Marie: An Episode in the Life of the Late Allan Quatermain

y fifty half-breeds and Hottentot after-riders, trekked from their homes into the wilderness. I rode to the crest of a table-topped

de whips. Perhaps he had gained some inkling of our last farewell in the peach orchard. I do not know. But I do know that if anyone had lifted a sjambock on me I should have answered with a bullet. Then there would have been bloo

not done so, as I found my father sitting on the stoep rea

enri Marais,

times, I honour you in my heart. Friend, now that we are starting, your warning words lie on me like lead, I know not why. Bu

uffer from their own passion and folly, they a

on, spelling

ie, who, like her mother, is very strong and stubborn in mind, swears that she will marry no one else; but soon Nature will make her forget all that, especially as such a fine husband waits for h

nglish, due this day year, and I enclose you power of attorney to receive and give receipt for the same. Also there is due to me from your British Government ￡253 on account of slaves liberated which were worth quite ￡1,000. This also the paper gives

reason," comm

ubtless you will hear in due course, although by that time I hope to be rich again and not to need money. Farewell and God be with you,

RI MA

nglishman' with whom he has quarrelled violently to collect his debts instead of one of his own beloved Boers, I a

those that had defended Maraisfontein with

not overheard, "I have a little writing for you also," an

ten in French, which no Boer would unde

remember, as I shall. Oh! lo

gned; but what need w

d which I recall at such a distance of time rather than the things which I wrote, perhaps because, when once written, my mind being delivered, troubled itself with them no more. S

nd responsible manhood which in Africa generally takes place earlier than it does here in England, where young men often seem to me to remain boys up to five-and-twenty. The circumstances which I

hat Hans even asked me once if I would not come and peg out the exact place where I should like to be buried, so that I might be sure that there would be no mistake made when I could no longer speak for myself. On that occasion I kicked Hans, one of the few upon which I have

f them could write; trustworthy messengers were so scanty; distances were so great. At any rate, we heard nothing of Marais's band except a rumour that they had trekked to a district in what is now the Transvaal, which i

or ordination. But the Church as a career did not appeal to me, perhaps because I felt that I could never be sufficiently good; perhaps because

ht in a way, seeing that in the end I found none, unless big game hunting and Kaffir trading can be called a profession. I don't know, I am sure. Still, poor business as it may be, I say now when I am getting towards the end of life that I am glad I did not

hat I was extremely thankful when a diversion occurred which took me away from home. The story of my defence of Maraisfontein had spread far, and that of my feats of shooting, especially in the Goose Kloof, still farth

uccesses, and several failures. Once I was wounded slightly, twice I but just escaped with my life. Once I was reprimanded for taking a foolish risk and losing some men. Twice I was commended for what were

ous kinds and a rather unique knowledge of Kaffirs, their languages, history, and modes of thought and action. Also I had associated a good deal with Britis

quite long enough for me to begin to be bored with idleness and in

iking for such gentry, when he asked me if I were named Allan Quatermain. I said "Yes," whereon he replied that he had a letter for me, and produced a packet wrapped up in sail-cloth. I asked him whence he had it, and he answered from a man whom he h

keep out water, addressed in some red pigment to myself or my father. This, too, I opened, not without difficulty, for it wa

Hans to make the smous comfortable and give him food, I went

, you will have learned of the terrible things we went through on our journey; the attacks by the Kaffirs in the Zoutpansberg region, who destroyed one of our parties altogether, and so forth. If not, all that story must wait, for it is too long to tell now, and, indeed, I have but little paper, and not much pencil. It will be enough to say, therefore, that to the number of thirty-five white people, me

eira, who now rules him in all things, determined to settle, although some of the others wished to push on nearer to Delagoa Bay. There was a great quarrel about it, but in the end my father, or rather Hernan, had his

isoned with fever, which comes up, I think, in the mists from the river. Already out of the thirty-five of us, ten are dead, two men, three women, and five children, while more are sick. As yet my father and I and my cousin Pereira have, by God's mercy, kept quite well; but although we are all very strong, how long this will continue I cannot te

alone knows the miseries that we suffer and the horrible sights of sickness and death t

hich he brought from the Cape with him in gold. Nor can we move anywhere else, for we have no cattle or horses. We have sent to Delagoa Bay, where we hear these are to be had, to try to buy them on credit; but my cousin Hernan's relations, of whom he used to talk so much, are dead or go

ey, I think that it might serve to buy some oxen, enough for a few wagons. Then perhaps we might trek back and fall in with a party of Boers who, we believe, have crossed the Quathlam

you will come, or that if you do

ed it should remain, in your keeping. Of course, Hernan has pressed me to marry him, and my father has wished it. But I have always said no, and now, in our wretchedness, there is no more talk of marriage at present, which is the one good thing that has happened to me. And, Allan, before so very

ated the British Government and Hernan Pereira and others persuaded him? I know not, but, poor

I wonder? I am sending with it the little money I have to pay for its delivery-about four pounds English. If not, there is an end. If it does,

e or de

r MA

em the tears of me who read. I wonder if there exists a more piteous memorial of the terrible sufferings of the trek-Boers, and especially of such of them as forced their way into the poisonous veld around Delagoa, as did this M

een out visiting some of his Mission Kaffirs, entered

tter with you?" he asked, n

I could not speak, and with

n he had finished. "Those poor people! those po

, father, or at any rate can be at

ou, one man, to get to Delagoa Bay, buy cattle, an

ft me last year. Thank Heaven! owing to my absence on commando, it still lies untouched in the bank at Port Elizabeth. That is about eight hundred pounds in all, which would buy

y son, and if you go it is probabl

passionately-"Do not try to stop me, for I tell you, father, I will not be stopped. Think of the words in that letter and what a

God be with you, Allan, and me also, for I never expect t

It seemed that she was an English-owned brig known as the Seven Stars, and that her captain, one Richardson, propo

arlier if she had completed her cargo and wind and weather served. Moreover, if she did leave, it might be weeks

if she kept to her date, before about eight on the morrow. One hundred and twenty miles to be covered in, say, fourteen hours over rough country with some hills! Well, on the other hand, the roads were fairly good and d

was loafing about outs

and must be there by eight

d Hans, who had been t

e chestnut to lead with you as a spare. Give them all a feed, but no water. We start in half an hour." Then I added certain di

dden orders. Moreover, I think that if I had told him I was riding to the moon, beyond his cus

in my name. A meal must be eaten and some food prepared for us to carry. The horses' shoes had to be seen to, and a few clothes packed in the saddle-bags. Also there were other things which I have forgotten. Yet within five-and-thirty minutes the long, lean mare stood before the door. Behind her, wit

s quite bewildered by the rapidity and ur

taught you, and if I survive you, for my part I shall remember that you died trying to do your duty. Oh, what trouble has the blind madness of Henri Marais brought upon us all! Well, I warned

heart sprang to the saddle. In five mo

eing hoisted. As well as I could in my exhausted state, I explained matters and persuaded him to wait till the next tide. Then, thanking God for the mare's speed-the roan had been left foundered thirty miles away, and Hans

not very plentiful in Port Elizabeth, procured three hundred pounds in sovereigns. For the other two he gave me a bill upon some agent in Delagoa Bay, together with a letter of recommendation to him and the Portuguese governor, who, it appeared, was in debt to their establishment. By an afterthought, however, although I kept the letters, I returned him the

ion Station, Hans and I saw behind us Port Elizabeth fadin