Soon after this the explorers passed beyond the level country, and their
sufferings were for the time relieved. The region through which they
then passed was varied--hilly, wooded, and beautiful, and, to crown all,
water was plentiful. Large game was also abundant, and one day the
footprints of elephants were discovered.
To some of the party that day was one of deepest interest and
excitement.
Charlie Considine, who was, as we have said, an adept with the pencil,
longed to sit down and sketch the lordly elephant in his native haunts.
Andrew Rivers and Jerry Goldboy wanted to shoot him, so did George
Rennie and the Mullers and Lucas Van Dyk. More moderate souls, like
Sandy Black, said they would be satisfied merely to _see_ him, while
Slinger and Dikkop, with their brethren, declared that they wanted to
_eat_ him.
At last they came in sight of him! It was a little after mid-day. They
were traversing at the time a jungle so dense that it would have been
impassable but for a Kafir-path which had been kept open by wild
animals. The hunters had already seen herds of quaggas, and buffaloes,
and some of the larger sorts of antelopes, also one rhinoceros, but not
yet elephants. Now, to their joy, the giant tracks of these monsters
were discovered. Near the river, in swampy places, it was evident that
some of them had been rolling luxuriously in the ooze and mud. But it
was in the forests and jungles that they had left the most striking
marks of their habits and mighty power, for there thorny brakes of the
most impenetrable character had been trodden flat by them, and trees had
been overturned. In traversing such places the great bull-elephant
always marches in the van, bursting through everything by sheer force
and weight, breaking off huge limbs of the larger trees with his
proboscis when these obstruct his path, and overturning the smaller ones
bodily, while the females and younger members of the family follow in
his wake.
A little further on they came to a piece of open ground where the
elephants had torn up a number of mimosa-trees and inverted them so that
they might the more easily browse on the juicy roots. It was evident
from appearances that the animals had used their tusks as crowbars,
inserting them under the roots to loosen their hold of the earth, and it
was equally clear that, like other and higher creatures, they sometimes
attempted what was beyond their strength, for some of the larger trees
had resisted their utmost efforts.
As these signs multiplied the hunters proceeded with increased vigilance
and caution, each exhibiting the peculiarity of his character, more or
less, by his look and actions. The Mullers, Van Dyk, Rennie, Hans, and
other experienced men, rode along, calmly watchful, yet not so much
absorbed as to prevent a humorous glance and a smile at the conduct of
their less experienced comrades. Considine and Rivers showed that their
spirits were deeply stirred, by the flash of their ever-roving eyes, the
tight compression of their lips, the flush on their brows, and the
position of readiness in which they carried their guns--elephant-guns,
by the way, lent them by their Dutch friends for the occasion. Sandy
Black rode with a cool, sober, sedate air, looking interested and
attentive, but with that peculiar twinkle of the eyes and slightly
sarcastic droop at the corners of the mouth which is often
characteristic of the sceptical Scotsman. On the other hand, Jerry
Goldboy went along blazing with excitement, while every now and then he
uttered a suppressed exclamation, and clapped the blunderbuss to his
shoulder when anything moved, or seemed to move, in the jungle.
Jerry had flatly refused to exchange his artillery for any other weapon,
and having learned that small shot was useless against elephants, he had
charged it with five or six large pebbles--such as David might have used
in the slaying of Goliath. Mixed with these was a sprinkling of large
nails, and one or two odd buttons. He was a source of constant and
justifiable alarm to his friends, who usually compelled him either to
ride in front, with the blunderbuss pointing forward, or in the rear,
with its muzzle pointing backward.
"There go your friends at last, Jerry," said Van Dyk, curling his black
moustache, with a smile, as the party emerged from a woody defile into a
wide valley.
"What? where? eh! in which direction? point 'em out quick!" cried Jerry,
cocking the blunderbuss violently and wheeling his steed round with such
force that his haunch hit Sandy Black's leg pretty severely.
"Hoot, ye loupin' eedyit!" growled the Scot, somewhat nettled.
Jerry subdued himself with a violent effort, while the experienced
hunters pointed out the elephants, and consulted as to the best plan of
procedure.
There were fifty at least of the magnificent animals scattered in groups
over the bottom and sides of a valley about three miles in extent; some
were browsing on the succulent spekboom, of which they are very fond.
Others were digging up and feeding among the young mimosa-thorns and
evergreens. The place where the hunters stood was not suitable for an
attack. It was therefore resolved to move round to a better position.
As they advanced some of the groups of elephants came more distinctly
into view, but they seemed either not to observe, or to disregard, the
intruders.
"Why not go at 'em at once?" asked young Rivers in an impatient whisper.
"Because we don't want to be killed," was the laconic reply from
Diederik Muller.
"Don't you see," explained Van Dyk, with one of his quiet smiles, "that
the ground where the nearest fellows stand is not suitable for
horsemen?"
"Well, I don't see exactly, but I'll take your word for it."
While they were speaking, and riding through a meadow thickly studded
over with clumps of tall evergreens, Considine observed something moving
over the top of a bush close ahead of him.
"Look out there!" he exclaimed, but those in advance had already turned
the corner of a bush, and found themselves within a hundred paces of a
huge male elephant.
Jerry at once pointed the blunderbuss and shut his eyes, and would
infallibly have pulled the trigger, if Sandy Black, who had in some
measure become his keeper, had not seized his wrist and wrenched the
weapon from his grasp.
"Man, ye'll be the death o' somebody yet," he said in a low stern tone.
Jerry at once became penitent and on giving a solemn promise that he
would not fire till he obtained permission, received his weapon back.
"Een groot gruwzaam karl," whispered one of the Hottentots, in broken
Dutch.
"My certie, but he _is_ a great gruesome carl!" said Black, echoing in
Scotch the Dutchman's expression as he gazed in admiration.
"He's fourteen feet high if he's an inch," observed George Rennie.
The scent and hearing of the elephant are both keen, but his sight is
not very good. As the wind chanced to blow from him to the hunters he
had not perceived them. This was fortunate, for it would have been
highly dangerous to have attacked him in such ground. They wheeled
round therefore and galloped away towards some scattered rocks, whence
they could better approach him on foot. Dismounting, the leaders formed
a hasty plan of operations, and immediately proceeded to put it in
execution.
It may have been that their explanation of the plan was not lucid, or
that Jerry Goldboy's head was not clear, but certain it is that after
having been carefully told what to do, he dashed into the jungle after
Sandy Black and did what seemed right in his own eyes.
Black kept close to the heels of Hans Marais, and so did Considine, but
Jerry soon began to pant with excitement; then he stumbled and fell.
Before recovering himself from a "wait-a-bit" thorn he had been left out
of sight behind. He pushed valiantly on however and came to a small
open plain, where he looked anxiously round, but his comrades were
nowhere to be seen. Just then a shot was fired, it was followed quickly
by another, and then was heard, above the shouting of excited
Hottentots, the shrill screaming of wounded and enraged elephants.
Jerry heard the tremendous sounds for the first time, and quaked in his
spinal marrow.
Observing the smoke of a shot on the opposite side of the little plain,
he proceeded to cross over hastily, but had barely gained the middle of
the open space when the shrill screams were repeated with redoubled
fury. At the same time Jerry heard cries of warning, coupled with his
own name. He looked right and left in alarm, not knowing where the
threatened danger was likely to come from. He was not kept long in
suspense. Behind him he heard the crackling and crashing of branches
caused by elephants bursting through the wood. Then a large female with
three young, but by no means small, ones issued from the edge of the
jungle and made straight at the unfortunate man. Jerry turned and ran,
but he had no chance; the elephants gained on him so fast that he felt,
with an awful sickening of the heart, it was not possible to reach the
rocky ground beyond the meadow, where he might have been safe. With the
courage of despair he faced about and fired straight in the face of the
old female, which ran him down with a shriek of indignation. She had
only one tusk, but with that she made a prod at Jerry that would have
quickly ended his days if it had not missed the mark and gone deep into
the ground. She then caught him by the middle with her trunk, threw him
between her fore-feet, and attempted to tread him to death. This she
certainly would have accomplished, but that Jerry was remarkably agile
and very small; the ground being soft and muddy was also in his favour.
Once she set her foot on his chest, and he felt the bones bending. Of
course had the creature's full weight pressed it, Jerry would have been
cracked like a walnut, but the monster's foot was rounded and wet, and,
the poor man making a desperate wrench, it slipped into the mud; then
she trod on his arm, and squeezed it into the ground without snapping
the bone. Thus stamping and wriggling for a few seconds, the two fought
on for vengeance and for life, while George Rennie, Hans, and the two
Mullers ran to the rescue and fired a volley. This caused the animal to
wince and look up. Jerry, taking advantage of the pause, jumped up and
dived out from below her between her hind-legs--alighting on his head
and turning a complete somersault. He regained his feet just as she
turned round again to seize him. At that critical moment Lucas Van Dyk
put a ball in her head, and Considine sent another into the root of her
trunk, which induced her to turn and join her screaming offspring in the
bushes.
The hunters pursued, while Jerry, covered with mud and bruises, and
scarcely able to run, made off in the opposite direction. He had
scarcely reached the shelter of some broken ground, when the enormous
male elephant which had been previously encountered, came running past,
either to the rescue of its mate, or flying in alarm at the firing. It
caught one of the Hottentots who had loitered in rear of the attacking
party, carried him some distance in its trunk, and then, throwing him on
the ground, brought its four feet together and trod and stamped on him
for a considerable time. The unfortunate man was killed instantly. It
left the corpse for a little, and then returned to it, as if to make
quite sure of its deadly work, and, kneeling down, crushed and kneaded
the body with its fore-legs. Then seizing it again with its trunk, it
carried it off and threw it into the jungle.
This delay on the elephant's part gave the hunters time to return from
the destruction of the female, and with several successful shots to kill
the male.
"'Tis a heavy price to pay for our sport," said Considine sadly, as he
stood with his companions gazing on the body of the Hottentot, which was
trodden into a shapeless mass.
"Hunters don't go out for _mere sport_," said Lucas Van Dyk, "they do it
in the way of business--for ivory and hides. Of course they must take
the chances of a risky trade."
This sad incident naturally cast a gloom over the party, and they
remained there only long enough to cut out the tusks of the male
elephant and stow them away with choice parts of the meat in their
waggon.
After quitting the valley they fell in with the party under John Skyd
and Frank Dobson, and led by Stephen Orpin. They were much surprised to
find with these their friends Kenneth McTavish and Groot Willem, who
soon accounted for their unexpected appearance. They had been steadily
tracing the spoor of poor Junkie, had lost and re-found it several times
and, during their pursuit, had crossed the waggon-tracks of Skyd and his
party, whom they followed up, in the faint hope that they might have
heard or seen something to guide them in their search. In this they
were disappointed.
After a brief council of war it was resolved to join their forces and
continue the search after Junkie.
Proceeding on their way, they fell in with a wounded Kafir. He lay
dying under a bush, and made no attempt to escape, although he evidently
regarded the white men as enemies. Having been reassured on this point,
and comforted with a piece of tobacco, he told them that his village had
been attacked by the Fetcani and completely destroyed, with all the
women and children--only a few of the wounded warriors like himself
having escaped, to perish in the jungle. The Fetcani he described as
the most ferocious warriors ever seen. They did not use the ordinary
assagai or throwing spear, but a short stabbing one, and invariably
closed at once with their foes with irresistible impetuosity.
On being questioned about prisoners, and reference being made to white
men's children, he said that he had heard of a white boy who was brought
to a village a day's march or more from where they then were, but added
that the Fetcani hordes had gone off to destroy that village just after
destroying his own, and that he had no doubt it was by that time reduced
to ashes and all its inhabitants slain.
On hearing this, and learning the direction of the village in question,
the hunters went off at full gallop, leaving the waggons to follow their
spoor.
It was nearly sunset when they came to an eminence beyond which lay the
Kafir town of which they were in search. The first glance showed that
something unusual was going on in it--at the same time it relieved their
fears to observe that it was not yet destroyed. The mud hovels, like
huge beehives, in which the Kafirs dwelt, were not yet burnt, and the
only smoke visible was that which rose from cooking fires. But it was
quite plain that the people, who in the distance seemed to swarm in and
about the place like black ants, were in wild excitement.
"No doubt they've heard that the Fetcani are coming," said Groot Willem,
riding to the highest point of the ridge on which they stood. "The
place seems pretty strong. I think we might do worse than go lend the
niggers a helping hand till we've made inquiries about the lad."
Lucas Van Dyk echoed this sentiment, and so did Stephen Orpin, but there
were others who thought it best to let the niggers fight their own
battles.
"Well, friends," said Kenneth McTavish, "you may hold what opinion you
like on that point, but my business just now is to go into that town and
see if I can find Junkie Brook. The sooner I do so the better, so let
those who choose follow me."
He rode off at a brisk trot, and was followed by the whole party. On
reaching the town they halted, and the principal chief, Eno, came out to
meet them. One of the Hottentots being called to interpret, the hunters
were informed that the Fetcani had threatened to attack the town, and
that the inhabitants were busy putting themselves in a state of defence.
They were glad, said the chief, to see the white men, and hoped they
would stay to assist him.
To this Stephen Orpin replied through the interpreter. Stephen somehow
fell naturally into the position of spokesman and chief of the party in
positions where tact and eloquence or diplomacy were wanted, though in
the hunting-field he held a very subordinate place.
He told Eno that the white men had come to seek for a white boy who had
been stolen from one of the frontier settlements, and that he had heard
the boy was in his, Eno's, town. That he was glad to hear it, though of
course he did not suppose Eno had stolen the boy, seeing that none of
his people had been yet near the colony. That he and his friends now
came to claim the boy, and would be glad to aid them in defending the
town, if attacked while they were in it.
In reply the chief said he knew nothing about a white boy being in his
town, but would make inquires.
While this conference was going on, a man was seen to approach, running
at full speed. He fell from exhaustion on arriving, and for some
moments could not speak. Recovering, he told that he had just escaped
from a band of two hundred Fetcani warriors, who were even then on their
way to attack the town.
Instantly all was uproar and confusion. The warriors, seizing their
shields and spears, sallied forth under their chief to meet the enemy--a
few of the youngest being left behind to guard the women and children.
A party of the Hottentots under Kenneth McTavish also remained to guard
the town, while the rest set off to aid the Kafirs. They were
compelled, however, to ride back a short distance to meet the waggons,
and obtain a supply of ammunition. Thus a little time was lost, and
before they could reach the scene of action the Kafirs had met with the
Fetcani warriors, been thoroughly beaten, and put to flight.
On the appearance, however, of the horsemen the pursuers halted.
"Now, lads," cried Groot Willem, "a steady volley and a charge home will
send them to the right about."
"Better fire over their heads," said Orpin earnestly. "We are not at
war with these men. Let us not kill if we can help it."
"I agree with that heartily," cried Charlie Considine.
"So do I," said Hans. "Depend on't the sound will suffice for men who
perhaps never saw fire-arms before."
"Quite right, Maister Marais," said Sandy Black, with grave approval,
"an' if oor charge is only heeded by Groot Willem an' Jerry Goldboy,
tak' my word for't thae Fit-canny craters'll flee like chaff before the
wund."
"Very good," said Groot Willem, with a grin.--"Come along, Jerry."
The dauntless little man answered the summons with delight, and the
whole party approached the wondering Fetcani at a trot. Halting when
within about eighty yards, they fired a volley from horseback over the
heads of the enemy. Then, through the smoke, they charged at full speed
like thunderbolts, Groot Willem roaring like a mad buffalo-bull, Jerry
Goldboy shrieking like a wounded elephant, and energising fearfully with
legs, arms, reins, and blunderbuss, while the others shouted or laughed
in wild excitement.
The Fetcani, as Sandy Black had prophesied, could not stand it. Turning
their backs to the foe, they fled as only panic-stricken and naked
niggers _can_ fly, and were soon scattered and lost in the jungle.
While this was going on far out on the plain, Kenneth McTavish had much
ado to keep the people quiet in the town--so great was their dread of
falling into the hands of the ferocious Fetcani. But when the wounded
warriors began to come in, breathless, gashed, and bleeding, with the
report of their disaster, he found it impossible to restrain the people.
The young warriors ignominiously left the place and fled, while the
women followed, carrying their children and such of their worldly goods
as they were loath to leave behind. For some time McTavish managed to
restrain the latter, but when at last the hunters came thundering back
after their bloodless victory, the poor women, fancying they were the
enemy, flung down goods, and even babies, and ran.
The horsemen called out to assure them they were friends, but their
terror was too great to permit of their comprehending, and they
continued to fly.
"Come, Charlie, we must head these poor creatures, and drive them back,"
said Hans, as he rode over ground which was strewn with utensils,
mantles, and victuals, among which many little black and naked children
were seen running, stumbling, tottering, or creeping, according to age
and courage.
Followed by the other horsemen, they rode ahead of the flying multitude,
and, cracking their whips menacingly in front, with an occasional
charge, they succeeded in staying the flight and turning the poor women
back. No sooner did these comprehend how matters stood than they
turned, and caught up their little ones with as much affection and
thankfulness as if they had just shown a readiness to die for, rather
than forsake, them.
Among these children was one who, although as black as the ace of spades
in body and face, had light curly flaxen hair. He ran about in a wild
unaccountable manner, darting hither and thither, from side to side.
McTavish and the others, who had by that time dismounted, and were
standing at their horses' heads amused spectators of the scene, looked
at this urchin in surprise, until they observed that he was endeavouring
to escape from a stout young woman who did her best to catch him. She
had nearly succeeded, when he suddenly doubled like a hare and bore
straight down on the horsemen. Seeing this, the woman gave in, and,
turning, fled to the town, while the little fellow ran and clasped the
Highlander by the knees.
"Oh! Miss'r Tavish!" he cried, and looked up.
"Ah! why--it's Junkie!" cried the Highlander, catching the child up in
his arms and hugging him, by which means he left a dark imprint of him
on his own breast and face.
It was indeed Junkie--naked as on the day of his birth, greased from
head to foot, and charcoaled as black as the King of Ashantee!
Although an object of the deepest interest to the white men, poor Junkie
was not at that moment personally attractive. He was, however,
unspeakably happy at seeing white and familiar faces once more. He was
also very much subdued, and had obviously profited by the rude teaching
he had undergone in Kafirland, for his obedience to orders was prompt
and unquestioning.
The first important matter was to clean Junkie. This was only partially
effected, and with difficulty. The next was to clothe him. This was
done, on the spur of the moment, with pocket-handkerchiefs, each hunter
contributing one till the costume was complete. A large red cotton one
formed a sort of plaid; a blue one with a hole in the middle, through
which his head was thrust, served as a pretty good poncho or tippet; a
green one with white spots, tied round the loins, did duty as a tunic or
kilt; and one of crimson silk round the head formed a gorgeous turban.
Returning to the village, the hunters found Eno the chief, and, after
expressing much satisfaction at having arrived in time to lend him
effectual aid at so critical a period, they presented him with gifts of
brass wire and cotton cloth, from the stores in Skyd and Dobson's
waggons.
The chief expressed his gratitude in glowing terms, and begged the
hunters to stay with him for some time. But this they would not do, as
it was important to return to the colony, and report what they had seen
without delay. Notwithstanding their professions of gratitude, however,
these rascals stole as many small articles front the waggons as they
could lay hands on, and would doubtless have taken all that the hunters
possessed, if they had not been impressed by their valour, and by the
dreadful firearms which they carried.
This accidental skirmish was the first meeting of the colonists with the
Fetcani. It was not till two years later that the Government felt
constrained to take active measures against these savages.
The Fetcani, or Mantatee hordes, having been driven from their own
country by the bloodthirsty Zulu chief Chaka, had been preying upon
other tribes for many years, and at last, in 1827, they precipitated
themselves on the Tambookies, and afterwards on the Galekas, threatening
to extirpate these Kafirs altogether, or to drive them into the colony
as suppliants and beggars. In this extremity the Kafir chief Hintza
urgently craved assistance.
It was granted. A body of the colonists sent out by Government, under
Major Dundas of the Royal Artillery, defeated the warlike Fetcani, who
were afterwards utterly routed and scattered, and their dreaded power
finally annihilated, near the sources of the Umtata river, by a body of
troops under Colonel Somerset. Hintza's warriors were present at that
affair, to the number of about twenty thousand, and they hovered about
during the engagement admiringly, though without rendering assistance.
But when the enemy were routed and in confused retreat, they fell upon
them, and, despite the remonstrances of the white men, committed the
most appalling atrocities, mutilating the dead, and cutting off the arms
and legs of the living, in order the more easily to obtain their brass
rings and ornaments.
This warlike episode did not, however, affect the general condition of
the frontier. The settlers, having overcome the misfortunes of the
first years, began to prosper and multiply, troubled a good deal, no
doubt, by the thievish propensities of their ungrateful black
neighbours, but on the whole enjoying the fruit of their labours in
comparative peace for several years.