The Ghost Kings | Page 3

is ended others will die too, all of us, except
Rachel there, who was born to live her life. Well, for my part, the
sooner the better, for I wish to go to sleep with my children."
"This is evil," broke in her husband, "evil and rebellious--"

"Then evil and rebellious let it be, John. But why am I evil if I have the
second sight like my mother before me? Oh! she warned me what must
come if I married you, and I would not listen; now I warn you, and you
will not listen. Well, so be it, we must dree our own weird, everyone of
us, a short one; all save Rachel, who was born to live her life. Man, I
tell you, that the Spirit drives you on to convert the heathen just for one
thing, that the heathen may make a martyr of you."
"So let them," her father answered proudly. "I seek no better end."
"Aye," she moaned, sinking back upon the cartel, "so let them, but my
babe, my poor babe! Why should my babe die because too much
religion has made you mad to win a martyr's crown? Martyrs should
not marry and have children, John."
Then, unable to bear any more of it, Rachel had fled from the tent, and
sat herself down at a distance to watch the oily sea.
It has been said that Rachel was only fifteen, but in Southern Africa
girls grow quickly to womanhood; also her experiences had been of a
nature to ripen her intelligence. Thus she was quite able to form a
judgment of her parents, their virtues and their weaknesses. Rachel was
English born, but had no recollection of England since she came to
South Africa when she was four years old. It was shortly after her birth
that this missionary-fury seized upon her father as a result of some
meetings which he had attended in London. He was then a clergyman
with a good living in a quiet Hertfordshire parish, and possessed of
some private means, but nothing would suit him short of abandoning all
his prospects and sailing for South Africa, in obedience to his "call."
Rachel knew all this because her mother had often told her, adding that
she and her people, who were of a good Scotch family, had struggled
against this South African scheme even to the verge of open quarrel.
At length, indeed, it came to a choice between submission and
separation. Mr. Dove had declared that not even for her sake would he
be guilty of "sin against the Spirit" which had chosen him to bring light
to those who sat in darkness--that is, the Kaffirs, and especially to that
section of them who were in bondage to the Boers. For at this time an

agitation was in progress in England which led ultimately to the freeing
of the slaves of the Cape Dutch, and afterwards to the exodus of the
latter into the wilderness and most of those wars with which our
generation is familiar. So, as she was devoted to her husband, who,
apart from his religious enthusiasm, or rather possession, was in truth a
very lovable man, she gave way and came. Before they sailed, however,
the general gloom was darkened by Mrs. Dove announcing that
something in her heart told her that neither of them would ever see
home again, as they were doomed to die at the hands of savages.
Now whatever the reason or explanation, scientifically impossible as
the fact might be, it remained a fact that Janey Dove, like her mother
and several of her Scottish ancestors, was foresighted, or at least so her
kith and kin believed. Therefore, when she communicated to them her
conviction as though it were a piece of everyday intelligence, they
never doubted its accuracy for a minute, but only redoubled their
efforts to prevent her from going to Africa. Even her husband did not
doubt it, but remarked irritably that it seemed a pity she could not
sometimes be foresighted as to agreeable future events, since for his
part he was quite willing to wait for disagreeable ones until they
happened. Not that he quailed personally from the prospect of
martyrdom; this he could contemplate with complacency and even
enthusiasm, but, zealot though he was, he did shrink from the thought
that his beautiful and delicate wife might be called upon to share the
glory of that crown. Indeed, as his own purpose was unalterable, he
now himself suggested that he should go forth to seek it alone.
Then it was that his wife showed an unsuspected strength of character.
She said that she had married him for better or for worse against the
wishes of her family; that she loved and respected him, and