Marais probably had gone with him for the same reason that a bit of iron
follows a magnet, because he never could resist the attraction of this
evil man, his relative by birth. Or perhaps he had learned from him
the story of his daughter's danger, upon which I had already acted, and
really was anxious about her safety. For it must always be remembered
that Marais loved Marie passionately, however ill the reader of this
history may think that he behaved to her. She was his darling, the apple
of his eye, and her great offence in his sight was that she cared for me
more than she did for him. That is one of the reasons why he hated me as
much as he loved her.

Almost before I had finished reading this letter, the order came that we
were to go in a body to bid farewell to Dingaan, leaving our arms
piled beneath the two milk trees at the gate of the town. Most of our
after-riders were commanded to accompany us--I think because Retief
wished to make as big a show as possible to impress the Zulus. A few
of these Hottentots, however, were told to stay behind that they might
collect the horses, that were knee-haltered and grazing at a distance,
and saddle them up. Among these was Hans, for, as it chanced, I saw and
sent him with the others, so that I might be sure that my own horses
would be found and made ready for the journey.

Just as we were starting, I met the lad William Wood, who had come down
from the Mission huts, where he lived with Mr. Owen, and was wandering
about with an anxious face.

"How are you, William?" I asked.

"Not very well, Mr. Quatermain," he answered. "The fact is," he added
with a burst of confidence, "I feel queerly about you all. The Kaffirs
have told me that something is going to happen to you, and I think you
ought to know it. I daren't say any more," and he vanished into the
crowd.

At that moment I caught sight of Retief riding to and fro and shouting
out orders. Going to him, I caught him by the sleeve, saying:

"Commandant, listen to me."

"Well, what is it now, nephew?" he asked absently.

I told him what Wood had said, adding that I also was uneasy; I did not
know why.

"Oh!" he answered with impatience, "this is all hailstones and burnt
grass" (meaning that the one would melt and the other blow away, or in
our English idiom, stuff and rubbish). "Why are you always trying to
scare me with your fancies, Allan? Dingaan is our friend, not our enemy.
So let us take the gifts that fort