Dead Man's Land Part 12

"Well, you couldn't have come at a better time," said the officer. "He has been far away, for some reason best known to himself, but he marched into camp last evening, looking as if he were monarch of all he surveyed."

"Then that's the man we saw!" cried Dean excitedly.

"Tall, black, fine-looking fellow, well built, and a savage chief every inch of him?"

"Yes," said Mark eagerly; "and hardly any clothes."

"That's the man. There, I will send one of my men to fetch him here;"

and stepping to the window he called to the sentry on duty to pa.s.s the word for someone to hunt out Mak and bring him there.

"Mak!" said the doctor, laughing. "What, have you got Scotch blacks here?"

"Oh, no. We call him Mak because he is like one of the Makalaka.

Properly he belongs to a great tribe called the Ulakas, who used at one time to occupy the kopjes about here. I suppose that is why this place has come to be known as Illakaree."

Only a few minutes later the tall, stately-looking black of the preceding evening was seen crossing the barrack enclosure, carrying his spear over his shoulder and looking down with a sort of contempt at the young bugler by his side, to which the boy retorted by looking up as contemptuously at the stalwart black, thinking of him as a naked n.i.g.g.e.r.

"Now I don't wish to interfere," said the captain. "I only want to be of service to you gentlemen out in this wild place, if I can. It is no presumption to say, I suppose, that you can't understand the Illaka dialect?"

"Certainly not," said the doctor. "I daresay I could get on if the man addressed me in ancient Greek."

"Which he will not do," said the captain, laughing. "He will say very little, and what he does say will consist of the most curious jumble of English that ever man gave utterance to. So will you trust me to make terms with him as to what he is to do and what he is to be paid? I purpose offering him the same terms as were given to him by his last employers. He wants very little--and no current coin. A good knife or two and some bra.s.s rings will satisfy him. And as to his work that he is to do for you, I tell you frankly that he will not do a stroke, but he will tramp with you upon hunting expeditions till he will tire you out; he will be as keen-scented as a dog, a splendid tracker of every kind of wild beast, and if needs be he will fight for you bravely to the death."

"Well, you couldn't give him a better character," said the doctor, "for our purpose. But what bad qualities have you to put against this?"

"Oh, he is a very wolf at eating."

"Well, it's only fair that he should be," said Mark, "if he hunts for and finds the meat."

"I quite agree with you," said the captain. "Then let me see; I did tell you that he won't do a stroke of work. He is too great a swell-- for he really is a chief, and was beaten by a stronger party and had to retreat for his life."

"But I say," said Mark, "how are we going to get on with him if he is going to carry on in that stuck-up, haughty way?"

"Oh, that's nothing," said the captain, laughing. "He puts that on when he comes into camp, to show his contempt for my men. A few of the larky spirits teased him a bit some time ago, and he wouldn't stand it. But I have seen a good deal of him, and he likes me because I wigged the men and gave them to understand before him that I would have none of that nonsense. Why, when he is away out in the forest or veldt with a hunting party--and people treat him well--he is like a merry boy, a regular child of nature. But treat him with contempt, and it raises his bile directly. We are too fond of treating these natives as n.i.g.g.e.rs, but some of them are fine fellows, and as brave as lions--Pooh!

Nonsense! As brave as men can be. Yes," he continued, as an orderly appeared, "send in Mak."

The fine-looking black stepped in, to stand in dignified silence, looking keenly round at the party, while the captain spoke to him in broken English which sounded somewhat like that of a weak old nurse prattling to a child, and in answer to which the black responded with the single word, "Good."

"There," said the captain, "I have explained everything to him, gentlemen, and his word `Good' means that he will serve you faithfully, and show you plenty of game, to find which he will take you to the mineral forest where the trees are so high that it is nearly always twilight, and after that guide you on to the great city where the old people lived, and show you the mighty stones with which they built.

That's all, gentlemen. Metaphorically signed and sealed and witnessed by your humble servant, Frank Lawton, of Her Majesty's 200th Light Infantry."

"Thank you," said the doctor. "I never knew there was so much in the one word good before."

Mark glanced at the black, who had been listening intently to the doctor, and catching the boy's movement he fixed him with his eyes so that they two were for some moments apparently trying to read each other's thoughts.

"Well, you look all right," said the boy to himself, and his frank, open countenance expanded into a pleasant smile.

At this the haughty face before him changed suddenly, as if so much natural sunshine had flashed out, and stepping up to the boy he turned his spear upside down so that the point of the keen, leaf-like blade rested on the plain boarded floor of the captain's room, and bending forward he laid the back of his right hand upon Mark's breast.

"Baas," he said, in a deep musical voice; and then moving slowly and with dignity he pa.s.sed round to each, to repeat the action and the word, his eyes beaming upon everyone in turn, and then finishing off by uttering once more the one word, "Good."

He then glanced at the captain and asked him some question, to which the captain nodded.

The next minute he had glided bare-footed and silent out of the room, while as the party watched they saw him march haughtily past the window and away across the barrack yard.

"There, gentlemen, that's settled, then," said the captain.

"Settled?" said Sir James. "But I ought to give him what the country people call a fastening penny, ought I not?"

"Oh, no, nothing of the kind."

"But about finding him when we want to start? For I want to get away from here as soon as possible."

"You will not have to find him," said the captain, laughing. "He will find you. You may see him hanging about, or you may not. But you may depend upon one thing, that from henceforth he will be like your shadow.

Oh, but one word," the captain added. "Your men seem quiet, respectable fellows, but it might be advisable for you to say a few words to them about their treatment of your guide. You know what I mean--about their looking upon him as a n.i.g.g.e.r. I don't think you need speak to Buck Denham, the big bullock driver, nor to the Hottentot.

There."

Sir James and the doctor offered plenty of words of thanks, at which the captain laughed.

"My dear sirs," he said, "not a word more. Put yourselves in my place and suppose I came up country as you did. Wouldn't you have been as pleased as I and our mess are to meet a brother Englishman so far away from home? So not a word more but these: If ever I can serve you in any way, here I am, and you know my name. There, boys, we will see you off when you start, and fire a salute, just as if we had had a visit from the Prince."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

MARK'S FIRST WATCH.

"Now, look here," said Sir James, "we have talked all this matter over quite enough, and it is high time that we started in a business-like way, so as to avoid all confusion."

"Hear, hear," said the boys together, and Sir James went on.

"First of all, I am n.o.body."

"Oh! Oh, I say, father!" cried Mark laughing.

"You hold your tongue, and don't interrupt. I repeat that I am n.o.body, only a visitor who looks on and joins in the sport when I feel so disposed, and one whom you and your men must take care of."

"But we must have a captain, sir, to give all orders."

"Of course," said Sir James. "I const.i.tute you captain; you, Mark, first lieutenant; Dean, second lieutenant."

"But, Sir James--"

"Dr Robertson, I have planned all this, and I presume that I have a right to do as I please."

"Certainly, sir," said the doctor.

"And perhaps I may think it right to interfere when things are going on not to satisfy me."