One morning Kanu and his men, who had shortly before left their place of
abode on a hunting expedition, were astonished at seeing the white tent
of a wagon slowing moving through the sand dunes at a short distance
from them. They at once dropped in their tracks and then crept into
concealment for the purpose of discussing the situation. The Bushmen,
although the different clans often quarrelled among themselves, had one
sentiment in common,--hatred of the European. After they returned to
the cave there was a general furbishing-up of the best arrows, a testing
and a tightening of the bow-strings and a performance of the war
sacrifice. This last consisted in drawing a small quantity of blood
from the right knee of each warrior, mixing it in an earthen bowl with a
small quantity of arrow-poison and pouring the mixture out upon the
ashes of the previous night's fire. Then, with arrows erect around
their heads, they looked impatiently towards their leader for the signal
to attack.
The wagon was only about a couple of miles away; the white tent
intermittently gleaming between the driving clouds of sand. Among the
broken hillocks the strangers were quite at the mercy of an attacking
force, no matter how small. Thus, the pygmies might have crept right up
to the wagon without being noticed, and discharged their deadly shafts
from within point-blank range, settling the business with one noiseless
volley. But Kanu did not give the signal; he sat with his head bowed in
thought, and his braves looked at him and at each other in astonishment.
Kanu reflected. He was aware of many things beyond the cognisance of
his followers. One thing had specially impressed him during his
captivity,--the implacable vengeance with which the Boers pursued the
marauders who murdered their friends and stole their cattle. This wagon
had certainly come much farther than any wagon had ever come before, and
it was not likely to be followed by others. Better not interfere with
it. The cave had not been discovered; it was impossible that any white
men would come and settle in the waterless neighbourhood. Tempting as
was the opportunity of wreaking vengeance for many wrongs, policy
demanded that they should forego it, so Kanu threw down his bow, plucked
the arrows from his head and said that he had been told by the spirits
not to attack these people.
It was a critical moment and, had Kanu's authority not been far more
strong than that which the Bushman leader usually held over his
followers, his orders would have been disregarded. However, no attack
was made and the wagon was permitted to proceed upon its laboured course
unmolested,--the people with it little deeming of their narrow escape.
Two days afterwards another wagon was reported to be proceeding along
the same course, and Kanu saw by the demeanour of his followers that he
would probably be unable to restrain them from attacking, so he led them
forth, and the little band took up its position in a patch of scrub
which crowned a small sand-hill overlooking the two-days-old track.
The travellers were evidently in terrible straits, and before they
reached the ambush the oxen collapsed. Leaving his braves with strict
injunctions not to move before his return, Kanu went towards the wagon
for the purpose of reconnoitring. Creeping sinuously among the hollows
between the hillocks over which the streaming sand was being swept like
spray from the crests of waves, he crept up to within a few yards of the
wagon and lay, concealed by a bush, watching it intently.
Just then Elsie came out of the tent and stood, protecting her face from
the stinging sand with her hands, and with her hair streaming in the
wind.
Kanu started. The figure and the hair suggested Elsie, but he could not
see the face, and the girl had grown almost beyond recognition. Then
Stephanus arose from where he had been kneeling at the other side of the
wagon and stood at his daughter's side. Kanu recognised his former
master in an instant, and now had no doubt as to Elsie's identity.
Throwing down his bow and arrows, he strode forward and called out:--
"Baas Stephanus--Miss Elsie--here is Kanu."
Stephanus turned and gazed at the Bushman with astonishment. Elsie
stepped forward with hands outstretched to greet her old guide and
preserver.
"Kanu," she cried, "can you get us water?"
"Yes,--the water is close at hand."
"God, who has sent this creature to succour us, I thank thee," said
Stephanus, solemnly.
"Baas must give me a small present of tobacco, so that I may soothe the
hearth of my people," said Kanu.
With his hands full of the much-coveted treasure Kanu sped back to his
impatient band. No one knows how, when or where the Bushmen learnt the
use of tobacco. When first the Europeans came in contact with them they
were evidently accustomed to its use. In an instant the rancour of the
warriors was turned into extravagant delight. With these children of
the wilderness the transition from ferocity to amiability was
instantaneous, and the one sentiment arose as unreasonably and inspired
them as completely as the other.
Immediately they crowded around the wagon, ready to assist with all
their power those who a few minutes previously they would have delighted
to put to a cruel death.
Soon every keg and other utensil in the wagon capable of holding water
was carried over to the spring and then the water was dealt out by
willing hands as fast as circumstances would permit. Vessels were
afterwards borne from one to the other of the famishing oxen and each
animal was allowed to take a sup at a time. All through the afternoon
this went on, until the cattle were once more able to arise.
Kanu told Stephanus of another spring which he had discovered among the
mountains to the north-west, about half a day's journey away, and
thither the oxen were taken during the night, and allowed to drink their
fill. Then, after a day's rest they were driven back to the wagon.
The Bushmen and their womenkind were, in the meantime, made happy with
liberal presents of tobacco, coffee and sugar. The tobacco had a most
curious effect upon them. They smoked it through a rough kind of a
hookah made out of a hartebeeste's horn, a stone bowl and a piece of
reed a few inches in length. There was no mouth-piece, so the smoker
pressed his mouth into the natural aperture at the base of the horn, and
inhaled the smoke. It was thus that they were accustomed to smoke the
"dagga" or wild hemp. After each smoker had filled his lungs and again
emptied them about a dozen times, he passed on the pipe to a companion,
and then laid himself upon the ground where, after becoming slightly
epileptic, he stiffened from head to feet and lay unconscious and
scarcely breathing for some minutes.
The women enjoyed the coffee and sugar, which were delicacies they knew
of only by report, with great zest. They were not satisfied with merely
drinking the beverage, but insisted on eating the grounds also.
These artless, cruel, innocent and murderous savages made their guests
royally welcome, when the latter visited the camp. They entertained the
strangers with songs, dances and dramatic performances, and presented
them with a supply of edible roots some of which proved exceedingly good
eating.
Stephanus soon ascertained from Kanu that Gideon's wagon had passed but
a few days previously. It was evident that Gideon meant to cross the
dune-tract at its junction with the mountain range that skirts the river
gorge, and then make for the eastward.
Kanu accompanied them when they returned to the wagon, and then he and
Elsie had a long talk, relating to each other their respective
adventures since they had last met. Elsie was struck by an idea.
"Kanu,--will you do something for me?"
"Anything that young mistress asks of me."
"Well,--I want you to go after the other wagon, steal all the oxen and
horses and bring them to me."
"Yes,--that can easily be done."
"Mind,--you are not to kill or harm anyone, but just to bring the cattle
and horses to me."
"Yes, I understand."
In the cool of the evening a start was made. The oxen, refreshed by
their drink, stepped out briskly. Thus, long before daylight came again
they had succeeded in passing through the heavy sand. The ground now
immediately before them was easy to travel over.
When outspanned for breakfast they saw a lot of cattle and some horses
being driven towards them. These were Gideon's,--stolen by the Bushmen
at Elsie's instigation. Stephanus, who had not been told of the plot,
laughed loud and long at Elsie's stratagem for stopping Gideon's flight.
Gideon's journey across the desert had not been so difficult as was that
of his pursuer. His team was composed of picked oxen that were well
accustomed to such work, and the day on which fell the crisis of the
journey,--the crossing of the dune-belt,--was comparatively cool.
Nevertheless, the cattle were almost exhausted when he outspanned on the
salt-impregnated ridge on which the Mission Station of Pella now
stands--just opposite the head of the deep kloof which breaks through
the otherwise impassable mountains, thus affording a way to the Orange
River. This kloof is about eight miles long, and the cattle were hardly
able to stagger down it to the drinking place. When the animals smelt
the water from afar they uttered pitiful lowings, and those that were
less exhausted broke into a stumbling run. It was found impossible to
bring the span back to the wagon until they had rested for a couple of
days.
Gideon, chafing with impatience, remained with the wagon. The servants
replenished the kegs with water and then returned to the river bank,
where they remained with the cattle.
Gideon, in his loneliness, was the prey of the most miserable
apprehensions. In estimating possibilities he had always endeavoured to
place himself in his brother's situation and by this means had driven
from his mind the possibility of Stephanus being otherwise than
absolutely implacable. He pictured the injured man hurrying,
immediately after his release, to the farm, his whole mind bent on the
wreaking of his long-panted-for revenge. Then, how he would have foamed
with fury at finding that the one in whose blood he had so longed to
imbue his fingers, had escaped. Of course a hot pursuit would be
immediately undertaken, and it would be as keen and relentless as that
of a blood-hound. The thought of this man, whose eyes he dreaded more
than he dreaded the face of Death, pressing furiously after him across
the blackened waste was ever before his vision, sleeping or waking.
He had not the slightest doubt that Stephanus was following him, for it
was exactly what he felt he would have done himself to Stephanus under
similar circumstances, but he drew a little comfort from the conclusion
that his pursuer could not have crossed the scorched desert anything
like as quickly as he himself had done. The raging heat of the past few
days had been as balm to his suffering spirit. Others had died in
Bushmanland--even when it had not been as arid as it now was; why not
Stephanus? But, he reflected, he had never expected his hotheaded
brother,--the restless, passionate man who could never brook restraint
in any form, to survive his long term of imprisonment; his heart should
have broken years ago.
Well,--here in the desert it was a case of man to man, and each was a
law unto himself. One thing was sure: if his vengeful brother persisted
in following him now,--if Stephanus would not even leave him the starved
desert as his lonely portion,--then the wide earth was not spacious
enough to hold them both. He was doing his best to put the miles
between them; if Stephanus followed he did so at his own risk and must
abide by the consequences.
But for the dread of Hell-fire Gideon would have ended it all years ago,
by means of a bullet through his own brain. That would be nothing,--the
bullet,--but Gideon imagined his soul standing, immediately afterwards,
naked before the vestibule of the Pit, listening to the roaring of the
flames and the shrieks of the damned, and awaiting its own summons to
enter.
After the cattle and horses had been driven back to the wagon from the
river, it was necessary for them to be allowed a night's grazing on the
edge of the plains, no grass having been found on the river bank. So
the horses were hobbled and turned out to graze with the oxen. The
leader was strictly enjoined to get up before daylight next morning and
bring the animals back to the wagon in time to admit of an early start
being made. There were tracks of lions visible here and there, but the
risk of beasts of prey had to be taken. Gideon now meant to turn due
east, cross the "neck" which connects the dune-tract with the river
mountains, and plunge into the unknown country beyond.
Next morning, soon after daylight, the herd returned, terrified, and
reported that both oxen and horses had been driven off by Bushmen.
Gideon's heart stood still. This appeared to be proof of what he had
often suspected, that the Lord had singled him out for relentless
persecution because he had done His work of vengeance. However, there
was only one thing now to be done: to pursue the marauders and attack
them at all hazards. Arming the leader and driver and taking his own
gun, he left the wagon and its contents to their fate and started on the
spoor.
To his surprise he found that the spoor, instead of leading into the
rough ground, as was invariably the case when animals were stolen by
Bushman marauders, led back along the track made by his own wagon.
After walking for about an hour he reached the top of a low ridge from
which the eye could range for an immense distance across the plains.
Then Gideon saw what made the blood curdle in his veins with horror. A
wagon which he knew must be that of Stephanus was approaching and behind
it was being driven a mob of loose cattle and horses which he could not
doubt were his own. The Hottentots raised a shout of joy; to their
astonishment Gideon turned and fled back across the plains towards his
wagon.
The miserable man now became insane in his terror. His only thought was
to escape,--to hide from the face of the man he had so greatly wronged.
Fear lent wings to his feet and, by the time Stephanus had reached the
top of the ridge where the two Hottentots were waiting in their
perplexity, Gideon had almost reached his wagon. Stephanus, overjoyed
at hearing that his brother was so close at hand, at once mounted his
horse and rode forward.
Gideon took refuge in the wagon and laid himself down with his loaded
gun in his hand. He had made up his mind as to what he would do in this
last emergency:--he would allow his brother to approach and, when he
arrived within point-blank distance, would cover him with the gun and
bid him stand. Then he would solemnly warn Stephanus not to approach,
holding him at parley where he stood. If the warning should be
disregarded Gideon determined to shoot his brother dead, but he hoped
not to be driven to do this. He would force Stephanus, under the muzzle
of the gun, to swear to go back and trouble him no more. He would
say:--"Your life is mine, here in this lawless land, to destroy by the
mere slight pressure of my finger upon the trigger against which it
rests.--It is mine,--forfeit because you have pursued me when I tried my
best to avoid you, and driven me to bay.--I give it to you in exchange
for the wrong I have done you. Take it and go in peace and I will never
cross your path again,--but come one step nearer and you are a dead man
with your blood upon your own revengeful soul."
As the past is said to crowd upon the consciousness of a drowning man so
these thoughts, wild and half-unformulated, hurtled against the
distracted consciousness of Gideon van der Walt as he lay shaking in the
wagon, holding his loaded gun with the muzzle projecting through the
slit in the canvas which, he had made with his knife for the purpose.
Every few seconds he lifted his head and glanced out with fevered eyes
to see whether his enemy were approaching. At length he saw what his
eyes had been seeking with expectant dread; riding down the long slope
swiftly on a stout pony was a man with a long, snow-white beard, whom he
recognised as Stephanus.--But what did this mean? his brother was
unarmed.--But perhaps the gun was concealed--slung from the saddle
behind as guns were sometimes carried in the hunting-field.--No,--the
pony swerved to avoid a shrub,--Stephanus was certainly unarmed.
He was riding in his shirt-sleeves and not even a switch did he carry in
his hand. Surely, Gideon thought, the man who was engaged in this
implacable pursuit could not expect his enemy to allow him to approach
to within gripping distance. No matter,--Gideon would challenge his
brother when he came close, and bid him stand if he valued his life.--
But would the man who had tenaciously held to a trail across Bushmanland
in a black drought stand still when bidden? Gideon felt sure that he
would not. Well,--he must shoot,--there was nothing else for it.
As Stephanus came nearer Gideon could see clearly the silvery whiteness
of his beard. He thought of the last time his eyes had rested on his
brother's face, when the sentence was pronounced, and that then the
beard was as black as the wing of a raven. Then a sudden horror struck
him to the heart.--He could not--could not--stain his already guilty
hands with this man's blood, after having ruined his life. The
threatened curse of Cain thundered in his ears. With a wild shriek he
sprang from the wagon, and fled among the naked, piled-up rocks which
formed the base of the hideous mountain at the foot of which his wagon
stood.
Unheeding the shout of Stephanus, Gideon sped on, leaping from boulder
to boulder in his mad endeavour to avoid the presence of the man against
whom he had so terribly sinned. By some curious trick of thought his
brother, thus unarmed, was more formidable to his maddened and guilty
soul than had he come with a primed and loaded gun. A dread of some
such fascination as the snake is said to exercise over his victim
possessed him; he felt that once under his brother's eyes he would be
bound and helpless. It was a terrible illustration of the dread which
the malefactor sometimes feels towards the one he has wronged.
Stephanus followed steadily, his heart full of its lofty purpose. He
knew that his brother could not escape him now,--that the moment he had
longed for through the slow years was at hand. Serene in his trust,
confident in his faith that Providence was directing his and Gideon's
steps, and that neither could stumble until God's purpose had been
fulfilled, he breasted the steep, rugged incline with a careful and
methodical expenditure of energy.
Soon the mountain narrowed to a wedge-shaped slope of an easier
gradient, which culminated in a naked peak on each side of which a black
gulf yawned. Under this, at a sheer depth which it made the senses
dizzy to contemplate, the mighty river, now turbidly brimming from the
heavy thunder-rains which had fallen upon its course, rolled down
between fringes of tall green timber.
When Gideon saw that he was trapped,--that in front of him and on either
hand were perpendicular cliffs, and behind him the brother whose face he
dreaded more than the face of Death, such a mighty cry of agony and
despair issued from his deep chest that the dead, black chasms seemed
for the instant to become peopled with lost souls. Then, nerved with
the courage of despair he turned and faced his pursuer.
"Keep back--keep back," he shouted hoarsely, "or I will shoot you dead
and follow you to Hell over the krantz."
"You cannot do it, my brother," called out Stephanus; "the shield of the
Lord would turn the bullet aside and His hand would bear you up from the
depths."
"Stand, I tell you.--Stand.--Another step and you are a dead man."
Stephanus continued to approach, so Gideon lifted his gun and pulled the
trigger, but the powder flashed in the pan. Stephanus never faltered,
but walked composedly to where the desperate man was hastily
endeavouring to reprime the gun with loose powder from his pocket.
Stephanus laid his hand on his brother's shoulder and Gideon at once
ceased in his attempt,--the gun slipped from his nervous fingers and
crashed upon the stones, and he sank, swooning, to the ground.
When he regained consciousness Gideon found himself supported by the
arms of his brother, whose eyes, deep with love and dimmed with pity,
looked steadily into his own. Then his sin, his anguish and his terror
slipped from him like a cast-off garment, and for the first time in his
manhood he wept.
It did not need much to be said on either side for an understanding,
full and complete, to be at once established. It was as though the
unveiled souls looked at each other, revealing all and wholly revealed.
Before turning to retrace their steps the brothers stood for a short
space and looked forth across the awful, Titanic chaos, in the
convoluted depths of which the weary river hurried improvidently along
with its wasted load of fertilising wealth. The sun had nearly sunk;
already the dark chasms were full of almost opaque gloom, above which
the rarefied air quivered around each sun-scorched mountain head,
seeming to cap it with thin, colourless flame.
In the north-east a great crudded cloud lifted its soaring towers into
the blue heart of the awful aether. Pure white on the side lit by the
sun, on the other it was deep purple, and through it shafts of lightning
were incessantly playing. Higher and higher it towered, sweeping past
at a distance of a few miles. Now and then during the pauses of the
thunder could be heard the low roar of the rain which fell like the
fringe of a pall from the lower margin of the immense mass. Then they
knew that the black, two-years' drought was over,--that along the track
over which they had so laboriously struggled a few short days since, the
flowers would be bursting forth in a few hours and the rocky depressions
brimming with silvern water.
Stephanus' wagon had in the meantime arrived and was standing,
outspanned, close to that of Gideon. Elsie stood near it, her face
turned to the mighty thunder-chariot from which a refreshing wind, laden
with the ichor of the fallen rain, stirred the richness of her hair.
She turned as her quick ear caught the sound of their approaching
footsteps, and it seemed to them as though the Spirit of Peace inhabited
her and looked out from the unfathomable depths of her sightless eyes.
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