The Fire Trumpet: A Romance of the Cape Frontier

by Bertram Mitford

  VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER TEN.

  THE FIRE TRUMPET AGAIN.

  Payne had removed his household to Grahamstown, as being further fromthe seat of hostilities, and a very agreeable change to our party wasthe city of the old settlers, nestling in its basin-like hollow, andwith its tree-shaded streets and leafy gardens, after the dust and glareand over-crowding of the Kaffrarian capital. Here, too, the talk wasall of the war, but its dire evidences were less obtrusive, and, on thewhole, the Paynes made themselves tolerably comfortable. To LilianStrange, the time was fraught with a wondrous joy, and she often tookherself to task for feeling so supremely happy while so much sufferingand anxiety was pending over those around her. But she need not have,for the days of her rejoicing were already numbered.

  She was out riding with her lover one afternoon, when a turn in the roadbrought them suddenly upon a man--only a native, apparently on thetramp--a half-caste Hottentot, and a dark-browed, ruffianly-lookingspecimen of the breed. Directly this fellow caught sight of them hestopped, and, stooping down, pretended to be tying his shoestring, atthe same time keeping his face turned away from them as they passed.Lilian grew very pale.

  "Arthur," she whispered. "That's the same man who was following us theother day in King Williamstown. I knew him at once; and he knew me.Didn't you see how quickly he stopped and pretended not to take anynotice of us?" And glancing at her lover, she saw that his face wore aslightly puzzled expression and a frown which, however, disappeared asshe spoke.

  "Only some loafer. One often runs against the same specimens of thatclass," he said, carelessly.

  "But see how quickly he has come here. Arthur--I can't help lookingupon the circumstance as an ill omen. I never saw such amurderous-looking ruffian; and I'm certain he knows you. You may laughat my silly superstition, dear, but I can't get rid of the feeling."

  He did laugh; but so pleasantly, so tenderly, as he tried to reassureher.

  "But you must get rid of the feeling. Look now, my darling. We are noteven on the road from King Williamstown, but on one leading almost inthe opposite direction. If that nigger had been following me, and Idon't care a brass doit if he is, he would have come straight and notall round the country. So let the affair slide. I want you to enjoythis afternoon; we may not have many more together, for some time, youknow."

  He threw in this to counteract the effect of the unexpected encounter.Shaking off her depression, she looked up at him with a bright smile.

  "You dreadful prophet of ill. I won't have you predict such things.Let's have another of those glorious canters. I'm not nearly such acoward as I was, am I?"

  "No. You're as fearless as a circus-rider," answered he, with a laugh;and then they started off into a long, level, swinging canter. And thegolden hours of the afternoon fled as they kept on their way, overbreezy grassland and shady bush road; and not till after sundown didthey draw rein at their door, just as the labours of the day were at anend in the pleasant old frontier city, whose inhabitants were strollingup the wide streets, or turning into the ever open bars in quest oftheir evening "peg," or standing in knots at the corners discussing thenews from the front.

  "Oh, there you are," said Payne, meeting them in the doorway, andhanding Claverton a couple of letters. "Heard the news?"

  "No."

  "Well, here's the deuce to pay all round. A telegram came in to-daysaying that a chap named Kiva, with five or six hundred Gcalekas, hascrossed into the Gaika location, that the Gaikas have risen as one man,and the whole country is up in arms. The hotel and store at Draaiboschis burnt to the ground and a lot of farmhouses besides, mine among them,I expect. The road from `King' to the Transkei is blocked, and Komghain a state of siege. A pretty kettle of fish, isn't it?"

  "H'm. Rather. What's going to be done?"

  "They're calling out men. Our old corps is in the thick of it now, Iexpect. Brathwaite's will soon be there, too, I should think."

  "I should rather like to take service in that. But, look here," went onClaverton, who had been opening his letters the while, extending one ofthem to Payne. It was an official one, offering him on therecommendation of Jim Brathwaite the command of a corps of Hottentotlevies which was being raised; the other was from Jim himself stronglyadvising him to accept it.

  It was hard--very hard, to leave Lilian again so soon, and for anindefinite time--but, after all, it had been more than half expected.He supposed he must go. All would most likely be called out for serviceat a later stage of hostilities, perhaps almost at once, and even if itwere not so, how could he hold back? Besides, now, at any rate, herewas a definite command which might lead to something much better.

  "Take it, Arthur. You can't refuse it," Lilian said, bravely, when heshowed her the letter. "You must go; but you need not to-morrow. Wewill have one more whole day together, my darling--will we not?"

  "This is Saturday. They will want me to start to-morrow, but they maywant. I can't put it off later than Monday, I'm afraid, or they'llpitch-fork some other fellow into the concern instead. So we will makethe most of to-morrow. But cheer up, dearest. It won't be for so longas last time."

  She only answered with a smile, a little forced. She kept her tears forwhen she was alone, then they flowed freely enough. Such are theresults of war--glorious war! Men's blood, mingled with women's tears,fills the cup of the destructive demon.

  That evening Claverton went round to the official to whom the letterreferred him, and notified his acceptance of the post.

  "Ah! Yes. The levies--I remember," and he unearthed one or two papersfrom a pile. "You will go round by Fort Beaufort, and Victoria East,and pick up contingents that have been recruited there, and then reportyourself at King Williamstown, where you will receive furtherinstructions. Of course you will be ready to start at once--to-morrowat the latest."

  "No."

  The official looked up quickly, with a stare of astonishment.

  "Pardon me," he said, with some acerbity. "Did I understand you to saythat you could not start upon this service to-morrow?"

  "Not so fast, my dear sir; I didn't say I couldn't, I said I wouldn't.A vastly different thing," said the other, with a pleasant laugh.

  "But, Mr--Mr Claverton, I would really advise you not to throw up thisappointment. I assure you that I could name at least a dozen men whowould jump at the chance."

  "In that case it might be as well to give them the opportunity ofpractising their leaping powers," was the cool, smiling reply, and hemade a movement as if to rise.

  The official was sorely perplexed. To let Claverton go would entail noend of correspondence and bother before he could fix upon another manaltogether fit for the post; and, what with all the disturbance andworry of the past few days, he had more than enough on his handsalready, as the heap of letters and telegrams lying before him alldemanding "immediate" attention, and the lateness of the hour for him tobe in his office, abundantly testified.

  "How soon will you be ready, then?" he said at last, wearily pushingback his chair.

  "On Monday morning--an hour before daylight."

  "Very well, then, that's settled. I suppose a day won't make any greatdifference after all. And you might turn the time to account by pickingup three or four likely-looking fellows here. If you want any furtherinformation you'll find me here all to-morrow. No rest for us publicservants, not even on Sunday, since these confounded wars; I feel quiteashamed to look a parson in the face now--ha, ha, ha! Good-night!" andchuckling in a dispirited manner over his feeble jest, the officialshook hands with Claverton and returned to grind away at his vouchers,and requisitions, and reports until midnight. And our new commandant oflevies sallied forth, a flash of satirical mirth lurking in his eyesover his interlocutor's parting suggestion. So likely that, on the lastday he would spend with Lilian, he was going to bother himselfrecruiting a lot of dirty niggers among the grog-shops of Bog-na-fin[the popular name for a low quarter of Grahamstown].

  But his fame must have s
pread very rapidly, for early the next morningbefore he was half-dressed, his faithful henchman came to tell him thata man was asking for him in the back-yard. "What does he look like,Sam?"

  "An ugly Hottentot, Inkos. Big and strong, though."

  "All right, tell him to wait. And, Sam!"

  "Inkos?"

  "I shall take you with me to the front. So you'll be able to try yourhand at shooting Amaxosa."

  Sam jumped with delight at this. He could hardly believe his ears. Thelast time, he had begged and prayed to be allowed to go; but then hismaster had gone in the capacity of a private trooper, and couldn't beencumbered with a servant. Now it was different, and subsequently Sammight be heard imparting his good news over the wall to the Hottentotgroom belonging to the neighbouring house, winding up with his cherishedformula--"Amaxosa nigga no good."

  In a few minutes Claverton went out to interview his intending recruit,as he supposed the visitor to be, and an almost imperceptible shade ofannoyance came over his face as he saw before him the man whose suddenappearance yesterday had so sorely troubled Lilian during their ride."Ghosts don't talk!" said he to himself, sardonically and with meaning,"or this might be one."

  "Good mornin', Baas?" said the new arrival, with his eyes keenly fixedon the other's face.

  "Morning," replied Claverton, shortly. "What d'you want with me?"

  "I want to join your levies, Baas."

  "Oh, do you? What's your name?"

  "Vargas Smith, Baas," replied the fellow, who spoke English fluently,narrowly watching the effect of his words. But the said effect wassimply nil.

  "Queer name that. Where d'you come from?"

  "I've bin up Zanzibar way--three, four, five years ago--up the river,"answered the fellow, in a tone full of significance, jerking his thumbover his shoulder in the supposed direction of that locality. Thensinking his voice to a whisper: "Don't you know me, Baas?"

  "Never saw you before in my life," replied Claverton, looking him up anddown with a cold stare of astonishment.

  The coolness of this rejoinder fairly staggered Smith, who, for aminute, stood dumbfoundered. Then he said, still in a would-besignificant whisper:

  "They used to call me `Sharkey,' Baas, up yonder."

  "Did they? A devilish good name, too. But what's `up yonder,' andwhere do you hail from, when all's said and done? Are you from theseparts?"

  "No, sah, I'm Cuban gentleman."

  "Cuban gentleman, are you?" said Claverton, with a sneer. "Then let metell you this, Mr Vargas Smith, alias Sharkey, that I don't want_gentlemen_ in my corps; so you won't do for me. Now we understand eachother."

  "Yes, sar. I was only jokin'. Of course I un'stand. But I want toserve under you, Baas Lidwell--ah--I mean, Baas Claverton--and you'lllet me join."

  Claverton thought for a moment. If the fellow intended mischief, itwould be as well to keep him under his own eye. It might only be, afterall, that Smith wae really desirous of joining his corps, for he,Claverton, had something of a reputation for coolness and daring, andthis fellow, too, was in no wise wanting in pluck. And he had shown theman that he was determined not to recognise him, and that any attempt totrade upon a knowledge, real or imaginary, of former days, would beworse than useless. So he replied:

  "Well, Smith, you're a likely-looking fellow enough, and, on secondthoughts, I'll take you. But it's only fair to warn you that, as topromotion or recommendation or anything of that kind, you'll stand justthe same chances as any one else: no more and no less, d'you hear? Now,you show up at the Public Offices at one o'clock, and I'll let you knowwhen you will be sworn in, and the rest of it."

  "Very well, Baas," said the other, respectfully. "I'll be there. Goodmorning."

  Just then Lilian, throwing open her window, caught sight of theretreating figure of Smith. Her heart sank. What had this evil-lookingruffian to do with her lover? Had not his appearance heraldedmisfortune already?--for, with true feminine logic, she could not helpconnecting him in some way with the turn affairs had taken. AndClaverton, knowing the idea she had taken upon the subject of the man,purposely forbore to mention the circumstance, and she, fearing totrouble him, would not ask him.

  All along the frontier the tide of war was rising. The spark had fallenin dry grass, and now the flame flashed forth with lightning rapidity asone after another the insurgent tribes rose in open revolt. And amidthe wild glens and bushy wastes of their secluded fastnesses lurkedarmed hordes of fierce savages, hungering for prey and plunder; and thesmoke of burning homesteads hung in a pall over the land, telling of thetoil and industry of years laid in ruins. On many a hill-top hovereddark clouds of the enemy, ever watchful, and ready to swoop down uponthe lonely traveller, or patrol scanty in numbers; and the war-cry, grimand defiant, mingling with the crackling of musketry, told that each redwave was rolling on its course. And night after night, beneath theblackness of the heavens, the terrible Fire Trumpet rang out its luridmessage of destruction, and pillage, and death.

  Thus the year closed.