Part 42 (1/2)

”Men!” wailed Henri Marais, ”they are not men One is a wo a devil, will not die See!

he will not die Give un that I may make him die”

The commandant looked about him wildly, and his eye fell upon the Vrouw Prinsloo

”What has chanced, vrouw?” he asked

”Only this,” she replied in a voice of unnatural calm ”Your murderers whom you set on in the name of law and justice have made a mistake You told them to murder Allan Quatermain for reasons of your own Well, they have murdered his wife instead”

Now the coroaned, and I, half awakened at last, ran forward, shaking

”Who is that?” asked the commandant ”Is it a ; it is Allan Quatered and tried to hide from your butchers”

”God above us!” exclaimed the commandant, ”is this earth or hell?”

Then the wounded Pereira raised hi,” he cried; ” away, but before I die I lishainst the Boers It was I who plotted with Dingaan Although I hated him because he found me out, I did not wish Retief and our people to be killed But I did wish Allan Quaterh, as it happened, all the others were slain, and he alone escaped Then I came here and learned that Marie was his wife--yes, his wife indeed--and grew ainst him, and, you fools, you believed me and ordered me to shoot hi The woain--for the last tiht I was deceived I killed her, her whom I love alone, and now her father, who loved her also, has killed ed brain had awakened at last I ran to the brute upon the ground; grotesque in arments all awry, I leaped on hi over his dead body, I shook my fists and cried:

”Men, see what you have done May God pay you back all you owe her and me!”

They dismounted, they came round me, they protested, they even wept And I, I raved at them upon the one side, while the mad Henri Marais raved upon the other; and the Vrouw Prinsloo, waving her big arms, called down the curse of God and the blood of the innocent upon their heads and those of their children for ever

Then I remember no more