trooper peter halket of mashonaland-第3部分

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…〃They　are　camped　at　the　foot　of　those　hills　tonight；〃　he　said；　pointing

with　his　hand　into　the　darkness　at　the　left。　　〃Tomorrow　early　they　will　be

here；　before　the　sun　has　risen。〃



〃Oh；　you've　met　them；　have　you！〃　said　Peter　joyfully；　〃that's　why　you

weren't　surprised　at　finding　me　here。　　Take　a　drop！〃　　He　took　the　small

flask　from　his　pocket　and　held　it　out。　　〃I'm　sorry　there's　so　little；　but　a

drop　will　keep　the　cold　out。〃



The　stranger　bowed　his　head；　but　thanked　and　declined。



Peter　raised　the　flask　to　his　lips　and　took　a　small　draught；　then　returned

it　to　his　pocket。　　The　stranger　folded　his　arms　about　his　knees；　and　looked

into　the　fire。



〃Are　you　a　Jew？〃　asked　Peter；　suddenly；　as　the　firelight　fell　full　on　the

stranger's　face。



〃Yes；　I　am　a　Jew。〃



〃Ah；〃　said　Peter；　〃that's　why　I　wasn't　able　to　make　out　at　first　what

nation　you　could　be　of；　your　dress；　you　know〃　　Then　he　stopped；　and　said；

〃Trading　here；　I　suppose？　　Which　country　do　you　come　from；　are　you　a

Spanish　Jew？〃



〃I　am　a　Jew　of　Palestine。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Peter；　〃I　haven't　seen　many　from　that　part　yet。　　I　came　out　with

a　lot　on　board　ship；　and　I've　seen　Barnato　and　Beit；　but　they're　not　very

much　like　you。　　I　suppose　it's　coming　from　Palestine　makes　the　difference。〃



All　fear　of　the　stranger　had　now　left　Peter　Halket。　　〃Come　a　little　nearer

the　fire；〃　he　said；　〃you　must　be　cold；　you　haven't　too　much　wraps。　　I'm

chill　in　this　big　coat。〃　　Peter　Halket　pushed　his　gun　a　little　further　away

from　him；　and　threw　another　large　log　on　the　fire。　　〃I'm　sorry　I　haven't

anything　to　eat　to　offer　you；　but　I　haven't　had　anything　myself　since　last

night。　　It's　beastly　sickening；　being　out　like　this　with　nothing　to　eat。　

Wouldn't　have　thought　a　fellow'd　feel　so　bad　after　only　a　day　of　it。　　Have

you　ever　been　out　without　grub？〃　said　Peter　cheerfully；　warming　his　hands

at　the　blaze。



〃Forty　days　and　nights；〃　said　the　stranger。



〃Forty　days！　　Pheew！〃　said　Peter。　　〃You　must　have　have　had　a　lot　to

drink；　or　you　wouldn't　have　stood　it。　　I　was　feeling　blue　enough　when　you

turned　up；　but　I'm　better　now；　warmer。〃



Peter　Halket　re…arranged　the　logs　on　the　fire。



〃In　the　employ　of　the　Chartered　Company；　I　suppose？〃　said　Peter；　looking

into　the　fire　he　had　made。



〃No；〃　said　the　stranger；　〃I　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　Chartered　Company。〃



〃Oh；〃　said　Peter；　〃I　don't　wonder；　then；　that　things　aren't　looking　very

smart　with　you！　　There's　not　too　much　cakes　and　ale　up　here　for　those　that

do　belong　to　it；　if　they're　not　big…wigs；　and　none　at　all　for　those　who

don't。　　I　tried　it　when　I　first　came　up　here。　　I　was　with　a　prospector　who

was　hooked　on　to　the　Company　somehow；　but　I　worked　on　my　own　account　for

the　prospector　by　the　day。　　I　tell　you　what；　it's　not　the　men　who　work　up

here　who　make　the　money；　it's　the　big…wigs　who　get　the　concessions！〃



Peter　felt　exhilarated　by　the　presence　of　the　stranger。　　That　one　unarmed

man　had　robbed　him　of　all　fear。



Seeing　that　the　stranger　did　not　take　up　the　thread　of　conversation；　he

went　on　after　a　time：　　〃It　wasn't　such　a　bad　life；　though。　　I　only　wish　I

was　back　there　again。　　I　had　two　huts　to　myself；　and　a　couple　of　nigger

girls。　　It's　better　fun；〃　said　Peter；　after　a　while；　〃having　these　black

women　than　whites。　　The　whites　you've　got　to　support；　but　the　niggers

support　you！　　And　when　you've　done　with　them　you　can　just　get　rid　of　them。

I'm　all　for　the　nigger　gals。〃　　Peter　laughed。　　But　the　stranger　sat

motionless　with　his　arms　about　his　knees。



〃You　got　any　girls？〃　said　Peter。　　〃Care　for　niggers？〃



〃I　love　all　women；〃　said　the　stranger；　refolding　his　arms　about　his　knees。



〃Oh；　you　do；　do　you？〃　said　Peter。　　〃Well；　I'm　pretty　sick　of　them。　　I　had

bother　enough　with　mine；〃　he　said　genially；　warming　his　hands　by　the　fire；

and　then　interlocking　the　fingers　and　turning　the　palms　towards　the　blaze

as　one　who　prepares　to　enjoy　a　good　talk。　　〃One　girl　was　only　fifteen；　I

got　her　cheap　from　a　policeman　who　was　living　with　her；　and　she　wasn't

much。　　But　the　other；　by　Gad！　　I　never　saw　another　nigger　like　her；　well

set　up；　I　tell　you；　and　as　straight　as　that〃　said　Peter；　holding　up　his

finger　in　the　firelight。　　〃She　was　thirty　if　she　was　a　day。　　Fellows　don't

generally　fancy　women　that　age；　they　like　slips　of　girls。　　But　I　set　my

heart　on　her　the　day　I　saw　her。　　She　belonged　to　the　chap　I　was　with。　　He

got　her　up　north。　　There　was　a　devil　of　a　row　about　his　getting　her；　too；

she'd　got　a　nigger　husband　and　two　children；　didn't　want　to　leave　them；　or

some　nonsense　of　that　sort：　you　know　what　these　niggers　are？　　Well；　I　tried

to　get　the　other　fellow　to　let　me　have　her；　but　the　devil　a　bit　he　would。　

I'd　only　got　the　other　girl；　and　I　didn't　much　fancy　her；　she　was　only　a

child。　　Well；　I　went　down　Umtali　way　and　got　a　lot　of　liquor　and　stuff；　and

when　I　got　back　to　camp　I　found　them　clean　dried　out。　　They　hadn't　had　a

drop　of　liquor　in　camp　for　ten　days；　and　the　rainy　season　coming　on　and　no

knowing　when　they'd　get　any。　　Well；　I'd　a　vatje　of　Old　Dop　as　high　as　that…

…；〃　indicating　with　his　hand　an　object　about　two　feet　high；　〃and　the　other

fellow　wanted　to　buy　it　from　me。　　I　knew　two　of　that。　　I　said　I　wanted　it

for　myself。　　He　offered　me　this；　and　he　offered　me　that。　　At　last　I　said；

'Well；　just　to　oblige　you；　I　give　you　the　vatje　and　you　give　me　the　girl！'　

And　so　he　did。　　Most　people　wouldn't　have　fancied　a　nigger　girl　who'd　had

two　nigger　children；　but　I　didn't　mind；　it's　all　the　same　to　me。　　And　I

tell　you　she　worked。　　She　made　a　garden；　and　she　and　the　other　girl　worked

in　it；　I　tell　you　I　didn't　need　to　buy　a　sixpence　of　food　for　them　in　six

months；　and　I　used　to　sell　green　mealies　and　pumpkins　to　all　the　fellows

about。　　There　weren't　many　flies　on　her；　I　tell　you。　　She　picked　up　English

quicker　than　I　picked　up　her　lingo；　and　took　to　wearing　a　dress　and　shawl。〃



The　stranger　still　sat　motionless；　looking　into　the　fire。



Peter　Halket　reseated　himself　more　comfortably　before　the　fire。　　〃Well；　I

came　home　to　the　huts　one　day；　rather　suddenly；　you　know；　to　fetch

something；　and　what　did　I　find？　　She；　talking　at　the　hut　door　with　a　nigger

man。　　Now　it　was　my　strict　orders　they　were　neither　to　speak　a　word　to　a

nigger　man　at　all；　so　I　asked　what　it　was。　　And　she　answers；　as　cool　as　can

be；　that　he　was　a　stranger　going　past　on　the　road；　and　asked　her　to　give

him　a　drink　of　water。　　Well；　I　just　ordered　him　off。　　I　didn't　think

anything　more　about　it。　　But　I　remember　now。　　I　saw　him　hanging　about　the

camp　the　day　after。　　Well；　she　came　to　me　the　next　day　and　asked　me　for　a

lot　of　cartridges。　　She'd　never　asked　me　for　anything　before。　　I　asked　her

what　the　devil　a　woman　wanted　with　cartridges；　and　she　said　the　old　nigger

woman　who　helped　carry　in　water　to　the　garden　said　she　couldn't　stay　and

help　her　any　more　unless　she　got　some　cartridges　to　give　her　son　who　was

going　up　north　hunting　elephants。　　The　woman　got　over　me　to　give　her　the

cartridges　because　she　was　going　to　have　a　kid；　and　she　said　she　couldn't

do　the　watering　without　help。　　So　I　gave　them　her。　　I　never　put　two　and　two

together。



〃Well；　when　I　heard　that　the　Company　was　going　to　have　a　row　with　the

Matabele；　I　thought　I'd　volunteer。　　They　said　there　was　lots　of　loot　to　be

got；　and　land　to　be　given　out；　and　that　sort　of　thing；　and　I　thought　I'd

only　be　gone　about　three　months。　　So　I　went。　　I　left　those　women　there；　and

a　lot　of　stuff　in　the　garden　and　some　sugar　and　rice；　and　I　told　them　not

to　leave　till　I　came　back；　and　I　asked　the　other　man　to　keep　an　eye　on

them。　　Both　those　women　were　Mashonas。　　They　always　said　the　Mashonas

didn't　love　the　Matabele；　but；　by　God；　it　turned　out　that　they　loved　them

better　than　they　loved　us。　　They've　got　the　damned　impertinence　to　say；

that　the　Matabele　oppressed　them　sometimes；　but　the　white　man　oppresses

them　all　the　time！



〃Well；　I　left　those　women　there；〃　said　Peter；　dropping　his　hands　on　his

knees。　　〃Mind　you；　I'd　treated　those　women　really　well。　　I'd　never　given

either　of　them　one　touch　all　the　time　I　had　them。　　I　was　the　talk　of　all

the　fellows　round；　the　way　I　treated　them。　　Well；　I　hadn't　been　gone　a

month；　when　I　got　a　letter　from　the　man　I　worked　with；　the　one　who　had　the

woman　firsthe's　dead　now；　poor　fellow；　they　found　him　at　his　hut　door

with　his　throat　cutand　what　do　you　think　he　said　to　me？　　Why；　I　hadn't

been　gone　six　hours　when　those　two　women　skooted！　　It　was　all　the　big　one。

What　do　you　think　she　did？　　She　took　every　ounce　of　ball　and　cartridge　she

could　find　in　that　hut；　and　my　old　Martini…Henry；　and　even　the　lid　off　the

tea…box　to　melt　into　bullets　for　the　old　muzzle…loaders　they　have；　and　off

she　went；　and　took　the　young　one　too。　　The　fellow　wrote　me　they　didn't

touch　another　thing：　　they　left　the　shawls　and　dresses　I　gave　them　kicking

about　the　huts；　and　went　off　naked　with　only　their　blankets　and　the

ammunition　on　their　heads。　　A　nigger　man　met　them　twenty　miles　off；　and　he

said　they　were　skooting　up　for　Lo　Magundi's　country　as　fast　as　they　could

go。



〃And　do　you　know；〃　said　Peter；　striking　his　knee；　and　looking　impressively

across　the　fire　at　the　stranger；　〃what　I'm　as　sure　of　as　that　I'm　sitting

here？　　It's　that　that　nigger　I　caught　at　my　hut；　that　day；　was　her　nigger

husband！　　He'd　come　to　fetch　her　that　time；　and　when　she　saw　she　couldn't

get　away　without　our　catching　her；　she　got　the　cartridges　for　him！〃　　Peter

paused　impressively　between　the　words。　　〃And　now　she's　gone　back　to　him。　

It's　for　him　she's　taken　that　ammunition！〃



Peter　looked　across　the　fire　at　the　stranger；　to　see　what　impression　his

story　was　making。



〃I　tell　you　what；〃　said　Peter；　〃if　I'd　had　any　idea　that　day　who　that

bloody　nigger　was；　the　day　I　saw　him　standing　at　my　door；　I'd　have　given

him　one　cartridge　in　the　back　of　his　head　more　than　ever　he　reckoned　for！〃　

Peter　looked　trium