benita-第21章

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fire　it　with　one　movement；　and　downdead　or　dyingwent　the　Matabele。



Men　did　not　stir；　they　only　stared。　Accustomed　as　they　were　to　death

in　that　wild　land；　the　suddenness　of　this　deed　surprised　them。　The

contrast　between　the　splendid；　brutal　savage　who　had　stood　before　them

a　moment　ago；　and　the　limp；　black　thing　going　to　sleep　upon　the

ground；　was　strange　enough　to　move　their　imaginations。　There　he　lay；

and　there；　over　him；　the　smoking　pistol　in　his　hand；　Meyer　stood　and

laughed。



Benita　felt　that　the　act　was　just；　and　the　awful　punishment　deserved。

Yet　that　laugh　of　Jacob's　jarred　upon　her；　for　in　it　she　thought　she

heard　the　man's　heart　speaking；　and　oh；　its　voice　was　merciless！

Surely　Justice　should　not　laugh　when　her　sword　falls！



〃Behold；　now；〃　said　the　Molimo　in　his　still　voice；　pointing　at　the

dead　Matabele　with　his　finger；　〃do　I　speak　lies；　or　is　it　true　that

this　man　shall　not　look　more　upon　his　king's　face？　Well；　as　it　was

with　the　servant；　so　it　shall　be　with　the　lord；　only　more　slowly。　It

is　the　decree　of　the　Munwali；　spoken　by　the　voice　of　his　Mouth；　the

Molimo　of　Bambatse。　Go；　children　of　Lobengula；　and　bear　with　you　as　an

offering　this　first…fruit　of　the　harvest　that　the　white　men　shall　reap

among　the　warriors　of　his　people。〃



The　thin　voice　died　away；　and　there　was　silence　so　intense　that　Benita

thought　she　heard　the　scraping　of　the　feet　of　a　green　lizard　which

crept　across　a　stone　a　yard　or　two　away。



Then　of　a　sudden　it　ended。　Of　a　sudden　the　two　remaining　Matabele

turned　and　fled　for　their　lives；　and　as；　when　dogs　run；　a　flock　of

sheep　will　wheel　about　and　pursue　them；　so　did　the　Makalanga。　They

grabbed　at　the　messengers　with　their　hands；　tearing　their　finery　from

them；　they　struck　them　with　sticks；　they　pounded　them　with　stones；

till　at　length　two　bruised　and　bleeding　men；　finding　all　escape　cut

off；　and　led　perhaps　by　some　instinct；　staggered　back　to　where　Benita

stood　horrified　at　this　dreadful　scene；　and　throwing　themselves　upon

the　ground；　clutched　at　her　dress　and　prayed　for　mercy。



〃Move　a　little；　Miss　Clifford；〃　said　Meyer。　〃Three　of　those　brutes

will　not　weigh　heavier　than　one　upon　my　conscience。〃



〃No；　no；　you　shall　not；〃　she　answered。　〃Mambo；　these　men　are

messengers；　spare　them。〃



〃Hearken　to　the　voice　of　pity；〃　said　the　old　prophet；　〃spoken　in　a

place　where　pity　never　was；　and　not　in　vain。　Let　them　go。　Give　mercy

to　the　merciless；　for　she　buys　their　lives　with　a　prayer。〃



〃They　will　bring　the　others　on　us；〃　muttered　Tamas；　and　even　old　Mr。

Clifford　shook　his　head　sadly。　But　the　Molimo　only　said：



〃I　have　spoken。　Let　them　go。　That　which　will　befall　must　befall；　and

from　this　deed　no　ill　shall　come　that　would　not　have　come　otherwise。〃



〃You　hear？　Depart　swiftly；〃　said　Benita；　in　Zulu。



With　difficulty　the　two　men　dragged　themselves　to　their　feet；　and

supporting　each　other；　stood　before　her。　One　of　them；　a　clever；

powerful…faced　man；　whose　black　hair　was　tinged　with　grey；　addressing

himself　to　Benita；　gasped：



〃Hear　me。　That　fool　there；〃　and　he　pointed　to　his　dead　companion；

〃whose　boasting　brought　his　death　upon　him；　was　but　a　low　fellow。　I；

who　kept　silence　and　let　him　talk；　am　Maduna；　a　prince　of　the　royal

house　who　justly　deserve　to　die　because　I　turned　my　back　upon　these

dogs。　Yet　I　and　my　brother　here　take　life　at　your　hands；　Lady；　who；

now　that　I　have　had　time　to　think；　would　refuse　it　at　theirs。　For；

whether　I　stay　or　go　does　not　matter。　The　impi　waits；　the　slayers　are

beneath　the　walls。　Those　things　which　are　decreed　will　happen；　there；

yonder　old　Wizard　speaks　true。　Listen；　Lady：　should　it　chance　that　you

have　cause　to　demand　two　lives　at　the　hands　of　Maduna；　in　his　own　name

and　the　name　of　his　king　he　promises　them　to　you。　In　safety　shall　they

pass；　they　and　all　that　is　theirs；　without　toll　taken。　Remember　the

oath　of　Maduna；　Lady；　in　the　hour　of　your　need；　and　do　you；　my

brother；　bear　witness　to　it　among　our　people。〃



Then；　straightening　themselves　as　well　as　they　were　able；　these　two

sorely　hurt　men　lifted　their　right　arms　and　gave　Benita　the　salute　due

to　a　chieftainess。　This　done；　taking　no　note　of　any　other　creature

there；　they　limped　away　to　the　gate　that　had　been　opened　for　them；　and

vanished　beyond　the　wall。



All　this　while　Meyer　had　stood　silent；　now　he　spoke　with　a　bitter

smile。



〃Charity；　Miss　Clifford；　said　a　certain　Paul；　as　reported　in　your　New

Testament；　covers　a　multitude　of　sins。　I　hope　very　much　that　it　will

serve　to　cover　our　remains　from　the　aasvogels；　after　we　have　met　our

deaths　in　some　such　fashion　as　that　brute　promised　us；〃　and　he　pointed

to　the　dead　man。



Benita　looked　at　her　father　in　question。



〃Mr。　Meyer　means；　my　dear；　that　you　have　done　a　foolish　thing　in

begging　the　lives　of　those　Matabele。　It　would　have　been　safer　for　us

if　they　were　dead；　who；　as　it　is；　have　gone　off　burning　for　revenge。

Of　course；　I　understand　it　was　natural　enough；　but〃　and　he

hesitated　and　stopped。



〃The　chief　did　not　say　so；〃　broke　in　Benita　with　agitation；　〃besides；

if　he　had；　I　should　not　have　cared。　It　was　bad　enough　to　see　one　man

killed　like　that；〃　and　she　shivered；　〃I　could　not　bear　any　more。〃



〃You　should　not　be　angry　at　the　fellow's　death；　seeing　that　it　was

what　he　said　of　you　which　brought　it　upon　him；〃　Meyer　replied　with

meaning。　〃Otherwise　he　might　have　gone　unharmed　as　far　as　I　was

concerned。　For　the　rest；　I　did　not　interfere　because　I　saw　it　was

useless；　also　I　am　a　fatalist　like　our　friend；　the　Molimo；　and　believe

in　what　is　decreed。　The　truth　is；〃　he　added　sharply；　〃among　savages

ladies　are　not　in　place。〃



〃Why　did　you　not　say　that　down　at　Rooi　Krantz；　Jacob？〃　asked　Mr。

Clifford。　〃You　know　I　thought　so　all　the　while；　but　somehow　I　was

over…ruled。　Now　what　I　suggest　is；　that　we　had　better　get　out　of　this

place　as　fast　as　we　caninstantly；　as　soon　as　we　have　eaten；　before

our　retreat　is　cut　off。〃



Meyer　looked　at　the　oxen　which　had　been　outspanned：　nine　were

wandering　about　picking　up　what　food　they　could；　but　the　five　which

were　supposed　to　have　been　bitten　by　tetsefly　had　lain　down。



〃Nine　worn…out　and　footsore　oxen　will　not　draw　the　waggon；〃　he　said；

〃also　in　all　probability　the　place　is　already　surrounded　by　Matabele；

who　merely　let　us　in　to　be　sure　of　the　guns　which　their　spies　must

have　told　them　we　were　carrying。　Lastly；　having　spent　so　much　and　come

so　far；　I　do　not　mean　to　go　without　what　we　seek。　Still；　if　you　think

that　your　daughter's　danger　is　greater　within　these　walls　than　outside

of　them；　you　might　try；　if　we　can　hire　servants；　which　I　doubt。　Or

possibly；　if　any　rowers　are　to　be　had；　you　could　go　down　the　Zambesi

in　a　canoe；　risking　the　fever。　You　and　she　must　settle　it；　Clifford。〃



〃Difficulties　and　dangers　every　way　one　looks。　Benita；　what　do　you

say？〃　asked　her　father　distractedly。



Benita　thought　a　moment。　She　wished　to　escape　from　Mr。　Meyer；　of　whom

she　was　weary　and　afraid；　and　would　have　endured　much　to　do　so。　On　the

other　hand；　her　father　was　tired　out；　and　needed　rest；　also　to　turn

his　back　upon　this　venture　now　would　have　been　a　bitter　blow　to　him。

Moreover；　lacking　cattle　and　men；　how　was　it　to　be　done？　Lastly；

something　within　her；　that　same　voice　which　had　bidden　her　to　come；

seemed　to　bid　her　to　stay。　Very　soon　she　had　made　up　her　mind。



〃Father；　dear；〃　she　said；　〃thank　you　for　thinking　of　me；　but　as　far　as

I　can　see；　we　should　run　more　risks　trying　to　get　away　than　we　do　in

stopping　here。　I　wanted　to　come；　though　you　warned　me　against　it；　and

now　I　must　take　my　chance　and　trust　to　God　to　bring　us　safe　through

all　dangers。　Surely　with　all　those　rifles　the　Makalanga　ought　to　be

able　to　hold　such　a　place　as　this　against　the　Matabele。〃



〃I　hope　so；〃　answered　her　father；　〃but　they　are　a　timid　folk。　Still；

though　it　would　have　been　far　better　never　to　have　come；　I　think　with

you　that　it　is　best　to　stay　wher