"There is one hope. It is possible the Dutchman has a house somewhere
in these parts, and, if so, we may find her before it is too late."
"Then let us start. With a lantern it is possible to distinguish
hoof-marks in the dust."
"Come, then," said Hume, after a quick look round.
The lantern was secured, and they strode off rapidly, Hume whistling.
"For God's sake, stop that!" growled Webster.
Hume whistled the louder.
Webster gave one fierce look towards his companion, then strode ahead,
but presently faced round.
"Look here, Hume," he cried, "what is the meaning of this?"
"Go on," said Hume, catching his friend by the arm. "When I went to get
the lantern I fancied I saw the figure of a man disappear from the far
side of the waggon. It is probably one of our boys returning for more
loot; light the lantern now, and keep on down the road, making as much
noise as you can, while I lie in wait for him."
"Don't let him escape," said Webster, with great excitement. "Wouldn't
it be better if we both went after him?"
"No; leave him to me."
Webster went away down the road, swinging his lantern, and making vain
attempts to sing, while Hume crouched down to the ground for some
minutes before beginning his stealthy advance towards the waggon, whose
position he guessed. When at last he caught the faint gleam of the
white canvas he slowly circled round, and then stopped to listen. To
his great relief he heard someone at work in the waggon, turning over
the goods, and carefully he crept forward till he reached the
desselboom, where he could hear the exclamations of the man inside as he
groped among the packages. The echo of Webster's song--which had come
fitfully--ceased, and the man, clicking his tongue, jumped to the
ground, stood listening a moment, then went round to the fire, where he
could be heard blowing at a coal. Hume slipped round the waggon, saw a
dark figure crouching at the fire, the glow of the coal as he blew on it
throwing out his round head, noiselessly stepped forward, then flung
himself on the Kaffir, burying his face in the pile of ashes. There was
a smothered cry, a fierce struggle, and Hume dragged the man to the
desselboom and bound him fast with a rheim.
Then he hollowed his hands and sent a shout ringing through the night to
recall Webster, having first satisfied himself that his prisoner was
Klaas the driver.
Webster did not delay his return, and it was not long before he ran up,
guided by the fire, which Hume had restarted.
"Have you got him?"
"Yes; lashed to the waggon."
"Thank God for that! Let's look at him. Ah, you black devil, what have
you done with the lady?"
Klaas blinked at the lantern, then sullenly looked away.
Webster drew a sjambok from the side of the waggon, a formidable weapon
made from rhinoceros' hide, and made it whistle through the air.
"Now I'll make you speak. Where's the lady?"
Klaas looked at the sjambok, and clicked with his tongue in token of
defiance.
"Leave him to me," interposed Hume quietly. "Of what people are you,"
he asked the native; "a Makatese?"
Klaas gave a click.
"A Fingo?"
"Yoh!" he exclaimed, with a flash from his small black eyes.
"Well, then, of what people?"
"A Gaika of the house of Kreli!"
Frank looked at the man steadily, then suddenly spoke in Kaffir.
"You a Gaika; and you come like a dog of a Fingo in the night to rob
those who have served you well, after playing the part of a jackal to
the men who carried off the lady!"
The Kaffir made a sharp exclamation when he heard Hume speak his own
tongue, gave him a swift, startled look, then hung his head.
"Well, Gaika, what do you say before this baas cuts the marks of
disgrace upon you with the sjambok?"
The Kaffir lifted his head.
"What did the master say about the lady--the Inkosikasi?"
"I said she had been carried away; but why repeat it, when you helped?"
"It is true, baas, I would have taken one of the things from the
waggon--the thing that plays; but I did not know that the lady had been
taken."
"You lie!"
"Yoh!"
"Why did you steal away when we came? Was it not because your heart was
black?"
"Because the things had been disturbed by that Makatese boy. Let me
speak. When the baas went to shoot there came a white man, with
writing, saying we were to inspan and trek, so that the waggon would be
near where the baas was shooting. We inspanned, and one white man came
along. He said this was the place to outspan. In the morning another
white man came with a cart, which drew up over there beyond the thick
bush. They said the lady would go with them until you came back. Then
I went off with the oxen to the water, and when I came back the cart was
gone, and the lady and the white men, also the leader, and the things in
the waggon were disturbed. So my heart was afraid, and I went back to
the oxen."
"Is this story true?"
"Eweh, Inkose, it is true."
Hume took the lantern and went over to the bush, beyond which he found
the tracks of a cart.
Returning, he released the Kaffir, and told him to prepare food for
himself. He then related to Webster what he had just heard.
Webster was for tying Klaas to the wheel all night, but Hume opposed
this.
They snatched a few hours' needful sleep, and were roused before
daybreak by Klaas, whom they had left seated by the fire.
"Ah!" said Webster, as his eye fell upon the Kaffir, "I confess I
expected he would have slipped off in the night, and his presence here
is hopeful."
"A Gaika, like us, is a stranger in this country. We have talked to him
in his language, and he will stick to us like a burr. We must leave the
waggon to its own fate, I suppose?"
"Ay, I could not stay behind. Nor could you."
"We must trust the Kaffir, then. Klaas!"
"Baas!"
"Bring the oxen near the waggon, and keep watch while we follow the
cart."