But where and how can we hide hiuarded?”