Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland Page 13
The Englishman started: "What did Halket say?"
"Nothing. He's been walking there with his gun all day."
The Englishman watched with his clear eyes the spot where Halket's headappeared and disappeared.
"Is the nigger hanging there now?"
"Yes. The Captain said no one was to go near him, or give him anythingto eat or drink all day: but--" The Colonial glanced round where thetrooper lay under the bushes; and then lowering his voice added, "Thismorning, a couple of hours ago, Halket sent the Captain's coloured boyto ask me for a drink of water. I thought it was for Halket himself, andthe poor devil must be hot walking there in the sun, so I sent him thewater out of my canvas bag. I went along afterwards to see what hadbecome of my mug; the boy had gone, and there, straight in front of theCaptain's tent, before the very door, was Halket letting that bloodynigger drink out of my mug. The riem was so tight round his neck hecouldn't drink but slowly, and there was Halket holding it up to him! Ifthe Captain had looked out! W-h-e-w! I wouldn't have been Halket!"
"Do you think he will try to make Halket do it?" asked the Englishman.
"Of course he will. He's the Devil in; and Halket had better not make afuss about it, or it'll be the worse for him."
"His time's up tomorrow evening!"
"Yes, but not tomorrow morning. And I wouldn't make a row about it if Iwas Halket. It doesn't do to fall out with the authorities here. What'sone nigger more or less? He'll get shot some other way, or die ofhunger, if we don't do it."
"It's hardly sport to shoot a man tied up neck and legs," said theEnglishman; his finely drawn eyebrows contracting and expanding alittle.
"Oh, they don't feel, these niggers, not as we should, you know. I'veseen a man going to be shot, looking full at the guns, and fallinglike that!--without a sound. They've no feeling, these niggers; I don'tsuppose they care much whether they live or die, not as we should, youknow."
The Englishman's eyes were still fixed on the bushes, behind whichHalket's head appeared and disappeared.
"They have no right to order Halket to do it--and he will not do it!"said the Englishman slowly.
"You're not going to be such a fool as to step in, are you?" said theColonial, looking curiously at him. "It doesn't pay. I've made up mymind never to speak whatever happens. What's the good? Suppose one wereto make a complaint now about this affair with Halket, if he's made toshoot the nigger against his will; what would come of it? There'd behalf-a-dozen fellows here squared to say what headquarters wanted--notto speak of a fellow like that"--turning his thumb in the direction ofthe sleeping trooper--"who are paid to watch. I believe he reports onthe Captain himself to the big headquarters. All one's wires are editedbefore they go down; only what the Company wants to go, go through.There are many downright good fellows in this lot; but how many of usare there, do you think, who could throw away all chance of ever makinganything in Mashonaland, for the sake of standing by Halket; even if hehad a real row with the Company? I've a great liking for Halket myself,he's a real good fellow, and he's done me many a good turn--took mywatch only last night, because I was off colour; I'd do anything for himin reason. But, I say this flatly, I couldn't and wouldn't fly in theface of the authorities for him or anyone else. I've my own girl waitingfor me down in the Colony, and she's been waiting for me these fiveyears. And whether I'm able to marry her or not depends on how I standwith the Company: and I say, flatly, I'm not going to fall out with it.I came here to make money, and I mean to make it! If other people liketo run their heads against stone walls, let them: but they mustn'texpect me to follow them. This isn't a country where a man can say whathe thinks."
The Englishman rested his elbows on the ground. "And the Union Jack issupposed to be flying over us."
"Yes, with a black bar across it for the Company," laughed the Colonial.
"Do you ever have the nightmare?" asked the Englishman suddenly.
"I? Oh yes, sometimes"; he looked curiously at his companion; "when I'veeaten too much, I get it."
"I always have it since I came up here," said the Englishman. "It isthat a vast world is resting on me--a whole globe: and I am a midgebeneath it. I try to raise it, and I cannot. So I lie still underit--and let it crush me!"
"It's curious you should have the nightmare so up here," said theColonial; "one gets so little to eat."
There was a silence: he was picking the little fine feathers from thebird, and the Englishman was watching the ants.
"Mind you," the Colonial said at last, "I don't say that in this casethe Captain was to blame; Halket made an awful ass of himself. He'snever been quite right since that time he got lost and spent the nightout on the kopje. When we found him in the morning he was in a kind ofdead sleep; we couldn't wake him; yet it wasn't cold enough for him tohave been frozen. He's never been the same man since; queer, you know;giving his rations away to the coloured boys, and letting the otherfellows have his dot of brandy at night; and keeping himself sort ofapart to himself, you know. The other fellows think he's got a touch offever on, caught wandering about in the long grass that day. But I don'tthink it's that; I think it's being alone in the veld that's got hold ofhim. Man, have you ever been out like that, alone in the veld, nightand day, and not a soul to speak to? I have; and I tell you, if I'd beenleft there three days longer I'd have gone mad or turned religious. Man,it's the nights, with the stars up above you, and the dead still allaround. And you think, and think, and think! You remember all kinds ofthings you've never thought of for years and years. I used to talk tomyself at last, and make believe it was another man. I was out sevendays: and he was only out one night. But I think it's the lonelinessthat got hold of him. Man, those stars are awful; and that stillnessthat comes toward morning!" He stood up. "It's a great pity, becausehe's as good a fellow as ever was. But perhaps he'll come all right."
He walked away towards the pot with the bird in his hand. When he hadgone the Englishman turned round on to his back, and lay with his armacross his forehead.
High, high up, between the straggling branches of the tree, in theclear, blue African sky above him, he could see the vultures flyingsouthward.
*****
That evening the men sat eating their suppers round the fires. The largetroop had not come up; and the mules had been brought in; and they wereto make a start early the next morning.
Halket was released from his duty, and had come up, and lain down alittle in the background of the group who gathered round their fire.
The Colonial and the Englishman had given orders to all the men of theirmess that Halket was to be left in quiet, and no questions were to beasked him; and the men, fearing the Colonial's size and the Englishman'snerve, left him in peace. The men laughed and chatted round the fire,while the big Colonial ladled out the mealies and rice into tin plates,and passed them round to the men. Presently he passed one to Halket,who lay half behind him leaning on his elbow. For a while Halket atenothing, then he took a few mouthfuls; and again lay on his elbow.
"You are eating nothing, Halket," said the Englishman, cheerily, lookingback.
"I am not hungry now," he said. After a while he took out his redhandkerchief, and emptied carefully into it the contents of the plate;and tied it up into a bundle. He set it beside him on the ground, andagain lay on his elbow.
"You won't come nearer to the fire, Halket?' asked the Englishman.
"No, thank you, the night is warm."
After a while Peter Halket took out from his belt a small hunting knifewith a rough wooden handle. A small flat stone lay near him, and hepassed the blade slowly up and down on it, now and then taking it up,and feeling the edge with his finger. After a w
hile he put it back inhis belt, and rose slowly, taking up his small bundle and walked away tothe tent.
"He's had a pretty stiff day," said the Colonial. "I expect he's gladenough to turn in."
Then all the men round the fire chatted freely over his concerns. Wouldthe Captain stick to his word tomorrow? Was Halket going to do it?Had the Captain any right to tell one man off for the work, insteadof letting them fire a volley? One man said he would do it gladly inHalket's place, if told off; why