CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
RELATES INCIDENTS OF THE WAR AND A GREAT DELIVERANCE.
On reaching the frontier fort it was found to be in a state ofexcitement bustle, and preparation.
News had just been received that the treacherous chief Hintza, althoughprofessedly at peace with the colony, was secretly in league with theinvading chiefs, and the Governor was convinced of the necessity oftaking vigorous measures against him. The savages, flushed withsuccess, and retiring for a time to their own land with the cattle theyhad carried off, found in Hintza one ready to aid them in every way. Ittranspired that he had not only allowed the stolen cattle to be secretedin his territory, but many of his own people were "out" with theconfederate chiefs fighting against the colonists, while traders underhis protection had by his orders been seized and plundered. A messagehad therefore been sent to Hintza requiring him at once and decidedly todeclare his intentions. To this, instead of a reply, the savage chiefsent one of his braves, whose speech and conduct showed that his wilymaster only wished to gain time by trifling diplomacy. The brave wastherefore sent back with another message, to the effect that if he,Hintza, should afford any of the other chiefs shelter or protection, anddid not restore the booty concealed in his territory, he would betreated as an enemy. It was also proposed that himself should come andhave an interview with the Governor, but this invitation he declined.Sir Benjamin D'Urban, therefore, resolved to menace the truculent chiefin his own dominions, and when Hans Marais with his band entered thesquare of the little fort, he found the troops on the point of settingout.
The force consisted of a body of regulars and a burgher band collectedfrom all parts of the colony. Among them were hardy Englishmen from theZuurveld, tough with the training of fourteen years in the wilderness,and massive Dutchmen from the karroo, splendid horsemen and deadlyshots.
While the bustle was at its height a party of horsemen galloped up tothe gate, headed by a giant. It turned out to be a contingent from GlenLynden, under Groot Willem of Baviaans River, with Andrew Rivers, JerryGoldboy, and several of the Dutch farmers of the Tarka in his train.
"Ho! here you are," cried Groot Willem in his hearty bass roar, as heleaped to the ground and seized Hans Marais by the hand. "All well atEden--eh?"
"Burnt out," said Hans quietly.
The giant looked aghast for a moment. Then his friend ran hurriedlyover the main points of his story. But there was no time for talk.While salutations were being exchanged by the members of the variousparties thus assembled, Sir Benjamin appeared, mounted his horse, gaveorders to several of his officers, and spoke a few words to Groot Willemand Hans. In a few minutes the troops were marched out of the fort, andnext day reached the right bank of the Kei River.
This was the western boundary of Hintza's particular territory. Onarriving, the Governor issued general orders to the effect that Hintzawas not "to be treated as an enemy." No kraals were to be burnt, nogardens or fields pillaged, and no natives meddled with, unlesshostilities were first begun by them, and that no act of violence shouldbe committed until due notice of the commencement of hostilities hadbeen given. "You see," said Sir Benjamin in a private conversation withone of his staff, "I am resolved to take every possible precaution toavoid giving cause of complaint to the great chief, and to endeavour bymild forbearance to maintain peace. At the same time, it is essentialthat I should act with vigour because undue forbearance is alwaysmisinterpreted by savages to mean cowardice, and only precipitates theevils we seek to avoid."
On arriving at a spot where a trader named Purcell had been plunderedand murdered, the troops were met by several "councillors" from Hintzaand from the chief Booko, who were still a day's journey distant. Tothese the Governor said:--
"Go, tell the Great Chief that I request an interview with himself,because I desire that peace should be between us, and that justiceshould be done. I will not cease to advance until such interview isobtained, and it will depend on his own conduct whether Hintza istreated by the British Government as a friend or a foe."
But the Great Chief was doggedly bent on meeting his fate. He returnedno answer to the message, and the troops moved on. Arriving at themission station of Butterworth, they found it destroyed, and here theywere met by a large body of Fingoes--native slaves--who eagerly offeredtheir services to fight against their cruel masters the Kafirs. TheseFingoes--destined in after years to make a deep impression on thecolony--were the remains of eight powerful nations, who, broken up andscattered by the ferocious Chaka and his Zulu hordes, had taken refugewith Hintza, by whom they were enslaved and treated in the most brutalmanner. He gave them generally the name of Fingo, which means dog.Their eager offer to serve under the British Chief was therefore mostnatural, but Sir Benjamin declined their services at the time, as warhad not yet been declared.
Soon after, a detachment of thirty men was sent back to the colony withdespatches, in charge of an ensign named Armstrong, who was waylaid andmurdered by some of Hintza's Kafirs. The Governor, finding that hisovertures were treated with studied neglect, and that hostilities werethus begun, called to him a Kafir councillor and warrior, and said--
"Your master has treated all my messages with contempt. He is in secretalliance with the chiefs who have invaded our colony. He has receivedand concealed cattle stolen from the white men. A British trader hasbeen deliberately murdered in his territory, near his own residence, andunder his protection, and no steps have been taken to punish themurderers. Violence and outrage have been committed by him on Britishtraders, and missionaries living under his safeguard have been forced toflee to the Tambookie chief to save their lives. I will no longer treatwith him. Since Hintza is resolved on war, he shall have it. I willnow take the Fingoes under my special protection, make them subjects ofthe king of England, and severely punish any who commit violence uponthem. I will also carry off all the cattle I can find.--Go, tell yourmaster his blood shall be on his own head."
This message, which was followed up by prompt action, the capture ofconsiderable numbers of cattle, and a successful attack on one of hisprincipal kraals, brought the great chief to his senses--apparently, butnot really, as the sequel will show. He sent in four messengers withproposals, but the Governor refused to treat with any one except Hintzahimself. Terrified at last into submission, he entered the camp with aretinue of fifty followers, and was courteously received by thecommander-in-chief.
During the course of these proceedings detached parties were frequentlysent hither and thither to surprise a kraal or to capture cattle, andthe two parties under Groot Willem and Hans Marais, having arrived atFort Wilshire at the same time, were allowed to act pretty much inconcert.
One night they found themselves encamped in a dark mountain gorge duringa thunderstorm.
"Well, well," said Jerry Goldboy to Junkie, who with Scholtz had takenrefuge under the very imperfect shelter of a bush, "it's 'orrible 'ardwork this campaigning; specially in bad weather, with the point of one'snose a'most cut off."
Jerry referred to a wound which an assagai aimed at his heart had thatday inflicted on his nose. The wound was not severe, but it waspainful, and the sticking-plaster which held the point of hisunfortunate member in its place gave his countenance an unusuallycomical appearance.
"Is it very zore, boy?" asked Scholtz.
"Zore! I wish you 'ad it, an' you wouldn't 'ave to ask," returnedJerry.
"How did you come by it?" asked Junkie, looking grave with difficulty.
"Well, it ain't easy to say exactly. You see it was getting dark at thetime, and I was doin' my best to drive a thief of a _h_ox down a placein the kloof where it had to stand upright, a'most, on its front-legs,with its tail whirlin' in the _h_air. An' I 'adn't much time to wasteneither, for I knew there was Kafirs all about, an' the troops wasgettin' a'ead of me, an' my 'oss was tied to a yellow-wood tree at thefoot o' the kloof, an' I began to feel sort o' skeery with the gloomythickets all around, an' rugged precipices lookin' as if they'd tumbleon
me, an' the great mountains goin' up to 'eaven--oh! I can tell youit was--it was--"
"In short, the most horrible sight you ever saw," said Junkie, drawinghis blanket tighter round his shoulders, and crouching nearer to thebulky form of Scholtz for protection from the wind which was rising.
"Yes, Junkie, it was--the most 'orrible sight I ever saw, for wildsavageness, so I drew my sword and gave the _h_ox a prog that sent 'im'ead over 'eels down the kloof w'ere 'e broke 'is back. Just at thatwerry moment--would you mind takin' your toe out o' my neck, Junkie? itain't comfortable: thank you.--Well, as I was sayin', at that verymoment I spied a black fellow stealin' away in the direction of my 'oss.He saw me too, but thought I didn't see _'im_. Up I jumps, an' run forthe 'oss. Up 'e jumps an' run likewise. But I was nearer than 'im, an'a deal faster--though I don't mean to boast--"
"An' a deal frighteneder," suggested Junkie.
"P'raps, 'owever I got to the 'oss first. I didn't take time to mount,but went leap-frog over 'is tail slap into the saddle, which gave thehold 'oss such a skeer that 'e bolted! The Kafir 'e gave a yell an'sent 'is assagai after me, an' by bad luck I looks round just as it wentpast an' all but took off the point of my nose. Wasn't it unlucky?"
"Unlucky! you ungrateful man," growled Scholtz. "You should be ver'glad de assagai did not stick you in de neck like von zow.--Is zat rainvich I feels in ze back of mine head?"
"Like enough. There's plenty of it, anyhow," said Junkie, trying topeer through the gloom in the direction of the tents occupied by a smallbody of regular troops which accompanied them.
As he did so a sudden squall struck the tents, levelling two with theground, and entirely whisking off one, which, after making a wild circlein the air, was launched over a precipice into thick darkness, and nevermore seen!
Lying under another bush, not far distant, Considine and Hans laycrouched together for the purpose at once of keeping each other warm andpresenting the smallest possible amount of surface to the weather. Theydid not sleep at first, and being within earshot of the bush under whichthe brothers Skyd had sheltered themselves, found sufficiententertainment in listening to their conversation.
"We scarce counted on this sort of thing," said John Skyd, "when,fifteen years ago, we left the shores of old England for `Afric'ssouthern wilds.'"
"That's true, Jack," was Bob Skyd's reply, "and I sometimes think itwould have been better if we had remained at home."
"Craven heart! what do you mean?" demanded James.
"Ay, what do you mean?" repeated Dobson; "will nothing convince you? Itis true we made a poor job of the farming, owing to our ignorance, butsince we took to merchandise have we not made a good thing of it--ain'tit improving every day, and won't we rise to the very pinnacle ofprosperity when this miserable war is over."
"Supposing that we are not killed in the mean-time," said Stephen Orpin,who formed one of the group.
"That is a mere truism, and quite irrelevant," retorted Dobson.
"Talking of irrelevant matters, does any one know why Sandy Black andMcTavish did not come with Groot Willem?" asked Orpin.
To this John Skyd replied that he had heard some one say a party of theGlen Lynden men had gone off to root out a nest of freebooters underthat scoundrel Ruyter, who, taking advantage of the times, had becomemore ferocious and daring than ever.
"Yet some say," observed Dobson, "that the Hottentot robber is becomingreligious or craven-hearted, I don't know which."
"Perhaps broken-hearted," suggested Orpin.
"Perhaps. Anyhow it is said his followers are dissatisfied with him forsome reason or other. He does not lead them so well as he was wont to."
While the white men were thus variously engaged in jesting over theirdiscomforts, or holding more serious converse, their sable enemies werepreparing for them a warm reception in the neighbouring pass. But bothparties were checked and startled by the storm which presently burstover them. At first the thunder-claps were distant, but by degrees theycame nearer, and burst with deafening crash, seemingly close overhead,while lightning ran along the earth like momentary rivulets of fire. Atthe same time the windows of heaven were opened, and rain fell inwaterspouts, drenching every one to the skin.
The storm passed as suddenly as it came, and at daybreak was entirelygone, leaving a calm clear sky.
Sleepy, wet, covered with mud, and utterly miserable, the party turnedout of their comfortless bivouac, and, after a hasty meal of coldprovisions, resumed their march up the kloof.
At the narrowest part of it, some of the troops were sent in advance asskirmishers, and the ambush was discovered. Even then they were in anawkward position, and there can be no question that if the natives hadbeen possessed of fire-arms they would have been cut off to a man. Asit was, the savages came at them with dauntless courage, throwing theirassagais when near enough, and hurling stones down from the almostperpendicular cliffs on either side. But nothing could resist thesteady fire of men who were, most of them, expert shots. Few of thewhite men were wounded, but heaps of the Kafirs lay dead on each otherere they gave way and retreated before a dashing charge with thebayonet.
Oh! it was a sad sight,--sad to see men in the vigorous health of earlyyouth and the strong powers of manhood's prime cast lifeless on theground and left to rot there for the mistaken idea on the Kafirs' partthat white men were their natural enemies, when, in truth, they broughtto their land the comforts of civilised life; sad to think that they haddied for the mistaken notion that their country was being taken fromthem, when in truth they had much more country than they knew what to dowith--more than was sufficient to support themselves and all the whitemen who have ever gone there, and all that are likely to go for manyyears to come; sad to think of the stern necessity that compelled thewhite men to lay them low; sadder still to think of the wives andmothers, sisters and little ones, who were left to wail unavailingly forfathers and brothers lost to them for ever; and saddest of all toremember that it is not merely the naked savage in his untutoredignorance, but the civilised white man in his learned wisdom, whoindulges in this silly, costly, murderous, brutal, and accursed game ofwar!
Returning from the fight next day with a large herd of captured cattle,the contingent found that Hintza had agreed unconditionally to all theproposals made to him by the Governor; among others that he shouldrestore to the colonists 50,000 head of cattle and 1000 horses,--onehalf to be given up at once, the remainder in the course of a year.
The deceitful chief was thus ready in his acquiescence, simply becausehe had no intention whatever of fulfilling his engagements. To blindhis white enemies the more effectually, he himself offered to remain inthe camp as a hostage, with his followers. Two other chiefs, Kreli andBooko, also joined him. This seemingly gracious conduct won for Hintzaso much confidence that orders were immediately given to evacuate histerritory. He became the guest of Colonel Smith, and the Governorpresented him with numerous conciliatory gifts. Thereafter the camp wasbroken up and the Governor took his departure.
No sooner was his back turned than Hintza's people commenced a generalmassacre of the Fingoes. About thirty were murdered in cold blood nearto Colonel Somerset's camp.
Full of indignation, when he heard this, the Governor summoned Hintza tohis presence and related what had occurred.
"Well, and what then?" was the Kafir's cool reply, "are they not mydogs?"
Sir Benjamin met this by giving orders that Hintza and all the peoplewith him should be put under guard, and held as hostages for the safetyof the Fingoes. He instantly despatched messengers to stop the carnage,and said that if it continued after three hours he would shoot two ofHintza's suite for every Fingo killed. He added, moreover, that if hefound there was any subterfuge in the message they sent--as he haddiscovered to have been the case in former messages--he would hangHintza, Kreli, and Booko on the tree under which they were sitting.
In less than ten minutes the messengers of the chiefs were scamperingoff at full speed in different directions
with orders! So potent wasthe power of this vigorous treatment that within the short timespecified the massacre was stopped.
But the Governor knew well the character of the men with whom he had todeal. To have left the Fingoes in their hands after this would havebeen tantamount to condemning them to suffer the revengeful wrath oftheir cruel masters, who would no doubt have resumed the massacre theinstant the troops were withdrawn. Sir Benjamin therefore collectedthem together, along with the few missionaries and other Britishsubjects who had found temporary refuge at the station of Clarkeburg.He placed them under the care of the Reverend Mr Ayliffe, for whom theFingoes expressed sincere regard, and transported the whole body insafety across the Kei.
"An amazing sight," observed Charlie Considine to a knot of hiscomrades, as they reined up on the top of a knoll, and watched the longline of Fingoes defiling before him like an antediluvian black snaketrailing its sinuous course over the land, with a little knot ofred-coats in front, looking like its fiery head, and sundry groups ofburghers, and other troops, here and there along its body, likeparti-coloured legs and claws. The length of this mighty snake may beestimated when it is said that of the Fingo nation not fewer than 2000men, 5600 women, and 9200 children, with 22,000 cattle, were led acrossthe Kei into the colony at that time.
The whole scene, with its multitudinous details, was a commingling ofthe ludicrous, the touching, and the sublime. It was mirth-provoking toobserve the wild energy of the coal-black men, as they sprang from sideto side, with shield and assagai, driving in refractory cattle; thecurious nature of the bundles borne by many of the women; the frolickingof the larger children and the tottering of the smaller ones, whoselittle black legs seemed quite unequal to the support of their rotundbodies. It was touching to see, here and there, a stalwart man pick upa tired goat and lay it on his shoulders, or relieve a weary woman ofher burden--or catch up a stumbling little one that had lost its mother,and carry it along in his arms. And it was a sublime thought that thisgreat army was being led, like the Israelites of old, out of worse thanEgyptian bondage, into a Christian colony, as the adopted sons anddaughters of a civilised Government.
It was, in one sense, a "nation born in a day," for the Fingoes weredestined, in after years, to become the faithful allies of their whitedeliverers, and the creators of much additional wealth in the colony,--araw native material which at that time gladdened, and still rejoices,the hearts of those missionaries who look to the Fingoes with reasonablehope, as likely to become, in time, the bearers of the Gospel to theirkindred in the wilds of Central Africa.
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