After breakfast had been eaten, it was proposed to start off in search
of the stolen property; and Groot Willem, not without reluctance, was
prevailed upon to accompany the others. He was loath to part even for a
few hours from the captives he prized so highly. His wildest dreams had
been realised. Two young giraffes had been taken and were gradually
getting tamed. He could caress them. They could be conducted with but
little trouble to the colony of Graaf Reinet,--thence delivered to the
Dutch consul, and both money and fame would be the reward.
Since returning to the camp and seeing the second giraffe, his
companions had heard no more boasting about his own prowess, nor
reproaches for their negligence. But now came the question of the ivory
and other articles still lying in the camp. With such a large quantity
of valuable property to transport to the settlements, the pack-horses
and cattle were worth making an effort to recover; so, leaving Hans with
Swartboy and two of the Makololo to guard the camp, the others started
off with the intention to seek and, if possible, find them.
Believing that the tribe of Bechuanas that had taken them would be found
living somewhere near a stream of water, they resolved to first proceed
down the river on which they had their camp; and in this direction they
set off.
For the first five miles nothing could be seen of the spoor of either
horses or cattle. But the ground was hard and dry, and, even if cattle
had been driven over it, it would have been impossible to take up their
spoor. It had rained heavily, and that would do something to obliterate
any tracks that might have been made. Soon they came to a place where
the river-bank was low and marshy, and this they examined with care.
They saw the hoof-marks of many animals that had quenched their thirst
at the stream, all plainly impressed upon the soft earth. To their joy
they perceived amongst them the tracks of horses and cattle, and easily
recognised them as those of the animals they had lost. Beyond doubt
they had been driven over the river at that point. Pleased at such a
good beginning, they continued on, more hopefully. They were now sure
that they had come in the right direction. The spoor still led down the
bunks of the stream. Three or four miles farther on, they came within
sight of a kraal, containing about forty huts. As they drew near,
several men ran forward to meet them, and instantly demanded their
business.
Swartboy informed them that they were looking after some stolen horses
and cattle.
A tall, naked man, carrying a huge parasol of ostrich-feathers, acted as
spokesman for the villagers. In reply to Swartboy, he stated that he
knew what cattle were; that he had often seen such animals, but _not
lately_. He had never seen any horses and knew not what sort of animals
they were. As it chanced, the rain that had fallen upon the preceding
night had so softened the ground that all footmarks made since could be
distinguished without the slightest difficulty. It was evident the man
with the parasol had not thought of this; for our adventurers at once
saw that he was telling them a story. They had proofs that he was, by
the sight of several horse-tracks with which the ground was indented
around the spot where they had halted. They were so fresh as to show
that horses must have been there but an hour ago; and it was not likely
they could have been on that ground without being seen by the villagers
and their chief.
Without saying another word to the natives, our party preceded on to the
kraal. As they drew near, the first thing that fixed their attention
was the skin of an ox freshly taken from the carcass, and hanging upon
one of the huts. Swartboy, who was an acute observer, at once
pronounced the hide to have belonged to one of the oxen he had lately
assisted in driving; and the two Makololo were of the same opinion.
They pointed out to the white hunters the marks of their own
pack-saddle. None of the villagers who stood around could give any
explanation of the presence of the hide. None of them had ever seen it
before; and the features of all were painfully distorted into
expressions of astonishment when it was shown them.
Passing out from the kraal the white hunters rode off over a plain that
stretched northward. They did so because they saw something there that
looked like a herd; and they conjectured it might turn out to belong to
themselves. They were not astray. The herd consisted entirely of their
own stolen animals. They were guarded only by some women and children,
who fled wildly screaming at the approach of the white party.
Riding up to the cattle, Groot Willem and Hendrik galloped on after the
frightened women, who, by the efforts they were making to escape,
plainly showed that they expected nothing short of being killed if
overtaken.
Too glad at recovering their property, the hunters had not the slightest
desire to molest the helpless women, and yet, without intending it, they
caused the death of one.
As they galloped after the affrighted crowd, one of the women was seen
to lag a little behind, and then fall suddenly to the earth. The two
horsemen pulled up, and then turned in the direction of the woman who
had fallen. On getting near, they noticed that dim, glassy appearance
of the eyes that denotes death.
Hendrik dismounted, and placed his hand over her heart. It had ceased
to beat. There was no respiration. The woman was dead: she had been
frightened to death.
By her side was a child not more than a few months old. And yet it
gazed upon Hendrik with eyes flashing defiance. Its animal instinct had
not been subdued by the fear of man, and its whole appearance gave
evidence of the truth of an assertion often made, that an African child,
like a lion's cub, is born with its mental faculties wonderfully
developed.
By this time the other women had gone far out of reach, and none of them
could be recalled. Hendrik was not inclined to leave the child by the
side of its dead mother. Undecided what to do, he appealed to Willem,
who, by this, had come up.
"We have frightened the soul out of this woman," said he, as the great
hunter drew near. "She has left a child behind her. What shall we do
with it? It won't do to leave the poor thing here."
"This is unfortunate, certainly," said Willem; as he gazed at the dead
body. "The blacks will think that we killed the woman, and will ever
after have an opinion of white men they should not have. We must take
the child to the kraal, and give it up to them. We can tell them that
the woman died of her own folly, which is only the truth. Hand the
piccaninny to me."
As Hendrik attempted to obey this request, the child by loud screams
protested against being taken away from its mother. Its resistance was
not alone confined to cries. Like a young tiger, it scratched and bit
at the hands that held it; thus exhibiting a strange contrast to the
conduct of its adult kindred, the Bechuanas, who have an instinctive
fear of white men as well as a distaste for hostilities in any way.
Holding the young black under one arm, Willem galloped after the cattle,
that, with the aid of the others, in less than an hour, were driven up
to the kraal. The only one missing was the ox whose hide had been seen
upon the hut. The child was delivered over to the chief. Swartboy
explained to him the circumstances under which it had been found; and at
Willem's request advised the Bechuanas never again to molest the
property of other people. To the surprise of our adventurers, not only
the chief but several of his elders loudly declared that they knew
nothing whatever of the cattle, or the women found in charge of them;
but, while they were thus talking, the two Makololo pointed out the men
who were loudest in declaring their ignorance, as the very ones who had
driven the animals away!
To escape from the discordant clamour of their tongues, the hunters
turned hastily away, taking their cattle along with them.
Hendrik and Arend felt some inclination to punish the blacks for their
treachery, as well as the loss of time and the trouble they had
occasioned. This, however, was forbidden by the great-hearted Willem,
who could no more blame the natives for what they had done than the bird
that picks up a worm upon its path.
"These poor creatures," said he, "know no better. They have never been
taught the precepts of religion; and to them right and wrong are almost
the same thing. Leave them to learn a lesson from our mercy."