Into the Unknown: A Romance of South Africa

by Lawrence Fletcher

  CHAPTER TWELVE.

  STORMED AT WITH SHOT AND SHELL.

  The next few days passed slowly and sadly on the plateau. Winfield wasquietly buried close by, his grave being concealed from view, as it wasmost desirable that the Mormons should be kept in ignorance of the factthat the little band had lost a man.

  The gloom of Winfield's untimely death hung over all, and it was allLeigh could do to keep poor Dora from breaking down entirely; and whenthe Mormons, a week later, made a desperate attack on the plateau, itwas a relief to the party to feel that the call for prompt and unanimousaction had taken them out of their thoughts, and brought them back totheir old ways of living and working.

  The attempt of the Mormons proved utterly futile, as the main body nevereven succeeded in getting within shooting distance of Grenville's party;and after some twenty of their bravest men had been sent to the shadesto swell their already awful list of casualties they sullenly drew offand troubled our friends no more for a considerable period.

  On the occasion of this attack Dora Winfield developed unexpectedqualities. She calmly came forward, insisted on having Leigh's rifle,and used it with a coolness and precision that astonished no one morethan the Zulu Amaxosa. "Ow," he said, "the lovely Lily of the Valleyhas slain two of the witch-finders. See! my brother, there they liekicking like wounded oxen--ow! my sister, it is good." Her face was setlike a flint; and when the Mormons fell back, she returned the weapon toLeigh, expressing the hope that she might yet have a chance of avengingher father's death by shooting at least one of the Holy Three.

  All this time the Rose of Sharon was comporting herself very quietly,and though he knew it not, a passionate love was growing up in her hearttowards Grenville. To Dora only was this revealed. "I would die for akind word from him," she said.

  "Rose, you mustn't say that," remonstrated Miss Winfield; "poor Dick isvery kind to everybody, but he has such a weight of responsibility onhis shoulders you can't expect him to think of love-making; only let usget clear of this horrible country, and I'm sure he will soon see what alovely little woman my dear sister Rose can be. I think, too, he hassome great scheme on hand, for of late he has asked me very manyquestions I have been unable to answer with regard to the Mormon city;and it was only yesterday that I referred him to you, dear, forinformation; so I daresay he will soon want you for a privateconference;" and Dora slily pinched the cheek of the blushing girl.

  It fell out exactly as Miss Winfield had said, for that very eveningGrenville led Rose apart, and sitting down beside her, began to questionher very closely with regard to the position, defences, public offices,and so forth, of East Utah--particularly asking in what portion of thecity the Holy Three resided.

  As Grenville catechised her he wondered at the eager comprehensiveanswers, and the blushing face of the young girl, particularly when hethanked her warmly for the information, and noted the tears whichstarted to her eyes. Still, it never occurred to the stupid fellow thatthis lovely flower of the wilderness had lost her heart to him.Grenville was, as a matter of fact, one of those unimpressionable menwho rarely fall in love, unless moved by some mighty and overmasteringpassion. All his life he had made honour and fame his mistress. Thepath of glory looked none the less inviting to his intrepid soul,because he well know that sooner or later it would, in all probability,lead to a premature and bloody grave. He was fond of saying that heknew no grander record in English history than that of the famouswarrior of the Elizabethan period whose name he bore, and though he wasunrelated to him he should consider it sacrilege to mar in any way aname which would be written in the annals of England in golden lettersas long as the nation existed.

  Miss Winfield, moreover, was right. Grenville had a deep-laid schemewhich was just now hatching in his fertile brain, and what this superblyaudacious project was, will presently appear. Do not, however, gentlereader, go away with the idea that Dick Grenville, for the sake of alittle cheap glory, bought perhaps with his life-blood, was willing tosacrifice all his friends. Far from it; his scheme meant salvation tothem, and to his Mormon foes destruction and death in their most awfulforms.

  Grenville's next move was to turn Amaxosa inside out by a simple methodof cross-questioning, which was yet complete enough in its results tosatisfy even an astute detective.

  One of the points he was particularly anxious about was the presence ofGame in this curious country. Grenville had now recognised almost everyknown species of deer, yet had seen no destructive beasts, such aslions; nor was there, Amaxosa assured him, a single one in the place,nor yet an elephant, though he had once trapped and killed a rhinoceros.Eager questions with regard to this latter animal resulted in the Zulugoing off next day and returning late in the evening with the rhinoceroshide, which was the very thing Grenville wanted. Putting this up attwenty yards, he fired two or three of the Mormon muskets at it, theballs all failing to penetrate its horny thickness, and in a short timehe had contrived a regular suit of clumsy armour out of the hide--armourwhich, he felt sure, would prove absolutely bullet-proof, unless hit inthe seams where he had had to shave it to a mere skin in order to unitethe edges with cord.

  However, to return to the subject of the deer. Amaxosa declared thatthe animals were not in any way preserved. On the contrary, the Mormonskilled them off freely; but he had always noticed that in the driestseason the herds seemed to increase; it was also at the latter end ofthe dry season he had settled the rhinoceros, and this season was nowrapidly drawing to a close--in fact in six weeks, at the outside, therains would begin.

  Over this information Grenville puzzled his brains for days withoutcoming to any satisfactory conclusion. His own opinion coincided withAmaxosa's, and from the vantage ground of the plateau he carefullywatched the animals feeding, and on several days noted entirely newclasses arriving. Did these beasts migrate from some otherfeeding-ground in East Utah, or had they some means of entrance into thecountry as yet unknown to man and undiscovered even by such keeninstinct as that of the Zulu chief?

  Amaxosa reiterated his assurance that he had searched every foot of thecountry for a way of escape, and had never found one. Still,remembering that the Zulu had never hit upon the subterranean roadway,Grenville thought it possible that some other exit might exist withouthim having any knowledge of it.

  Putting aside this important subject for the nonce, however, our hero'smind reverted to his pet scheme, and to the best methods of carrying itout he now directed all his faculties.

  Night after night, accompanied by Amaxosa, did Grenville creep up to thewalls--ay, into the very streets of East Utah--until its ways andbuildings were as familiar to him as were the streets of fashionableLondon. The Zulu accompanied his chief in utter wonder, but hissplendid training withheld him from asking any explanation--indeed, if"his Father" had asked him to jump into the River of Death he would havecomplied without hesitation, such power can a brave and fearless leaderwield over the heart of any true follower, be he white or black.

  Dawn after dawn saw the pair cautiously retaking their devious way tothe plateau, comforting the anxious watchers there, who heaved a sigh ofrelief on being assured of the safe return of the wanderers.

  Devious their way certainly was, for the pair invariably went and camealong the course of a river which they struck a few miles from the town,through which it ran and emptied itself into the River of Death. Bymeans of this small stream they were able to pass the walls unseen andobtain access to the very heart of the city.

  One morning, however, soon after Grenville had lain down to rest, beingexhausted with the labours of the night, he was awakened by Leigh, withthe news that the Mormons were again approaching in force; and on takingup his position on the plateau our hero found that the enemy had broughtwith them a new engine of warfare in the shape of an enormous catapultsomewhat after the ancient Roman style, but worked with india-rubbersprings, the country being of course alive with rubber-trees. Theoperators, moreover, were securely ensconced behind a sheet and roof ofthe same
product, the thickness of which must have been immense, as therifle-bullets of the little party had evidently not the remotest effectupon it. This curious-looking half-house on wheels was moved forward byits defenders to within fifty feet of the rock, and after some littletime had elapsed the engine correctly pitched its first missile rightupon the plateau, where, to the horror and consternation of our friends,it revealed itself fuming and hissing, in the shape of _an explosiveshell_. "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise;" still, thesight of that infernal bomb must have roused suspicions as to itscapacity for evil in even the ignorant mind of Amaxosa, and he couldread a confirmation of some unknown horror in the countenances of hisfriends. Coolly stepping forward, he took up the shell in his powerfulhands, and with a mighty effort threw it, with the fuse still smoking,right on to the top of the covered catapult, where it spontaneouslyexploded with a fearful roar, tearing the entire engine to pieces andkilling its miserable occupants. The Mormon band, watching at adistance to see their foes destroyed, at once made a stampede in thedirection of the town, and disappeared from view.

  On descending to the plain it was found that the catapult had beenworked by five men, all of whom were fairly cut to pieces; and lyingclose by, Grenville discovered two more shells with fuses attached.These bombs were evidently home-made, being simply a lead casing filledwith powder and ball, and ignited by a long fuse. They might, however,come in most useful in case of a concentrated Mormon attack upon theplateau; so these instruments of destruction were carefully stowed awayin one of the smaller caves, and Grenville was again able to betakehimself to his prematurely-disturbed slumbers.

  The effect of this last attempt was, however, an added determinationupon his part to read the whole Mormon community--and particularly, ifit were possible, the Holy Three--such a salutary lesson as wouldforcibly and unpleasantly bring them to their senses, and teach them forthe future to leave our friends severely alone, if it did not indeeddeprive them of all power to render any future attack upon theirposition otherwise than sheer waste of human life without the veryfaintest hope of success.

  As yet Grenville had not given anyone upon the plateau an inkling of thedeadly project which his fertile brain had matured, and the putting intooperation of which was only hastened by the latest ingenious andvindictive though futile effort of the enemy.

  On that afternoon, being anxious to draw a small plan of the city forthe purpose of defining his exact intentions to the party, Grenvilleapplied to everyone for a scrap of paper on which to work his diagram.No one was, however, possessed of the desired commodity. All at onceLeigh recollected that he had a Bank of England note for one hundredpounds in his purse, and this was forthwith produced, and was theoutcome of a curious statement.

  Taking the note with a laugh, Grenville laid it out upon a rock toremove the creases, and then proceeded to delineate with pencil upon itsback his _modus operandi_.

  Rose, however, suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! how did you get that?"

  "Get what?" asked Leigh, mystified.

  "That wonderful paper money which belongs to the Holy Three."

  "Holy Three be hanged," replied Leigh. "I got it from my bankers,Rose."

  The young girl was then questioned, and stated that amongst thetreasures of the Community was a box which had formerly belonged to herfather, and of which she had been deprived by the Holy Three; and thisreceptacle was, she averred, filled with this paper money, which hergrandfather had, her father said, obtained in exchange for gold dust.

  "Why then, Rose, you are an heiress," said Grenville, laughing, "and wemust get you back your inheritance."

  "I don't want it," said the impulsive girl; "I will give it to you ifyou can get it, Dick; but don't run any risks, I implore you."

  Wondering inwardly where the old Mormon could have found the opportunityof converting his gold into English bank paper, Grenville resumed hisoperations, and for the instruction of Leigh drew on the back of thenote a small plan of East Utah and its principal streets and offices,and then in an undertone said a few words to his cousin which made theother turn pale with fear and dread.

  "The scheme is a grand one, Dick," he at length gasped out; "but even ifit succeeds, I don't see how you personally can possibly make yourescape from the town. Don't risk it, old man," he pleaded; "we can'tafford to lose you. And if you got caught, what am I to do? I shallnever be able to keep these scoundrels off, or get Dora and Rose out ofthe country with only the Zulus to help me."

  "Now, Alf," replied Grenville, "you know I always make my mind upbeforehand, so it's no use you arguing; besides, I really think I canescape from the place. Remember, the confusion created will amount to apositive wholesale panic, and a man less or more in the streets willnever be noticed. Moreover, if the plan succeeds, it will mean at allevents practical immunity from interference in the future, and willprobably result in our finding an exit from the country. Of this I amdetermined--either I will find a way out or I will make one."

  In vain Leigh urged his view of the question--our hero had indeed cometo a determination, and met all opposition, remonstrance, and entreatywith the same inflexible resolve.

  His cousin next pleaded to be permitted to share the danger, but neitherwould Grenville allow this.

  "I will," he said, "risk no one's life or liberty except my own uponsuch a fearfully hazardous expedition. I intend that Amaxosa shallaccompany me inside the walls, to carry my heavy armour; and when once Ihave reached my destination, he will return to you. And remember, Alf,that if I happen to be taken or killed before or, possibly indeed, afterthe execution of my project, the Mormons will at once deliver atremendous attack upon your position. Keep them off as long as you canwith the rifles--for I shall leave you mine, as also my revolvers--andthen when they are massed together and absolutely climbing the rock,light those infernal machines of theirs and throw them into the crowd.Let the fuses burn at least thirty seconds before you throw them down,though; and I guess you won't have much more trouble with the Mormons.And if you, or I, or both fail, God help us, old man."

  "You don't mean to tell me you are going unarmed amongst those devils,who are raging for your blood?" remonstrated Leigh.

  "Not a bit of it," was the reply; "I'm going to take that heavy revolverof Myzukulwa's. If needful, it will come in handy as a club after it isemptied. Besides, my game this time is not fighting, but hiding andthen running; and I am specially anxious that should I have the ill-luckto fall into their hands, they may not along with me obtain any of ourown modern weapons of warfare. Had I not had the luck to drop RadfordCustance before he had time to hand your Winchester over to thecommunity, we should all have gone under a month ago. Let me tell you,these fellows are not bad shots--remember the man who nearly dropped usin the Pass; and above all, don't forget poor Winfield's end."

  "I see, nothing can move you," groaned poor Leigh.

  "No earthly consideration will induce me to forego the attempt, Alf,"was the quick reply; "so help me, instead of seeking to divert me fromthe end I have in view; and above all do not mention my project to thegirls. It will be time enough for them to hear it when the result is amatter of history."