Tales from the Veld Part 19

"What did I do? Well I jes' sat an' looked, an' bymby I edged away over the randt away from the Kaffirs. Then I sot off at a run round to get to the back of the krantze where the picket had been killed."

"You didn't know he had been killed."

"Well, according to all that was goin' on he oughter bin killed, and 't any rate I made round that way--but if you're going to talk to me like that I'll jes' shut up. I'm gwine to supper now."

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

END OF THE SCOUTING.

The next morning Abe was stamping mealies with a wooden pestle in a wooden mortar made from a tree trunk. It was a piece of unusual labour on his part, and I complimented him on his early industry.

"Industry be blowed--it's my teeth! They're worn down, and not equal to chewing hard mealies. You take pattern by me, sonny, and keep your teeth. Lor' love yer, when I sees young boys and gals with half their teeth missin', I'm jest thinkin' that there's no ignorance like that of the civilised man. Take me, or take an ord'nary raw Kaffir turned sixty, and look at his mouth. Teeth as white and soun' as a animile's--'cos why?--'cos he ain't loadin' his inside with all sorts o'

hots an' colds, an' sweets, and thingammies painted yeller an' red--an'

'cos he polishes up his grinders with a bit o' wood and heaps o' water.

Toothache--man wasn't born to have toothache--o' course not; nor to have his jawbone broken with steel pincers; but there, he ain't got sense to know when he's well off, and so he starts undermining his teeth from the day he's old enough to chew toffee."

"I've known a Kaffir to have toothache."

"And I've known a Kaffir to drink off a bottle of Worcester sauce. But why? 'Cos some blamed white man invented the sauce to help out his finicking appet.i.te, and if the Kaffir's fool enough to drink white man's mixtures, why there's an end to him. When you start to civilise a Kaffir you give him toothache, and fill him as full o' wickedness an'

sickness as a white man. That's so!"

"I didn't know you were such an admirer of Kaffirs."

"Ghoisters! You're like a ramrod; you can't see your way unless it's straight. I'm not in love with the black because his teeth is good."

Abe scooped up the broken maize, and proceeded to make his morning pap, after which he lit his pipe and was at peace.

"What was the end of your scouting, Abe?"

"I ain't scouting."

"I mean at Pluto's Vale, when the young officer left you."

"Is that so! Lemme see. I left him running like a blind hoss at a precipice, straight for the path by the kloof which I reckoned were full o' Kaffirs, and with three chaps runnin' down to cut him off. That weren't me. No! I jest skipped round back o' the krantz opposite the kloof, an' crawled up to where I'd seen the vidette. It were as I thought Stone dead he were, with his face to the sky and his arms stretched out, a.s.segaied through the back and then turned over by them as stabbed him--and who who was sneaking down the hill to do the same for my partner. I jest peeped over the rock--and far down the valley to the lef I see the regiment on the march, with the waggons in the centre and the Colonel riding ahead's if he were going on parade. Sonny, them _rooibaaitjes_ can fight, but they're foolish. They're too stiff in the lip to ask questions, and too proud to learn. That's so! There were the Colonel marching his men straight into the tightest kind o' fix without waiting for me to report the lay o' the land. I looked down below, and there were that young chap booming along like a rock rolled from the top, leaping like a buck, an' jes' ahead o' him, in a turn in the road, crouchin' behin' bushes, was them three red Kaffirs waitin' to stab him. A hundred paces he had to cover afore he came up to the fust of 'em, and I seed in a flash he were a gone c.o.o.n, unless somethin'

happened. I tell you, sonny, I did some quick thinking while he were running them hundred paces. S'pose I fired! The report would jes' boom from side to side o' that valley and wake up every darned Kaffir in the kloof--s'posing Kaffirs was there. The Kaffirs would be on the watch, the Colonel would hear, an' rush up his men, leaving his waggons unprotected. Then there'd be a awful kind of a mess--s'posing the Kaffirs was in that kloof. I thunked all that, and that young chap had gone half-way. If I fired he couldn't a pulled up in time, so I jest fetched a yell in Kaffir. From the bottom o' my throat I fetched up one of them deep Kaffir shouts. 'Look out!' I yelled; 'the soldiers--run!'

The words fell on them Kaffirs like the lash of a whip. The three of them jumped to their feet, run across the road, an' slipped inter the kloof. The young chap seed 'em cross his track, and pulled up, then I'm darned if he didn't keep on again. Well, I give him another chance. I cried to him in English to keep to his left, but he jes' lifted his hand and kep' on. Nex' moment he were running along the fringe of the kloof where the dark wood came down to the road, and then he gave a lurch, and rolled over an' over, his gun flying from his hand. I could hear the tinkle of the metal against the stones. The roll carried him to a rock, and over that he went with a splash inter a pool o' water, and as he went in a Kaffir darted from the kloof with his shield and a.s.segai. I knew then the kloof were full of Kaffirs, for none of the other three carried a shield. All this yer happened in a breath almost, and then I ran along the krantz to where a corner of it stood out bold, an'

standing there I shouted to the regiment, which lay outstretched down below, the head of it no further than 300 paces from the beginning of the kloof on that side. The Colonel were riding ahead, then followed the pioneers, with their axes and spades sheathed in shiny black leather, and on their chests big black beards, behind them a company of the 94th with the bayonets glittering like running fire, back o' them the band, and ahind them the waggons in the long line, and far behind, a full mile from the Colonel, the balance of the regiment. Sonny! in ten minutes the hull biling of 'em would 'a been in the narrer of the valley without room to turn, and they'd a bin a.s.segaied to a man, I tell you!

But Abe Pike were there; and I tell you he gave a shout that went ekering down that valley from side to side. 'Halt!' I said. The Colonel he pulled up. I seed him shade his eyes with his hand as he took a look, and I seed some of the soldiers point up at me. The Colonel he shook his reins, and rode on. 'Halt!' I said; but he jes'

kep' on, calm as possible. 'You blamed fool,' I shouted; 'stop!

There's Kaffirs ahead.' He pulled up, and turned in his saddle.

'Ninety-fourth,' he said--and his voice came up clear--'halt!' All along that mile o' men and oxen the order ran down, and the moving column came to a stand. 'Number 1 company,' he said, 'leading files from your left, two paces to the right. Rear ranks, two paces to your front.' The leading company jest stretched out like a concertina, across the road. 'Prepare to fire,' he said, and down came that shining stretch o' bayonets to the level. Then I'm darned if the Colonel didn't walk his horse round the turn in the road till he came to the kloof, and seed the track wind up through the narrer poort up to the ridge beyond, with me on his right far above him. He seed nothin', of course; 'cos why, he couldn't see through the dark o' the woods on his left; but there was hundreds of black eyes glaring at him through the leaves. He looked up at me, as if to say, 'Where are the Kaffirs?' 'They're in the bush,' I shouted; then I slid down the krantz by a monkey tow, and after making my way through the tumbled ma.s.s of boulders and thorn scrub at the base, started to run down, when I yeard the beat of the drum, and the next minute seed the pioneers come round the bend, then the first company, and nex' the band, with the Colonel 'twixt the pioneers and the company. The old fire-eater were determined to get inter the trap after all, and when I reached him he were half-way by the kloof. 'For G.o.d's sake,' I said, putting my hand on the bridle, 'stop the waggons, and get your men outer this. Turn back!' I said. He were jest going to rap me over the head for mutinous conduct, or some sich nonsense, when the Kaffir yell rang out. They couldn't wait any longer. Whew! My gum, sonny! talk o' yellin' an' cussin' an' gruntin'. Them red Kaffirs were into us. They jumped this way, and that, their eyes rollin' in their heads, their a.s.segais whizzing and kerries flying, with a noise like a flight o' partridges. Then the rifles snapped out, and the big drum boomed onct. Only onct. Then I seed the drummer throw up his sticks an' roll over, drum up, man up, turn an' turn. I didn't know which way to turn at first; then I seed a Kaffir raising his kerrie to smash the Colonel, who were lying on the ground, and I shot him. I helped the Colonel up, and he roared out 'Bayonets.' The soldiers were too mixed up to use their bayonets. I seed five of them--one after another-- a.s.segaied. The Kaffirs, they jes' grabbed the poor Johnny by the belt, pulled him outer the thick of the jam, and then a.s.segaied him. I seed how things would go if the soldiers couldn't get ground to fight, so I jumped for the drum, and, cutting it free from the poor drummer chap, I banged on it and marched across the stream to the far slope. Some of the fellers seed me and follered. 'Steady,' says I, 'take your man-- fire.' Well, they did jes' so, and I banged the drum. The ole Colonel he got the pioneers with him--there was eight of them--and, my gum!-- they jest swished their way through the Kaffirs with their axes. Then up come some more men, follering the drum, and we peppered the Kaffirs till they were obliged to get back inter the wood. Then the Colonel he looked for the wounded. There were nary one, but seventeen men lay dead. 'There's one here,' says I, and led the place to where the young officer had tumbled in the water. There he were among the rushes, bleeding to death from an a.s.segai wound, and one of them pioneers, his arms all b.l.o.o.d.y, lifted the young chap up and carried him to the waggons. I guessed it were time to go before them Kaffirs got up steam--so I banged the ole drum and marched back. 'Where you going?'

says the Colonel. 'Back to the camp,' I says. 'That ain't the way,' he says; 'we camp over the ridge to-night,' pointing the other way. 'The Kaffirs will never let the waggons through,' I said. 'The Kaffirs is beaten,' he says; and just then a young Kaffir leapt outer the bush and rammed his a.s.segai into the big drum. 'I have done it,' he cried and I seed it were Sandili hisself. I tole you how Sandili he said he would bust the drum, and by gosh! he bust it. He was back inter the wood in a wink, and then he shouted how he had killed the white man's war-G.o.d, and from all parts of the kloof the Kaffirs they began shouting. You could hear 'em comin'. The Colonel he looked round and said 'Retire!' So he had to turn back after all. He sh.e.l.led the kloof all that afternoon; and the Kaffirs they just moved on."

"And what did the Colonel say to you?"

"He said he'd half a mind to tie me up for givin' orders to the regiment, and he went on most horrible; then when he cooled down he give me a huntin' knife, with five blades and a corkscrew, and said he would mention me in despatches. I dunno whether he did; 't any rate I never were called to account again, so I guess he were only skeering me.

Well, so long!"

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

ABE AND THE TIGER TRAP.

I had got a new tiger trap, and was displaying its beauties to some members of our Cat Club--not that this was the official name, which in full dress proclaimed itself as the Round Hill Society for the Destruction of Vermin. The mouth of the trap had a span of fifteen inches, and the steel spring almost required the weight of a twelve-stone man to flatten it down to the catch. There was a stout chain to the shank end, which could be secured to a log, and the iron lips had no teeth.

"There's a power of grip in the toothless gums of that 'ere grinning mouth," said old Abe Pike, who was President of the Club, by virtue of which office it was his right to point out the spots for the setting of traps. "I don't hole with teeth nohow."

"Quite so," remarked Amos Topper, sourly; "your tongue's long enough to get a clinch round anything. What I say is, give me a trap with teeth a inch long that will drive through a tiger's shin-bone."

"Yes; and maybe cut the foot of him right off, and leave ole dot-and-carry-three to go limpin' away growlin' vengeance. You ain't got no exper'ence, Amos; and talking about tongues, if you shut your teeth down tight you might pa.s.s for a wise man."

Amos opened his mouth wide for a retort, but nothing came out but a cloud of smoke and a grunt.

"I shot a trapped tiger once," said Long Jim, "that was caught only by his toe. Yes, sir, by his toe! and the danged crittur jes' lay there and took the bullet 'thout even standing up. He jes' hissed like a room full o' kettles."

"Ever been caught in a trap?" asked Abe quietly.

"I ain't had any occasion to," said Jim severely.

"Well, I have!"

"Gwine after anybody's pumpkins?" asked Amos, thinking this was a good opportunity to work in his belated retort.

"Some folk's talk," said Abe slowly, "is like burrs--never wanted and allus spoilin' good material, with this difference on the side of the burr-weed--that you can root up the weed when you find it."

"It would take a better man than you to dig me up," said Amos, shaking himself.

"We ain't discussin' weeds," said Abe, looking his lanky opponent up and down; "we're discussin' the points o' traps--especially teeth. I bin caught, an' that's why I'm sot against teeth."

"When did it happen, Abe?"

"Well, I'll tell you. You know ole Hill's garden, which held more different kinds o' fruit-trees than I have seed in the whole country.

There were a thick quince hedge down one side, and the wild pigs had made a path through it big enough to let a stoopin' man through. Well, I were going short cut to the house one night, and I remembered this yer pig-track."

"You always had a weakness for fruit, Abe!" remarked Amos.

"I remembered this yer track, and, follering the hedge down, I felt where the path had been worn, and, parting the quince _luikeys_ with my hand, made a stoop forrard. My gum!--there were a click, and a yell which I ripped out, and nex' thing I knowed somethin' got me sore fast by the right leg in the thin of the ankle. It were a tiger trap--that's what, and sot with teeth. Lor' love yer! I can feel the pain of it in my leg now when I think of it, though it were over twenty-seven year ago. One iron fang scramped my shin-bone, and the back one druv clean through the flesh, while the sides of the mouth pressed in so that the blood were stopped, and the foot seemed to belong to someone else. I tell you all the blood in my body jes' run down to the tight place to find out what the trouble was, and came rushing back with the news up to my head with a touch of fire all along. Then that held-fast leg began to throb and throb, and a hundred thousand little hammers began a-hammering all up my backbone, while cold spasms went quivering through me and outer the top of my head. I jes' let go yell on yell, until a faintness came over me, and the sound leg which had been all on a tremble gave way, and I sot down. The wrench were terrible, and I jes'

grit my teeth, and held on till the weakness went off, when I shifted the trap a bit."

"Why didn't you ease the spring?"

"Why don't a bird fly when its wing's broken? Ease the spring! Jes'

you put your foot in this yer trap, and see if you can get the spring down with thirty pound o' iron at the end of your foot and your muscles all turned to water--to liquid fire--with the pain of the hold. All I could do was to rub my knee and yell and bite at the quince leaves, and dig my fingers inter the flesh. After a time I found my voice ain't got no carrying power; it came out in a hoa.r.s.e whisper, and I seed if the people at the house hadn't yeard my first call they wouldn't catch any cry for help I could give now; so I jes' groaned for comfort, same's if I were a trapped tiger growling through the night. My head were tossing about from side to side like the pendulum of a clock, and one of these side swings I noticed the glare of something bright close by. I jes'

noticed it as if 'twere something of no account; for, if all the stars in heaven had taken to swinging at the ends of golden threads it wouldn't have mattered to me as much as the flame of a tallow candle sputtering in a horn lantern. Well, each time I swung my head I seed these yer bright spots without seeing them--if you know what I mean?-- when I were held still for a moment by a sound. I looked, and I saw then that they were eyes staring at me, which blinked as I stared, and turned away, then sought my face ag'in, and, narrering to a thin green slit, so looked at me. What do ye think it were?"