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

These were himself, his daughter, four Prinsloos-a family of extraordinary constitution-and three Meyers, being the husband of the poor woman I had seen committed to the grave and tw

tbuilding which they constructed, placing it at a distance for safety's sake. When most of the surv

munition as remained to them. When that failed they dug pits in which to catch

and so forth. I believe that they actually ate caterpillars and earthworms. But after their last fire went out through the neglect of the wretched Kaffir who was left to watch it, and having no tinder, they failed to relight it by friction, of co

of full and lovely womanhood? After all, we were not so far away from the primitive conditions of humanity, when the first duty of man was to feed his women and his children, and I think that something of that instinct remains wi

ur, which occupied all our thoughts. Afterwards, when Marais and his daughter were strong

ch, it appeared, he knew nothing of, f

ere disobeyed, mynheer," I sai

perate ride upon the swift mare to Port Elizabeth, where I just succeeded in catching the brig Seven Stars before she sailed. Also I told th

uth, for I had brought tobacco among my stores. "But tell me, Allan,

ays treated me kindly," and I nodded towards Marie, who

but you know she is

her," I answered warmly, adding, "And pray where

t before you came. One horse remained, which was his, and with two Hottentots, who were also his servants,

id he propose to g

e had rifles, and about a hundred charge

would have been fed for a month, or perhaps two months," I

, the charges were his own property. No doubt he thought he acted for the b

heer, I have brought you the money my father collected on your account, and some ￡500 of my own, or what is lef

ot for you she would now be lying yonder," and he pointed to the little heaps that covered the bones of most of the exp

never with my will should my daughter marry an Englishman, even if he were a good Englishman. Also, just before we left the Colony, I swore again, in her

e way of being avenged upon you for the keeping of that evil o

is troubles had induced a reasonable frame of mind in him-for

roke out, and,

d notwithstanding that I alone have been able to drag both of you and the others out of the claws of death,

I do mean t

r himself. Also, I am your master here-I have cattle and guns and servants. Well, I wi

to make him think the worse of me. He looked at me for a while

t is true that you have things in your fist. But, much as she may love

Mynheer Marais. At any rate, it is certain that

showed him that I was in earnest. At least, he cha

ere is no prédicant to marry you? Surely, if you love her so much

p of priests before now, by open declaration and public report, for instance, and their c

good unless the holy words are said. But why

ht it was ended,

be in some six months' time, my will counts no longer, seeing that then she is a free woman who can dispose of herself. Als

istry, which I thought contemptible, did not convince me that he was

nce, Marie might change her

etimes happen to men who are not wanted, especially in wi

llan, you do n

des yourself-Hernan Pereira, for example, if he lives. Still, I am not the

that I should speak to her in

at once, a very different Marie to the starving girl of a while before, for although she was still thin a

ing our conversation and the arguments which had been used on

asked of Marais w

have a good memo

now what have yo

d afterwards married by a clergyman when we found one. But my father has sworn an oath which weighs upon his mind, and he has shown you that within six months-a short six months-that oath dies of itself, since, by the law, he can no longer contr

eagerly, like one who has suddenly seen some loophole of escape from an impossible posit

God," she replied in her sweet voice. "

ashion," I replied gloomily, for someh

and leaving all in His hands. But you, on your part, must promise also that, till she is of age, you will not take Marie as

der to make this solemn contract public, Marais called the surviving Boers, who we

e, I had, wherever I chose to take her. She added that, as for Hernan Pereira, he was a "sneak and a stinkcat," who had gone off to save his own life, and left them a

rved, was a very outspoken woma

I think I should have carried my point, for I was the "master of many legions" in the shape of cattle, food and ammunition, and rather than risk a quarrel with me, the other Boers would have forced Marais to

ledged to be affianced by the little society in which we lived, including her father, and allowed to be as much alone together as we liked. This meant that we met at dawn only to separate at nightfall, for, having little or no artifici

ted that we should trek to Lorenzo Marquez, and wait for a ship there to take us down to Natal, for none of them would hear of returning beggared to the Cape to tell the story of their failure and drea

h I rather welcomed, as I should have been glad to abide in p

to form a settlement, especially as the surrounding natives might become actively hostile at any moment. Again, the worst fever season was approaching, in which we should ve

better still, to Natal, for this route would enable us to avoid the worst of the mountains. There we might join some ot

my Kaffirs, I opened negotiations with the surrounding natives, who, when they heard that I was not a Boer and was prepared to pay for what I bought, soon expressed a willingness to trade. Inde

ver shall I forget seeing Marie and the surviving children partake of their first meal of porridge, and washing the sticky stuff down with draughts of fresh, sugared milk, for with the oxen I

ss, involving many trial trips; moreover, the selected wagons, one of which had belonged to Pereira, must be mended with very insufficient tools and without the help of a forge.

Henri Marais. I was engaged on a certain evening in trying to make sixteen of the Kaffir cattle pull together in the yoke,

ne of my brothers," or, i

eature, clad only in some rags and the remains of a big hat

for, as usual, she was at my side, "it is Kl

ur cousin Hernan himself

r food. A cold shoulder of buck was given to him, which he devoured, holding it i

come up with the other Boers, asked him whenc

the baas is that he is dead. At least, I left hi

e him if he was i

I might find help, for we were star

alone

and the vultures. A lion ate the oth

e off?" asked

y on horseback on a good road." (Th

rightened away the horse, which was never seen again. Pereira and Klaus proceeded on foot till they came to a great river, on the banks of which they met some Kaffirs, who appear to have been Zulus on outpost duty. These men demand

had lost their way in the bush. This had happened nearly a month before-or, at any rate, Klaus thought so, for no doubt the days went very slowly-during which time they had wandered about, trying to shape some sort of course by the sun with the object

two, for he found and devoured some carrion, a dead hyena I think it was. Pereira also tried to eat this horrible food, but, not having the stomach of a Hottentot, the first mouthful of it made him dreadfully ill. They sought shelter in

the hyena with him, and on the afternoon