The Vee-Boers: A Tale of Adventure in Southern Africa
Page 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
CROSSING A "DRIFT."
As yet the alarmed emigrants had not decided on the direction to betaken. Up stream was that which led to the district of country theywere _treking_ to. But to keep on the river's banks, wooded as thesewere, might be to continue in the infested region, and they wouldnothing gain by changing their place of encampment. At rest, or moving,their animals would become victims to the insects' venom all the same.So before starting, a consultation was held to determine the route.Hurried it was, and without unanimity of opinion. Jan Van Dorn, leaderof the party, believed the tsetse had been brought thither by thebuffaloes, and was not anywhere else than just around that spot. Therewas much probability in this view, regarding the behaviour of theseanimals in their mad rush and routing. Not that they need have fearedthe insect; as, unlike with domesticated cattle, its sting is neverfatal to them. But it annoys, and often sets them on the run. Despitethis likelihood, the other two _baases_, Blom and Rynwald, differed withVan Dorn. In their belief there was tsetse all along the stream, up anddown, and their best way would be to trek off from it inland--anywhere.
While they were still undecided, the Gordian knot was cut by theirguide, Smutz. The nimble Hottentot had climbed, monkey-like, into thehighest branches of the mowana, where he commanded a far view of thesurrounding country; and from this elevated position had descried aplace of probable safety. It was a range of high hills running parallelwith the river; a dry, rocky ridge without any sign of timber on it, andtherefore unlikely to be infested with the fly so much feared.
Shouting down his discovery, it brought their deliberations to an abruptend, with a resolve to make straight for the hills. In any case itwould be but the loss of a day or two's time, with the toil of sometwenty miles' extra travel, the ridge appearing to be about ten ortwelve miles off. But what of that, so long as it saved their stockfrom destruction? And, without further delay, the word went round forstarting; the oxen were whipped up, and the waggons moved off, leavingthe laager, late full of busy life, a deserted, desolate spot.
The river had still to be crossed, as they were on its southern side,and the range of hills lay north. But about this they anticipated nodifficulty; having examined the _drift_ on the day before, and found iteasily fordable. When the attempt came to be made, however, it did notprove so easy. The rain-deluge of the preceding night, which halfdrowned Piet Van Dorn among the ant-hills, had swept all over thecountry, and the stream was now in freshet to full channel.
There were ways of getting the people across, the animals, too. But thewaggons must wait for the subsidence of the waters. Luckily, this hadcommenced, and, as they could see, was going on rapidly. Many SouthAfrican rivers rise to highest flood, to fall again within a few hours,and such an one this appeared to be. With glad eyes they saw it go downby inches, as though the water were filtering into the earth underneath,as well as running off down stream.
Confident it would soon be at its normal level, they did not think ofoutspanning. Instead, the oxen were kept attached to _dissel-boom_[Note 1], and trek-touw; only the horsemen dismounting to make thingsmore trim for the passage across.
In an incredibly short space of time the water was low enough to attemptit; and then arose a chorus of shouts, with cracking of whips, asdrivers, _achter-shambok_ men, and forelopers, urged the oxen down thesloping bank into the stream's bed. Not less was the fracas while thefording was being made, every moment of it a continuance of encouragingcries, and whip-cracks loud as pistol shots, till the three hugevehicles were dragged out on the northern shore, high, but not dry;instead, dripping wet up to their boxes.
The fording had been effected without serious accident, thoughaccompanied by one of a comical character, in which Andries Blom was theconspicuous figure. This ill-starred youth, now more than ever jealousof Piet Van Dorn, while crossing the drift, rode close to the waggonthat carried Katharina Rynwald. With the hope of re-establishinghimself in her good graces, he was making great show of solicitude forher safety, as also display of his horsemanship. This is a set-offagainst Piet's late pitch out of the saddle, which had become known, andhis own account of it credited by all, save Andries himself. Thelatter, however, affected disbelief in it, insinuating that it was asimple downright "throw," no hyena-hole, nor any other having aught todo with it. While wading his horse alongside the waggon, he hadsneeringly said as much to Katharina, to get for his pains a look ofreproachful scorn. Stung by it, and the jealousy that tortured him, hebecame reckless, spurring his horse angrily in front. But the animal,angered too, commenced pitching about, and tripping on the loose,slippery stones in the stream's bed, went head over, not only sousingits rider, but flinging him from the saddle. As the two struggled outupon the bank, paces apart, the laughter that from all sides saluted himwas bitter as though it came from the throats of fiends; all the morethat a sweet silvery voice took part in it, which he knew to beKatharina's.
But the merriment at his discomfiture was of short duration. Just then,all were oppressed with an apprehension of the tsetse having alreadydone its deadly work, and that the fatal result would declare itselflater on. It was not that, however, which brought their hilarity to anend, abrupt as though a bombshell had burst in their midst. This camefrom a shout sent from the opposite side of the stream--that they hadjust left--a cry of alarm. Looking across, they saw one of the Caffres,who had lingered behind at the laager to pick up odds and ends, comingat full run down to the drift, as he ran, excitedly exclaiming,"Olifants! olifants!" (Elephants.)
What was there in this announcement to alarm them? Instead, aprofessional hunter would have hailed it with delight, thinking of ivoryand the gain to be got from it. So might they, but for a spectaclewhich on the instant after they had under their eyes. Looking back uponthe open list, late traversed by them, they beheld a band of elephants,nigh a hundred in number, in all likelihood the same met on theirmidnight march across the Karoo. But whether they, or others, thedanger was all the same and imminent. The huge pachyderms were comingover the veldt and in their usual fashion, single file, making straightfor the drift, and likely to cross there. These sagacious animals knowall the waters within any district frequented by them--the springs,vleys, and streams, with their fording places. The herd was advancingas if along an oft-trodden track, and the apprehension of theVee-Boers--a very fear--was not without sufficient cause. Should theelephants continue on over the stream, it would be sure destruction toeverything that chanced in their way. The rush of the buffaloes, latelydreaded, were as nothing to it. It was now that the head _baas_, JanVan Dorn himself, assumed authoritative command, and gave display of hisintelligence; calling to the forelopers to lead off, with the driversand jambok men to whip up after. The waggons were instantly switched toone side, and clear of the track, which the elephants, left unmolested,would be likely to take. The driven cattle, too, were hurried out ofthe way, the people at the same time seeking safety in concealment.
But the old jagers had no intention of leaving the olifants unmolested;instead, he meant to make slaughter among them, and from their tusks getsome compensation for the loss sustained by that wholesale poisoning ofsheep.
He had barely time to arrange his battery--all the available gunsbelonging to the party--as the leading elephant, a grand old tusker,with ears big as carriage umbrellas, entered the open list in thetimber, the rest still following in file. Though going only in a walk,it was with a stride that carried them along fast as most other animalsin full run, and in a few seconds after the tusker stood on the stream'sbank; then with a flourish of trumpets, and a whirl of his flexibletrunk, struck straight down into the water.
But never to go out of it again alive, on his own legs. Scarce had hewetted his huge hooves, when he was saluted by a fusillade from theopposite side that not only tumbled himself over, but five or six of hisfellows following immediately behind, some of them wounded, some killedoutright. The rest of the herd took instant affright and wheelinground, we
nt off in wild rush, no longer aligned, but in scatteredconfusion, breaking through the bushes in every direction.
When the waggons were again drawn back upon track, and moved off inland,in addition to their usual loading, they carried several hundred poundsweight of valuable ivory.
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Note 1. The "dissel-boom" of a waggon is the pole to which the hindoxen are attached, the others in front drawing by the trek-touw.