He had nothing to say—what could he have? Then Harley Greenoak came forward, and told how he had found the fuse and the tinder in among the ammunition boxes, all ready fired. Told, too, how he had known the prisoner before and—well, had thought it right to keep an eye on his doings, and in the result had defeated his daring attempt to desert to the enemy with one of the ammunition waggons9.
The Kafir smiled slightly at this, and shook his head.
“That would have been great,” he muttered in his own tongue. “But who shall perform anything if Kulondeka is there, and is determined10 he shall not?”
When Dick Selmes was asked to give his version of the prisoner’s attempt to murder him, he said at once that he’d rather not.
“Is it absolutely necessary, Commandant? It seems as if the wretched devil had got more on his back than he can throw off as it is,” he pleaded. “I don’t want to help drive nails into his coffin11.”
“Still, you’d better tell us what you know,” was the uncompromising answer. And Dick did so.
The proceedings12 were as short as they were informal. No interpreting was necessary, as the prisoner spoke14 English glibly15 and well. He was asked once more if he had anything to say.
Well, he had, was the answer, but he supposed it did not amount to much. He had joined the Police only with an eye to helping16 his countrymen, and, why should he not? Would an Englishman not undergo risk for the sake of helping his countrymen? Well then, if this was right in an Englishman, why was it wrong in a Kafir? What Kulondeka had stated was quite correct. He had volunteered to drive the foremost ammunition waggon8, with the object of preventing it—and, as he had hoped, the other also—from reaching the Kangala Camp at all; and, had he succeeded, he would have placed a large store of ammunition in the hands of his countrymen. The reason why the latter had used no firearms in yesterday’s fight, he said, was for fear of exploding this ammunition.
Those who heard were listening with extraordinary attention. There was something strangely pathetic in this smiling, unperturbed man telling his story without hope or fear on the one hand, and without bravado or defiance17 on the other. He was, in fact—and he knew it himself—to use Dick Selmes’ syllogism18, driving the nails into his own coffin. He richly deserved his fate of course, but—
When that plan failed, went on Jacob, he had tried to blow up the waggon. No. He had not blown up the one which had been exploded before, though it was true that this event had put the idea into his head. Had he succeeded, the whole of the Police force at the Kangala would have been annihilated19.
“That all?” said the Commandant, tersely20.
The prisoner nodded.
“That all,” he assented21, as though he had been narrating22 the misdeeds of somebody else, in which he had no concern whatever.
“Remove him fifty paces back,” said the Commandant.
Then the little group conferred. Harley Greenoak stood by listening to their counsels, but taking no part therein. There was a solemnity in the demeanour of the younger officers. Even Ladell, who would willingly have shot the delinquent23 with his own hand when caught in the act, inwardly shrank from helping to doom24 a man to death in cold blood, even though the man was black and richly deserved his fate. However, the safety of more than themselves called for stern necessities. The deliberation was a short one.
“Jacob,” said the Commandant, when the prisoner had been brought back. “On your own showing you have played the part of a spy, a traitor, and a would-be murderer. In half an hour you will be taken outside the camp and shot.”
“In half an hour?”
“In half an hour,” repeated the Commandant, clicking open his watch.
“Hau! May I smoke pipe o’ ’bacco first?”
“Here!” cried Dick Selmes, springing eagerly forward and wrenching25 open his pouch26.
The Kafir calmly proceeded to fill his pipe. Then he asked for a light. No objection was raised.
“I t’ank you, sir,” he said courteously27, returning the pouch, and proceeding13 to emit complacent28 puffs29. There was a silence. Probably the most at his ease was the culprit, whose life had but minutes to run. The Commandant, at any time a man of few words, sat back in his camp chair, his face as impassive as wood, his gaze straight in front of him. It was a silence nobody cared to break. To Dick Selmes it was especially awesome30, even terrible. He would have liked to plead for the man’s life, but he knew it would be useless. There were but eight minutes more.
The doomed31 one, where he was squatting32, knocked the ashes out of his pipe, then half filled it again, with a little tobacco he had kept over, in the hollow of his hand. A few more puffs. There were but five minutes to run. The sun flamed in an unclouded sky, the green roll of hill and plain golden beneath his beam, and for this man, who sat there, in five minutes should be substituted the Dark Unknown. Yet he sat, placidly33 puffing34 out tobacco smoke at if he had a hundred years to live. A savage35 and a heathen, death seemed to hold out for him no terrors whatever.
The Commandant shut up his watch. The prisoner rose, calling out that he would like to take his farewell of a very Great One, one who was a great fighting chief and a great igqira (Doctor) as well; for whom he had found many magical things—this in reference to the Commandant’s love of collecting to which we have already heard reference made by Sub-Inspector36 Ladell. Further, he desired to bequeath to that Great One something valuable, a “word” of great weight, such as might be the saving of many lives. He did not ask his own as the price. He merely wanted to leave a bequest37 to his father and chief, the Commandant.
Thus, as the latter, having signed that he should be brought forward, the doomed one stood before his judges.
“What is that ‘word’?” said the Commandant, shortly.
“This, amakosi. The whole of the Gudhluka Reserve is up in arms, and the Kangala will be heavily attacked this very night.”
“And the chiefs—who are they?”
“Vunisa and Pahlandhle. They have been massing their men for days. Now they are ready.”
“And how have you known this, here, under arrest.”
The Kafir smiled and shook his head.
“I was not a prisoner the day before yesterday, Great One,” he answered.
“If you ran such risks for the benefit of your countrymen yesterday, how is it you will give them into our hands to-day?” asked the Commandant.
“You are my ‘father,’ Great One, whom I have lived to serve. I go to my death, but I do not want you to meet yours. To the whole of the Gudhluka Reserve the Amapolise here are as a mouthful, if taken unprepared—if taken unprepared,” he repeated.
Among the young officers there was a stir of sensation. The whole story, in their opinion, was an impudent38 cook-up. The fellow had invented it to save his life. Surely the Chief would not be humbugged by any such yarn39 as that. But then they remembered that its inventor had not even asked for his life. In their whispered remarks Inspector Chambers40 and the two other Inspectors41 took no part. They had unbounded confidence in the judgment42 of their Chief.
The latter sat, stroking his long beard as he gazed thoughtfully at the prisoner. A lifelong experience had taught him that no white man ever got thoroughly43 to the bottom of the innermost workings of a Kafir’s mind. He might think he did, only to find that it was just the moment when he did not. He himself was partial to the natives, and no man was more appreciative44 of the good points in the native character. He knew, too, that a native is very much a creature of irresponsible impulse. This boy, who would cheerfully have sacrificed them all yesterday, felt now concerned at the possible risk to his Chief. He had accompanied the latter on many a collecting expedition in pursuit of his natural history studies, and had entered into these with enthusiasm and zest45; here, then, was a motive46, here a presumption47 that his weighty warning might be a true one. None knew better than himself either, the marvellous, if mysterious, methods which these people had of flashing news from point to point almost with telegraphic swiftness, wherefore he had no reason to doubt that this one knew what he was talking about.
“Attend now, Jacob,” he said. “You made a grave attempt yesterday against the safety of all here, and it did not succeed. To-day you are, as you say, making an attempt to ensure our safety. If that succeeds it will wash out the other attempt.” Then to those who custodied him, “Take him to the guard-hut, iron his legs at any rate, and put two sentries48 on guard—until further orders.”
Jacob Snyman, otherwise Manyelo, saluted49 and was led away. He knew now that his life was saved.
Dick Selmes and one or two more noticed an almost imperceptible but approving nod on the part of Harley Greenoak, standing50 behind the Commandant, as this decision was given. The latter rose. The proceedings were ended. It was near evening now, and the whole Force was immediately put in preparation for giving its expected assailants a particularly warm reception.
“Well, you’re a plucky51 young swine anyhow, Jacob,” growled52 one of the troopers who was fixing on the leg irons. “Darned if I didn’t think we should be shovelling53 you underground just now, instead of anchoring you tight in a snug54 hut. But if you don’t get us our big fight to-night, the old man’ll still have you shot.”
“Oh, you get your fight right enough,” answered the prisoner, with a careless laugh. “Quite as much fight as you want, no fear. I say—any one got pipe o’ ’bacco to spare?”
“Here you are, you young swab, although you did try to blow us all sky high,” said the man, lugging55 out half a handful. “Still you’re plucky enough anyway.”
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收听单词发音
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1
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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postponement
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| n.推迟 | |
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judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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waggon
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| n.运货马车，运货车；敞篷车箱 | |
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waggons
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| 四轮的运货马车( waggon的名词复数 )； 铁路货车； 小手推车 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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glibly
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| adv.流利地，流畅地；满口 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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syllogism
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| n.演绎法，三段论法 | |
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annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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tersely
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| adv. 简捷地, 简要地 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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narrating
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| v.故事( narrate的现在分词 ) | |
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delinquent
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| adj.犯法的，有过失的；n.违法者 | |
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doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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wrenching
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| n.修截苗根，苗木铲根（铲根时苗木不起土或部分起土）v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的现在分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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26
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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27
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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29
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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awesome
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| adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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32
squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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bequest
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| n.遗赠；遗产，遗物 | |
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impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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40
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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41
inspectors
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| n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官 | |
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42
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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43
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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44
appreciative
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| adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的 | |
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45
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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46
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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47
presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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48
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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49
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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50
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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51
plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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52
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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53
shovelling
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| v.铲子( shovel的现在分词 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份 | |
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54
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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55
lugging
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| 超载运转能力 | |
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