the days of my life-第33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！


　of　the　Transvaal　veld　were　still　black　with　game。　Then　at　night　we　would　sit　by　our　camp　fire　eating　the　dinner　which　I　always　cooked　—　for　I　was　very　expert　at　the　culinary　art　—　or；　if　it　were　wet　and　cold；　in　our　waggon；　where　we　read　Shakespeare　to　each　other　till　it　was　time　to　go　to　bed。
One　such　night　I　remember　well；　it　was　on　the　high　veld　somewhere　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Lake　Chrissie；　where　the　duck…shooting　was　magnificent。　We　read　“Romeo　and　Juliet”　and　went　to　sleep　in　due　course。　At　dawn　I　poked　my　head　between　the　curtains　of　the　waggon；　and　in　the　dense　mist　that　rolled　around　us　saw　a　great　herd　of　blesbuck　feeding　all　about　the　waggon。　I　woke　the　Judge；　and　reaching　down　our　rifles；　we　opened　fire。　He　missed　his　blesbuck　but　I　killed　two　at　one　shot；　a　thing　I　had　never　done　before。　Truth　pels　me　to　add　that　the　Judge　claimed　one　of　them；　but　on　that　point　I　was　unable　to　accept　his　learned　decision。
On　one　of　these　journeys　I　nearly　came　to　a　bad　end。　On　a　certain　morning　before　breakfast　I　wounded　a　bull　wildebeest；　breaking　one　of　its　hind　hocks；　and　mounting　a　famous　hunting　horse　that　I　had；　named　Moresco；　started　to　ride　it　down。　But　that　wildebeest　would　not　be　ridden　down；　at　least　for　a　very　long　while。　Being　thin；　notwithstanding　its　injury　it　went　like　the　wind；　and　finally　led　me　into　a　vast　pany　of　its　fellows：　I　think　there　must　have　been　three　or　four　hundred　of　them。　When　once　he　began　to　gallop　game；　Moresco　was　a　horse　that　could　not　be　held；　the　only　thing　to　do　was　to　let　him　have　his　head。　Into　that　herd　he　plunged；　keeping　his　eye　fixed　upon　the　wounded　beast；　which　in　the　end　he　cut　out　from　among　them。
On　we　went　again　and　got　into　a　great　patch　of　ant…bear　holes。　Some　he　dodged；　some　he　jumped；　but　at　length　went　up　to　his　chest　in　one　of　them；　throwing　me　on　to　his　neck。　Recovering　himself　with　marvellous　activity；　he　literally　jerked　me　back　into　the　saddle　with　a　toss　of　his　head；　and　we　proceeded　in　our　wild　career。　The　end　of　it　was　that　at　last　the　bull　was　ridden　to　a　standstill；　but　I　could　not　pull　up　Moresco　to　get　a　shot　at　it。　He　went　at　the　beast　as　though　he　were　going　to　eat　it。　The　bull　charged　us；　and　Moresco　only　avoided　disaster　by　sitting　down　on　his　tail。　As　the　beast　passed　underneath　his　head　I　held　out　my　rifle　with　one　hand　and　pulled　the　trigger；　the　bullet　went　through　its　heart　and　it　dropped　like　a　stone。　Then　I　tied　my　handkerchief　to　its　horn　in　order　to　scare　away　the　aasvogel；　and　rode　off　to　find　the　camp　in　order　to　get　assistance。
All　that　day　I　rode；　but　I　never　found　the　camp　on　those　vast；　rolling　plains。　Once　towards　sunset　I　thought　that　I　saw　the　white　caps　of　the　waggons　five　or　six　miles　away。　I　rode　to　them　to　discover　that　they　were　but　white　stones。　A　tremendous　thunderstorm　came　on　and　wetted　me　to　the　skin。　In　the　gloom　the　horse　put　his　foot　upon　a　rolling　stone　that　gave　me　a　terrible　fall　that　bruised　and　nearly　knocked　the　senses　out　of　me。
After　lying　a　while　I　recovered。　Mounting　again；　I　remembered　that　when　I　left　the　waggons　the　rising　sun　had　struck　me　in　the　face。　So　I　rode　on　towards　the　west　until　utter　darkness　overtook　me。　Then　I　dismounted；　slipped　the　horse’s　reins　over　my　arm；　and；　lying　down　on　the　fire…swept　veld；　placed　the　saddle…cloth　over　me　to　try　to　protect　myself　against　the　cold；　which　at　that　season　of　the　year　was　very　bitter　on　this　high　land。　Wet　through；　exhausted；　shaken；　and　starved　as　I　was　—　for　I　had　eaten　nothing　since　the　previous　night　—　my　position　was　what　might　be　called　precarious。　Game　trekked　past　me；　I　could　see　their　outlines　by　the　light　of　such　stars　as　there　were。　Then　hyenas　came　and　howled　about　me。　I　had　three　cartridges　left；　and　fired　two　of　them　in　the　direction　of　the　howls。　By　an　afterthought　I　discharged　the　third　straight　up　into　the　air。　Then　I　lay　down　and　sank　into　a　kind　of　torpor；　from　which　I　was　aroused　by　the　sound　of　distant　shouts。　I　answered　them；　and　the　shouts　grew　nearer；　till　at　length　out　of　the　darkness　emerged　my　Zulu　servant；　Mazooku。
It　seemed　that　this　last　shot　saved　me；　for　really　I　do　not　know　what　would　have　happened　if　I　had　lain　all　night　in　that　wet　and　frost；　or　if　I　should　ever　have　found　strength　to　get　on　my　horse　again　in　the　morning。　Mazooku　and　other　natives　had　been　searching　for　me　for　hours；　till　at　length　all　abandoned　the　quest　except　for　Mazooku；　who　said　that　he　would　go　on。　So　he　wandered　about　over　the　veld　till　at　length　his　keen　eyes　caught　sight　of　the　flash　from　my　rifle　—　he　was　much　too　far　away　to　hear　its　report。　He　walked　in　the　direction　of　the　flash　for　several　miles；　shouting　as　he　came；　till　at　length　I　answered　him。
So；　thanks　to　Mazooku；　I　escaped　from　that　trouble；　and；　what　is　more；　took　no　harm；　either　from　the　fall　or　the　chill　and　exhaustion。　He　was　a　very　brave　and　faithful　fellow；　and；　as　this　story　shows；　much　attached　to　me。　I　think　that　some　instinct；　lost　to　us　but　still　remaining　to　savages；　led　him　towards　me　over　that　mighty　sea　of　uninhabited　veld。　Or　of　course　it　may　have　been　pure　chance；　though　this　seems　improbable。　At　any　rate　he　found　me　and　through　the　darkness　led　me　back　to　the　camp；　which　was　miles　away。　The　vituperation　of　Kaffirs　is　a　mon　habit　among　many　white　men；　but　in　difficulty　or　danger　may　I　never　have　a　worse　friend　at　hand　than　one　like　the　poor　Kaffir　who　is　prepared　to　die　for　the　master　whom　he　loves。
Ultimately　the　Pretoria　Horse　was　disbanded。　So　many　British　troops　had　been　poured　into　Africa　that　the　Boers；　with　their　usual　slimness；　thought　the　time　inopportune　to　push　matters　to　the　point　of　actual　rebellion；　and　therefore　dispersed　to　their　homes　to　await　a　more　favourable　hour。　This　came　later　when　Sir　Gar　Wolseley；　who；　whatever　his　gifts；　was　not　blessed　with　foresight；　had；　as　I　have　said；　despatched　all　the　cavalry　back　to　England。　At　this　time　no　local　assistance　was　required　in　the　Zulu　War。　So　it　happened　that　my　soldiering　came　to　a　sudden　end；　for　which　I　was　sorry；　for　I　had　found　the　occupation　congenial。　Also　I　was；　as　I　have　said；　restless　and　reckless；　and　since　Sir　Theophilus　had　left　Pretoria　everything　seemed　changed。　Most　of　my　colleagues　had　departed　this　way　and　that；　and　one　of　them；　old　Dr。　Lyle；　was　dead。　He　had　built　a　house　near　the　town；　purposing　to　settle　there；　but　was　seized　with　some　frightful　liver　plaint。　I　went　to　say　good…bye　to　him；　and　never　shall　I　forget　this　last　farewell。　At　the　door　of　the　death…chamber　I　turned　round。　He　had　raised　himself　on　his　arms　and　was　looking　after　me；　his　dark　eyes　filled　with　tenderness；　shining　large　and　round　in　a　face　that　had　wasted　to　the　size　of　that　of　a　child。　In　a　day　or　two　he　was　gone；　a　martyr　to　his　own　goodness　if　all　the　tale　were　told。
Cochrane　and　I　took　it　into　our　heads　that　we　would　shake　off　the　dust　of　Government　service　and　farm　ostriches。　As　a　beginning　we　purchased　some　three　thousand　acres　of　land　at　Newcastle　in　Natal　from　Mr。　Osborn；　together　with　the　house　that　he　had　built　when　he　was　Resident　Magistrate　there。　We　had　never　seen　the　land　and　did　not　think　it　worth　while　to　undertake　the　journey　necessary　to　that　purpose；　as　it　lay　two　hundred　miles　away。　In　this　matter　our　confidence　was　perfectly　justified；　since　my　dear　friend　Osborn　had　scrupulously　undervalued　the　whole　estate；　which　was　a　most　excellent　one　of　its　sort。
I　forget　what　we　paid　him　for　it；　but　it　was　a　very　modest　sum。　Or　rather　we　did　not　pay　him　at　the　time；　as　we　wished　to　keep　our　working　capital　in　hand；　nor　do　I　think　that　he　demanded　any　security　in　the　shape　of　mortgages　or　promissory　notes。　He　knew　that　we　should　not　fail　him　in　this　matter；　nor　did　we　do　so。
On　my　part　it　was　a　mad　thing　to　do；　seeing　that　I　had　a　high　office　and　was　well　thought　of；　yet；　as　it　chanced；　the　wisest　that　I　could　have　done。　Had　I　stopped　on　at　Pretoria；　within　two　years　I　should　have　been　thrown　out　of　my　employment　without　pensation；　as　happened　to　all　the　other　British　officials　when　Mr。　Gladstone　surrendered　the　Transvaal　to　the　Boers　after　our　defeat　at　Majuba；　or　at　any　rate　to　those　of　them　who　would　not　take　service　under　the　Dutch　Republic；　as　I　for　one　could　never　have　consented　to　do。
I　fi