trooper peter halket of mashonaland-第6部分

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woman　doled　grain　from　the　basket；　and　at　night　they　cooked　it　in　their

cave　where　you　could　not　see　their　smoke；　and　every　day　the　old　woman　gave

the　young　one　two　handfuls　and　kept　one　for　herself；　saying；　'Because　of

the　child　within　you。'　　And　when　the　child　was　born　and　the　young　woman

strong；　the　old　woman　took　a　cloth　and　filled　it　with　all　the　grain　that

was　in　the　basket；　and　she　put　the　grain　on　the　young　woman's　head　and　tied

the　child　on　her　back；　and　said；　'Go；　keeping　always　along　the　bank　of　the

river；　till　you　come　north　to　the　land　where　our　people　are　gone；　and　some

day　you　can　send　and　fetch　me。'　　And　the　young　woman　said；　'Have　you　corn

in　the　basket　to　last　till　they　come？'　　And　she　said；　'I　have　enough。'　　And

she　sat　at　the　broken　door　of　the　cave　and　watched　the　young　woman　go　down

the　hill　and　up　the　river　bank　till　she　was　hidden　by　the　bush；　and　she

looked　down　at　the　plain　below；　and　she　saw　the　spot　where　the　kraal　had

been　and　where　she　had　planted　mealies　when　she　was　a　young　girl〃



〃I　met　a　woman　with　corn　on　her　head　and　a　child　on　her　back！〃　said　Peter

under　his　breath。



〃And　tonight　I　saw　her　sit　again　at　the　door　of　the　cave；　and　when　the

sun　had　set　she　grew　cold；　and　she　crept　in　and　lay　down　by　the　basket。　

Tonight；　at　half…past　three；　she　will　die。　　I　have　known　her　since　she　was

a　little　child　and　played　about　the　huts；　while　her　mother　worked　in　the

mealie　fields。　　She　was　one　of　our　company。〃



〃Oh；〃　said　Peter。



〃Other　members　we　have　here；〃　said　the　stranger。　　〃There　was　a　prospector〃…

…he　pointed　north；　〃he　was　a　man　who　drank　and　swore　when　it　listed　him；

but　he　had　many　servants；　and　they　knew　where　to　find　him　in　need。　　When

they　were　ill；　he　tended　them　with　his　own　hands；　when　they　were　in

trouble；　they　came　to　him　for　help。　　When　this　war　began；　and　all　black

men's　hearts　were　bitter；　because　certain　white　men　had　lied　to　them；　and

their　envoys　had　been　killed　when　they　would　have　asked　England　to　put　her

hand　out　over　them；　at　that　time　certain　of　the　men　who　fought　the　white

men　came　to　the　prospector's　hut。　　And　the　prospector　fired　at　them　from　a

hole　he　had　cut　in　his　door；　but　they　fired　back　at　him　with　an　old

elephant　gun；　and　the　bullet　pierced　his　side　and　he　fell　on　the　floor：

because　the　innocent　man　suffers　oftentimes　for　the　guilty；　and　the

merciful　man　falls　while　the　oppressor　flourishes。　　Then　his　black　servant

who　was　with　him　took　him　quickly　in　his　arms；　and　carried　him　out　at　the

back　of　the　hut；　and　down　into　the　river　bed　where　the　water　flowed　and　no

man　could　trace　his　footsteps；　and　hid　him　in　a　hole　in　the　river　wall。　

And　when　the　men　broke　into　the　hut　they　could　find　no　white　man；　and　no

traces　of　his　feet。　　But　at　evening；　when　the　black　servant　returned　to　the

hut　to　get　food　and　medicine　for　his　master；　the　men　who　were　fighting

caught　him；　and　they　said；　'Oh；　you　betrayer　of　your　people；　white　man's

dog；　who　are　on　the　side　of　those　who　take　our　lands　and　our　wives　and　our

daughters　before　our　eyes；　tell　us　where　you　have　hidden　him？'　　And　when　he

would　not　answer　them；　they　killed　him　before　the　door　of　the　hut。　　And

when　the　night　came；　the　white　man　crept　up　on　his　hands　and　knees；　and

came　to　his　hut　to　look　for　food。　　All　the　other　men　were　gone；　but　his

servant　lay　dead　before　the　door；　and　the　white　man　knew　how　it　must　have

happened。　　He　could　not　creep　further；　and　he　lay　down　before　the　door；　and

that　night　the　white　man　and　the　black　lay　there　dead　together；　side　by

side。　　Both　those　men　were　of　my　friends。〃



〃It　was　damned　plucky　of　the　nigger；〃　said　Peter；　〃but　I've　heard　of　their

doing　that　sort　of　thing　before。　　Even　of　a　girl　who　wouldn't　tell　where

her　mistress　was；　and　getting　killed。　　But；〃　he　added　doubtfully；　〃all　your

company　seem　to　be　niggers　or　to　get　killed？〃



〃They　are　of　all　races；〃　said　the　stranger。　　〃In　a　city　in　the　old　Colony

is　one　of　us；　small　of　stature　and　small　of　voice。　　It　came　to　pass　on　a

certain　Sunday　morning；　when　the　men　and　women　were　gathered　before　him；

that　he　mounted　his　pulpit：　　and　he　said　when　the　time　for　the　sermon　came；

'In　place　that　I　should　speak　to　you；　I　will　read　you　a　history。'　　And　he

opened　an　old　book　more　than　two　thousand　years　old：　　and　he　read：　　'Now　it

came　to　pass　that　Naboth　the　Jezreelite　had　a　vineyard；　which　was　in

Jezreel；　hard　by　the　palace　of　Ahab　king　of　Samaria。



〃'And　Ahab　spake　unto　Naboth；　saying；　Give　me　thy　vineyard；　that　I　may　have

it　for　a　garden　of　herbs；　because　it　is　near　unto　my　house：　　and　I　will

give　thee　for　it　a　better　vineyard　than　it；　or；　if　it　seemeth　good　to　thee；

I　will　give　thee　the　worth　of　it　in　money。



〃'And　Naboth　said　to　Ahab；　The　Lord　forbid　it　me；　that　I　should　give　the

inheritance　of　my　father　unto　thee。



〃'And　Ahab　came　into　his　house　heavy　and　displeased　because　of　the　word

which　Naboth　the　Jezreelite　had　spoken　unto　him；　for　he　had　said；　I　will

not　give　thee　the　inheritance　of　my　fathers。'



〃The　man　read　the　whole　story　until　it　was　ended。　　Then　he　closed　the　book；

and　he　said；　'My　friends；　Naboth　has　a　vineyard　in　this　land；　and　in　it

there　is　much　gold；　and　Ahab　has　desired　to　have　it　that　the　wealth　may　be

his。'



〃And　he　put　the　old　book　aside；　and　he　took　up　another　which　was　written

yesterday。　　And　the　men　and　women　whispered　one　to　another；　even　in　the

church；　'Is　not　that　the　Blue　Book　Report　of　the　Select　Committee　of　the

Cape　Parliament　on　the　Jameson　raid？'



〃And　the　man　said；　'Friends；　the　first　story　I　have　read　you　is　one　of　the

oldest　stories　of　the　world：　　the　story　I　am　about　to　read　you　is　one　of

the　newest。　　Truth　is　not　more　truth　because　it　is　three　thousand　years

old；　nor　is　it　less　truth　because　it　is　of　yesterday。　　All　books　which

throw　light　on　truth　are　God's　books；　therefore　I　shall　read　to　you　from

the　pages　before　me。　　Shall　the　story　of　Ahab　king　of　Samaria　profit　us

when　we　know　not　the　story　of　the　Ahabs　of　our　day；　and　the　Naboths　of　our

land　be　stoned　while　we　sit　at　east？'　　And　he　read　to　them　portions　of　that

book。　　And　certain　rich　men　and　women　rose　up　and　went　out　even　while　he

spoke；　and　his　wife　also　went　out。



〃And　when　the　service　was　ended　and　the　man　returned　to　his　home；　his　wife

came　to　him　weeping；　and　she　said；　'Did　you　see　how　some　of　the　most

wealthy　and　important　people　got　up　and　went　out　this　morning？　　Why　did　you

preach　such　a　sermon；　when　we　were　just　going　to　have　the　new　wing　added　to

our　house；　and　you　thought　they　were　going　to　raise　your　salary？　　You　have

not　a　single　Boer　in　your　congregation！　　Why　need　you　say　the　Chartered

Company　raid　on　Johannesburg　was　wrong？'



〃He　said；　'My　wife；　if　I　believe　that　certain　men　whom　we　have　raised　on

high；　and　to　whom　we　have　given　power；　have　done　a　cowardly　wrong；　shall　I

not　say　it？'



〃And　she　said；　'Yes；　and　only　a　little　while　ago；　when　Rhodes　was　licking

the　dust　off　the　Boers'　feet　that　he　might　keep　them　from　suspecting　while

he　got　ready　this　affair；　then　you　attacked　both　Rhodes　and　the　Bond　（The

Afrikander　Bond；　the　organised　Dutch　political　party；　through　whom　Mr。

Rhodes　worked；　and　by　whom　he　was　backed。）　for　trying　to　pass　a　Bill　for

flogging　the　niggers；　and　we　lost　fifty　pounds　we　might　have　got　for　the

church？'　　And　he　said；　'My　wife；　cannot　God　be　worshipped　as　well　under　the

dome　of　the　heaven　He　made　as　in　a　golden　palace？　　Shall　a　man　keep

silence；　when　he　sees　oppression；　to　earn　money　for　God？　　If　I　have

defended　the　black　man　when　I　believed　him　to　be　wronged；　shall　I　not　also

defend　the　white　man；　my　flesh…brother？　　Shall　we　speak　when　one　man　is

wronged　and　not　when　it　is　another？'



〃And　she　said；　'Yes；　but　you　have　your　family　and　yourself　to　think　of！　

Why　are　you　always　in　opposition　to　the　people　who　could　do　something　for

us？　　You　are　only　loved　by　the　poor。　　If　it　is　necessary　for　you　to　attack

some　one；　why　don't　you　attack　the　Jews　for　killing　Christ；　or　Herod；　or

Pontius　Pilate；　why　don't　you　leave　alone　the　men　who　are　in　power　today；

and　who　with　their　money　can　crush　you！'



〃And　he　said；　'Oh　my　wife；　those　Jews；　and　Herod；　and　Pontius　Pilate　are

long　dead。　　If　I　should　preach　of　them　now；　would　it　help　them？　　Would　it

save　one　living　thing　from　their　clutches？　　The　past　is　dead；　it　lives　only

for　us　to　learn　from。　　The　present；　the　present　only；　is　ours　to　work　in；

and　the　future　ours　to　create。　　Is　all　the　gold　of　Johannesburg　or　are　all

the　diamonds　in　Kimberley　worth；　that　one　Christian　man　should　fall　by　the

hand　of　his　fellowsaye；　or　one　heathen　brother？'



〃And　she　answered；　'Oh；　that　is　all　very　well。　　If　you　were　a　really

eloquent　preacher；　and　could　draw　hundreds　of　men　about　you；　and　in　time

form　a　great　party　with　you　at　its　head；　I　shouldn't　mind　what　you　said。　

But　you；　with　your　little　figure　and　your　little　voice；　who　will　ever

follow　you？　　You　will　be　left　all　alone；　that　is　all　the　good　that　will

ever　come　to　you　through　it。'



〃And　he　said；　'Oh　my　wife；　have　I　not　waited　and　watched　and　hoped　that

they　who　are　nobler　and　stronger　than　I；　all　over　this　land；　would　lift　up

their　voices　and　speakand　there　is　only　a　deadly　silence？　　Here　and　there

one　has　dared　to　speak　aloud；　but　the　rest　whisper　behind　the　hand；　one

says；　'My　son　has　a　post；　he　would　lose　it　if　I　spoke　loud'；　and　another

says；　'I　have　a　promise　of　land'；　and　another；　'I　am　socially　intimate　with

these　men；　and　should　lose　my　social　standing　if　I　let　my　voice　be　heard。'　

Oh　my　wife；　our　land；　our　goodly　land；　which　we　had　hoped　would　be　free　and

strong　among　the　peoples　of　earth；　is　rotten　and　honeycombed　with　the

tyranny　of　gold！　　We　who　had　hoped　to　stand　first　in　the　Anglo…Saxon

sisterhood　for　justice　and　freedom；　are　not　even　fit　to　stand　last。　　Do　I

not　know　only　too　bitterly　how　weak　is　my　voice；　and　that　that　which　I　can

do　is　as　nothing：　　but　shall