Kitobni o'qish: «The White Chief of the Caffres», sahifa 10

Chapter Fourteen

Three days only had elapsed since my escape from the Zulus, and the fight between them and the men of Eondema, and I had been living with the young chief, and considering what I should do in order to rejoin my own people, when, at daybreak on the fourth day, a great noise was heard, and before we had time to do more than wonder what this was, a war-party of the Zulus was upon us. From facts which we afterwards learnt, we knew that the few Zulus who escaped from the men of Eondema had met a war-party of the Zulus not many miles east of the Umganie river, and had told the chief of this party that I was among the Umlass Caffres. This chief concluded that if he could capture me, and take me back to the Zulu king, he would be well rewarded. He also knew that there were cattle in plenty belonging to these people, and so, by a surprise, he hoped to capture me, and also carry off some cattle.

Their plans had been well arranged, for they had kept to the bush until within a short distance of our kraal. They had then rushed on it, and were upon us before we could prepare for them. Eondema and I were in the same hut, and we both made for the doorway, to get out and see what the noise was caused by. Eondema had scarcely moved a foot out of his hut before he was knocked on the head with a knob-kerrie, and instantly killed. Fearing the same fate, I did not follow him; but, seizing my gun, fired a shot among the Zulus who were round the doorway. In an instant they retreated, but I heard the call for “umlilo” (“fire”), and I knew they were going to burn the hut down. Now a hut set on fire from the outside would burn inwards, and roast any one who remained in the hut; but if the fire were applied to one part of the inside, it would, if properly kept down, burn outwards and make a hole through which a man might escape. There was no time to lose. So I blew up the embers of the fire, and lighted the grass on the inside of the hut opposite the doorway, and by help of some milk which was in the calabashes in the hut I prevented the fire from rushing all over the hut. In the meantime, the Zulus had set fire to the hut near the doorway, and I could hear the crackling of the flames above me. As soon as the smoke was very thick I threw the milk on the fire I had lighted, and pushing against this part, found I had made an opening large enough to creep through. I wished much to take my gun with me, but this I knew was impossible; and, besides, it would have been useless as a means of preservation, for although I might have shot one or two Zulus, yet I should have been assagied immediately after. My only chance of escape was that of getting out of the hut without being seen, and being able to move in the smoke without being recognised.

Having forced my way through the opening in the hut, I lay down outside for an instant to look round; and, hearing all the Zulus near the door on the opposite side of the hut to that from which I had made my escape, I rose and walked slowly away, still keeping in the thick smoke caused by the fire of the hut.

Now people not accustomed to hunting game such as antelope, leopards, and other like creatures, would probably have started off and run, as soon as they got clear of the hut. I knew better than to do so stupid a thing. If I had run, I should at once have attracted attention, and been followed, and my race for life would have commenced immediately. By moving slowly I was not noticed, and thus had gone more than a hundred yards from the hut before a Zulu, who was running towards the kraal which was burning, passed close to me, and seeing me, stopped; and, recognising me, hurled an assagy at me. The practice I had gained with Inyoni and Tembile stood me in good stead on this occasion, or I should have been speared. I dodged the assagy, which stuck in the ground near me, within reach of my arm, and seizing it threw it at my enemy. He was not as quick in escaping as I had been, and my assagy struck him in the chest and the blade passed through his body. I closed with him at once, and with one of his own knob-kerries struck him on the head, and I believe killed him. I did this so that he might not tell any other Zulus that he had seen me. Possessing myself of his shield, assagies, and knob-kerrie, I started off at a run towards the bush; for it was there I hoped to conceal myself, and possibly escape the keen eyes of the Zulus; for although they might follow my spoor as correctly as a dog will follow a buck, I still hoped I might defeat all their cunning.

The attention of all the Zulus was taken up with the kraal from which I had escaped; for they expected me to rush out as soon as I found that the smoke and fire would destroy me. That I should escape from the back part of the hut had not been thought of.

The distance from the kraal to the Berea bush was about a mile, and this distance I passed over at a rapid walk, and succeeded in entering the bush without being recognised by any of the enemy. The Berea bush was at this time visited annually by one or two herds of elephants which came down from near the Zulu country. They stayed in the bush during several months, and made paths through the thick jungle, along which a man could walk easily. The bush was nearly impenetrable except along these elephant tracks; so I thought I might easily conceal myself in this bush for two or three days, unless my footprints were seen, when I should certainly be tracked and probably caught or assagied. Having entered the bush without having been recognised, I made my way along an elephant-path, where the tracks of the elephants were quite fresh. I knew that in this bush there must be a herd of these animals, and if they would only walk along the same path that I had travelled they would rub out the print of my footprints, and I should be safe. I walked on into the densest part of the bush; and then, finding a large tree, I climbed into it; so that, if the elephants scented me and became savage and hunted me, I should be safe in this tree.

I knew I might have to remain in the bush during two or three days, and that I might remain all that time without food; but I had been accustomed to this trial, and people who in civilised countries take their three meals a day are not aware how long a man in health can last without food, especially if he is in the open air and can obtain water.

From the tree into which I had climbed I could see the sea beyond the bay, so that if a ship came off the harbour I could see it, but how to reach it would be the difficulty.

I had been but a short time in the tree when I heard a noise as of branches being shaken. At first I imagined that the elephants were moving through the bush, and consequently shaking the trees; but I soon saw in the topmost branches a number of small grey monkeys, which were leaping from branch to branch, and peeping at me whenever they could obtain a glance. They seemed to consider me an invader of their property, and to be angry in consequence, as they came within a few yards of me and screamed loudly. Now I did not fear the monkeys, as they were small, and having an assagy, I could easily have defended myself; but I knew that if any Zulus were in the bush they would at once suspect that the monkeys were making this noise because some strange creature was in the bush, and they would come to see what it was; and so, though they might not be able to trace me by my footprints, yet they would be attracted to my concealment in consequence of the noise made by the monkeys. Breaking off some branches, I threw these at the creatures when they came near me; but they did not seem frightened, and screamed and jumped about more than before. Suddenly, however, their attention seemed to be attracted by something else, as they left the trees around me and became greatly excited as they watched something on the ground. I feared that perhaps the Zulus had followed my footprints, and had traced me to where I then was; but I soon heard a noise which I recognised as that made by an elephant, and it was this creature to which the monkeys were giving so much attention. The elephant I soon saw as he moved slowly through the bush; he was a large bull-elephant, and was alone, no others being near him. When this is the case an elephant becomes very savage, as he has usually been driven out of the herd by a combination of younger bull-elephants. He then wanders about in the bush, and is ready to attack anything that he comes across. I was rather pleased to know that such an elephant was in this bush; for I knew the Zulus had a great dread of a solitary bull-elephant even in the open country, whilst in the bush he was still more to be feared. It would therefore be probable that, if (as they soon would) they knew of the presence of the elephant, they would not like to traverse the bush in search of me. As long as I was up a tree as high and as strong as that in which I now was I was safe from an elephant.

During two days I remained in the bush, passing the night in a tree, and by day gathering fruit and drinking water. People in civilisation eat and drink either at stated hours or when hungry and thirsty. I had long been accustomed to do both when I could. If not thirsty, and I came on a stream of good water, I drank, because by so doing I prevented myself from becoming thirsty; so that probably I might have managed to pass a month in this bush, without suffering from want of food or water. I had, however, found a tall tree from which I could see a great part of the flat and marsh of Natal, as also the bay and sea beyond; and on the afternoon of the second day I saw two sights which rejoiced me. The first was a large party of Zulus moving from near the bay towards the Umganie river: these men were driving some cattle before them, and were apparently leaving the country. The other sight was a ship which was sailing up the coast, and was evidently making for the anchorage opposite the harbour. Having taken up a safe position in this tree, I passed the night quietly, and when the first light of day enabled me to see distant objects, I perceived that the ship which I had seen sailing was now at anchor, with no sails set. Immediately I saw this I descended from the tree, and worked my way out of the bush; and, exposing myself as little as possible in the open country, made my way across the marsh and through the bush to the beach. I there procured a large branch of a tree, and waved it so as to attract the attention of any one looking out from the ship.

I incurred some risk in doing this; for if any outlying party of the Zulus were near they would have seen me and I could not easily have escaped. But I was obliged to show myself on the beach, so as to attract attention, or I feared the ship might leave without sending a boat on shore. I watched with considerable anxiety for some sign of a boat from the ship, but it must have been several hours before I saw a sail set on the vessel, and she began to move. I now noticed that the tide was high, and that there was but little surf on the bar, so that it was possible the vessel, which was small, might intend coming into the bay. My doubts were soon set at rest, for she headed towards the bluff, and came slowly on, and after being washed by one or two breakers as she was on the bar, she came into smooth water, and glided into the harbour and cast anchor.

I did not wait for a boat, but jumped into the water and swam to the ship, from which a rope was thrown me and I climbed on board. The sailors and captain looked at me with much surprise, and I now found an unexpected difficulty, viz., to speak English readily. I, however managed to improve as I went on, and told the captain what had happened at Natal; and how the white men had been massacred by the Zulus, except those who had escaped in the ship. The captain had heard nothing of what had happened here, as he had come from the Mauritius, and the ship that had sailed out of the harbour had gone down the coast to Cape Town, and the communication then between various places was not as rapid as it is now. This ship required fresh meat, and the difficulty was how to procure it. All the cattle had been swept off by the Zulus, except that which had been concealed by my friends across the Umlass river; and there would be difficulty in communicating with these men, as it was not certain some strong force of the Zulus might not be in the bush concealed.

The captain of the ship was very kind to me, and fitted me with a suit of sailor’s clothes, and assured me he would take me down to Cape Town, from whence I could obtain a passage to England. He told me that nothing had ever been heard of the Madagascar, the ship in which I had sailed from India, and which had been wrecked; but it was supposed she must have gone down in the gale which had visited the Isle of France about that time. When I told him there were white women prisoners among the Caffres, or at least their wives, he said that he would go into the country with his men, and bring these women away. I told him that such an attempt would cost him his life and would be useless, because the white women were now contented with their lot, and probably would not leave; and the Caffres were not likely to allow their wives to be carried off by half a dozen men whom they could assagy without difficulty. The captain, however, like many ignorant Englishmen, underrated the power of the Caffres, and asserted that a dozen armed Englishmen, especially sailors, would be more than a match for a thousand niggers. I told him he did not know how skilful and cunning these natives were, and that if the country were bushy, an equal number of Caffres, though armed with assagies only, would be more than a match for him and his sailors. The captain merely laughed at me, and said he would like to try them.

Chapter Fifteen

I remained on board ship this day, talking with the captain and sailors; the former was anxious to get his water casks filled, and also to procure some fresh meat and vegetables. I was able to tell him where to get fresh water: to get this it was necessary to pull up to the head of the bay to where the Umbilo river ran into the harbour. The water of this river was very good, and at low tide was not affected by the salt water that entered the bay. I told the captain he must be very cautious; because, as the boat would be seen as it proceeded to the river, an ambuscade could be arranged by an enemy without any difficulty. The captain said he would take his pistols, and the men would be armed with guns and handspikes; so he did not fear a few naked niggers. I suggested to him that we should row up the bay whilst it was dark, and get to the river before daylight, fill the casks and then return; by so doing, no spies could be aware of the boat having left the ship, and when it returned it would be too late to ambuscade us. The captain, however, said that this was making too much fuss about the matter; and, supposing after all no Zulus were near, we should have taken all this trouble for no reason.

“If,” I replied, “Zulus are here, and we don’t take this trouble, we shall all be assagied or made prisoners.”

It was no use, however, talking to the captain. He was one of those dull men who never can see a danger before it really occurs; and probably would have gone and sat down in a mealie garden to eat his lunch in an enemy’s country, and so have been surprised and assagied; whereas, had he selected a wide open space, he could have seen an enemy approach, and could either have retreated, or prepared for defence. Englishmen, however, are never fit for bush warfare with savages, until by long experience they have been taught what to do, by the savages themselves.

It was some time after sunrise when the captain and four men started in his largest boat with his barrels to procure fresh water. I went with him to show him where the Umbilo river was situated, and took with me a double-barrelled pistol and ten rounds of ammunition. I cautioned them all to converse in very low tones, because voices are heard from the water at very long distances, and it was not advisable to give an enemy’s ears the chance of discovering us in case he was so situated as not to be able to see us. I felt certain that if any Zulus were near the bay, they would keep watching the ship, and would have seen the boat leave, and would make their plans accordingly. It took us a long time pulling to the river, and I had scanned every part of the country to try and discover some sign of an enemy: not that I had much hope of seeing one, even if he was there. We reached the mouth of the river, and tasted the water, which was quite fresh. I suggested that we should examine the bush a little way, to see if there was any sign of the Zulus; for if they attacked us when we were busy with the casks, we should be taken at a disadvantage.

“There are none of your niggers here,” said the captain, “never fear; let’s get our water without more delay.” So the barrels were filled, and placed in the boat, and we were preparing to re-embark, when a rustling in the bush near us attracted my attention. On looking round I saw three or four Zulus crouching behind some bushes and watching us. Pointing my pistol at them, I said to the captain, “Zulus are here, get into the boat at once.” I would not fire for two reasons: first, if I discharged my pistol, I could not reload again before they could close with me; secondly, I knew that a Zulu would retreat to some cover when he saw a pistol pointed at him; and there would thus be time for us to get into the boat.

I hoped that when the captain knew that all my caution had not been without cause, he would get into the boat as rapidly as possible, and we might then easily have pulled beyond the range of an assagy, for no man can throw an assagy well when he is among the bushes. The captain, however, instead of following my advice, shouted “Hurrah, we’ll wallop ’em!” and before I could stop him, he had called to his men and had rushed into the bush where the Zulus had been watching us. It was useless to follow him. I called out to warn him that he was going to destruction, but he made no reply; and I at once ran to the boat and pushed off in it, so as to keep a short distance from the shore, and there waited to see what should occur. I soon heard the report of pistols and some loud shouting from the sailors, but not a sound came from the Zulus, who when in the bush like to keep their position secret. Soon, however, the shouts ceased, and I heard a groan, then another, and soon all was quiet. I knew too well what had occurred: the captain and his men might possibly have shot two or three Zulus; but then, when their pistols were unloaded, the Zulus had closed with them and had assagied them. I pushed the boat a little farther from the shore, and waited on the chance of some one of the party having escaped, and of this one reaching the shore; but in a very short time I saw four Zulus come to the mouth of the river and beckon to me. They made signs for me to come on shore, and pointed into the bush behind. I at once knew that, in my sailor clothes, they did not recognise me; so I called out in English, “What do you want?”

“He cannot speak Zulu,” said one of the men. “We must get the boat, and then we may get on board the ship in the night.”

I then heard them arrange a plan: which was that six of their men were to run down in the bush to where the channel was very narrow, through which channel I must pass. They could then, by swimming, get before the boat and hold on to it; and either get into it, or drag it on shore. A sailor, such as they supposed I was, they did not seem to think able to do them much damage. The Zulus sat down on the shore and took snuff from their small snuff-gourds, and no one unacquainted with the cool proceedings of these men, would have imagined that they had just been engaged in a deadly combat.

I spoke to them a few words in English; and then, taking out the oars, began pulling the boat down the bay. Luckily the tide had not yet turned, so the stream was with me. The boat was heavy, and I was not accustomed to using the oars. So I had great difficulty in moving the boat. I managed, however, to make it travel through the water. I could not help being amused at seeing how calmly the Zulus watched me. They made no attempts to stop me, because they knew that they could then do nothing effectually, and that if they did attempt to do anything it would merely excite my suspicions. I knew it would be of great advantage for me to conceal my identity; for, if they knew that they had to deal with one who had been trained in their own school of warfare, they would take extra precautions, to prevent being taken at a disadvantage. The narrow channel through which I had to make my way was about half a mile from the river, and as I approached this I kept a careful watch on the shore. In the boat were two pikes – very good weapons for close quarters, but no use against an assagy; for the latter can be thrown and will pass through a man at forty yards’ distance. As I approached the channel, I saw the bushes near the shore moving more than they would do if the wind alone had acted on them; so I knew where to expect the enemy. I then saw four Zulus slip quietly into the water; and, keeping all but their heads under water, make their way to the centre of the passage where the boat must pass. I went on with my rowing until I was within an assagy’s-throw of these men. I then pulled three or four strokes rapidly, so as to give the boat considerable speed; and, dropping the oars in the boat, crouched down and seized one of the pikes. All was quiet with the Zulus: not a ripple in the water showed their presence, whilst not a man was seen on the shore. Suddenly, standing up, I found two of the Zulus within a yard of the boat. With my pike I thrust at one of these, and drove the pike into his throat; the other had just placed a hand on the bows of the boat, and had partly raised himself out of the water. A second thrust, in this man’s chest, sent him back, and he sank – I fancy to rise no more, as the blood gushed out of his wound as I withdrew the pike.

At the same instant two assagies flew close past my head, and I saw two Zulus up to their middle in the water and preparing to cast other assagies at me. Dropping into the bottom of the boat, so that only my eyes were above the bulwarks, I seized my pistol and aimed at the nearest Zulu. As I pulled the trigger he was about to cast his assagy; but it never left his hand, as I hit him in the chest and he sank in the water, rose again and floated down the stream. The other Zulus made for the bush and concealed themselves from view.

I again loaded my discharged barrel, and, taking the oars, pulled as fast as I could towards the vessel. The report of the pistols had been heard by the sailors on board, and they were on deck looking out. They hailed me as soon as I came near: and when I told them that I believed the captain and the other men had been killed, they were astonished, for they also seemed to think that the captain, with his pistols, was more than a match for any number of “niggers.”

I told them that the Zulus were not men to be despised, that they were brave in every sense of the word, and that they were clever in all the arts of bush warfare, and would most probably try to capture the ship; so that we must be prepared for them, and must keep a careful watch all night. Had the wind been suitable, the sailors would have left the harbour at once, but there was a heavy surf on the bar, and the wind was blowing in the harbour, so we could not get out.

After I had been some hours on board, I found the sailors talking together in low tones and looking at me very suspiciously. I had no idea what this meant, but after a time two of them came to me and told me they suspected me of being in agreement with the Zulus, and having led the captain into an ambush. I told them it was not my plan for the captain to go on shore for water; and if I had been friends with the Zulus, how was it I had shot them, and killed one of them with a pike? The sailors replied that they had no proof I had done so, and they would rather not have me on board. I told them that, if I had not come on board, they would have gone on shore fearlessly, and would all have been killed by the Caffres, and their ship taken. This argument produced no effect on the sailors; who, like all ignorant people, considered that no amount of reason or facts were as powerful as their own prejudices. They had somehow conceived the idea that I was in league with the Zulus, and could not perceive how differently I should have acted had I been so. They had, however, made up their minds to get rid of me, and to turn me out of the ship; and though I begged hard to be allowed to stay and go with the ship to Cape Town, they would not hear of it. They seemed to consider they were very generous not to string me up to the yard-arm, for having been concerned in what they called “the murder” of their captain and shipmates. They would not allow me to keep the pistol, but gave me a knife; and then, making me get into the boat, they pulled ashore, and there left me.

When I found myself once more on the land, alone and unarmed, I began to think that the Caffres were better than the white men. It was in consequence of the ignorant obstinacy of the white men that they had fallen into ambuscades and been slaughtered. This style of proceeding seems common among white men, as was shown during the Zulu war; where, in spite of all that has been written about the Zulus and Boers, the English commanders acted just as foolishly and recklessly as did the captain of the little ship, and the disasters which occurred might have been avoided by any one acquainted with the Zulu style of warfare. It was true that I was unarmed and without food, in a country where behind every bush there might be an enemy; but I did not feel as helpless as would a man who had lived all his life among towns and civilisation. I could construct traps for animals, I knew what roots and berries were good to eat, there was plenty of water to drink, and I might find some weapons. Besides, it was possible that another ship might come to the bay, the captain and sailors belonging to which would not be as self-sufficient as were those I had just left. I might still remain concealed in the bush for a long time, and probably might make my way down to the Umzimvubu tribe, and live the remainder of my life as a chief. The white men I had seen were not of a class to impress me much with the advantages of civilisation. The Caffres, it was true, were cruel in some ways, and had quite different ideas from the whites; but there was something very pleasant in their wild life, the simple requirements of existence, and their love of reasoning from facts. White men had their sciences, about which I knew little; but none of these could follow the spoor of a horse for miles over a hard-soiled country, nor could they distinguish the footprint of a hyaena from that of a leopard; and if any of them happened to be left alone in the bush as I was, surrounded by enemies, and without weapons or food, they would certainly starve or be captured.

The dress that had been given me by the captain was a blue flannel jersey, blue trousers, and a jacket. To be seen in this dress at any distance by a Zulu would have been fatal, for he would have recognised a white man’s attire. I therefore cut up the jacket to make “tails,” which I hung round my waist. I kept on the jersey because it made me look dark-coloured, but I dispensed with the trousers. People who have worn clothes all their lives do not know how imprisoned a man feels in clothing, when he has been accustomed to live without any. When I had on a jersey and a jacket I felt as though I could not cast an assagy; and as to running with trousers on, it was simply impossible. When I had divested myself of my unnecessary raiment, I felt much more as if I could take care of myself than I did when I was in sailor’s clothes. The weather was warm, but the nights were chilly. I had become so accustomed to be without clothes that I suppose I was like an Englishman’s face, which he never covers with clothes even in the coldest weather.

I did not long remain on the beach, but made my way into the bush to a thick part where there were some large trees; I then sat down to think what should be done. I knew there would be great danger in attempting to make my way down to the Umzimvubu; and, once there, I could not expect to get away in a ship, as no ships ever came near the coast at that part. I believed it possible that when the news reached Cape Town that white men had been murdered at Natal, some soldiers might be sent up in large ships, either to revenge the death of the murdered men, or to obtain particulars of the massacre, so if I remained near the bay I should stand the best chance of getting out of the country. I suppose it was on account of my white blood, if I may use the term, that made me wish to go again to civilisation, as also the desire to see my father. For there was much to attract me among my old companions. If I returned to my old residence, I should at once take my place again as a chief and have everything I wanted. My companions of years would be again with me; and I should rest, as it were, on the laurels I had won in my various adventures. I had already discovered that white men did not seem to value or even understand the qualities I possessed, whilst my being unable to read or write well was looked upon as indicating ignorance. When I lived among youths of my own age in England, I believed I should be laughed at because I did not know as much of book learning as they were acquainted with. My books had been the forests, the plains, the rivers and mountains, and the skies above us. To read from the signs on the ground what animals had travelled over it, and when they had travelled, was an interesting book to me, and quite intelligible. To know the time at night by the position of certain stars was also a page that was intelligible; but how should I feel when asked to read from a printed book, and found myself laughed at as a dunce? I had already seen that white men were suspicious of me, and acted on these suspicions alone. Considering all these points, I felt quite undecided whether to again join the Umzimvubu Caffres, and live all my life as a Caffre; or wait on the chance of some ship coming into the harbour, and of being able to get a passage to Cape Town or England.