登陆注册
5434600000040

第40章

So I went in to Stella, and without saying a word to her of the baboon story, told her I had been thinking matters over, and had come to the conclusion that it was our duty to follow her father's instructions to the letter, and leave Babyan Kraals at once. Into all our talk I need not enter, but the end of it was that she agreed with me, and declared that she could quite well manage the journey, saying, moreover, that now that her dear father was dead she would be glad to get away.

Nothing happened to disturb us that night, and on the following morning I was up early making preparations. The despair of the people when they learned that we were going to leave them was something quite pitiable. I could only console them by declaring that we were but on a journey, and would return the following year.

"They had lived in the shadow of their father, who was dead," they declared; "ever since they were little they had lived in his shadow.

He had received them when they were outcasts and wanderers without a mat to lie on, or a blanket to cover them, and they had grown fat in his shadow. Then he had died, and the Star, their father's daughter, had married me, Macumazahn, and they had believed that I should take their father's place, and let them live in my shadow. What should they do when there was no one to protect them? The tribes were kept from attacking them by fear of the white man. If we went they would be eaten up," and so on. Alas! there was but too much foundation for their fears.

I returned to the huts at mid-day to get some dinner. Stella said that she was going to pack during the afternoon, so I did not think it necessary to caution her about going out alone, as I did not wish to allude to the subject of Hendrika and the baboons unless I was obliged to. I told her, however, that I would come back to help her as soon as I could get away. Then I went down to the native kraals to sort out such cattle as had belonged to Mr. Carson from those which belonged to the Kaffirs, for I proposed to take them with us. It was a large herd, and the business took an incalculable time. At length, a little before sundown, I gave it up, and leaving Indaba-zimbi to finish the job, got on my horse and rode homewards.

Arriving, I gave the horse to one of the stable boys, and went into the central hut. There was no sign of Stella, though the things she had been packing lay about the floor. I passed first into our sleeping hut, thence one by one into all the others, but still saw no sign of her. Then I went out, and calling to a Kaffir in the garden asked him if he had seen his mistress.

He answered "yes." He had seen her carrying flowers and walking towards the graveyard, holding the little white girl--my daughter--as he called her, by the hand, when the sun stood "there," and he pointed to a spot on the horizon where it would have been about an hour and a half before. "The two dogs were with them," he added. I turned and ran towards the graveyard, which was about a quarter of a mile from the huts. Of course there was no reason to be anxious--evidently she had gone to lay the flowers on her father's grave. And yet I was anxious.

When I got near the graveyard I met one of the natives, who, by my orders, had been set round the kraals to watch the place, and noticed that he was rubbing his eyes and yawning. Clearly he had been asleep.

I asked him if he had seen his mistress, and he answered that he had not, which under the circumstances was not wonderful. Without stopping to reproach him, I ordered the man to follow me, and went on to the graveyard. There, on Mr. Carson's grave, lay the drooping flowers which Stella had been carrying, and there in the fresh mould was the spoor of Tota's veldschoon, or hide slipper. But where were they?

同类推荐
  • The Lumley Autograph

    The Lumley Autograph

    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。
  • 岘泉集

    岘泉集

    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。
  • 困学纪闻

    困学纪闻

    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。
  • 尊瓠室诗话

    尊瓠室诗话

    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。
  • THE FIGURE IN THE CARPET

    THE FIGURE IN THE CARPET

    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
  • 我和超级大佬隐婚了

    我和超级大佬隐婚了

    (推荐新文:陆爷的小祖宗又撩又飒)“绵绵,嫁给我,你会得到一个有钱有颜,还能帮你虐渣渣的绝世好老公。”一不小心,乔绵绵惹上云城身份最尊贵显赫的男人墨夜司。很快,全城的人都知道曾扬言终身不娶的墨少娶了个心头宝回来,捧手里怕摔了,含嘴里怕化了。婚后,墨太太忙着拍戏,虐渣渣。墨先生忙着宠老婆,宠老婆,还是宠老婆。下属:“少爷,少夫人今天打了影后程菲菲一巴掌,把人家都打哭了。”男人皱起了眉头:“又打架了?不像话!告诉她,以后这种事情交给我,别把自己手弄痛了,我心疼。”下属:“少爷,外面传言少夫人嫁给了一个糟老头子。”隔天,国民男神墨夜司便召开了全球记者会,高调宣布:“乔绵绵,我老婆。她是我这辈子最爱的女人。”
  • 不瞎忙,不穷忙:哈佛时间管理课

    不瞎忙,不穷忙:哈佛时间管理课

    本书所涉及的方法简单易行、科学可靠,它们都是哈佛的学者,智者,各界成功人士经过大量的实践应用之后汇聚而成的宝贵经验。时间管理,并不是要用最短的时间去做最多的事情,而是教会如何在正确的时间做正确的事情,让人生的分分秒秒都过得充实而有意义。
  • 大梦生活

    大梦生活

    浮生若梦,死生梦幻,死亡亦是重新的开始。重回儿时的顾易,这一生不求盖世英豪,站在时代的前沿,却也不介意去戏弄一下潮尖的浪花,而后激流勇退。不求富贵滔天,却也想求一份家境殷实,凭着自己的实力,自在、受人敬重的赚每一分钱。建个群:有兴趣的可以加一下,什么催更的,别说话921804187
  • 痴心王爷冷情妃

    痴心王爷冷情妃

    酒壮怂人胆,职场失意后醉酒想来个美女救美女,却意外穿越,还是个王妃身上,但是这个王妃似乎也太弱了些吧,难怪不得宠。不过,好像哪里不对,为什么这个王爷一直缠着她不放?还有那个杀手,你不是来行刺的吗?美男退散,美男退散。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 一诺定情:叶少的追妻之路

    一诺定情:叶少的追妻之路

    十岁那年的初遇,他许诺,长大后便来娶她。十四年后的相遇,他盯上了她,对她宠若至宝。她却殊不知,他是当年的他。当白月光回来时,她主动退出。三年后她归来,他仍是高高在上的总裁。他机场围堵,“先生,我们认识吗?”“哦?”人前,他是高冷无情的亿万总裁,人后,他是宠妻无度的暖男老公。“老婆,我饿了~”当她拿起枪时,他愣,她身上,到底还有什么秘密……新人新文,求支持,甜文哦~
  • 诸子世界

    诸子世界

    你我皆深陷这个大世界,何来天生高等。于我之仇恨,长生仙位亦不换。盖因—这个世界,众生皆子。
  • 游傀

    游傀

    世人都说天上好,殊不知天上的细枝末节细思极恐,谁说女子不如男,仅凭一己之力,也要来一场天翻地覆...
  • 大兵团

    大兵团

    1951年夏天,新疆解放战役结束,进疆官兵面临着新的选择。原十四团团长罗正雄脱下军装,准备出疆到他曾经战斗过的旺水县担任县长。临出发时,罗正雄突然接到师部命令,要他火速赶到师部,接受任命。罗正雄到了师部才被告知,他的转业命令被取消了,师部决定要他组建特二团!困惑中的罗正雄得知,担任测量茫茫戈壁和千里雪山的特一团不幸遭遇黑风暴和国民党残余势力的袭击,全体官兵遇难。兵团司令部决定由二师成立特二团,接过特一团的枪,深入沙漠腹地,完成勘测任务,为全体官兵开发大戈壁获取第一手资料。特二团要面对的,不仅是茫茫沙漠,还有那隐藏在沙漠中甚至自己队伍里的敌人……
  • 校园恋爱青春物语

    校园恋爱青春物语

    何为青春? 我们的林辰一直不明白‘青春’是什么,为了寻找答案,独自前往一座陌生的城市…… 在车站邂逅的女孩,在商场重逢的青梅竹马,时时刻刻都非常中二的少年……而在他们的身上又隐藏着怎样的秘密呢?与林辰一起登上这名叫青春的列车,开启一场只属于他们的青春之旅吧!在每个人的故事里,每个人都是主角,都不再是为了衬托出主角的点点星火,而是璀璨夺目日月之辉!
  • 恃宠而骄:腹黑苏少惹不起

    恃宠而骄:腹黑苏少惹不起

    顾默没有想到,她来这世间二十一年,会有一天为了钱,把自己送上一个陌生男人的床。“做我的女人,给你想要的一切!”男人醉醺醺的,将她抵在医院漆黑的楼道内。“苏少,我们银货两讫,希望以后不要再有瓜葛。”“银货两讫?”男人邪魅的挑挑眉,“你真以为你值一百万?”