登陆注册
5271100000025

第25章 Chapter II.(6)

Peter put up his fingers to his own lips--"Hus-h! hus-h!" he said.

The man hung torpid, still looking at Peter.

Quickly Peter Halket knelt down and took the knife from his belt. In an instant the riems that bound the feet were cut through; in another he had cut the riems from the waist and neck: the riems dropped to the ground from the arms, and the man stood free. Like a dazed dumb creature, he stood, with his head still down, eyeing Peter.

Instantly Peter slipped the red bundle from his arm into the man's passive hand.

"Ari-tsemaia! Hamba! Loop! Go!" whispered Peter Halket; using a word from each African language he knew. But the black man still stood motionless, looking at him as one paralysed.

"Hamba! Sucka! Go!" he whispered, motioning his hand.

In an instant a gleam of intelligence shot across the face; then a wild transport. Without a word, without a sound, as the tiger leaps when the wild dogs are on it, with one long, smooth spring, as though unwounded and unhurt, he turned and disappeared into the grass. It closed behind him; but as he went the twigs and leaves cracked under his tread.

The Captain threw back the door of his tent. "Who is there?" he cried.

Peter Halket stood below the tree with the knife in his hand.

The noise roused the whole camp: the men on guard came running; guns were fired: and the half-sleeping men came rushing, grasping their weapons.

There was a sound of firing at the little tree; and the cry went round the camp, "The Mashonas are releasing the spy!"

When the men got to the Captain's tent, they saw that the nigger was gone; and Peter Halket was lying on his face at the foot of the tree; with his head turned towards the Captain's door.

There was a wild confusion of voices. "How many were there?" "Where have they gone to now?" "They've shot Peter Halket!"--"The Captain saw them do it"--"Stand ready, they may come back any time!"

When the Englishman came, the other men, who knew he had been a medical student, made way for him. He knelt down by Peter Halket.

"He's dead," he said, quietly.

When they had turned him over, the Colonial knelt down on the other side, with a little hand-lamp in his hand.

"What are you fellows fooling about here for?" cried the Captain. "Do you suppose it's any use looking for foot marks after all this tramping! Go, guard the camp on all sides!"

"I will send four coloured boys," he said to the Englishman and the Colonial, "to dig the grave. You'd better bury him at once; there's no use waiting. We start first thing in the morning."

When they were alone, the Englishman uncovered Peter Halket's breast.

There was one small wound just under the left bosom; and one on the crown of the head; which must have been made after he had fallen down.

"Strange, isn't it, what he can have been doing here?" said the Colonial;

"a small wound, isn't it?"

"A pistol shot," said the Englishman, closing the bosom.

"A pistol--"

The Englishman looked up at him with a keen light in his eye.

"I told you he would not kill that nigger.--See--here--" He took up the knife which had fallen from Peter Halket's grasp, and fitted it into a piece of the cut leather that lay on the earth.

同类推荐
  • 平夏录

    平夏录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 西塘集耆旧续闻

    西塘集耆旧续闻

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 新官到任仪注

    新官到任仪注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 龙树菩萨传

    龙树菩萨传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 旴江集年谱外集

    旴江集年谱外集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 红矿帽

    红矿帽

    我是搭乘一辆为井队供应给养的客货两用车进沙漠的。坐在拥挤的驾驶室里,听着完全陌生的西北方言,眼望浩如烟海的古尔班通古特沙漠,我有一种恍若隔世的感觉。我不停地在问自己,我为什么要来这里?是为了某种责任、猎奇,还是爱情?我无力地倚靠在车的一角,仿佛随时都有被大漠吞没的可能。为坐上这辆车,我费了不少劲,上午临发车时,井队调度室的安检员拦住我,要看我的介绍信,问我进井区干嘛?我说去1148井队找人。结果人家说什么也不让我上车,说近两个月沙漠里事故频发,伤亡率很高,现在讲以人为本,公司啥都不怕就怕死人等等。
  • 都市妖鬼录

    都市妖鬼录

    你相信这个世界上有鬼怪吗?我原本是一名普普通通的大学生,本以为我的一生就会这样平淡无奇的度过,却没有想到在来到这座隐秘的小城之后身边却陆续的发生了许许多多诡异的事情。半夜敲响的棺材板、没有瞳孔的野狼、死而复生的神秘女子……我与神秘的除妖师温先生相遇,以及身边的两个好友一起,踏上了光怪陆离的神秘世界。
  • 喜嫁良缘:农门小娇娘

    喜嫁良缘:农门小娇娘

    李蕙质做梦都想不到她会成为一个小农女!人家小龙女有杨过在身边痴情守着,她李蕙质只有一个傻相公在身边蹭吃蹭喝蹭睡!这样闹腾也就算了,猥琐公公、恶毒婆婆、极品邻居,一个个儿的都来给她找麻烦!可是最大的劫从来都不是种菜,当小农女满级之后,李蕙质又解锁了下一个人物!什么,竟然还要玩儿宫心计?拜托,我就只是来种个田而已的小农女好么!人生处处都是炸弹,李蕙质总结出来一点:穿越不好玩儿,穿越之后不断解锁新生活更不好玩儿!
  • 快穿之世界救赎战

    快穿之世界救赎战

    三千世界,缘法万千。玖卿为了收集力量,腰间挂着个酒葫芦,带上心爱的小镜子,踏上了漫漫征途。穿越,重生,世间变化无常,每个人的人生都是一段旅程,玖卿表示她真的是长了见识。拿着一把小匕首,隐藏在面具下的脸笑得天真,“我会很温柔的。”毕竟她也不是什么魔鬼~“诶,你别跑啊~”看着跑远的玖卿,某个被遗忘的吉祥物迎风流泪:“你又把我落下了?_?”1v1,非成长型快穿。不加幸运点的吉祥物男主VS倒霉没良心的皮断腿女主。 沙雕作者,在线写作。
  • 诺亚的名单

    诺亚的名单

    【末世版欺诈游戏】末世降临,方舟启动,诺亚将名单中的人引入方舟。本以为这里是避难的天堂,却没想到这里竟是如同炼狱般的战场。所有名单中的乘客为了争夺活下去的时间不得不进行一场又一场互相争夺的游戏。
  • 名人传记丛书:恺撒

    名人传记丛书:恺撒

    名人传记丛书——恺撒——罗马帝国的无冕之皇:“立足课本,超越课堂”,以提高中小学生的综合素质为目的,让中小学生从课内受益到课外,是一生的良师益友。
  • 时空转换之搬家至南冥

    时空转换之搬家至南冥

    由于一个决定我将家搬到了古代。命中注定,我遇见了他。他——堂堂的太子殿下,却愿意为我付出一切。奇——永远温柔的对我笑,只希望我过得好。他愿意为我做任何事情。煌——自称我的哥哥,我却只能一笑置之。只有我知道这是不可能的事情。而我只想回家,但却......--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 枢言

    枢言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金牌独宠:盛世小魔妃

    金牌独宠:盛世小魔妃

    (完结)她,来自二十一世纪的王牌特工,一朝穿越,成为相府废材庶女三小姐。嫡姐笑面藏刀,主母狡诈欺辱,渣男未婚夫对其更是厌之,辱之,弃之。她云淡风轻,婉然一笑,古语有云:上有政策,下有对策嘛,咱怕啥,兵来将挡水来土淹,见招拆你的招。他,邪魅风华的世子爷,强势霸道,传闻患有严重洁癖,却独独只让她近身。某女,伸出纤细的手指挑起某爷尖挺的下巴,“爷,妞看上你了。”某爷从怀里掏出一摞银票,挑眉说道,“这是彩礼,今个咱们就洞房吧。”某女“……”
  • 锦带书

    锦带书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。