CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
AN IMPORTANT EXPEDITION.
The delay caused by the presence of the Zulus was excessively trying toCaptain and Mrs Broderick. The more they heard from Denis aboutLionel, the more they were convinced that he was their lost child.Ellen and Rose were persuaded that they should know him at once, as theyhad often carried him about and nursed him, though the rest were tooyoung to recollect more than that they had had a little brother, who haddisappeared while a baby. Biddy declared that she could pick him outfrom among a thousand if she could once set eyes on him. Sherecollected what Master Rupert had been, and looking at him as he nowwas, she was positive as to what Master Walter would have become.
"Sure, if Master would let me, I'd start off at once by meself, an' notcare for the Zulus, or lions, or other bastes in the way, and soon bringhim back safe an' sound in me arms," she exclaimed in her enthusiasm.
"You would find it a more difficult task than you suppose, Biddy, tomake your way all alone through the wilds," said Percy. "It was no easymatter for Denis and me, with our rifles in our hands, and wellaccustomed to tramping. If my father will let me go, with Vermack, andMatyana, and Denis, and Umgolo, I am sure I can persuade Hendricks tolet Lionel return with me."
To this Mrs Broderick objected. She was sure that Percy was unfit toperform the journey, which might be of considerable length, asHendricks, it was supposed, was travelling almost in an oppositedirection, and might before they could overtake him, be several daysahead. She dreaded also the danger to which he might be exposed;besides which, it was doubtful whether Hendricks, deeply attached as hewas known to be to the boy, would give him up to any one but to hisfather, who alone could be certain that Lionel really was his son. Itwas possible, after all, that the child might belong to a family ofBoers, slaughtered by the Zulus, and that Denis might have been mistakenin the idea he had formed, when trying to instruct him, that he hadpreviously known English.
Mangaleesu and Kalinda, though they both were cross-questioned andexamined over and over again, could throw no further light on thesubject than they had already done. They only knew that the boy hadbeen brought to the kraal by another tribe, all of whom were now dead;and although they had taken an interest in the child, they had made nofurther inquiries about him. Captain Broderick therefore kept to hisresolution of setting out with his two attendants as soon as it wasascertained that the Zulus had left the neighbourhood. In the meantimethe defences of the farm were increased as much as possible, in case theZulus should venture to attack it.
The night was passing by quietly. Crawford volunteered to keep watch,Mangaleesu also offered his services, so that those who had been on footthe previous night might obtain the rest they required. Rupert andDenis joined them shortly after midnight. They were continually goinground the whole circuit of the stockade to see that the men who wereported at the different angles had their eyes open, and that the enemywere not stealing up, as it was thought possible they might attempt todo, to take them by surprise.
Crawford had just returned to the platform in front of the house, whenMangaleesu pointed across the river, towards the Zulu camp. No fire wasto be seen, and Crawford remarked that the flames had sunk completelydown, although there was still a glow as if from hot embers.
Rupert and Denis soon afterwards came up.
"That looks as if they had gone away at last," observed Rupert, "and Ihope that my father will be able to set out to-morrow."
"Don't be too sure of that," observed Denis. "The fellows are up to allsorts of tricks. They may have crossed the river lower down, and we maysee their ugly faces in the morning, or hear their shrieks and yellsbefore then, or it is just as likely that they have crossed to thenorth, and will try to make their way down from above the falls. I haveheard a great deal of their devices from my father and Hendricks, andthe other traders, and it never does to trust them."
Mangaleesu did not understand what was said, but perhaps he would haveconsidered the remarks rather complimentary than otherwise, althoughmade about those who were now his deadly enemies. Denis asked him whathe thought upon the subject; he replied, that he believed they had goneaway to the eastward, finding that the garrison of the farm were keepinga vigilant watch, and that they could not hope to succeed, unless at therisk of losing a number of men, with the comparatively small force theypossessed. He expressed his regret at causing his friends so muchtrouble and anxiety, and offered the next morning to make his way withKalinda to a distance from the frontier.
"I do not suppose that Captain Broderick will allow you to do that, forKalinda has not yet recovered from the hardships she went through, andyou yourself are scarcely able to make a long journey," said Denis."Even if the Zulus have gone away, and have no intention of attackingthe farm, they may have sent scouts to watch for you, so that should youtry to escape, you and your wife may lose your lives after all."
Rupert was of the same opinion as Denis.
"My father is a man who always means what he says, and as he haspromised to protect you, he will not, even though you yourself mightoffer to go, allow you to run the risk of being killed."
Mangaleesu acknowledged that he should grieve to expose Kalinda to thedangers she must go through, and proposed to leave her, if CaptainBroderick would still afford her protection, and to go away by himself.
"That would not mend matters," observed Rupert; "for if the Zulus shouldagain venture to come to the farm under a belief that they were strongenough to capture it, they would insist upon her being given to them asa hostage until you deliver yourself up. No, no! you and she must stayhere until there is time to send to Natal, to complain of theproceedings of the Zulus; and Cetchwayo, if he instigated them, must betaught that he cannot attack English settlers with impunity."
Although it was very possible that the Zulus had gone away altogether,Crawford and his companions agreed that it would be prudent to keep asvigilant a watch round the stockade as ever. They therefore continuedtheir rounds, but they could discover nothing to indicate that an enemywas in the neighbourhood. When at length the sun rising lighted up thebeautiful landscape, all around was as calm and smiling as ever. Thescouts who had been on the look-out now came in, and reported that theZulu force had really retired, and that the road to the north-east wasclear. Captain Broderick, who had previously made all arrangements, atonce prepared to start.
Percy felt very sad as he shook hands with Denis. "I wish that you hadbeen able to stay on with us, old fellow," he said. "I cannot helpthinking of all the dangers and hardships you will have to go through,though, if I were not at home, I should be glad to go with you, and helpyou get through them. However, you must try to come back, and take along spell with us, if Hendricks will let you, or your father, if youfind him, as I hope you will. The girls, too, will be glad to see you,as you are a favourite with them, I can tell you that."
Denis had reason to flatter himself that such was the case. All thefamily had been pleased with his hearty, unaffected manner, and thankfulto him for the service he had rendered Percy.
He bade them all a friendly good-bye; and Maud, who was generally somerry and smiling, looked unusually grave and burst into tears as soonas he was gone, though she tried hard to hide them.
The horses having been sent across, Captain Broderick and his partyproceeded down to the boat, accompanied by the inmates of the farm.There were more leave-takings, the nature of which can be imagined, andfurther charges given by the captain, as he and Denis stepped into theboat, pulled by Rupert and Crawford. At once mounting, he led his partyat a rapid rate to the north-east, those on the opposite bank watchingthem with anxious eyes until they were lost to sight behind a grove oftrees.
"My father charged me at the last to keep a vigilant watch in ourfortress, lest after all any Zulus should be lurking in theneighbourhood," said Rupert to his brother. "We must not let Mangaleesugo outside, or he may be seen by one of the enemy's scouts, in whichcase they would be certain to return in the hopes of
capturing him. Atpresent they probably fancy that he has gone away, and that they havetherefore no excuse for attacking us."
Crawford and Rupert did not fail to carry out Captain Broderick'sdirections; and Percy, who was rapidly recovering his strength, was soonable to assist them. Although the drawbridge was let down, it wasconstantly watched, while one of the three was always looking out fromthe platform, with a good telescope, so that any objects moving could bediscovered at a considerable distance on three sides of the farm; forthe hills rising abruptly in the rear shut out the view in thatdirection. A scout occasionally sent out by Rupert reported that he wascertain no Zulus in any number could possibly be in the neighbourhood,although he could not be positive that one or two might not be lurkingabout, on the watch for Mangaleesu. They therefore kept the chief andhis young wife carefully concealed as before. Mrs Broderick bestowedmuch attention on them. She could speak the Zulu language sufficientlywell to make herself understood, and she called in Rupert, who hadstudied it thoroughly, to assist her. Her great desire was to impart aknowledge of Christian truth to them, of which they were at presentutterly ignorant. Kalinda's countenance brightened as she first heardthe story of redeeming love, and she begged Mrs Broderick to tell hermore and more of it.
Mangaleesu listened attentively to all that was said. Though Kalindaappeared inclined to accept the truth, yet when he was asked what hethought, he only shook his head, saying, "It may be so; but if I becomethe sort of Christian you wish me, I shall no longer be able to revengemyself on my enemies."
"Most certainly not!" answered Mrs Broderick. "God has said,`Vengeance is mine, I will repay.' You must leave all in His hands. Itwould be your duty to forgive your enemies. If He thinks fit to punishthem, He will do so."
"But you English punish evil-doers, don't you?" asked Mangaleesu.
"Certainly, the government do; but that is to prevent others committingthe same acts, and to teach by the most forcible means possible thatthose acts are wrong."
"I will consider the matter," answered Mangaleesu, and for a long timeafterwards he scarcely spoke to any one, and appeared to be in a verythoughtful mood.
Affairs at the farm went on in their usual way. The cattle could nolonger be kept in the kraal, and had to be driven out to their pastures,under charge of the Kaffir herdsmen who tended them, with arms in theirhands, and who were ordered to keep a watchful eye on every side toprevent being surprised. They had the advantage of the river on oneside and the mountains on the other, so that the enemy could not comeupon them without making a wide circuit. In consequence of the absenceof the captain and two of the best men, while two others were engaged inscouting, the labour of the rest was much increased. Crawford and Percydid their best to supply the deficiency, but they were, of course, asyet unaccustomed to the various duties required of them. The ladiestook upon themselves the care of the dairy, which was far moresuccessful than is generally the case in Natal, where the farmers havemostly to depend upon their Kaffir servants, by whom the animals aretreated very roughly, and consequently are excessively wild. Under theinstruction of Biddy, the three young ladies had learned to milk thecows, and very successfully they performed this operation, seldom ornever allowing a pail to be upset, or losing a drop of the milk. Theyhad some pet animals which they had taught to feed out of their hands,and which were consequently as tame and gentle with them as could bedesired, although they would allow no one else, with the exception ofBiddy, to approach them. They would come at their call, and allowthemselves to be milked with perfect docility. The contrast betweentheir cows and those tended by the Kaffirs was very great. The Kaffirprocess of milking was barbarous in the extreme. The animal to beoperated on, being driven into the kraal, was made fast by the horns toone of the posts. Her hind legs were then tied together, and the calfwas permitted to take a draught, when a Kaffir stood ready to haul himaside, and the rest of the milk was yielded into the pail.
Biddy acted not only as cook for the family, but also for all the men onthe farm, who assembled in a hut close to the house, with a long tablein the centre, at which they sat in primitive fashion, the master takingthe head. The fare generally consisted of beef, game, meal cakes,capital bread, pumpkins and other vegetables, and a variety of fruits;among others, when they were in season, there were figs andpomegranates, which grew in the greatest profusion on the farm. Thefamily generally retired at an early hour, and rose at dawn, when theywent about their respective avocations for a couple of hours beforebreakfast. As soon as the cows were milked, they and the heifers andcalves were driven off to the pastures, while the ploughman yoked a spanof ten oxen to the plough, and set out to break up some new land, andvery hard work it was. Although the soil was tolerably rich, it wasbaked by the sun, and as hard as a rock, and in some places the wholestrength of the oxen was required to draw the share through it. Two ofthe labourers were employed in hoeing the young mealies, and, strange asit may seem, others at the same time were engaged in picking off theripe cobs, stripping back their leafy covering, and hanging them inpairs across rails, where they could further dry, until they werecarried to the granary. In the mealy fields, indeed, can be seen thecorn in all stages, some just rising above the ground, and thefull-grown stalks of others bending with the weight of their yellowheads.
Crawford undertook all carpentry business, having, as he said, practisedthe art when he made up his mind to become a settler. He had alsolearned to mow, and he and Rupert spent some hours, scythe in hand,cutting down the tall grass for the purpose of securing fodder for thehorses through the winter months, as also to prevent the necessity ofburning close round the homestead, as it is necessary to do, in case oneof the fires, which are constantly occurring, should spread in thatdirection. Should this precaution not be taken, the crops to acertainty would be destroyed, and the buildings themselves be in greatdanger. Captain Broderick had surrounded his cultivated fields withhedges, either of the prickly cactus or the mimosa, whose hooked thornswere well calculated to prevent any animals from breaking through.
Crawford was much amused on seeing one of the Kaffirs dig. Instead ofusing the spade in the English fashion, he grasped the handle with bothhands, holding it at arm's length, with the face turned towards him, andthen stuck it into the ground with a swing of his arms, never pressingit with his foot. He used the handle as a lever to shovel out the looseearth, all being done with a jerk, and yet he managed to dig into thehard ground with extraordinary rapidity. When Crawford, taking a spade,wished to show him his mode of digging, the Kaffir shook his head,saying, "No good," and went on in his own way.
To Percy, who was not fit for hard work, was allotted the duty ofpicking the ripe cobs in the mealies, as has been described, but hebegged his brother to find him some more interesting employment.
"All in good time," answered Rupert, "you will learn to plough and mow,put up a fence, and drive the waggon."
"I can do that already," answered Percy; "I learned that from old Dos onthe journey, and I flatter myself I could manage a span of twelve oxenwith perhaps a little assistance."
There were so many duties to be performed on the farm, that there was notime for hunting, which Crawford and Percy had looked forward to as oneof their most interesting employments. Rupert promised, however, assoon as Captain Broderick returned, to give them a day's sport.
"You have not seen our preserve yet. We may have time, before dark, totake a gallop down to it," said Rupert.
"Is it a deer park or a pheasant preserve?" asked Crawford.
"Far larger game than even the largest deer," was the reply.
"What do you mean to say you keep, tame elephants?" inquired Crawford.
"No, our game is somewhat smaller than the usual run of elephants; butcome along."
They had been taking a circuit of the farm on horseback. They nowturned down along the bank of the river. After going a couple of miles,they reached a small lake, filled by the overflowing of the stream. Itwas mostly surrounded by a thick
border of reeds, but there was one spotwhich enabled them to approach close to the water. Presently a hugehead rose above the surface, then another appeared.
"Why those are hippopotami!" exclaimed Crawford.
"Yes, they are the game I spoke of," said Rupert. "They have been bornsince we came here, and have been so accustomed to us from theirinfancy, that they are now as tame as cows, and never think of attackingus, although I do not know what they would do to a stranger. Many willcome when we call them, as they have been used to be fed by us, thoughwhen provisions have occasionally been scarce we have been compelled tokill a few of them. The rest, however, do not resent the death of theirrelatives; indeed, they benefit by it; for were they to increase muchabove their present number, they would not find sufficient food, andwould be obliged to migrate, with the risk of being trapped."
"Do you mean to say that the flesh of those huge beasts is fit forfood?" asked Crawford.
"Most certainly; it is equal to the best beef, or rather veal, which itmore nearly resembles."
As they were leaving the neighbourhood of the pool, Crawford exclaimed,"Did you see any one stealing behind those bushes out there? I amnearly certain I did."
"Yes, I caught a glimpse, not only of one black fellow, but of two, andthere may be more," said Rupert.
"Let us rout out the rascals," cried Crawford; and on the impulse of themoment he was about to stick spurs into the flanks of his horse, and todash on towards the bush, behind which the natives had concealedthemselves.
"Stay, it would be better to ride forward as if we had not noticedthem," answered Rupert.
"But ought we not to watch them, and insist on their telling us why theyare skulking in this place?" asked Crawford.
"The attempt would be dangerous in the extreme, for they are probablyready to hurl their assegais at us, should we approach them nearenough," answered Rupert. "Our only prudent course will be to get awayfrom them, and to keep a look-out lest they should steal on, concealedby the underwood, and manage to get ahead, when they may salute us witha shower of assegais before we can get a glimpse of them. My father,who knows all their tricks, has enjoined me never to trust them, andconsiders that though they are savages they are much cleverer than weare when fighting in their own country."
Crawford, somewhat reluctantly, agreed to follow Rupert's wise advice,though he did not like the idea of running away from a foe for whom hefelt the utmost contempt.
While they were speaking, a loud clap of thunder burst on their ears,and looking back they observed a dark bank of clouds rising from behindthe trees, which had hitherto concealed it from sight.
"We have ample reason for galloping on, even though there were no Zulusin the neighbourhood," exclaimed Rupert. "We shall ere long have astorm burst upon us, which it will be no joke to be caught in. We may,however, manage to distance it, as well as the Zulus."
A second peal, louder than the first, made the horses start, and awaythey galloped at full speed. As they went on, the raindrops could beheard pattering on the ground behind them, but by urging on the horsesthey managed to keep ahead of the deluge.
As the gloom of evening drew on, the lightning grew more and more vivid,and the thunder rattled louder and louder.
"It is fortunate that we caught sight of those fellows; for they arevery likely, while the herdsmen are keeping under shelter from thestorm, to try and carry off some of the cattle," said Rupert. "I'llride round and put the men on their guard; but as there is no necessityfor you to get a wet jacket, you had better go on direct to the farm."
"No, no," answered Crawford; "I'll accompany you; I don't mind awetting; and though the Zulus we saw cannot yet have got as far as this,even should they have pursued us, there may be others concealed near athand, who, if they find you alone, might venture to attack you."
They accordingly turned their horses' heads as Rupert proposed. Thecattle had only just reached the kraal, and the herdsmen were closingthe gates. Rupert told them of the strange Zulus he had seen, andwarned them to be on the alert. They scorned the idea, however, that afew Zulus would venture to attempt stealing any of the captain's cattle,but they promised, notwithstanding the approaching storm, to be on thewatch, and to punish the marauders, should they appear.
"Good-night, my friends!" said Rupert; "and now, Crawford, we must ridefor it."
The rain, at length overtaking them, seemed to come down in a perfectsheet of water, and in a few seconds they were wet to the skin.
They quickly, however, reached the farm, and unsaddling turned theirhorses into the kraal, where a shed afforded the animals some protectionfrom the pitiless shower, while they themselves hurried into the housefor shelter. The gate was regularly closed at night, so that neitherZulus nor wild beasts could steal in. Falls Farm had in this respect animmense advantage over nearly all others in the colony, which wereperfectly unfortified, and open to the depredations of all descriptionsof animals. Had Captain Broderick expended the same amount of labour ona farm near town, as he had bestowed on his present property, he wouldere this have become a rich man. It was the instinct of an old soldierwhich had induced him to fortify it, although his great object was tolive at peace with his neighbours.
By the time the supper Rupert and Crawford found prepared for them wasover, the rain had ceased, and they went out as usual to make the roundof the walls.
Nothing could be seen moving outside, but the hideous howls and cries ofthe jackals and hyenas came down from a distance on the night air.
"Those brutes are enticed into the neighbourhood by the scent of ourcattle, and they howl with disappointment at not being able to get atthem," observed Rupert to his companion. "We cannot drive them away,and the hyenas especially are such cunning rogues, that it is a hardmatter to get a shot at them. We find that the only successful plan isto form traps, in which, with all their cunning, they frequently losetheir lives."
Rupert and Crawford having seen that the men on the ramparts werekeeping a vigilant watch, returned to the house.
The night passed away without interruption. When daylight returned, andthe sun shed a bright light over the landscape, Crawford expressed hisbelief that no treacherous enemy could be lurking in the neighbourhood.It seemed probable that he was right, for when two of the Kaffirservants, who had been out as scouts returned, they reported that theyhad seen no one, nor had they discovered the traces of any strangers inthe neighbourhood.
"The chances are, the men we saw were merely passers-by, who wereseeking shelter from the storm under a bush, and had we ridden up tothem we should probably have found them to be very harmless characters,"observed Crawford.
"I am not fully persuaded of that," answered Rupert. "They probably,finding that they were discovered, thought it prudent, if they had anysinister design, to beat a retreat for the present."