To this black counsel they all agreed, being so terribly afraid of a poor English lad whose existence, although most of them did not know this, was to be taken from him upon false evidence.  But then arose another question:  By whose hand should the thing be done?  Not one of them, it would seem, was anxious to fulfil this bloody office; indeed, they one and all refused to do so.  A proposal was put forward that some of their native servants should be forced to serve as executioners; but when this had been vetoed by the general sense of the court, their counsels came to a deadlock.

Then, after a whispered conference, the commandant spoke some dreadful words.

“Hernando Pereira and Henri Marais,” he said, “it is on your evidence that this young man has been condemned.  We believe that evidence, but if by one jot or one tittle it is false, then not justice, but a foul murder will have been committed and his innocent blood will be upon your heads for ever.  Hernando Pereira and Henri Marais, the court appoints you to be the guards who will bring the prisoner out of his house to-morrow morning just when the sky begins to lighten.  It is from you that he will try to escape, and you will prevent his escape by his death.  Then you must join us where we shall be waiting for you and report the execution.”

When Henri Marais heard this he exclaimed: 

“I swear by God that I cannot do it.  Is it right or natural that a man should be forced to kill his own son-in-law?”

“You could bear evidence against your own son-in-law, Henri Marais,” answered the stern-faced commandant.  “Why then cannot you kill with your rifle one whom you have already helped to kill with your tongue?”

“I will not, I cannot!” said Marais, tearing at his beard.  But the commandant only answered coldly: 

“You have the orders of the court, and if you choose to disobey them we shall begin to believe that you have sworn falsely.  Then you and your nephew will also appear before the great council when the Englishman is tried again.  Still, it matters nothing to us whether you or Hernando Pereira shall fire the shot.  See you to it, as the Jews said to Judas who had betrayed the innocent Lord.”

Then he paused and went on, addressing Pereira: 

“Do you also refuse, Hernando Pereira?  Remember before you answer that if you do refuse we shall draw our own conclusions.  Remember, too, that the evidence which you have given, showing that this wicked Englishman plotted and caused the deaths of our brothers and of our wives and children, which we believe to be true evidence, shall be weighed and investigated word by word before the great council.”

“To give evidence is one thing, and to shoot the traitor and murderer another,” said Pereira.  Then he added with an oath, or so vowed Hans:  “Yet why should I, who know all this villain’s guilt, refuse to carry out the sentence of the law on him?  Have no fear, commandant, the accursed Allan Quatermain shall not succeed in his attempt to escape to-morrow before the dawn.”