The School Friends; Or, Nothing New
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his waggon when prepared totrade with the natives. This Martin fixed to a staff with the intentionof unfurling it on approaching the enemy.
Martin and his companions were some distance on their journey beforedaybreak. They hurried on till fatigue and hunger compelled them tohalt. After breakfasting and taking a short rest they again proceeded.In vain they endeavoured to obtain information as to the movements ofthe enemy. No inhabitants were to be seen.
They passed, however, several villages which had been burned, and sawnumerous bodies of men, women, and even of children, shot down whileattempting to escape. Some of the men also had evidently been killedwhile fighting for their homes.
Masiko told Martin that the object of this raid, as well as ofnumberless others, had been solely to procure slaves to sell to theslave-dealers, who sent up parties many miles to the interior from theeast coast.
"Unless the Christian people of your country and others unite to put astop to the cruel traffic, there will be no peace or happiness for poorAfrica," he observed.
At length a spot where a village had lately stood was reached. Theremains of the huts were still smouldering, and it was evident that theenemy had not long quitted it. Numerous dead bodies lay about, shotthrough by bullets, showing that the enemy had firearms supplied by thewhite slave-dealers to enable them to carry out their nefariousundertaking. One man was found still breathing. The Makololo showedvery little feeling for his sufferings, but Masiko stooping down, pouredsome water from his leathern bottle into his mouth, which somewhatrevived him. The wounded man then told Masiko that the village havingbeen surprised at night, most of the inhabitants had been carried off,and he supposed that the enemy could not be many miles off.
The sufferer's life was ebbing fast, and in a few minutes he ceased tobreathe. Most of those killed were old men and old women, notconsidered worth carrying off as slaves; or, sadder still, severalinfants, who, incapable of enduring the fatigues of the journey, hadbeen torn from their mother's arms and dashed lifeless on the ground.
Martin, unaccustomed to such scenes, felt sick at heart as hecontemplated the spectacle, though the Makololo warriors regarded itwith indifference. Too often, probably, they had treated their enemiesin a similar manner.
The party now proceeded with the greatest caution, as it was difficultto ascertain how far off the enemy might have got. At any moment theymight overtake them. Not a single native could be seen from whom theycould gain intelligence.
No guide, however, was required to show them the way, as it was tooclear by the dead bodies of men and women who had been wounded in theattack, and had sunk down from loss of blood, and frequently by those ofvery young children, whose weight had prevented their mothers fromwalking as fast as their cruel captors required.
Martin was anxious as soon as possible to overtake the enemy, that hemight have a less distance to send back for the ransom which might bedemanded for Kibo. He was therefore much disappointed when night againcame on, and his party were compelled to encamp. They were fortunate infinding a spot near a pool, with high rocks and trees round it, wherethey could venture to light a fire and cook their provisions without therisk of being seen by the enemy.
The usual sounds heard at sunset in an African forest had ceased, andwere succeeded by the silence which reigns at night. Martin'scompanions too, who had hitherto been talking to each other, had thrownthemselves on the ground to sleep. He was about to follow theirexample, when a cry, which seemed to come from a distance, reached hisears. He listened attentively. It was repeated. He asked Masiko if hehad heard anything. Masiko said that he had, but that it was the cry ofa wild beast. Martin was almost sure it was a human voice, and that itcame from the direction the enemy had taken. Anxious to ascertain ifthey were in their neighbourhood, Martin begged Masiko to accompany him.Taking their guns, they made their way through the wood, the light fromthe moon enabling them to do so.
After passing through the wood, they ascended a slight elevation, whencethey could distinguish in the distance the light of several fires, whilea murmur, proceeding from a large number of human voices, reached theirears. There could be no longer any doubt that they were close to theenemy's camp, and that the cry they had heard was that of someunfortunate captive being beaten, or perhaps put to death.
On this Martin and Masiko returned to their companions, resolved to setout by daybreak, and to try and reach the marauders' camp before themarch was commenced. Martin was so occupied with the thoughts of whathe had to do in the morning that it was long before he could go tosleep. On one thing he was resolved, that he would not allow Masiko torun the risk of being seized by the robbers or carried off with the restof their captives. Masiko, though very unwilling to let him go alone,at length consented to remain with the rest in their place ofconcealment till Martin's return.
CHAPTER SIX.
Before daybreak Martin and Masiko set out, the latter insisting onaccompanying him as far as he could venture without the risk of beingdiscovered.
The sounds which proceeded from the camp showed that the people werealready astir, and Martin leaving his gun with Masiko, who remainedconcealed behind a thick clump of trees, proceeded alone, taking onlythe slender staff round which his flag was rolled.
He kept himself, as he proceeded, as much as possible under shelter, ashis object was to get as far as he could into the camp without beingdiscovered. As the people were engaged in their various occupations--some collecting cattle, others lighting fires to cook their food, whilemany had not yet even risen from the ground--he succeeded better than hehad anticipated. Seeing some huts before him, he guessed that they wereoccupied by the chief of the band and his attendants. Though a numberof people began to press round him, he advanced boldly forward till hegot in front of the largest of the huts, when, unfurling his flag, hestood quietly waiting to see what would happen. No one in the meantimeattempted to interfere with him, while the countenances of the peopleexhibited astonishment rather than anger. He had not long to waitbefore the chief made his appearance at the door of one of the huts,evidently too much surprised at what he saw to utter a word. Martin,taking advantage of his silence, pointed to the flag and inquired if heknew to what nation it belonged. The chief made no reply.
"I must tell you then," said Martin. "It is that of a great people whohave more power than all the tribes of Africa put together; yet powerfulas they are, they wish to be friends with all people, and to do themgood. You will understand, therefore, that I come to you as a friend,and as such I wish to talk to you, and to arrange a matter which hasbrought me here."
The chief, at length recovering a little from his surprise, put out hishand and told Martin that though he had never seen that flag before, nordid he know the nation of whom he spoke, he was welcome. "Probably," headded, "some of the people in the camp who have travelled to the sea mayhave heard of the great nation." Just then a man came forward andaddressed the chief in a low tone. Martin did not hear what was said.The chief seemed somewhat agitated, and at length inquired of Martinwhether any of the big canoes of his countrymen were in theneighbourhood, and what force he had with him. Martin did not say thatno English ships were likely to be in the interior of Africa, nor thatprobably he was the only Englishman within many hundred miles of him,but he replied cautiously that he had come on an embassy of peace, andthat he could not suppose the chief would refuse him the simple requesthe had to make.
"My countrymen," he added, "are, as I have said, powerful, and lovers ofpeace, and yet when they are compelled to go to war they never reduce toslavery those they conquer, but wish them to be as free as they arethemselves. Yet they know how to punish those who ill-treat thehelpless."
"Your countrymen may be a great people, but they seem to have verydifferent notions to mine," observed the chief. "As yet, however, I donot understand your object in paying me a visit."
"That is the point I am coming to," answered Martin in as firm a tone ofvoice as he could command. "You and your people have late
ly attacked avillage in which were some of my friends, and have carried them off tosell as slaves. One of them is an especial friend of mine. He is alsoof my religion, and understands my language, and I cannot allow him tobe carried away to live among strangers. As I told you, I came here ona peaceable errand, and all I demand is that you should set a price onmy friend, and if you will allow him to accompany me I will send you thegoods you demand."
The chief, on hearing this speech, looked greatly relieved, and afterconsulting with several of his headmen, asked Martin to point out thefriend of whom he spoke.
Martin replied that he would, and was forthwith conducted to the part ofthe camp where the unfortunate slaves, who had by this time got ready tocommence their march, were assembled. The men were generally chained inparties of six together, with heavy manacles on their hands; while thewomen were secured two and two with ropes round their waists,