benita-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



hard　biscuit。　Before　the　day　was　over　glad　enough　was　she　that　she　had

done　so。



The　sun　was　rising；　huge　and　red　it　looked　seen　through　the　clinging

mist；　and；　their　breakfast　finished；　Mr。　Clifford　gave　orders　that　the

oxen；　which　were　filling　themselves　with　the　dry　grass　near　at　hand；

should　be　got　up　and　inspanned。　The　voorlooper；　a　Zulu　boy；　who　had

left　them　for　a　little　while　to　share　the　rest　of　the　coffee　with

Hans；　rose　from　his　haunches　with　a　grunt；　and　departed　to　fetch　them。

A　minute　or　two　later　Hans　ceased　from　his　occupation　of　packing　up

the　things；　and　said　in　a　low　voice：



〃/Kek！/　Baas〃that　is　〃Look！〃



Following　the　line　of　his　outstretched　hand；　Benita　and　her　father

perceived；　not　more　than　a　hundred　yards　away　from　them；　a　great　troop

of　wilderbeeste；　or　gnu；　travelling　along　a　ridge；　and　pausing　now　and

again　to　indulge　in　those　extraordinary　gambols　which　cause　the　Boers

to　declare　that　these　brutes　have　a　worm　in　their　brains。



〃Give　me　my　rifle；　Hans；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford。　〃We　want　meat。〃



By　the　time　that　the　Westley…Richards　was　drawn　from　its　case　and

loaded；　only　one　buck　remained；　for；　having　caught　sight　of　the

waggon；　it　turned　to　stare　at　it　suspiciously。　Mr。　Clifford　aimed　and

fired。　Down　went　the　buck；　then　springing　to　its　feet　again；　vanished

behind　the　ridge。　Mr。　Clifford　shook　his　head　sadly。



〃I　don't　often　do　that　sort　of　thing；　my　dear；　but　the　light　is　still

very　bad。　Still；　he's　hit。　What　do　you　say？　Shall　we　get　on　the　horses

and　catch　him？　A　canter　would　warm　you。〃



Benita；　who　was　tender…hearted；　reflected　that　it　would　be　kinder　to

put　the　poor　creature　out　of　its　pain；　and　nodded　her　head。　Five

minutes　later　they　were　cantering　together　up　the　rise；　Mr。　Clifford

having　first　ordered　the　waggon　to　trek　on　till　they　rejoined　it；　and

slipped　a　packet　of　cartridges　into　his　pocket。　Beyond　the　rise　lay　a

wide　stretch　of　marshy　ground；　bordered　by　another　rise　half　a　mile　or

more　away；　from　the　crest　of　whichfor　now　the　air　was　clear　enough

they　saw　the　wounded　bull　standing。　On　they　went　after　him；　but　before

they　could　come　within　shot；　he　had　moved　forward　once　more；　for　he

was　only　lightly　hurt　in　the　flank；　and　guessed　whence　his　trouble

came。



Again　and　again　did　he　retreat　as　they　drew　near；　until　at　length；

just　as　Mr。　Clifford　was　about　to　dismount　to　risk　a　long　shot；　the

beast　took　to　its　heels　in　earnest。



〃Come　on；〃　he　said；　〃don't　let's　be　beat；〃　for　by　this　time　the　hunter

was　alive　in　him。



So　off　they　went　at　a　gallop；　up　slopes　and　down　slopes　that　reminded

Benita　of　the　Bay　of　Biscay　in　a　storm；　across　half…dried　vleis　that

in　the　wet　season　were　ponds；　through　stony　ground　and　patches　of　ant…

bear　holes　in　which　they　nearly　came　to　grief。　For　five　miles　at　least

the　chase　went　on；　since　at　the　end　of　winter　the　wilderbeeste　was

thin　and　could　gallop　well；　notwithstanding　its　injury；　faster　even

than　their　good　horses。　At　last；　rising　a　ridge；　they　found　whither　it

was　going；　for　suddenly　they　were　in　the　midst　of　vast　herds　of　game；

thousands　and　tens　of　thousands　of　them　stretching　as　far　as　the　eye

could　reach。



It　was　a　wondrous　sight　that　now；　alas！　will　be　seen　no　moreat　any

rate　upon　the　Transvaal　veld；　wilderbeeste；　blesbok；　springbok；　in

countless　multitudes；　and　amongst　them　a　few　quagga　and　hartebeeste。

With　a　sound　like　that　of　thunder；　their　flashing　myriad　hoofs　casting

up　clouds　of　dust　from　the　fire…blackened　veld；　the　great　herds

separated　at　the　appearance　of　their　enemy；　man。　This　way　and　that

they　went　in　groups　and　long　brown　lines；　leaving　the　wounded　and

exhausted　wilderbeeste　behind　them；　so　that　presently　he　was　the　sole

tenant　of　that　great　cup　of　land。



At　him　they　rode　till　Mr。　Clifford；　who　was　a　little　ahead　of　his

daughter；　drew　almost　alongside。　Then　the　poor　maddened　brute　tried

its　last　shift。　Stopping　suddenly；　it　wheeled　round　and　charged　head

down。　Mr。　Clifford；　as　it　came；　held　out　his　rifle　in　his　right　hand

and　fired　at　a　hazard。　The　bullet　passed　through　the　bull；　but　could

not　stop　its　charge。　Its　horns；　held　low；　struck　the　forelegs　of　the

horse；　and　next　instant　horse；　man；　and　wilderbeeste　rolled　on　the

veld　together。



Benita；　who　was　fifty　yards　behind；　uttered　a　little　cry　of　fear；　but

before　ever　she　reached　him；　her　father　had　risen　laughing；　for　he　was

quite　unhurt。　The　horse；　too；　was　getting　up；　but　the　bull　could　rise

no　more。　It　struggled　to　its　forefeet；　uttered　a　kind　of　sobbing

groan；　stared　round　wildly；　and　rolled　over；　dead。



〃I　never　knew　a　wilderbeeste　charge　like　that　before；〃　said　Mr。

Clifford。　〃Confound　it！　I　believe　my　horse　is　lamed。〃



Lamed　it　was；　indeed；　where　the　bull　had　struck　the　foreleg；　though；

as　it　chanced；　not　badly。　Having　tied　a　handkerchief　to　the　horn　of

the　buck　in　order　to　scare　away　the　vultures；　and　thrown　some　tufts　of

dry　grass　upon　its　body；　which　he　proposed；　if　possible；　to　fetch　or

send　for；　Mr。　Clifford　mounted　his　lame　horse　and　headed　for　the

waggon。　But　they　had　galloped　farther　than　they　thought；　and　it　was

midday　before　they　came　to　what　they　took　to　be　the　road。　As　there　was

no　spoor　upon　it；　they　followed　this　track　backwards；　expecting　to

find　the　waggon　outspanned；　but　although　they　rode　for　mile　upon　mile；

no　waggon　could　they　see。　Then；　realizing　their　mistake；　they　retraced

their　steps；　and　leaving　this　path　at　the　spot　where　they　had　found

it；　struck　off　again　to　the　right。



Meanwhile；　the　sky　was　darkening；　and　at　about　three　o'clock　in　the

afternoon　a　thunderstorm　broke　over　them　accompanied　by　torrents　of

icy　rain；　the　first　fall　of　the　spring；　and　a　bitter　wind　which

chilled　them　through。　More；　after　the　heavy　rain　came　drizzle　and　a

thick　mist　that　deepened　as　evening　approached。



Now　their　plight　was　very　wretched。　Lost；　starved；　soaked　to　the　skin；

with　tired　horses　one　of　which　was　lame；　they　wandered　about　on　the

lonely　veld。　Only　one　stroke　of　fortune　came　to　them。　As　the　sun　set；

for　a　few　moments　its　rays　pierced　the　mist；　telling　them　in　what

direction　they　should　go。　Turning　their　horses；　they　headed　for　it；

and　so　rode　on　until　the　darkness　fell。　Then　they　halted　a　while；　but

feeling　that　if　they　stood　still　in　that　horrible　cold　they　would

certainly　perish　before　morning；　once　more　pushed　on　again。　By　now　Mr。

Clifford's　horse　was　almost　too　lame　to　ride；　so　he　led　it；　walking　at

his　daughter's　side；　and　reproaching　himself　bitterly　for　his

foolishness　in　having　brought　her　into　this　trouble。



〃It　doesn't　matter；　Father；〃　she　answered　wearily；　for　she　was　very

tired。　〃Nothing　matters；　one　may　as　well　die　upon　the　veld　as　in　the

sea　or　anywhere　else。〃



On　they　plodded；　they　knew　not　whither。　Benita　fell　asleep　upon　her

saddle；　and　was　awakened　once　by　a　hyena　howling　quite　close　to　them；

and　once　by　her　horse　falling　to　its　knees。



〃What　is　the　time？〃　she　said　at　last。



Her　father　struck　a　match　and　looked　at　his　watch。　It　was　ten　o'clock；

they　had　been　fifteen　hours　away　from　the　waggon　and　without　food。　At

intervals　Mr。　Clifford；　who　had　remounted；　fired　his　rifle。　Now　there

was　but　one　cartridge　left；　and　having　caught　sight　of　his　daughter's

exhausted　face　by　the　light　of　the　match；　he　fired　this　also；　though

in　that　desperate　wilderness　there　was　little　hope　of　its　bringing

succour。



〃Shall　we　stop　or　go　on？〃　he　asked。



〃I　do　not　care；〃　she　answered。　〃Only　if　I　stop　I　think　it　will　be　for

ever。　Let　us　go　on。〃



Now　the　rain　had　ceased；　but　the　mist　was　as　dense　as　before。　Also

they　seemed　to　have　got　among　bush；　for　wet　leaves　brushed　their

faces。　Utterly　exhausted　they　stumbled　forward；　till　suddenly　Benita

felt　her　horse　stop　as　though　a　hand　had　seized　its　bridle；　and　heard

a　man's　voice；　speaking　with　a　foreign　accent；　say：



〃Mein　Gott！　Where　are　you　going？〃



〃I　wish　I　knew；〃　she　answered；　like　on