For some time they continued their journey, meeting everywhere with the
grossest incivility on the part of the Boers; in many places they were
refused water at the farms, and warned at once off the land, and Mr
Harvey had the greatest difficulty in keeping his own temper and
restraining the boys from resenting the language of the Boers.
One day, as they were riding along, two Boers on horseback halted on an
eminence near the road and addressed taunting remarks to them; they made
no answer, but continued their way. They had not gone a hundred yards
when one of the Boers deliberately took aim and fired at them; the ball
passed between Dick and Mr Harvey and struck one of the natives walking
just in front of them, killing him upon the spot. This was too much.
Mr Harvey and the lads wheeled their horses, unslung their rifles, and
fired at the Boers, who were galloping away. One of them at once
dropped from his saddle, shot through the head; the other reeled, but,
retaining his seat, galloped off at full speed.
"This is a bad business, boys," Mr Harvey said; "we could not help it,
but it will bring trouble upon us. Now let us branch off from the road
we are following, and make for Leydenberg; we are within three days'
march of that place. There is an English garrison there, and justice
will be done. If we push on straight for Standerton, we shall be
overtaken and probably killed before we get there."
The bullocks' heads were turned towards the southeast, and at the best
pace the teams were driven across the country. Several large native
kraals were passed in the course of the day, and after a march of nearly
double the ordinary length the caravan halted for the night on the banks
of a stream. A sharp watch was kept all night, but nothing particular
happened.
Just as they were about to inspan the oxen in the morning some fifteen
or twenty men were seen approaching at a gallop. The oxen were at once
driven again to the laager, and every man seized his arms. The Dutchmen
halted at a distance of a hundred yards, and then three of them rode up
to the caravan.
"What do you want?" Mr Harvey said, advancing on foot in front of the
waggons, while the lads and the three hunters stood, rifles in hand,
behind them.
"We summon you to surrender," the Boers said; "you have murdered Mr Van
Burer and wounded Mr Schlessihoff."
"We have done nothing of the sort," Mr Harvey answered. "We were going
quietly along the road when those men insulted us; we passed on without
answering. After we had gone a hundred yards they fired at us, narrowly
missed me, and killed one of my men. We fired back, and with the result
you have named. We are quite ready to answer for our conduct, and when
we get to Leydenberg we shall at once deliver ourselves up to the
magistrate, and report what has occurred, and you can then bring any
charge you want to make against us."
"You will never get to Leydenberg," the Boers said scoffingly; "we are
your magistrates and judges; _we_ want no English law here. Once for
all, will you surrender?"
"We certainly will not," Mr Harvey replied, "and if you molest us it
will be at your peril."
Without another word the Boers turned their horses' heads and rode back
to their comrades; upon their joining them the whole rode some little
distance to the rear, and then divided, half turning to the left, the
other to the right.
"What on earth are they going to do?" Dick asked in surprise.
"They are going to surround us," Mr Harvey said; "they will dismount
and leave their horses in shelter. Now, lads, out with all the bales of
skins and pile them up under the waggons."
All hands set to work, and soon under each waggon a thick breastwork of
bales was erected, reaching nearly up to the floor, leaving only enough
space to see out of and fire; the three whites and the hunters took
station, one under each waggon, the teamsters and other natives being
distributed round the square. Quickly as they had laboured, the
preparations were not complete, when from a brow, at the distance of
about a hundred yards from the laager, a shot was fired, the bullet
burying itself with a thud in one of the bales of skins; almost
instantly from every point in a circle round other shots were fired, and
the splintering of wood and the dull sounds, as the shots struck the
barricade, told how accurate was their aim.
Mr Harvey's orders had been, "Don't throw away a shot. When you see
the flash of a rifle, aim steadily at that point; the next time a head
is lifted to take aim, hit it." The natives were ordered on no account
to fire, unless the Boers attempted to close, but to lie quietly under
shelter of the defences. In consequence of these orders not a shot
replied to the first volley of the Boers; but when the second round
commenced, puffs of smoke darted from beneath the waggons. Dick and Tom
knew that their shots had been successful, for the heads at which they
had aimed lay clearly in view, and no discharge came from the rifles
pointed towards them. The other shots must have passed near their
marks, and after this first exhibition of the shooting powers of the
defenders, the Boers became much more careful, firing only at intervals,
and shifting their ground each time, before they raised their heads to
take aim. So the whole day passed, a dropping fire being kept up on
both sides. The defenders were convinced by the end of the day that
seven or eight of the Boers had fallen, but their places had been more
than filled by new-comers who had been seen galloping across the plain
towards the scene of conflict. On the side of the defenders no
casualties had occurred.
Towards evening the fire died away, and Tom and Dick joined Mr Harvey.
"What will they do next?"
"I don't know, Dick; the Boers are by no means fond of exposing
themselves to danger, as has been proved over and over again in their
fights with natives. They must have suffered already a great deal more
than they bargained for, and are no doubt heartily sick of the job.
They may try a rush at night, though I question whether they will do so.
I rather imagine that their tactics will be to besiege us until we are
driven to make a move, and then to attack us by the way. Fortunately
the stream is close at hand, and we can get water for our cattle.
Still, there must be an end of it at some time or other."
Blacking now crept under the waggon.
"Massa, what you say?--me think the best plan will be for me to crawl
out and run to chief Mangrope; his place twenty miles away; he always
hate the Dutch, and refuse to pay tribute; several times they have sent
parties against him, but he always beat them off. Blacking tell him
that de Boers attack English, and that if he come down and help drive
them off you give him one team of fine oxen,--he come."
"I think your plan is a very good one, Blacking; but do you think that
you can get through?"
"Get through those stupid Boers? Easily," Blacking said contemptuously.
"Very well, Blacking; then, as soon as it is dark, you had better
start."
Blacking nodded and withdrew, and an hour afterwards stole out from the
camp.
As soon as night fell the Boers opened fire again, this time aiming
entirely at the end of the waggons nearest the water, evidently with the
intention of rendering it difficult to procure water from the stream.
Mr Harvey and his companions answered by firing at the flashes. As
they hoped that rescue would arrive ere long, Mr Harvey did not permit
any one to go outside shelter to fetch water, as the animals had been
watered in the morning the first thing, and could, if necessary, hold
out until the following night.
Just as daylight was breaking a tremendous yell was heard, followed by a
hasty discharge of muskets; then there was the sound of horses' hoofs
galloping at full speed, and then, headed by Blacking, two to three
hundred natives came up to the camp. The chief himself was among them.
Mr Harvey had on several occasions traded with him, and now thanked him
warmly for the welcome aid he had brought him.
The Boers were already far away, each man having run to his horse and
galloped off, panic-stricken at the sudden attack. The oxen were at
once inspanned, two being taken from each team and presented to the
chief, together with a large bale of cotton in return for his
assistance. The caravan then started, and after a march of sixteen
hours arrived at Leydenberg.
"It is an awful nuisance," Dick said to Tom on the march, "our being
obliged to come round here. If everything had gone straight, I
calculated that we might be at home by Christmas-eve. Now, goodness
only knows when we shall arrive; for, as likely as not, we may be kept
here for days over this row with the Boers."
The moment they arrived at Leydenberg Mr Harvey, accompanied by the two
lads and the three native hunters, went to the house of the magistrate.
That gentleman had just finished his dinner; but on being told that his
visitors' business was urgent he asked them to be shown in. The hunters
remained outside, and the lads followed Mr Harvey into the house.
"I have come to make a complaint against some Boers," the trader said.
"Then I can tell you beforehand," the magistrate put in, "that your
mission is a vain one. Outside this town I have not at present the
slightest authority. Complaints reach me on all sides of outrages
perpetrated by the Boers upon English settlers and traders. Strong
armed parties are moving about the country; and although I will of
course hear anything that you have got to say, with a view of obtaining
redress when things settle down again, I cannot hold out any hope of
being able to take action at present."
"I have scarcely come to you, sir, with the idea of obtaining redress,
but rather of stating my case, in case the Boers should bring a
complaint against me."
The trader then proceeded to relate the circumstances which had
occurred: the wanton attack upon them in the first place, the murder of
one of their servants, the killing of one and the wounding of the other
of the aggressors, the subsequent attack upon their camp, and their
relief by Mangrope.
"I think you have got remarkably well out of the affair, and although
the attack of the Boers has cost you the life of one of your followers
and twelve oxen, as you have killed eight or ten of them you have made
matters more than even, and have, moreover, given them a lesson which
may be useful. I will take down your depositions, as it is as well that
your friends here, and the hunters you speak of, should testify to it.
It is hardly likely that I shall hear any more of the matter; the Boers
were clearly in the wrong, and in any case they would not be likely at
the present moment, when the country is in a state very closely
approaching insurrection, to seek redress in an English court.
Fortunately 250 men of the 94th Regiment leave here to-morrow morning,
on the way to Pretoria. Their road will, for some distance, be the same
as yours; their colonel is at the present moment in the next room with
several of his officers, and I will request permission for your waggons
to follow his baggage-train. Thus you can keep with him until the road
separates, by which time you will be well out of the district of the
Boers who attacked you. You will, I suppose, go through Utrecht and
keep the eastern road, as that will be shorter than going round by
Standerton and Newcastle. If you will wait here for a few minutes, I
will speak to the colonel."
In a short time the magistrate returned, saying that Mr Harvey's six
waggons might join the baggage-train of the 94th on the following
morning.
At eight o'clock the 94th marched from Leydenberg, and Mr Harvey's
waggons fell in the rear of the column. As they had a considerable
amount of baggage and stores, the column would not proceed at a faster
rate than the ordinary pace of the bullock-train.
When the column was once on the march, the colonel rode down the line
and entered into conversation with Mr Harvey and the lads, who were
riding with him, and after having heard the narrative of the fight with
the Boers, he said to the lads, "You have had a baptism of fire early."
Mr Harvey smiled.
"They have had some very much more serious fighting in the country north
of the Limpopo; besides, they were both present at Isandula, Kambula,
and Ulundi."
"Indeed!" the colonel said; "then they have seen fighting. Perhaps you
will ride on with me to the head of the column again; we have a long
day's march before us, and if your young friends will give us some of
their experiences it will while away the time."
The four cantered together to the head of the column, where the doctor
and one or two other officers were riding. After a word or two of
introduction the colonel asked the lads to tell them how they came to be
at Isandula, and how they escaped to tell the tale.
"You had better tell it, Dick," Tom said; "you are a better hand at
talking than I."
Dick accordingly proceeded to relate their adventures during the Zulu
war, and the story excited great interest among the officers. When the
column halted for the day, the colonel invited Mr Harvey and the lads
to dine at the mess, and would not listen to any excuse on the ground
that their clothes were better suited for travelling among the native
tribes than for dining at a regimental mess.
The dinner was a very pleasant one, and after the cloth had been removed
and cigars were lit, Mr Harvey, at the colonel's request, related their
adventures north of the Limpopo.
"Your life is indeed an adventurous one," he said, when the trader had
finished. "It needs endurance, pluck, coolness, and a steady finger on
the trigger. You may truly be said, indeed, to carry your lives in your
hands."
"Our present journey has been an exceptionally adventurous one," Mr
Harvey said, "and you must not suppose that we are often in the habit of
fighting our way. I have indeed on several occasions been in very
perilous positions, and some other evening, before we separate, I shall
be glad, if it will interest you, to relate one or two of them."
"By the way," the colonel said, when they took their leave, "remember,
the word for the night is, `Newcastle.' You will probably be challenged
several times by sentries before you get to your waggons, for, although
there is no absolute insurrection at present, there is no saying when
the Boers may break out. They will hardly think of attacking a body of
troops marching peaceably along; still, it is as well to neglect no
precautions. If you are challenged, `Who comes there?' you will reply,
`Friends.' The sentry will then say, `Advance and give the word.' You
walk forward and say, `Newcastle,' and you will pass all right."
The march was continued for four days. At the end of this time they
arrived at the spot where the direct road for Pieter-Maritzburg through
Utrecht left that which they were following.
"Look here, lads," Mr Harvey said; "this road will take you
considerably out of your way. If you like you can follow the column for
another couple of days. You will then cross the south road, and can
there leave them and gallop on by yourselves to Standerton in one day,
and home the next. That will take you back by the 23rd; whereas, if you
go on with me, you will not be back by New Year's Day. We are getting
now to a part of the colony where the English element is pretty strong,
and the Boers are not likely to be troublesome; so I shall have no
difficulty in passing down with the waggons. You can tell your fathers
that we have had a most satisfactory trip, and I expect when I have sold
our goods at Durban they will have good reason to be content."
The lads gladly accepted the offer; they were longing to be at home
again, and especially wished to be back by Christmas.
The colonel on hearing of the arrangement heartily invited the lads to
mess with the regiment for the time that they continued with them, and
offered to have a spare tent pitched for their accommodation.