food；　food！_〃
  Then　Marais　burst　into　tears　and　flung　himself　upon　my　breast；　nearly
  knocking　me　down。　　I　wrenched　myself　free　of　him　and　ran　to　Marie；　who
  was　lying　face　upwards　on　the　ground。　　She　seemed　to　hear　my　step；　for
  her　eyes　opened　and　she　struggled　to　a　sitting　posture。
  〃Is　it　really　you；　Allan；　or　do　I　dream？〃　she　murmured。
  〃It　is　I；　it　is　I；〃　I　answered；　lifting　her　to　her　feet；　for　she　seemed
  to　weigh　no　more　than　a　child。　　Her　head　fell　upon　my　shoulder；　and　she
  too　began　to　weep。
  Still　holding　her；　I　turned　to　the　men　and　said：
  〃Why　do　you　starve　when　there；　is　game　all　about？〃　and　I　pointed　to　two
  fat　elands　strolling　among　the　trees　not　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty
  yards　away。
  〃Can　we　kill　game　with　stones？〃　asked　one　of　them；　〃we　whose　powder　was
  all　burnt　a　month　ago。　　Those　buck；〃　he　added；　with　a　wild　laugh；　〃come
  here　to　mock　us　every　morning；　but　they　will　not　walk　into　our　pitfalls。
  They　know　them　too　well；　and　we　have　no　strength　to　dig　others。〃
  Now　when　I　left　my　wagons　I　had　brought　with　me　that　same　Purdey　rifle
  with　which　I　had　shot　the　geese　in　the　match　against　Pereira；　choosing
  it　because　it　was　so　light　to　carry。　　I　held　up　my　hand　for　silence；　set
  Marie　gently　on　the　ground；　and　began　to　steal　towards　the　elands。
  Taking　what　shelter　I　could；　I　got　within　a　hundred　yards　of　them；　when
  suddenly　they　took　alarm；　being　frightened；　in　fact；　by　my　two　Zulu
  servants；　who　were　now　arriving。
  Off　they　galloped；　the　big　bull　leading；　and　vanished　behind　some　trees。
  I　saw　their　line；　and　that　they　would　appear　again　between　two　clumps
  of　bush　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　yards　away。　　Hastily　I　raised　the
  full　sight　on　the　rifle；　which　was　marked　for　two　hundred　yards；　lifted
  it；　and　waited；　praying　to　God　as　I　did　so　that　my　skill　might　not　fail
  me。
  The　bull　appeared；　its　head　held　forward；　its　long　horns　lying　flat　upon
  the　back。　　The　shot　was　very　long；　and　the　beast　very　large　to　bring
  down　with　so　small　a　bullet。　　I　aimed　right　forwardclear　of　it；
  indeedhigh　too；　in　a　line　with　its　backbone；　and　pressed　the　trigger。
  The　rifle　exploded；　the　bullet　clapped；　and　the　buck　sprang　forward
  faster　than　ever。　　I　had　failed！　　But　what　was　this？　　Suddenly　the　great
  bull　swung　round　and　began　to　gallop　towards　us。　　When　it　was　not　more
  than　fifty　yards　away；　it　fell　in　a　heap；　rolled　twice　over　like　a　shot
  rabbit；　and　lay　still。　　That　bullet　was　in　its　heart。
  The　two　Kaffirs　appeared　breathless　and　streaming　with　perspiration。
  〃Cut　meat　from　the　eland's　flank；　don't　stop　to　skin　it；〃　I　said　in　my
  broken　Zulu；　helping　the　words　out　with　signs。
  They　understood；　and　a　minute　later　were　at　work　with　their　assegais。
  Then　I　looked　about　me。　　Near　by　lay　a　store　of　dead　branches　placed
  there　for　fuel。
  〃Have　you　fire？〃　I　asked　of　the　skeleton　Boers；　for　they　were　nothing
  more。
  〃Nein；　nein；〃　they　answered；　〃our　fire　is　dead。〃
  I　produced　the　tinder…box　which　I　carried　with　me；　and　struck　the　flint。
  Ten　minutes　later　we　had　a　cheerful　blaze；　and　within　three…quarters　of
  an　hour　good　soup；　for　iron　pots　were　not　wantingonly　food　to　put　into
  them。　　I　think　that　for　the　rest　of　that　day　those　poor　creatures　did
  little　else　but　eat；　sleeping　between　their　meals。　　Oh！　the　joy　I　had　in
  feeding　them；　especially　after　the　wagons　arrived；　bringing　with　them
  salthow　they　longed　for　that　salt！sugar　and　coffee。
  CHAPTER　IX
  THE　PROMISE
  Of　the　original　thirty…five　souls；　not　reckoning　natives；　who　had
  accompanied　Henri　Marais　upon　his　ill…fated　expedition；　there　now
  remained　but　nine　alive　at　the　new　Maraisfontein。　　These　were　himself；
  his　daughter；　four　Prinsloosa　family　of　extraordinary
  constitutionand　three　Meyers；　being　the　husband　of　the　poor　woman　I
  had　seen　committed　to　the　grave　and　two　of　her　six　children。　　The　rest；
  Hernan　Pereira　excepted；　had　died　of　fever　and　actual　starvation；　for
  when　the　fever　lessened　with　the　change　of　the　seasons；　the　starvation
  set　in。　　It　appeared　that；　with　the　exception　of　a　very　little；　they　had
  stored　their　powder　in　a　kind　of　outbuilding　which　they　constructed；
  placing　it　at　a　distance　for　safety's　sake。　　When　most　of　the　surviving
  men　were　away；　however；　a　grass　fire　set　light　to　this　outbuilding　and
  all　the　powder　blew　up。
  After　this；　for　a　while　they　supplied　the　camp　with　food　by　the　help　of
  such　ammunition　as　remained　to　them。　　When　that　failed　they　dug　pits　in
  which　to　catch　game。　　In　time　the　buck　came　to　know　of　these　pits；　so
  that　they　snared　no　more。
  Then；　as　the　〃biltong〃　or　sun…dried　meat　they　had　made　was　all　consumed；
  they　were　driven　to　every　desperate　expedient　that　is　known　to　the
  starving；　such　as　the　digging　up　of　bulbs；　the　boiling　of　grass；　twigs
  and　leaves；　the　catching　of　lizards；　and　so　forth。　　I　believe　that　they
  actually　ate　caterpillars　and　earthworms。　　But　after　their　last　fire
  went　out　through　the　neglect　of　the　wretched　Kaffir　who　was　left　to
  watch　it；　and　having　no　tinder；　they　failed　to　relight　it　by　friction；
  of　course　even　this　food　failed　them。　　When　I　arrived　they　had
  practically　been　three　days　without　anything　to　eat　except　green　leaves
  and　grass；　such　as　I　saw　the　child　chewing。　　In　another　seventy　hours
  doubtless　every　one　of　them　would　have　been　dead。
  Well；　they　recovered　rapidly　enough；　for　those　who　had　survived　its
  ravages　were　evidently　now　impervious　to　fever。　　Who　can　tell　the　joy
  that　I　experienced　as　I　watched　Marie　returning　from　the　very　brink　of
  the　grave　to　a　state　of　full　and　lovely　womanhood？　　After　all；　we　were
  not　so　far　away　from　the　primitive　conditions　of　humanity；　when　the
  first　duty　of　man　was　to　feed　his　women　and　his　children；　and　I　think
  that　something　of　that　instinct　remains　with　us。　　At　least；　I　know　I
  never　experienced　a　greater　pleasure　than　I　did；　when　the　woman　I　loved；
  the　poor；　starving　woman；　ate　and　ate　of　the　food　which　_I_　was　able　to
  give　hershe　who　for　weeks　had　existed　upon　locusts　and　herbs。
  For　the　first　few　days　we　did　not　talk　much　except　of　the　immediate
  necessities　of　the　hour；　which　occupied　all　our　thoughts。　　Afterwards；
  when　Marais　and　his　daughter　were　strong　enough　to　bear　it；　we　had　some
  conversation。　　He　began　by　asking　how　I　came　to　find　them。
  I　replied；　through　Marie's　letter；　which；　it　appeared；　he　knew　nothing
  of；　for　he　had　forbidden　her　to　write　to　me。
  〃It　seems　fortunate　that　you　were　disobeyed；　mynheer；〃　I　said；　to　which
  he　answered　nothing。
  Then　I　told　the　tale　of　the　arrival　of　that　letter　at　the　Mission
  Station　in　the　Cape　Colony　by　the　hand　of　a　wandering　smous；　and　of　my
  desperate　ride　upon　the　swift　mare　to　Port　Elizabeth；　where　I　just
  succeeded　in　catching　the　brig　Seven　Stars　before　she　sailed。　　Also　I
  told　them　of　the　lucky　chances　that　enabled　me　to　buy　the　wagons　and
  find　a　guide　to　their　camp；　reaching　it　but　a　few　hours　before　it　was
  too　late。
  〃It　was　a　great　deed；〃　said　Henri　Marais；　taking　the　pipe　from　his
  mouth；　for　I　had　brought　tobacco　among　my　stores。　　〃But　tell　me；　Allan；
  why　did　you　do　it　for　the　sake　of　one　who　has　not　treated　you　kindly？〃
  〃I　did　it；〃　I　answered；　〃for　the　sake　of　one　who　has　always　treated　me
  kindly；〃　and　I　nodded　towards　Marie；　who　was　engaged　in　washing　up　the
  cooking　pots　at　a　distance。
  〃I　suppose　so；　Allan；　but　you　know　she　is　affianced　to　another。〃
  〃I　know　that　she　is　affianced　to　me；　and　to　no　other；〃　I　answered
  warmly；　adding；　〃And　pray　where　is　this　other？　　If　he　lives　I　do　not　see
  him　here。〃
  〃No；〃　replied　Marais　in　a　curious　voice。　　〃The　truth　is；　Allan；　that
  Hernan　Pereira　left　us　about　a　fortnight　before　you　came。　　One　horse
  remained；　which　was　his；　and　with　two　Hottentots；　who　were　also　his
  servants；　he　rode　back　upon　the　track　by　which　we　came；　to　try　to　find
  help。　　Since　then　we　have　heard　nothing　of　him。〃
  〃Indeed；　and　how　did　he　propose　to　get　food　on　the　way？〃
  〃He　had　a　rifle；　or　rather　they　all　three　had　rifles；　and　about　a
  hundred　charges　between　them；　which　escaped　the　fire。〃
  〃With　a　hundred　charges　of　powder　carefully　used　your　camp　would　have
  been　fed　for　a　month；　or　perhaps　two　months；〃　I　remarked。　　〃Yet　he　went
  away　with　all　of　themto　find　help？〃
  〃That　is　so；　Allan。　　We　begged　him　to　stay；　but　he　would　not；　and；　after
  all；　the　charges　were　his　own　property。　　No　doubt　he　thought　he　acted
  for　the　best；　especially　as　Marie　would　have　none　of　him；〃　Marais　added
  with　emphasis。
  〃Well；〃　I　replied；　〃it　seems　that　it　is　I　who　have　brought　you　the　help；
  and　not　Pereira。　　Also；　by　the　way；　mynheer；　I　have　brought　you　the
  money　my　father　collected　on　your　account；　and　some　#500　of　my　own；　or
  what　is　left　of　it；　in　goods　and　gold。　　Moreover；　Marie　does　not　refuse
  me。　　Say；　therefore；　to　which　of　us　does　she　belong？〃
  〃It　would　seem　that　it　should　be　to　you；〃　h