Perils in the Transvaal and Zululand
said Vander Heyden, smiling; "no more than a man wouldfall if he was pricked with a hundred needles. Well, what next?"
"The next thing was that he recovered his legs," said Hardy, "and glaredround at us with an angry eye, as much as to ask, who was to pay forthis outrage? I was nearest to him, and I think he had seen me move outto Captain Sparrow, and had an idea that I might have been the author ofthe attack. Any way, I felt for a minute or two very uncomfortable;but, if he had suspected me, he changed his mind, and made a rushstraight at Captain Sparrow. The captain ran for it, and dodged behindhis men. It was no good. The elephant soon caught him with his trunk,whirled him into the air as if he had been a shuttlecock, and, when hecame down again, trampled upon him again and again, till he had troddenall human likeness out of him. Then he looked round upon the ranksagain, as much as to say, `That's enough for this time, but you'd betternot try this again.' After which he turned quietly round and went intothe bush. We dug a grave, and scraped together, as well as we could,the bloody and mangled remains. I shall never forget the look theelephant gave me. It was as much as to say, `If I thought you hadanything to do with it, I'd give it to you too.'"
"Ha! that was a narrow escape, Mr Hardy," said Moritz; "but I think myfriend Henryk's here was narrower still. I daresay he will tell it youhimself."
The others joining in the request, Vander Heyden complied willinglyenough.
"It occurred some years ago," he said. "I was staying at the time atPretoria, with my relative Pieter Uys, and we had gone out for somebok-shooting in the wild country that runs up towards the Limpopo. Itwas generally believed that the wild beasts had left that neighbourhood;but I imagine that a hunt must have been going on somewhere near theLimpopo, and a number of elephants, some of them wounded, were makingtheir way south. At all events, they broke upon us without our havinghad any suspicion of their being in our neighbourhood, bursting throughthe thick mimosas round us, as though they had been so many bulrushes.We were three in party--Frank, myself, and a Hottentot named Kololo.One of the largest of the herd came so suddenly upon us that we had notime to think of escaping. We did the only thing there was to do: welevelled our rifles and fired, hoping to strike him in the heart orbrain. Kololo, poor fellow, aimed right enough; but the elephant tossedhis head at the moment, and the ball struck his tusk and glanced off.The movement distracted my aim also, and my bullet only inflicted aflesh wound. Frank's rifle, luckily for him, was at the moment empty.The elephant glared at us, then ran up and caught Kololo round the waistwith his trunk and flung him up a great distance into the air, so thathe fell among the Tambookie grass. Then he charged me, caught me, as hehad Kololo, round the waist, and pitched me up as he had him, as easy asa boy shies a stone into the air. Fortunately for me, there was greatmotjeerie close at hand. I was thrown across one of the great branches,and was jammed into a fork of the tree, so tight that I could notrelease myself. The elephant stopped below and waited for me to fall,but, seeing that I did not, he rushed after Kololo, who was still lyinghalf stunned in the Tambookie grass, and trampled him, very much as MrHardy describes, into powder. Then he came back to the tree where I wasstill lying insensible, and, seeing that I was out of his reach, twistedhis trunk round the bole and tried to tear it up. Then he put hisforehead against it and tried to push it down. Big as it was, itcracked under his enormous weight. But by this time Frank had reloadedhis rifle, and got a clear sight of him, as he stood pushing at thetree. The ball passed through his heart, and he fell dead instantly.If Frank had taken a bad aim, I shouldn't have been sitting here to tellthe story."
"Well, I think your escape was narrower than Hardy's," said ErnestBaylen. "Halloo, Willikind, what now?"
This question was addressed to his brother Wilhelm, who at this momentapproached, accompanied by Sergeant Long.
"Your services are required, Mr Vander Heyden," said the latter. "Ourcolonel wishes to obtain some information from Mr Pieter Uys, who hasjoined Colonel Wood as a volunteer at Bemta's Kop. The colonel has beentold that you are well known to Mr Uys."
"Yes," said Vander Heyden; "he was my guardian, and I have known him allmy life."
"So he was informed. He wishes to send a verbal message, and receive averbal answer, as any writing might, by some accident, fall into thehands of the enemy. Will you and Mr Moritz go to the colonel, who iswaiting for you at his quarters?"
The two Dutchmen rose, put on their swords and helmets, and went off inthe direction indicated.
"The colonel thinks I ought to take eight or ten with me," continuedSergeant Long, looking round him, "as the roads are said to be beset bya number of lawless fellows, both black and white, who would show norespect for the British flag. Will any of you gentlemen volunteer toaccompany me?"
He was answered by a general cry of assent. Pleasant as their camp lifewas, there was something of monotony in it, and the young men were gladof a little variety. "I will," and "I will," was the cry on every lip.
"A ride to Bemta's Kop will be some fun," remarked Margetts. "Drill andsword-exercise are very well in their way, but there may be too mucheven of them."
"You will soon see plenty of fun, sir," observed Sergeant Long."Cetewayo's time will be up in two or three days now, and there is nochance of his knocking under." In another quarter of an hour the partyhad set out. It consisted of ten persons--there was Sergeant Long, whowas in command, the two Dutchmen, George, Margetts, and Hardy, the threeyoung Baylens, and Matamo. The last-named had been very urgent to beallowed to accompany the party, and, as he was a strong, alert, andactive fellow, Sergeant Long had made no objection.
The road lay for some distance along the bank of the Buffalo river, andwas at first quite open and safe to travel. Knowing that the wholeneighbourhood, except within the immediate contiguity of the camp, wasfull of dangerous characters of all kinds, Sergeant Long had impressedon the party the necessity of keeping a bright look-out Matamo, inparticular, whose long training particularly qualified him for suchduties, was told to report to the sergeant anything suspicious thatmight present itself to him. But for some time there was nothing thatcould occasion uneasiness. There was neither rock nor wood for a longdistance on either side of the road, which could possibly afford shelterto an enemy. But after an hour's ride the character of the countrybegan to alter. Ridges of rock appeared rising one above another, untiltheir height became sufficient to shut out the view beyond. Farther on,these ridges began to be clothed with thorns and shrubs of variouskinds, presenting places from which it would be easy to fire unobservedon any one passing by. The farther the road ran, the more dangerous didit appear; and at last, when they were approaching Bemta's Kop, SergeantLong drew rein, and called up Matamo.
"I don't like this," he said. "Do you know this road? Have you oftentravelled by it?"
"I know the road pretty well," answered Matamo. "But if the Zulus orthe white robbers hide in the bank, it will not be possible to see themtill they fire."
"Just so. Are there many bad places before we reach Bemta's Kop?"
"Plenty of bad places--as bad or worse than these. But I chance to knowa way round. It is a mile or two longer, but we shall be safe from therobbers there."
"We should lose time by taking that, but I really think it would besafer. What do you say, Mr Hardy?" he continued, drawing him aside."I don't like the look of the road; and if it is true that there arelarge gangs of ruffians of all kinds about, it is not safe to proceedfarther in a route like this."
"I am quite of your mind, sergeant," said Hardy; "I know Matamo isentirely to be trusted."
"Very good; so be it. Show us the way, Matamo, and we will follow."
The Bechuana complied. Turning back about fifty yards, he urged hishorse between two almost perpendicular masses of rock, and then made hisway among the boles of the trees for perhaps a quarter of a mile. Thenhe turned sharp to the right, and followed a similar course, appearingto know his way, as if by instinct, among the yellow woods andoomahaamas, of which the w
ood chiefly consisted. A bare, open countryfollowed, along which they rode for a long distance without seeing somuch as an animal or a bird the entire way. Presently Matamo againturned sharply to the right, and after a short ride through somethickets of scrub, the summit of Bemta's Kop, and soon afterwardsColonel Evelyn Wood's encampment, came in sight.
On arriving there, Sergeant Long presented himself at the quarters ofthe commanding officer and stated his errand. Mr Uys, it appeared, wasin the camp, and Vander Heyden and Moritz were immediately conducted tohim. The others were invited to sit down to refreshments offered them.It was seen at once that they were not common soldiers, and