A stream descending from the Drakensberg, that lofty range of mountains
which runs across the whole of the south-eastern portion of the
Transvaal, separates that province from the north of Zululand. The
region is thickly wooded and picturesque, though in many places wild in
the extreme, while the climate, from the elevation of the land, is pure
and invigorating. The stream, after issuing from the mountain-side,
increased by numerous feeders, rapidly assumes considerable proportions,
and rushes on towards the edge of a precipice, over which it falls in
masses of foam, to the depth of fifty feet or so, when it flows on
towards the south in a more tranquil current, with a width which may
well claim for it the title of a fine river.
"Those must be the mountains, and that must be the river, Mangaleesu
told us we should see," said Denis, as towards the end of the second day
they stood on the height overlooking the valley into which they were
about to descend.
"I have no doubt about it, from the description my brother Rupert has
sent me," answered Percy; "and I think we shall soon see Falls Farm,
although on the opposite side of the river. From where we stand, it is
hidden by the trees. Hark! I think I hear the sound of the falls. If
we were more to the south, we should see them."
"Well, then, let's make haste, and we shall be able to get down to the
bank before dark," said Denis; "though how we are to cross is a puzzle."
"Perhaps we shall see somebody, and get him to send a boat across for
us," said Percy. "Come along."
They hurried forward, eagerly looking out for the house and the falls,
which would assure them that they were not mistaken in their
expectations.
"Yes, there are the falls," cried Percy. "I see the water falling like
a sheet of snow to the right, though it's farther off than I supposed,
and there's a wreath of smoke rising above a clump on the opposite side,
that must come from a house. Yes, hurrah! there's no mistake about it.
I see a verandah, or porch, peeping out on the slope of the hill."
"All right. I congratulate you, Percy, as well as myself," said Denis;
"and now we must see how we can get across."
They soon reached the margin of the river. It was apparently not very
deep; but on the possibility of crocodiles existing in it, they were not
inclined to attempt swimming across. Presently, however, they saw a
person running along the bank. They shouted and waved to him. He saw
them, and waved in return.
"I shouldn't be surprised if that is my brother Rupert," cried Percy,
"though I shall not know him to a certainty, even when I see him close;
it is so long since we parted."
The person they had seen was lost to sight among the trees, but soon
reappeared on board a boat, in which he quickly came paddling across.
"Who are you?" he asked, "though I am sure you are Englishmen."
"Yes, I am Percy Broderick, and this is my friend Denis Maloney."
"And I am Rupert Broderick," said the person in the boat, leaping out,
and shaking hands warmly with his brother and then with Denis. "I am
delighted to see you, and so will father and mother be, and the girls.
We were beginning to grow anxious about you. How have you managed to
get here all alone? and what has become of Hendricks the hunter, with
whom we understood you were coming through Zululand?"
"I'll tell you all about it as we go along," answered Percy. "I know
Denis here is very hungry, and I confess that my joy in getting home has
not quite taken away my appetite."
"Well, get into the boat, and we'll soon be at the house; it isn't as
grand a mansion as you might have expected to find, but it's big enough
to hold us, and a few visitors besides."
They were soon across, Percy and Denis talking all the time, giving such
bits of their adventures as they knew would be interesting to their
hearer. No sooner did they land, than Percy set off running, eager to
meet his father and mother and sisters.
"Stop, stop!" cried Rupert; "let me say that you are coming, or the
sudden surprise may be too trying to our mother's nerves."
But Percy had been seen from the verandah, and a middle-aged lady and
three young ones came rushing down the steps, followed by a tall,
strongly built gentleman, who seemed well capable of wielding an axe or
a broadsword, as occasion might require.
"Percy, Percy!" cried the lady. "I know you, my dear boy! It must be
you. Say I am right!"
"Yes, mother, yes," answered Percy, and rushing forward he was soon
receiving affectionate embraces from his mother and sisters. His father
was not long behind them, and then Rupert brought up Denis, who was
received in the kindest manner, faithful Raff coming in for a share of
their attention.
Another person soon appeared upon the scene. A gaunt woman, her grey
hair destitute of cap, a red shawl over her shoulders, came rushing down
the steps, a basting ladle in her hand, which she threw unconsciously to
the ground, while she stretched out her arms as she gazed at Percy, and
throwing them round him, exclaimed--
"Sure it's Masther Percy himself come home at last. Welcome, welcome!
It does my heart good to see you, although it's a mighty outlandish
country you've come to."
"It's home, however, Biddy, for I'm sure you must be Biddy Gillooly;
though so many years have passed since you carried me in your arms, I
remember you perfectly," answered Percy, returning her embrace.
"Blessings on ye, Masther Percy, for saying that," cried Biddy; "and who
is the other young gintleman?"
"A countryman of yours," answered Percy, introducing Denis. "He'll be
glad to have a talk with you about the old country, although he's not
seen much of it himself since he was a small boy."
Biddy was delighted to find that Denis was actually born in her native
village.
"Come, Biddy, the lads want supper as soon as possible, and the pots may
be boiling over during your absence," said Captain Broderick.
Biddy took the hint, and picking up her ladle, hastened back to her
kitchen. As soon as the excitement of their first arrival was over,
both Percy and Denis began to feel the fatigue of their long journey.
Percy could scarcely keep his eyes open while he sat at table. Mrs
Broderick advised that they should both go to bed, and they accordingly
retired. Denis managed to attend to himself; but Percy could scarcely
have got into his bed without the assistance of his mother and brother.
The next day Percy was unable to rise, and Denis did not turn out until
the evening, when he declared that he felt sufficiently rested to start
again, if it was necessary, although he had no wish to leave the farm.
Percy was affectionately tended by his mother and sisters, and he
assured them he hoped in another day or two to be all to rights. The
three Miss Brodericks were very nice girls--Denis thought them
especially so--but they were very far from being fine young ladies.
Assisted by Biddy, their only domestic, they attended to all the
household affairs, cooked and baked, milked the cows, made butter and
cheese, fed the poultry, worked in the garden, but still found time to
stitch, sew, and darn, and make their mother's and their own dresses, as
well as clothes for their father and brother, while they did not neglect
the culture of their minds, aided by their father, who had brought a
small library with him, which had been increased from time to time as he
was able to obtain books from England. They were all cheerful and
happy; but a shade of melancholy occasionally passed over the
countenance of Mrs Broderick, as if her thoughts were reverting to some
cause of grief during the past.
Captain Broderick had now been settled at Falls Farm about twelve years.
He had selected it on account of the beauty of its situation and the
fertility of its soil, but had not sufficiently considered at the time
its distance from a market. He had been over-persuaded by the Boer,
from whom he purchased it, that settlers would speedily gather round
him, and that navigation would be established on the river, by which his
produce could be conveyed southward. But neither of these expectations
had been fulfilled. Having a small annual income, he had struggled
manfully on, had got up a good house, had planted an orchard of fruit
trees, and brought numerous acres under cultivation, while his herds of
cattle and flocks of sheep and goats had greatly increased. He had done
his utmost also to win the confidence and affections of the natives in
his neighbourhood, who looked up to him as a counsellor and a friend, on
whose assistance they could always rely. When they would work, and he
had employment to give them, he justly paid them the wages he promised,
which were equal to any they could obtain by going farther in search of
them. While they were thus friendly and ready to protect him and his
family, there were others at a distance beyond his influence, who were
as savage as the generality of the Kaffir tribes, and addicted to
predatory excursions on the property of their neighbours. The captain
was an old soldier, and when building his house, had had an eye to its
defence. He therefore had enclosed the acre or so of ground in which it
stood with a high palisade, on the outside of which ran a deep ditch,
and this could be filled by diverting a stream from the falls above,
inaccessible to an enemy.
The stream served amply to irrigate the grounds and fields beyond, and
neither did it nor the palisade appear to have been formed so much with
the view of serving as a fortification, as for the object of preventing
the inroad of elephants or other wild animals. The height, however, of
the palisade was such that even a lion or leopard would have found it
difficult to leap over. Within it could be penned also a considerable
number of cattle and horses and sheep. The front was, however, left
open, a drawbridge only crossing the moat; but materials for filling up
the gap were kept stored on either side, so that in a few hours the
whole circle could be completed. The planks were of such a thickness,
that neither assegais nor bullets could pierce them, and certainly no
force such as was likely to attack the farm would be provided with guns.
Captain Broderick felt confident that he could rely, in case of an
inroad, on the assistance of the neighbouring inhabitants, who would
eagerly hurry to the farm for their own protection. Here and there were
a few white settlers, but the greater number were Kaffirs, who did not
owe allegiance to the monarch of Zululand. Had not Captain Broderick
carefully studied the habits and customs of the natives, and ingratiated
himself with them, he would have been unable not only to put up his
house or the palisade, but even to have cultivated the ground, and found
herdsmen for his cattle. He had two faithful followers, of whom a
description will hereafter be given, as also three Hottentots, who lived
in huts outside the farm; and he occasionally obtained the assistance of
a couple of other white men; but the rest of the labour was performed by
the Kaffir natives. Indomitable perseverance and energy had enabled him
to overcome numberless difficulties, and had there been a market at
hand, he would by this time have become a rich man. But the expense and
loss of driving his cattle even to the nearest town was very great, and
the profit very small after their arrival, while the trader who
occasionally came that way could afford to give but low prices for
animals which might never reach their destination.
Provisions, however, were abundant; and Captain Broderick and his son
Rupert seldom failed, when they went out hunting, to return without a
good supply of game, as they could always depend upon the assistance of
the Kaffirs and any of the white settlers whom they invited to join
them.
A couple of days had passed since the arrival of Percy and Denis, and
they began to grow anxious at hearing nothing of Hendricks. It was
difficult to account for his delay, unless he had lost so many of his
oxen as to be unable to proceed with his waggon. This, however, was not
likely. The natives were not hostile, as they were always glad to have
traders come among them to purchase their produce, and from whom they
could obtain the articles they required. The tsetse fly, although
destructive in some parts to cattle, was not supposed to exist in the
district through which he was passing, and although one or two of the
animals might have been killed by lions, that would not have hindered
him for any length of time, as he might easily have supplied their
places, or travelled on with a smaller team. At last, Captain Broderick
resolved to send out a couple of trusty men in the direction it was
supposed Hendricks would come.
One of these, Conrad Vermack by name, whose chief characteristic was his
intense hatred of the Zulus, had at one time possessed a farm of his
own, but it had been destroyed by the savages while he was absent on a
hunting expedition. He had returned to find his house burned to the
ground, and his wife, five children, and two servants massacred. He had
attempted to avenge their death, and had narrowly escaped with his own
life. With three assegai wounds in his body, utterly ruined in purse,
and his health broken, he had received shelter and kind treatment from
Captain Broderick, who pitied his misfortunes. He had in time recovered
his health, but had no desire or energy to attempt again setting up for
himself, though offered some stock with which to commence. He declined
the offer, saying that he would infinitely prefer devoting the remainder
of his life to the service of one from whom he had received so many
benefits; and he had thus remained on year after year, without changing
his resolution, apparently contented, if not happy. In appearance he
was unlike most of his countrymen. His figure was tall and bulky, his
face long and rugged. A smile never illumined his countenance. A mass
of long coal-black hair fell straight over his forehead and down his
back, giving him a strong resemblance, except in colour, to a North
American Indian. On all occasions he wore a short shooting jacket, his
arms sticking considerably beyond the sleeves, while it was darned and
patched in all directions, as were his trowsers, which had once been of
blue cloth, but had been mended with pieces of so many colours that it
was difficult to say what had been their original hue. Though Captain
Broderick had given him a good suit which he wore on Sundays, and had
offered him another instead of the one which has been described, he
could never be induced to leave it off. He had worn a portion of it at
his marriage, and he hoped to live and die in it, he said. He was a
first-rate hunter, and was more frequently out with his gun than
labouring on the farm, which was evidently not much to his taste, though
when his services were absolutely required he worked as hard as any one,
and amply repaid his host for the support he received.
The other man was a Kaffir, called Matyana. He belonged to a tribe
almost exterminated by Dingan, the predecessor of Panda, and
consequently hated the Zulus as much as did the Dutchman. Having made
his escape from his enemies, though desperately wounded, he had been
found by Captain Broderick in an apparently dying condition; but being
carried to the farm, and carefully tended, he recovered. Although his
people are generally supposed to be destitute of gratitude, he showed
that he possessed that virtue by willingly remaining on with his
protector, and rendering him all the service in his power.
Both these men, being well acquainted with the country, and thoroughly
trustworthy, were selected by the Captain for the proposed expedition.
They willingly undertook the duty, and set out well-armed and well
mounted, promising to discover Hendricks and his party if they were
still in the land of the living.
Denis begged to go with them, but Mrs Broderick interfered, declaring
that he was utterly unable to undertake the journey; he indeed confessed
to Percy that he scarcely felt up to a gallop, while he certainly was in
no hurry to quit Falls Farm.
Percy agreed with him, and thought indeed that he showed his good taste
in enjoying the society of his mother and sisters.
The young ladies found time, after the day was over, to play and sing
and talk, although they had nothing to say about their neighbours, and
especially to listen to the accounts Denis and Percy gave them of their
adventures.
By the bye, the three fair daughters of Captain and Mrs Broderick,
Helen, Rose, and Maud, ought before this to have been formally
introduced to the reader. The eldest was about two-and-twenty, Rose was
just eighteen, and Maud was a year younger than Percy. Miss Broderick
recollected a great deal about England, and it is just possible might
have preferred living there to existing in the wilds of Africa, at the
same time that she was contented with her lot, which many young ladies
would have thought a hard one.
As Percy was unable to walk any distance, on the evening of the day the
men had been sent off to look for Hendricks, Rupert proposed to Denis to
take him a row, and Maud, hearing of it, begged that she might go also.
The boat was the same in which Percy and Denis first crossed the river.
It was kept on the bank of the river, concealed in a thicket from the
view of passers-by, a short way from the house. They had just reached
the place where the boat was kept, and Rupert and Denis were busy
preparing her, when Maud exclaimed, "There are two people on the
opposite bank. They are natives, and are waving to us."
Percy looking up cried out, "Yes, so there are, and they appear to me
like Mangaleesu and Kalinda."
The two natives continued to wave still more vehemently, occasionally
looking behind them, as if they expected to see some one coming from
that direction. They then both stepped into the water, about apparently
to swim across.
Rupert and Denis on this made signs to them to wait.
"You remain here, Maud, with Percy," said Rupert, as he shoved off the
boat with his oar from the bank.
He and Denis rowed with all their might, for they saw that the natives
were evidently in a great hurry.
"Yes, there is no doubt that the man is the Zulu chief who saved Percy's
life, and who helped us on our way, and that the other is his wife,"
exclaimed Denis. "I would not have them on any account fall into the
hands of their enemies, who would kill them to a certainty. Pull away!
pull away!"
They quickly reached the opposite bank, when both Mangaleesu and his
wife hurriedly stepping into the boat, sank down thoroughly exhausted.
"What has happened, my friend?" asked Denis.
"We are pursued by our enemies, and they will soon be here;" answered
Mangaleesu. "Can the white chief give us shelter? or must we continue
our flight? For myself I would not mind, but my wife is well-nigh
exhausted, and I fear she would be overtaken."
"You do not, either of you, look as if you were capable of continuing on
much longer," said Denis, as he and Rupert began to row back as fast as
they could. "I am very sure that the white chief will protect you,
especially when he hears that you saved his son's life, and helped us
both so greatly. I may say that, may I not, Rupert? I am sure that
your father will protect them."
"No doubt about that," answered Rupert. "Pull away then; and if we can
get them concealed in the house before their pursuers see where they
have gone, it will save a great deal of trouble."
There was not much time to settle any further plans before they reached
the western bank. Immediately landing, they drew up the boat on shore,
at a spot where she was completely concealed by the bushes.
Scarcely had they landed when a large body of Zulus were seen on the
height of the opposite side of the river, waving their assegais, and
rushing down as if they fully expected in a few minutes to come up with
the fugitives.
"Come along, Mangaleesu. We must get into the house before those people
out there see you," cried Rupert, taking the chief's hand.
Unfortunately they had an open space to cross. As they did so they were
perceived by the Zulus, who broke into loud and savage shouts, which
even at the distance they were off could clearly be heard.
"Don't be afraid, Kalinda. They shan't hurt you," said Percy; "I am
sure my father will not let them take you away."
As they hurried on they saw the Zulus making signs to them to bring back
the boat. It was evident that the savages had perceived how the
fugitives had escaped them.
"You may beckon and shriek and howl as much as you like," cried Rupert.
"We are not going to allow you to murder these people if we can help
it."
Without paying further attention to the Zulus, they hurried on to the
house, where they found Captain Broderick.
Percy at once introduced Kalinda and Mangaleesu to his father, telling
him how much he and Denis were indebted to them.
"We come to crave your protection, O White Chief," said Mangaleesu.
"Our enemies are seeking our death, and if we are turned away I fear
that we shall be overtaken."
"I promise to afford it you, my friends," said Captain Broderick. "They
dare not drag you from my house by force, and I will not allow them to
enter."
"There is no time to be lost then, for they are very close to the bank,"
said Rupert. "I will go and see what they are about."
Captain Broderick led the chief and his wife into the house, while
Rupert hastened to where he could watch the Zulus. They were doing as
he feared they would; nearly half the band were already in the stream,
stemming the current, shouting and shrieking, to keep away the
crocodiles, while the other half were preparing to follow. The current
was carrying them down, but not very rapidly, so that they would land at
a point not far below that on the opposite bank from which they had
started.
He at once returned to report what he had seen. Captain Broderick had
by this time come back to the front of the house. There were
fortunately two white men, as well as the Hottentots, and several
faithful Kaffirs within call. He ordered Rupert at once to bring out
the arms and put them into the hands of the Kaffirs, whom he knew he
could trust. The white men had brought their rifles, and by the time
the Zulus had landed, he had a dozen men, besides himself and Denis and
his two sons, ready to defend those to whom he had promised protection,
should their enemies attempt to take them. Having drawn them up on the
inside of the moat in front of the house, he waited to see how the Zulus
would proceed. As soon as they had landed and shaken themselves dry,
they looked about as if expecting to see the fugitives; then guessing
that they had taken shelter in the farm, they advanced towards it, until
they came in sight of the force prepared to receive them. Their leader,
a chief of some consideration, judging by the cow-tails hanging round
his neck, and the feathers in his head-dress, advanced and began an
address to Captain Broderick.
"The Zulus and the white men are brothers," he said. "The enemies of
the one are the enemies of the other. How comes it then that I see the
white chief in arms against us? We have long been seeking one who is a
traitor to his country, and who has defied our king Panda, the lion of
the world, and I desire to know whether he is still flying across the
country, or has been received into the house of our friend. If he has,
we demand that he may be delivered up to us forthwith, to be treated as
he deserves."
Captain Broderick listened patiently until the chief had come to an end.
"I wish to be friends with the Zulus, as well as with all the people
among whom I live," said the captain. "I have no desire to protect any
one because he is an enemy to the Zulus, but I cannot allow any injury
to be inflicted on persons who have rendered essential service to those
dear to me. There is no one in this house I can consent to deliver up
to you, and therefore if you expect it you must go away disappointed. I
have said it, it is useless to ask more."
The chief, on hearing this, looked very angry, and muttered something
which Captain Broderick could not understand. The Zulus appeared
doubtful how to proceed; at length Captain Broderick spoke to them.
"To show you that I wish to be friends, if you are hungry, I will feed
you," he said. "You shall have a heifer, which I was going to kill
to-night, but you must retire with it across the river, where you can
feast as you desire."
This promise had evidently a good effect on the Zulus. They saw,
indeed, that they were not likely to gain anything by force from a white
man, who was well prepared to repel it, and was not to be intimidated.