Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek

  As the last words of his prayer left Ralph's lips he heard a man laughbehind him. The two of them sprang to their feet at the sound, and facedabout to see Swart Piet standing within five paces of them, and with himeight or ten of his black ruffians, who looked upon him as their chief,and did his needs without question, however wicked they might be.

  Now Suzanne uttered a low cry of fear and the blood froze about Ralph'sheart, for he was unarmed and their case was hopeless. Black Piet sawtheir fear and laughed again, since like a cat that has caught a mousefor which it has watched long, he could not resist the joy of torturebefore he dealt the death blow.

  "This is very lucky," he said, "and I am glad that I have to do withsuch pious people, since it enabled us to creep on you unawares; alsoI much prefer to have found you engaged in prayer, friend Englishman,rather than in taking the bloom off my peach with kisses, as I fearedmight be the case. That was a pretty prayer, too; I almost felt asthough I were in church while I stood listening to it. How did it end?You prayed that you might be allowed to live together, fearing nothing,however great your peril, since you walked always in the shadow of God'sstrength. Well, I have come to answer your petition, and to tell youthat your life together is ended before it is begun. For the rest, yourperil is certainly great, and now let God's strength help you if it can.Come, God, show Your strength. He does not answer, you see, or perhapsHe knows that Swart Piet is god here and is afraid."

  "Cease your blasphemy," said Ralph in a hoarse voice, "and tell me whatyou want with us."

  "What do I want? I want her whose scorn and beauty have driven me mad,her for whom I have been seeking this long time--Suzanne Botmar."

  "She is my wife," said Ralph; "would you steal away my wife?"

  "No, friend, for that would not be lawful. I will not take your wife,but I shall take your widow, as will be easy, seeing that you are armedwith God's strength only."

  Now understanding all this man's devilish purpose, Suzanne fell uponher knees before him, imploring him with many piteous words. Butknowing that death was at hand Ralph's heart rose to it, as that of ahigh-couraged man will do, and he bade her to cease her supplicationsand rise. Then in a loud, clear voice he spoke in the Kaffir tongue, sothat those who were with Piet Van Vooren should understand him.

  "It seems, Piet Van Vooren," he said, "that you have stolen upon ushere to carry off my wife by violence after you have murdered me. Thesecrimes you may do, though I know well that if you do them they will berevenged upon you amply, and upon you men also who take part in them.And now I will not plead to you for mercy, but I ask one thing which youcannot refuse, because those with you, Kaffirs though they be, will notsuffer it--five short minutes of time in which to bid farewell to mynew-wed wife."

  "Not an instant," said Swart Piet, but at the words the black men whowere with him, and whose wicked hearts were touched with pity, began tomurmur so loudly, that he hesitated.

  "At your bidding, Bull-Head," said one of them, "we have come to killthis man and to carry away the white woman, and we will do it, for youare our chief and we must obey you. But, if you will not give him thelittle space for which he asks, wherein to bid farewell to his wifebefore she becomes your wife, then we will have nothing more to dowith the matter. I say that our hearts are sick at it already, and,Bull-Head, you kill a man, not a dog, and that by murder, not in fairfight."

  "As you will, fool," said Swart Piet. "Englishman, I give you fiveminutes," and he drew a large silver watch from his pocket and held itin his hand.

  "Get out of hearing then, murderer," said Ralph, "for I have no breathleft to waste on you," and Piet obeying him, fell back a little andstood gnawing his nails and staring at the pair.

  "Suzanne, wife Suzanne," whispered Ralph, "we are about to part, since,as you see, I must die, and your fate lies in the Hand of God. Yes, youare made a widow before you are a wife; and, Suzanne, ah! that is theworst of it, another takes you, even my murderer."

  Now Suzanne, who till this moment had been as one stupefied, seemed togather up her strength and answered him calmly, saying:

  "Truly, husband, things appear to be as you say, though what we havedone that they should be so, I cannot tell. Still comfort yourself, fordeath comes to all of us soon or late, and whether it comes soon or latemakes little difference in the end, seeing that come it must."

  "No, not death, it is your fate that makes the difference. How can Ibear to die and leave you the prey of that devil? Oh my God! my God! howcan I bear to die!"

  "Have no fear, husband," went on Suzanne in the same clear, indifferentvoice, "for you do not leave me to be his prey. Say, now; if we walkbackwards swiftly before they could catch us we might fall together intothe pit of the sea beneath."

  "Nay, wife, let our deaths lie upon their heads and not upon ours, forself-murder is a crime."

  "As you will, Ralph; but I tell you, and through you I tell Him whomade me, that it is a crime which I shall dare if need be. Have no fear,Ralph, as I leave your arms, so shall I return to them, whether it bein Heaven or upon earth. That man thinks he has power over me, but I saythat he has none, seeing that at the last God will protect me with Hishand, or with my own."

  "I cannot blame you, Suzanne, for there are some things which are not tobe borne. Do therefore as your conscience teaches you, if you have themeans."

  "I have the means, Ralph. Hidden about me is a little knife which I havecarried since I was a child; and if that fails me there are other ways."

  "Time is done," said Swart Piet, replacing the watch in his pocket.

  "Farewell, sweet," whispered Ralph.

  "Farewell, husband," she answered bravely, "until we meet again, whetherit be here on earth or above in Heaven; farewell until we meet again,"and she flung her arms about his neck and kissed him.

  For a moment Ralph clung to her muttering some blessing above her bowedhead; then he unloosed her clasping arms, letting her fall gently uponthe ground and saying: "Lie thus, shutting your ears and hiding youreyes till all is done. Afterwards you must act as seems best to you.Escape to your father if you can, if not--tell me, do you understand?"

  "I understand," she murmured, and hid her face in a tuft of thick grass,placing her hands upon her ears.

  Ralph bowed his head for an instant in prayer. Then he lifted it andthere was no fear upon his face.

  "Come on, murderer," he said, addressing Swart Piet, "and do yourbutcher's work. Why do you delay? You cannot often find the joy ofslaughtering a defenceless man in the presence of his new-made wife.Come on then and win the everlasting curse of God."

  Now Swart Piet glanced at him out of the corners of his round eyes; thenhe ordered one of the Kaffirs to go up to him and shoot him.

  The man went up and lifted his gun, but presently he put it down againand walked away, saying that he could not do this deed. Thrice did VanVooren issue his command, and to three separate men, the vilest of hisflock, but with each of them it was the same; they came up lifting theirguns, looked into Ralph's grey eyes and slunk away muttering. Then,cursing and swearing in his mad fury, Swart Piet drew the pistol fromhis belt and rushing towards Ralph fired it into him so that he fell.He stood over him and looked at him, the smoking pistol in his hand, butthe wide grey eyes remained open and the strong mouth still smiled.

  "The dog lives yet," raved Swart Piet; "cast him into the sea, and letthe sea finish him."

  But no man stirred; all stood silent as though they had been cut instone, and there, a little nearer the cliff edge, lay the silent form ofSuzanne.

  Then Van Vooren seized Ralph and dragged him by the shoulders to thebrink of the precipice. His hair brushed the hair of Suzanne as his bodywas trailed along the ground, and as he passed he whispered one word,"Remember," into her ear, and she raised her head to look at him andanswered, "Now, and always." Then she let her head fall again.

  Stooping down, Swart Piet lifted Ralph in his great arms, and cryingaloud: "Return into the sea out of which you came," he hurled him overthe edge of the c
liff. Two seconds later the sound of a heavy splashechoed up its sides; then, save for the murmur of the waterfall and thesurge of the surf upon the beach, all was still again.