I answered I did not think any such bond existed; indeed, I was not sure what it meant.  I had done my duty by him, neither less nor more, and there was nothing further to be said.

It turned out, however, that there was a great deal further to be said, since Pereira desired to borrow money, or, rather, goods, from me.  He explained that owing to the prejudices of the vulgar Boers who remained alive in that camp, and especially of the scandalous-tongued Vrouw Prinsloo, both he and his uncle had come to the conclusion that it would be wise for him to remove himself as soon as possible.  Therefore he proposed to trek away alone.

I answered that I should have thought he had done enough solitary travelling in this veld, seeing how his last expedition had ended.  He replied that he had, indeed, but everyone here was so bitter against him that no choice was left.  Then he added with an outburst of truth: 

“Allemachte!  Mynheer Quatermain, do you suppose that it is pleasant for me to see you making love all day to the maid who was my betrothed, and to see her paying back the love with her eyes?  Yes, and doubtless with her lips, too, from all I hear.”

“You could leave her whom you called your betrothed, but who never was betrothed to anyone but me with her own will, to starve in the veld, mynheer.  Why, then, should you be angry because I picked up that which you threw away, that, too, which was always my own and not yours?  Had it not been for me, there would now be no maid left for us to quarrel over, as, had it not been for me, there would be no man left for me to quarrel with about the maid.”

“Are you God, then, Englishman, that you dispose of the lives of men and women at your will?  It was He Who saved us, not you.”

“He may have saved you, but it was through me.  I carried out the rescue of these poor people whom you deserted, and I nursed you back to life.”

“I did not desert them; I went to get help for them.”

“Taking all the powder and the only horse with you!  Well, that is done with, and now you want to borrow goods to pay for cattle—­from me, whom you hate.  You are not proud, Mynheer Pereira, when you have an end to serve, whatever that end may be,” and I looked at him.  My instinct warned me against this false and treacherous man, who, I felt, was even then plotting in his heart to bring some evil upon me.

“No, I am not proud.  Why should I be, seeing that I mean to repay you twice over for anything which you may lend me now?”

I reflected a while.  Certainly our journey to Natal would be pleasanter if Pereira were not of the company.  Also, if he went with us, I was sure that before we came to the end of that trek, one or other of us would leave his bones on the road.  In short, not to put too fine a point on it, I feared lest in this way or in that he would bring me to my death in order that he might possess himself of Marie.  We were in a wild country, with few witnesses and no law courts, where such deeds might be done again and again and the doer never called to account for lack of evidence and judges.