the days of my life-第18部分

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！


I　need　not　repeat　the　substance　of　the　interview；　since　it　is　published　as　an　enclosure　to　the　despatch　which　I　have　quoted　above。　A　re…reading　of　it；　however；　makes　me　wonder　whether　Secocoeni　himself　was　actually　privy　to　the　plot　to　murder　us；　or　whether　it　was　entirely　Makurupiji’s　work。　If　he　was；　he　must　have　been　a　really　remarkable　old　scoundrel。　I　am　bound　to　add；　however；　that；　as　his　subsequent　history　shows；　he　was　in　fact　a　quite　unprincipled　person　whom　no　promises　or　considerations　of　honour　could　bind。　So　it　is　very　possible　that　he　did　know　all　about　the　plot。
At　length　we　bade　farewell　to　the　chief；　whom　we　left　still　chewing　leaves　like　Nebuchadnezzar；　and　that　was　the　last　I　ever　saw　of　him。　On　arriving　at　our　hut　we　found　that　the　mission　had　departed；　leaving　us　without　any　guide。　We　went　back　to　Secocoeni　asking　for　guides；　and　then　began　a　series　of　mysterious　delays。　We　were　told　that　all　the　men　were　out　at　work；　although　scores　stood　about　us；　that　they　did　not　know　the　road；　and　so　forth。　At　last　Osborn　addressed　old　Swasi　and　others　in　a　way　they　could　not　misunderstand；　with　the　result　that　two　lads　were　produced。
These　lads　were　named　Sekouili　and　Nojoiani；　or　some　such　words；　appellations　which　we　corrupted　into　“Scowl”　and　“No…joke。”　Under　their　guidance　we　started。　I　may　add　here　that　when　we　had　crossed　the　mountains；　for　some　reason　which　we　could　not　at　the　time　understand；　these　Basuto　boys　expressed　themselves　as　afraid　to　return　to　Secocoeni’s　country；　saying　that　if　they　did　so　they　would　be　killed。　One　or　both　of　them　remained　in　my　service　for　a　long　time　afterwards；　as　they　implored　to　be　taken　on　with　us。
By　the　time　we　had　reached　the　crest　of　the　first　range　the　sun　had　set　and　the　moon　was　up。　Here　the　path　forked；　one　division　of　it；　that　by　which　we　had　e；　running　on　over　the　mountains；　the　other　following　the　line　of　a　deep　valley　at　a　lower　level。　A　discussion　arose　between　us　as　to　which　we　should　take；　my　elders　were　in　favour　of　the　upper；　preferring　those　ills　we　knew　of；　which　the　two　boys；　Scowl　and　No…joke；　begged　and　prayed　us　not　to　leave；　almost　with　passion。　I　have　little　doubt　that　this　was　because　the　ambush　into　which　they　were　directed　to　lead　us　was　set　upon　that　upper　path。　I；　however；　pleaded　for　the　lower　path；　just　because　the　fancy　had　taken　me　that　thence　the　view　of　the　moonlit　valley　would　be　very　grand；　and　stuck　to　my　point。　At　length　one　of　my　panions；　I　think　it　was　Osborn；　said　with　a　laugh；　“Oh！　let　the　young　donkey　have　his　way。　Who　knows；　perhaps　he　is　right！”　or　words　to　that　effect。
Evidently　my　anticipations　as　to　the　view　from　this　lower　path　were　not　disappointed；　for　in　my　notes　written　up　on　the　next　day　I　find　the　following：
“It　was　sombre；　weird；　grand。　Every　valley　became　a　mysterious　deep；　and　every　hill　and　stone　and　tree　shone　with　that　cold；　pale　lustre　that　the　moon　alone　can　throw。　Silence　reigned；　the　silence　of　the　dead。”
Had　we　gone　by　the　upper　path　I　believe　it　would　soon　have　been　the　silence　of　the　dead　for　us。　But　if　so　my　fancies；　or　some　merciful　influence　that　caused　and　directed　them；　proved　our　salvation。
After　we　had　ridden　a　long　way　through　the　silence　that　I　have　described　and　were　getting　out　of　the　mountains　into　the　valley；　we　became　aware　of　a　great　motion　going　on　amongst　the　rocks　a　mile　or　so　to　our　left；　where　ran　the　road　we　should　have　followed。　War…horns　were　blown；　and　a　Basuto　warrior　armed　with　gun　and　spear　rushed　down　to　look　at　us；　then　vanished。　Probably　a　match　struck　to　light　a　pipe　had　shown　him　our　whereabouts；　or　he　may　have　heard　our　voices。　So　we　crossed　the　mountains　in　safety。　And　now　I　will　take　up　Deventer’s　story。
He　said　that　it　was　the　accident　of　our　choosing　the　lower　path　that　in　fact　saved　our　lives；　as　on　the　upper　one　the　murderers　were　waiting。　When　we　emerged　from　it　the　Boer　mission　and　Mr。　A。　had；　he　added；　crossed　the　great　valley　and　reached　the　further　range　of　hills；　where　they　were　met　by　some　troopers　from　the　fort。　Here；　by　the　blowing　of　the　horns　that　we　had　heard；　or　otherwise　—　for　these　natives　have　very　strange　and　effective　means　of　munication　—　knowledge　came　to　Mr。　A。　that　in　some　unexpected　fashion　we　had　escaped　the　ambush　and　were　riding　towards　him　across　the　valley。　Thereon；　said　Deventer；　he　lost　all　control　of　himself　and　called　for　volunteers　to　shoot　us　down　in　the　second　nek。　Then；　according　to　him；　Holtzhausen　—　who；　by　the　way；　was　one　of　the　best　fellows　I　ever　knew；　a　very　honest　and　straightforward　man；　and　who；　like　Mr。　Van　Gorkom；　had　no　suspicion　of　any　of　these　things　—　intervened　with　great　effect；　shouting　out　that　if　this　wicked　deed　were　done　he　“would　publish　it　in　every　Court　of　Europe。”
After　this　declaration　no　volunteers　came　forward：　indeed　they　might　have　refused　to　do　so　in　any　case；　with　the　result　that　about　dawn　on　the　following　day　we　arrived　utterly　worn　out　at　Fort　Weber　—　I　remember　that　several　times　I　fell　asleep　on　my　horse　—　where　we　were　received　quite　affectionately　by　Mr。　A。
When　Deventer　revealed　all　this　appalling　story　some　months　later；　he　asked　and　received　a　promise　that　no　public　use　should　be　made　of　the　information；　since　when　it　came　to　his　knowledge　he　was　in　the　service　of　the　Boer　Government；　and　therefore　did　not　consider　himself　justified　in　disclosing　secrets　to　the　prejudice　of　another　servant　of　that　Government。　This　wish　of　his　was　strictly　respected；　but；　as　may　be　imagined；　the　English　authorities　after　the　Annexation；　although　they　could　make　no　use　of　their　knowledge；　were　not　willing　to　accede　to　Mr。　A。‘s　applications　for　employment　under　the　new　regime。　A　while　later　he　came　to　the　house　at　Pretoria　in　which　I　was　then　living　with　Osborn；　who　was　the　Secretary　to　the　Government；　which　house；　I　think；　was　called　“The　Oaks。”　Mr。　Osborn　received　him；　and　I；　who　was　writing　in　an　adjoining　room　separated　from　them　only　by　some　very　thin　partition；　heard　words　running　high　between　them。　He　（A。）　was　blustering　and　demanding　to　be　employed　as　a　right。　In　the　end　he　asked　why　he　should　be　left　out　when　so　many　other　Boer　officials　had　received　appointments。　Thereon　Osborn　answered　with　great　rigour；　“Damn　it！　Mr。　A。　—　you　know　why。”
The　man　attempted　no　answer；　and　a　moment　later　I　saw　him　walk　out　of　the　house　with　a　very　crestfallen　air；　after　which　I　think　Osborn　came　into　my　room　and　expressed　his　feelings　on　the　whole　subject　with　the　utmost　freedom。
That　is　the　story；　of　which　the　reader；　if　there　ever　should　be　such　a　person；　can　form　his　own　opinion。　Of　course　it　rests　upon　Deventer’s　word　supported　only　by　certain　corroborative　evidence　of　a　circumstantial　sort；　such　as　the　sudden　departure　of　the　Boer　mission；　leaving　us　alone　in　Secocoeni’s　Town　without　guides；　the　behaviour　of　the　two　Basuto　lads；　and　of　the　individual　inculpated　on　the　occasion　that　I　have　just　mentioned。　Deventer　may　have　lied；　but　I　see　no　reason　why　he　should　have　done　so；　and　it　was　not　in　keeping　with　his　character；　nor　did　any　of　us　at　the　time　find　cause　to　doubt　the　truth　of　his　statement。　On　the　other　hand　our　disappearance　from　this　mortal　sphere　might　have　been　convenient　to　Mr。　A。；　who　knew　that　when　we　saw　Secocoeni　we　should　discover　that　the　alleged　treaty　with　that　chief　which　he　had　negotiated　had　been　forged　as　regards　its　most　important　clause。　If　we　were　all　dead　we　could　not　municate　our　knowledge　to　the　Special　missioner；　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone；　and　through　him　to　the　British　Government；　in　which　event　his　credit　would　have　been　saved　and　the　South　African　Republic；　which　he　served；　would　have　been　freed　from　a　great　embarrassment。　It　is　not　probable　that　any　more　will　ever　be　known　of　this　matter；　which；　so　to　speak；　now　rests　between　Mr。　A。　—　whose　name　I　refrain　from　mentioning　—　and　God。　Of　the　Englishmen　concerned　I　alone　survive；　and　if　any　of　the　others　still　live　they　must　be　very　old　men。
At　Fort　Weber　I　think　we　separated　from　the　Boer　mission；　also　that　Clarke　left　us　to　attend　to　business　elsewhere。　Osborn　and　I　trekked　day　and　night　in　an　ox…waggon　to　Middelburg　—　trekked　till　the　oxen　fell　down　in　the　yokes。　It　was　a　fearful　and　a　sleepless　journey。　At　some　period　in　it　we　were　left　quite　without　food。　Only　a　single　pot　of　jam　remained。　We　opened　the　tin　and　helped　ourselves　to　the　jam　with　our　knives；　sitting　one　on　either　side　of　it　in　the　vasty　veld；　till　we　could　eat　no　more　of　the　sickly　stuff；　hungry　though　we　were。
While　we　were　thus　engaged　an　eagle　sailed　over　us　with　a　koran　or　small　bustard　in　its　claws。　I　shouted　and　it　dropped　the　koran；　which；　thinking　that　it　would　serve　for　supper；　I　secured　and　tied　to　my　saddle；　unfortunately　by　its　head；　not　by　its　feet。　We　rode　on　and　I　noticed　that　the　eagle　and　its　mate　followed　us。　In　the　end　the　jerking　of　the　horse　separated　the　koran’s　head　from　its　body；　so　that　the　bird　fell　to　the　ground。　In　a　moment　the　eagle　had　it　again　and　sailed　away　in　triumph。
By　the　way；　I　still　possess　that　knife　with　which　I　ate　the　jam。　It　was　given　to　me　by　my　brother　Andrew　when　I　was　about　twelve　and；　except　for　a　month　or　two　when　it　was　lost　upon　the　veld；　from　that　day　to　this　it　has　been　in　my　pocket。　It　is　wonderful　that　an　article　in　daily　use　should　have　lasted　so　long；　but　I　hope　that　it　may　remain　to　the　end　of　the　chapter。
Chapter　5　THE　ANNEXATION
Doubtful　attitude　of　Boers　towards　Mission　—　H。　R。　H。　attends　debates　in　Volksraad　—　Paul　Kruger　—　H。　R。　H。‘s　projected　journey　home　—　Which　was　given　up　—　Transvaal　annexed　—　H。　R。　H。　delivers　copies　of　Proclamation　and　hoists　British　flag　with　Colonel　Brooke。
Life　at　Pretoria　was　very　gay　during　this　Annexation　period。　We　gave　a　ball；　followed　on　the　next　evening　by　a　children’s　party；　the　President　entertained　us　to　lunch。　The　English　in　the　town　gave　us　a　great　dinner　in　the　Volksraad　Zaal　at　which　“God　save　the　Queen”　was　sung　with　enthusiasm；　and　there　were　many　other　entertainments。
But　underneath　all　these　festivities　grave　issues　were　maturing。　Shortly　after　our　arrival　four　hundred　and　fifty　Boers　rode　into　the　town　with　the　object　of　putting　us　back　over　the　border。　They　were　unarmed；　but　we　discovered　that　they　had　left　their　r