VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER SIX.
THE FIRE TRUMPET.
With weapons cocked and ready, and keeping a sharp look-out ahead, ourtwo friends stole quietly and warily along the shadow of the quincehedge. Meanwhile the canine clamour increased tenfold; such a yelling,and growling, and full-voiced baying as never before was heard.
"Why, they've treed something--look there!" whispered Claverton, as theyarrived upon the scene of the disturbance. And sure enough in thebranches of a small apricot-tree, which grew a little higher than thequince hedge, they could make out the dark figure of a man, clingingthere as for dear life, while the dogs were leaping, and snapping, androlling over upon one another and into the ditch in their franticefforts to reach him. And, but for this timely refuge, he would havebeen torn in pieces by the great fierce brutes.
"Come down, whoever you are," said Payne, speaking in the Kafirlanguage, "or I'll fire. If you attempt to run away the dogs will sooncatch you. Come down."
They could hear a muttered exclamation or two, and then the unknownreplied:
"Keep in the dogs, 'Nkos. I came here to visit you, to tell you somenews."
"All right. Come down. Here, Neptune, Corker, Slow--keep still, youbrutes. _Voertsek, Huis! to_!" [be off; home] cried Payne; and theexcited hounds reluctantly drew off with many a savage growl.
Then something dropped from the tree, there was a rustle in the quincehedge, and a man stood before them in the darkness. Payne had just timeto restrain the dogs, who would have flung themselves upon this suddenapparition there and then.
"Now, then, who are you and what do you want?" he asked.
"'Nkos, you remember me? But I can't talk here, it's cold and I've beenfrightened, and I am old and weak."
"Why, it's Mhlanga," cried Payne, in astonishment. "But what the devild'you want with me at this time of night?"
"Hadn't we better take him to the house and give him a tot of grog?"said Claverton. "He looks rather shaky."
"Of course. Come with us, Mhlanga," and they returned to the house,where a liberal ration of undiluted spirit having sent a generous glowthrough the Kafir's frame, that unexpected visitor squatted down on the_stoep_ with his blanket huddled round him, and fired off an ejaculationor two.
He was an old man, with a white head and a lean, gaunt frame, and inspite of the potation shivered slightly from time to time as he satthere, for he had had a very narrow escape from the jaws of the dogs.Then he began, speaking in a low, rapid tone:
"When the grass-fire sweeps along the mountain side, who would stand inits way because he had built a hut there? When yonder river rushes downin a flood after the thunderstorms, who would stand in the drift and tryto beat it back with his hands? Why are you still here?"
"Why not, Mhlanga? You must speak plainer." The old Kafir made agesture of impatience. "Are you waiting till this moon is dead?" hewent on. "If so _you_ will never see it die. Go. Go while there istime. What can two men do to stay the roaring flame through the long,dry grass? Nothing. Will they stand in the middle and be consumed?The grass is thoroughly dry and the torch is put in, the flame willspread and devour all in its way. Even now it is kindled. Are youtired of life?" concluded the old man in a more eager tone than he hadhitherto employed.
"The gist of the parable is obvious," remarked Payne to his companion,who nodded assent. "By the way, this old bird was with me several yearsand left suddenly some time ago, because he wanted a change. Now, yousee, he's doing the very confidence trick we were just talking about.Have some more grog, Mhlanga."
The old man held out his tin mug with alacrity for Payne to replenish.Then he tossed off the contents, heaved a sigh or two and was about tospeak, when suddenly he stopped short and appeared to be listeningintently.
"Come," he said, rising. "Come with me, _Amakosi_!"
"Oh, that's another pair of shoes," said Payne, suspiciously. "But,Mhlanga; why should you come here to tell me this--eh?"
"I was with you for several years, 'Nkosi, and when the snake bit me youput in the medicine stuff that healed it. I do not wish harm to befallyou."
"Oho! gratitude's the order of the day, is it?" Then to the Kafir:"Steer ahead, Mhlanga."
They followed the old man as he led the way to the brow of a slighteminence a few hundred yards from the homestead. Above, the starstwinkled in their silent watch, twinkled on ever the same. The midnightsky, moonless, and arching overhead like a heavy pall of blue-blackvelvet besprinkled with gold-dust, was oppressive in its darksomeserenity, and there was something in the mystery and suddenness of thewhole situation which even to the tried nerves of the two white men wasintolerably awesome and thrilling. Far away in the distance, beyond themouth of the defile or gap, a few fires glowed like sparks.
"Listen," said the Kafir, pointing with his sticks in the direction ofthis. "When the _amajoni_ [soldiers] are mustered _kwa Rini_ [at KingWilliamstown], the trumpet is blown in the morning sunshine, and all thetown hears it, for its voice is of brass. Ha! When the chiefs of theAmaxosa gather their fighting men the trumpet is sounded too, but it issounded in the blackness of midnight; and all the country hears it, forits voice is of fire. Look," he went on. "Even now the chiefs aretalking to each other. The Fire Trumpet is calling the tribes to war."
As he spoke a red tongue of flame leapt forth from the darkness againstthe distant horizon, where it flashed and burned for a few minutes.Then from another high point a second beacon-fire gleamed, followed by athird; and as the watchers gazed in half-incredulous wonder, not unmixedwith awe, a strange, weird, resounding cry rose upon the midnight air,gathering volume as it rolled, as if kindled by those threateningbeacons which glowed in the midnight firmament from the Kei to the farAmatola. Again and again pealed forth that dismal sound, and then allwas still as the fiery signal shot up redly from half-a-dozen loftyelevations, and then sank as suddenly as it had blazed forth, untilnearly invisible. And that unearthly and ominous cry might well strikea chill to the hearts of the listeners, for it was the war-cry of theformidable Gaika clans.
"Who was the man who asked leave to sleep in the huts, to-night?" askedthe old Kafir, meaningly. "If he is here to-morrow, if your three herdsare here to-morrow, if they answer when you call them, then I have beentelling you lies. Listen, 'Nkosi," he concluded, impressively. "Youare a good man. You saved my life once, and I have come far to talk toyou to-night. Take your wife and your children, and your sheep, andcattle, and go--go away into the town where they will be safe, and thatto-morrow, _for the call of the Fire Trumpet has rung in the heavens,and the land is dead_."
Payne was more impressed than he would care to own, and made up his mindto act upon the other's words, if not to-morrow, yet at no distant date.
"Well, Mhlanga," he began, "if it's as you say, and--Why, by George,what's become of the fellow?" he broke off, in astonishment.
For the Kafir had disappeared. He had vanished as he had come--silently, mysteriously. They called to him once or twice, but withoutresult. His mission was accomplished and he was gone.
They turned towards the house. Suddenly, from the summit of one of thehighest of the Kei hills, there blazed forth another fire, reddening thesky overhead, and they could make out distinctly the darting, leapingflames, shooting upward like demon tongues. And this startling answerfrom the opposite direction brought home to these two more vividly thanever a sense of their position, hemmed in between the plotting tribesnow flashing their gruesome midnight messages of fire the one to theother, conveying in a moment to thousands of eager barbarians the dreadsignal, of which the destructive element was a terribly fittingexponent.
"I say," suddenly exclaimed Payne; "let's go and see if that nigger thatcame this afternoon is still in the huts."
They went to the huts. A snore from inside told that these were stillinhabited, and a sleepy growl or two as in obedience to their master'ssummons the slumbering Kafirs aroused themselves. By the light of amatch, which Payne held in his hand, s
everal recumbent forms huddled intheir blankets became visible.
"Here, Booi; where's the chap who came here this afternoon?" askedPayne.
There was a momentary hesitation. "He's gone, Baas."
"Has he? Oh, all right, go to sleep again. Faugh?" he continued, asthey stood once more in the open air. "The whiff in there reminds oneof the 'tween-decks of a ship in a good rolling sea. The first part ofold Mhlanga's prediction holds good, but I must confess I don't quitebelieve the second. Those fellows will be here in the morning."
After this, neither felt much inclined to sleep, so they sat up chattingin a low tone far into the small hours. Then Payne's answers began toget very confused, till at last his pipe dropped from his mouth, andcame to the ground with a clatter.
"Look here, Payne, go and do the horizontal there on the sofa," said hiscompanion, with a laugh. "I'll do sentry-go, and it's no good bothdoing it."
"Well, if you really aren't sleepy--the fact is, I am, confoundedly,"and, rolling himself in a jackal-skin rug, Payne stretched himself onthe couch, and in a minute was snoring peacefully.
His companion, well accustomed to long night-watches, sat at the window,motionless, but wide awake, looking out into the starlit gloom. Now andthen he would doze off into that half-slumber known as "sleeping withone eye open," wherein the wakeful faculties seem even more developedthan during actual wakefulness, but nothing occurred of a disturbingnature. Once the dogs began to bark, but quieted down very soon, andthe hours wore on till the clear still dawn lightened upon the hills andthe sleeping valley.
Payne opened his eyes with a start, and met those of his companion."Hullo! Haven't you had a snooze?"
"No; that would be a queer way of mounting guard, wouldn't it? I thinkI'll have one now, though."
"Well, I should recommend you to turn in altogether. I'll call youpresently. There'll be no one up for the next three hours, you know,"continued Payne, with a meaning wink.
Two hours later Claverton was awake again, and found Payne just where hehad left him, snoring in regular cadence. Though the sun was up therewas no sign of life about the place.
"I wonder if that old Kafir was gammoning us," remarked Payne, as thetwo made their way to the kraals. In that cheerful sunshine, theeffects of the dour midnight warning had faded somewhat, as such effectswill, and he was inclined to make light of it. "Here, Booi, Gcoku!" heshouted; "tumble out--look sharp!"
There was no answer.
Meaningly, the two looked at each other. Then they made their way tothe huts, and kicked open the doors. The huts were empty. _If yourthree herds are here to-morrow--if they answer when you call them--thenI have been telling you lies_, had been Mhlanga's words. Therefore, nodoubt now existed in his hearers' minds that his strange, mysteriouswarning was true. The three Kafirs, with their families and belongings,had departed, obedient to the "word" of the stranger, the chief'semissary; had gone to add three more warriors to the martial gatheringof their tribe.
For a few moments Payne did not speak. He was rapidly revolving thesituation in his mind. War would mean ruinous loss to him. He wouldhave to send his family away to the settlements for safety, and go into_laager_ himself; which latter meant months of armed tending of hisstock, in common with others in like predicament; and then, even if theanimals escaped capture at the hands of the savage foe, there were thechances of catching lung sickness or other diseases from the inferiorand ill-bred stock of less careful or less successful farmers, with whomthey would necessarily mix during all the owners' joint occupation ofthe defensive camp.
"By Jove!" he exclaimed, at length, as his eyes fell upon some spoor."The _schelms_ have gone, and they've not gone empty-handed."
On counting the cattle his worst suspicions were verified. Four of hisfinest cows were missing, and there was no difficulty whatever in makingout by the tracks that they had been driven off by his treacherous anddefecting retainers. Payne swore a great oath.
"We'll go after them!" he cried. "We'll give them pepper. Hallo!There's Marshall. He's getting quite neighbourly."
The countenance of that stalwart frontiersman evinced no surprise as,alighting from his nag, he learnt what had happened. He had come overto see how they were all getting on, and had also been making a littlepatrol on his own hook, he said.
"You're just in the nick of time, Joe," cried Payne. "You can come withus."
"And are you going to leave the ladies here all alone?" repliedMarshall. "I wouldn't, if I were you."
"I had thought of that, too," said Claverton, quietly. "One of us muststay."
"Then I will," said Marshall. "If you fellers are determined to rushoff, you'd better do so at once. Mind, I don't think you'll catch thebeggars in any case; they've got a good start of you. And my old naghasn't got go enough in her for a raid into Kreli's country just now."
"Very well, then, that settles it," said Payne. "It's awfully good ofyou, Joe. We'll get breakfast sharp, and then start. By the way, we'dbetter not tell the women where we're going."