Settlers and Scouts: A Tale of the African Highlands

  CHAPTER THE TWENTIETH--Shooting the Rapids

  The curiosity of the villagers was lulled after a time, and they wentabout their usual occupations. The few men left lolled and loafed andplayed at knuckle-bones: the women went into the fields and returnedloaded with vegetables. John found that he was not to be ill-treated;he was given food when the villagers had their meals, and nobodymolested him. The guards dozed near by. But when night came it wasclear that the men had had orders to watch him strictly. He was boundboth hand and foot and taken into the hut, the two men remaining withthe evident intention of keeping him company through the night. Beforehe entered he saw that Bill was not held of so much account. He too wasbound, but to all appearance he was left to himself: indeed, the hutassigned to him, half in ruins, was so small that there would scarcelyhave been room in it for another occupant.

  John's discomfort this night sprang less from the insects, to which hehad become inured, than from the proximity of his guards. Armed withspears, they did not trouble to keep awake, and he soon had proof thatsnoring is not, as Ferrier had suggested, an accomplishment only ofcivilized races. They might have been trumpeters! He lay oppressed inthe hot stifling air. Deep silence reigned in the village.

  Escape! Why not try? The gate would be unguarded: the negro neverkeeps watch unless he is on the war-path, and even then very slackly. Ifhe once gained the outside, he would have at least some hours in whichto make good his flight. His guards might wake; they might or might notdiscover that he had gone; if they did miss him, it would be contrary totheir instinct and their custom if they pursued him in the dark. Therewas Bill to be considered: he must not be left behind. But the firstthing was to rid himself of his bonds, and that would be no easy matter.

  Lying still to think out his plan, he saw a chance. All was hushed, butfor the tempestuous snores. It was pitch dark. The guards lay togethernear the entrance. With careful movements he rolled and edged andwriggled across the floor until he knew that he was within a few inchesof the men. Then, groping with his bound wrists, he sought for a spear.He touched it, grasped it, drew it gently towards him. It resisted: theguard was lying half upon it. He pulled it again: the snoring ceasedwith a sudden snap, and John thought it was all over. But there was agrunt; the man turned heavily on his side; and the music began again.The spear was now freed. By careful manoeuvring John got the headbetween his knees, and holding it fast, began to saw the thongs thatbound his wrists. The weapon was sharp: the strands parted; he rubbedthe skin to relieve the smarting pain, and then, with two sharp cuts,released his ankles.

  He stood erect and listened. Only those horn-blasts at his feet. Hepeered through the entrance. The darkness without was scarcely lessthan within. Carefully, and with a shiver of apprehension, John steppedover the two stretched forms, in nervous terror lest he should plant afoot on one of them. He gained the entrance, glancing warily to rightand left, and stepped into the open, snuffing greedily at the cool air.The village was asleep, calm as the stars twinkling overhead.

  The tumble-down hut in which Bill lay was thirty yards nearer to thegate. Four huts intervened. John crept round to the back of them andstole along on tip-toe. He came to the fifth hut, which was separatedfrom the fourth by a passage a yard wide. Groping down this, he reachedthe entrance, and after another look round, put his head within. Allwas silent. Perhaps the Wanderobbo tribe did not snore! He called theman's name softly.

  "Bwana!" whispered Bill.

  In a trice John was beside him. In ten seconds he had cut the ropes. Intwenty both were at the back of the hut. Now Bill took the lead. Heplunged into a banana plantation behind the line of huts, and made hisway swiftly towards the stockade. They came to the gate: it wasunguarded. Being merely a sort of strong hurdle of thorn, held inposition by a few logs, its removal was easy. They passed out, andlifted the gate back to its former position, though, of course, theywere unable to fasten it. They then ran across the stretch of troddengrass outside the village, down the hill towards the river.

  Far to the left a lion roared, and John heard his companion utter thestrange gulping sound which in the negro indicates fright. A nightjourney in these wilds was a perilous undertaking. They had one spearbetween them, a paltry weapon if they should be pounced upon by somebeast of prey. There was just enough light from the stars to enablethem to choose the opener ground, avoiding bush and trees in which wildbeasts might lurk. They moved fast, for John had set his heart onreaching the neighbourhood of the fort before dawn. There were fewable-bodied men left in the village, but these would turn out in themorning as soon as the escape was discovered, and scour the surroundingcountry. This was reason enough for haste, but there was another. Ifthey did not succeed in entering the fort before daylight, it wouldprobably be impossible until the following night. The attack in alllikelihood had not yet been made; the villagers would scarcely attemptit after their long march; John's whole mind was set on standing byFerrier's side when the assault came.

  On they went, running when the ground permitted. Every now and thenJohn had to stop for Bill's sake, the poor old man, weakened by terrorand hunger (John discovered afterwards that he had had no food all day),being unequal to the pace. Presently, in descending too rapidly a sharpdeclivity, John slipped and sprained himself. When he started againevery movement was painful. To go at any great speed was nowimpossible. Still he pushed on, grudging every lost minute of thenight.

  He could not tell what the time was; it was too dark to see his watch.His pain grew worse at every step, and though he limped along gamely, hehad at length to confess himself done, and sank to the ground. Hisdistress of mind was as great as that of his body. Was he doomed tofail? As he crouched miserably in the grass he heard the swirling ofthe river close at his right hand. He would go to it and bathe hisaching legs. Bill expostulated: there were sure to be crocodiles; butJohn would not be gainsaid. He dragged himself towards the river, andsat down to rest on a small tree-trunk which had apparently been washedashore. In the faint light he saw others dotted about. An idea flashedupon him. Could they make a raft? Bill had never heard of such athing: John did not know if there was a word for it. But he made himunderstand that he was to collect some of the smaller logs, and then tolash them together with strands of the creeping plants which grew inabundance around. It was hard work and slow in the darkness, Johnhimself being unable to move freely; but at length something in thesemblance of a raft lay beside him. Rising with difficulty, he helpedBill to carry it the few yards to the water; then, peering around forcrocodiles, which they would hardly have seen if any had lain there,they launched the raft and managed to scramble on board, each carrying abranch to steer with. The current was swift; there was no need forpaddling; and thus, perched precariously on their crazy craft, theyfloated down the stream.

  At times they heard movements on one bank or the other. Once they heardthe horrid snap of a crocodile's jaws. A little farther on the raftbumped against something; there was a swirl of water, and John went hotand cold at the suspicion that they had collided with a hippopotamus.The current bore them past in safety, to his inexpressible relief; oneheave of the monster's body would have turned them over.

  So they went on, how long John could not tell. The darkness seemed tobe lifting: from the banks came sounds of awakening life: where werethey? The river was flowing more swiftly; it was racing; and Johnsuddenly realized with a gasp that he had entered the rapids at the headof the pool. With frantic movements of the paddles they tried to steerinto the bank; but the current was too much for them; the lumberingcraft was swept along at ever quickening speed; they were helpless.Dropping their paddles--the spear was already gone--they held on fordear life to the lashings. Some of them snapped: one of the outer logswas wrenched away; the raft whirled round, and every moment Johnexpected it to break apart and hurl them into the race. Still he clungon with convulsive grip. Bill was flat on his face with his hands overthe edge. On they went, jerked and jarred, unti
l with startlingsuddenness they were shot over a rock, and found themselves floating onthe pool.

  The raft was almost in pieces, but it floated more slowly towards theisland. John's relief at finding himself and his companion yet alivewas dashed by a new anxiety. Dawn was glimmering in the sky. If theywere not rescued they would float through the pool to the longer andeven more dangerous series of rapids at the further end. They might beseen by the enemy on the bank. He could not swim to the fort; his wholebody was stiff and racked with pain; his limbs would fail him. The raftwas drifting past the fort; very slowly, for it was no longer in themiddle of the current; but being without anything to serve as a paddle,the two could do nothing to check its steady progress towards the lowerrapids. There was only one chance. He called to Bill to shout at thetop of his voice, and putting two fingers to his lips, he blew a shrillwhistle which no white man would fail to recognize. In a moment therecame an answering whistle from the fort. Dimly he saw figures at thewall. He shouted: a cheery cry answered him: and in a few moments hesaw Ferrier and four men lug a canoe to the gate and put off to therescue.

  But the whistle and the shouts had been heard by the enemy, who werealready astir. John could not yet see them, but he heard their yells,and knew that they were swarming towards the pool.

  "All right, old man, we've got the start of them," cried Ferrier, as thecanoe rapidly approached.

  It was a race between the canoe and the current, between the rescuersand the enemy. A shot rang out: a flight of arrows hissed into thewater. The raft was drifting within range of the enemy; but in thehalf-darkness and against the background of wood on the shore the smallfloating object offered but an indifferent mark. Had the day been evena few minutes older the occupants of the raft would have stood a poorchance against the arrows, to say nothing of the rifles, of the crowdthat could now be seen flitting like shadows round the margin of thepool. The greatest source of alarm, however, was not the imperfectshooting of the enemy, but the rapids to which the raft was drawing evernearer. Weakened as it was by its passage of the upper rapids, it wasinconceivable that it could survive the second and far more formidablestrain. The rush of the water could already be heard; the movement ofthe raft was perceptibly quickening. Would Ferrier arrive in time? Andif he did overtake the raft, would he too not run a fearful risk ofbeing drawn into the stream and hurled along in utter helplessness? Theshouts from the shore redoubled in volume; arrows flew more and morethickly; and John had almost yielded to despair when the canoe shot upalongside at an amazing pace. Some one grasped the raft; the crewbacked water with all their might. Bill plunged into the water andscrambled on board the canoe.

  "I can't move; I've ricked myself," cried John. "You must lug me in."

  Ferrier leant over, grasped him, and hauled him by main force into thecanoe. Then the four sturdy natives dug their paddles into the water.The enemy had reached the brink; some were already on the causeway; butat this moment four rifles flashed from the fort, and a man toppled offthe causeway into the pool. The others halted. The canoe sped on; abullet splashed in its wake; more arrows fell perilously near; but justas the enemy had gained courage to rush over the causeway again, Ferriersteered the canoe away from that side and guided it round to the lowerend of the island where landing was easier. The canoe scraped theshore: its occupants sprang to land: and with Ferrier's aid the negroescarried John up to the wall, where willing hands hoisted him over.

  "A near shave, old chap," said Ferrier. "You look awfully done up."

  "Pretty nearly crocked," said John, with a feeble smile. "Are thosebeggars attacking?"

  "No," replied Ferrier, looking over the wall. "They've gone back. It'snot light enough yet."

  "Thank goodness! I'm no good at present; I'm----"

  "Don't you worry," interrupted Ferrier, seeing his lips quivering. "Justlie easy for a bit: I'll bring you something to eat."

  John closed his eyes and shivered in his drenched clothes. Ferrier gottwo of the men to carry him to the fire, and in a few moments gave him amug of soup.

  "You'll feel better after that: hippo soup, my boy."

  "They got back safely then?"

  "Of course they did, an hour after sundown. They hid in the woodsyonder until the coast was clear. I gave them a good ragging forleaving you."

  "That wasn't fair; we left them."

  "So they said. You may imagine what a funk I was in when they came backwithout you. I didn't sleep a wink all night."

  "Poor old chap! We went after congoni when they were cutting up thehippo, and were rushed as neatly as possible, and carried off to thevillage of Bill's 'bad men' in the hills. Our captors were evidently anembassy from Juma to enlist the chief's assistance. Three or fourhundred warriors in full fig left yesterday morning: have you seenanything of them?"

  "Not yet. We heard a great hullabaloo in Juma's camp last night, and Iguessed the lot you signalled about had come in. I was glad yousignalled; it was a relief to know you were alive. I wished I couldcome up and rescue you, and I'd have had a shot at it if you hadn't toldme the war-party were coming. Of course that dished it. I couldn'thave got through, and I'm afraid our fellows wouldn't have held out longif I'd left them."

  "Of course not. It would have been simply mad to try it."

  "All the same, it was pretty rotten having to stop here able to donothing. I chafed a good deal, I can tell you. When I got yourmessage, as the enemy were very quiet I sent Coja and one of my askarisout to see if they could spy out where you were; and what do youthink--Said Mohammed insisted on going too."

  "Well, I'm hanged!"

  "He said it was quite impossible for him to pursue the even tenor of hisway while you, his boss and patron, were in parlous circs. and durancevile. I'm beginning to think the Bengali has been libelled; go deepenough and you'll find a man. Anyway, he insisted on going, and I'msorry to say none of the three has come back."

  John groaned from utter weariness and disappointment.

  "What a mess I've made of everything!" he said. "If ever we get safelyout of this I'll not go rampaging after stolen rifles again. Look whatI've brought on everybody!"

  "Utter rot! Nobody came against his will, and who could foresee allthis? We've had amazing luck really, and as for getting safely out ofit--but look here, old man, you mustn't shiver like that. I'm afat-headed chump. Off with your clothes; they're sopping. We haven'tgot a change, but you won't shock any one's modesty. I'll rub you drywith some of Said's cloths; your things will dry in no time, and I'lltry massage for your sprain. You'll take a good stiff dose of quinine,too; we can't have an invalid on our hands."

  John winced as he rose to strip. Ferrier got his clothes off, rubbedhim vigorously with cloths ("Shout when I hurt," he said), then rolledhim in a blanket and laid him down by the fire, "To sweat it out, youknow."

  "Just go and look after Bill," said John, feeling comfortably lazy.

  "Bill's all right, bless your heart! He's got no clothes to dry, andhe's tucking into roast hippo like one o'clock. It's the last of it, bythe way. It bucked the men up wonderfully. I wish we had some more."

  "How do we stand for food?" asked John anxiously.

  "Never you mind about food. You shall have your dinner when the timecomes. The best thing you can do is to go to sleep, and when you wakeyou can tell me how you managed to escape from the 'bad men.' Are theyvery bad, like the little girl who was horrid? No, you needn't answer;just shut your eyes while I count ten, and you'll sleep like a top."

  Two hours later, the man on guard at the gate, one of Ferrier's askaris,reported that a number of men were marching across the plain towards thecauseway. Ferrier went to the gate, and saw that the group consisted oftwo Swahilis and four of their followers. A great throng of black menstood at the edge of the wood, giving no sign of an intention to move.

  "A deputation, I presume," thought Ferrier. "Coming to offer us terms!"

  The men advanced along the causeway, the Swahil
is first. When they hadcome half-way Ferrier told the askari at his side to order them to stop.They came to a halt immediately.

  "Ask 'em if one of them is Juma," said Ferrier.

  No: one was Sadi ben Asmani, the other Jumbi ben Abdullah.

  "Then you may tell Sadi ben Asmani and Jumbi ben Abdullah that I havenothing to say to them, and they had better be off, sharp."

  When this was interpreted the Swahilis glowered. One of them began tospeak, but Ferrier signed to him to be silent.

  "Tell them I'll listen to the others, but won't hear a word from them."

  The causeway being too narrow for two men to pass securely, the filefaced about and retreated to the shore. Then they came on again, thenegroes this time leading, and the Swahilis remaining at the end of thecauseway. The first negro, a finely proportioned fellow whom it was apleasure to look upon, began to address the white man, using his handsfreely.

  "What does he say?" asked Ferrier.

  The askari did not know his dialect. From the crowd of men who hadgathered at the wall one stepped forward saying that he knew it.

  "Well, tell me what he says."

  "Him say msungu come out: no lib for no more fight. Great big lot o'black men: msungu no can run away."

  "You can tell him that the msungu won't come out, and the black men hadbetter run away. They have come to fight us, who never did them anyharm. They have come to help a lot of thieves and murderers, who havestolen the goods of the black men round about. This fort is where theylived, and where they kept the goods they stole. The fort now belongsto the msungu. A great many wasungu are now coming from their fort faraway to punish them, and when they come they will scatter them as thelion scatters sheep. Tell them we are quite happy; we aren't a bitafraid of them; we have beaten them twice, and we'll beat them again.They had better take up their cook-pots and go home."

  This little speech Ferrier delivered sentence by sentence, wondering howmuch of it was fairly translated. The deputation clearly gathered thegist of it, for with every sentence they became manifestly moreincensed. At the close they shouted and waved their arms, and then theleader, with the air of one playing his trump card, cried out that themsungu's talk was fool's talk, for they held a sheep-faced msungu aprisoner in their village far away, and if their demand was notinstantly complied with, the sheep-faced msungu would be killed.

  "By Jove!" thought Ferrier, "they didn't recognize old John then. Whata tremendous lark! I'll give them a shocker."

  To the evident amazement of the natives he laughed heartily. Then,bidding them stand where they were until he came back to them, hereturned into the fort.

  "I say, John," he said, with a chuckle, shaking the sleeping form; "wakeup, old chap. There's a deputation outside summoning us to surrender,and threatening if we don't to slaughter a sheep-facedmsungu--sheep-faced, old chap!--whom they've got penned up in theirvillage. Come and show yourself; I bet they'll look sheepish. It wasevidently too dark to see you when you came down on your raft. Slipyour things on: you don't look the same man in that blanket."

  John laughed and slipped on his shirt and breeches, now thoroughly dry.His sun-helmet, which had been fastened on by a strap, was rather pulpy,but Ferrier clapped it on his head, saying that it didn't matter. In afew seconds he had limped to the gate, and stood at Ferrier's side,smiling very amiably.

  The natives were struck dumb with astonishment. The Swahilis could nothave been more confounded if they had seen a ghost. After gazing for afull minute at the msungu whom they imagined to be in safe custodyfifteen miles away, they turned round and marched back in silence, onlybreaking into excited talk when they reached the shore. The two whitemen stood watching them until they rejoined the vast throng gathered atthe edge of the wood.

  "They've got something to digest," said Ferrier, with a laugh. "Nowwe'll go and get some dinner."