With Wolseley to Kumasi Part 16

Every face aboard the two boats bore the same expression of contentment, of pride, at the success of their efforts. There was even a sterner look, as if many of the men would have delighted in another brush with the enemy.

"Never fear," said d.i.c.k to the chief, "there will be more blows to be struck yet. We have miles of river to traverse, and if the Ashantis are on the war-path, it is more than likely that we shall have to run the gauntlet of a few of them. What do you think, chief?"

"We shall meet them on the Prahsu," was the answer. "There will be more trouble both for us and for the English chief. As for these others who have just attacked us, they are beaten. They may cover their heads and seek women for attack after this. Men will laugh at them. The two hundred who are to follow will surely cut them to pieces if these remain to tell the tale."

"Then we can take it easily now. We can reserve our coal, and prepare for this other meeting, chief. Why should we not run down the stream at night, or at least down that part known as the Prahsu?"

"The scheme is a good one," was the answer, "and for the white chief and his servant it will be as well to act as you say. For us there must be a different arrangement. Has our brother thought of the fate which will come to men of Ashanti should they land on the far bank some miles down this river? There the cowardly Fantis live, and with them we are forever at war. They would kill us most certainly."

d.i.c.k had not thought of that before, and the news came as a shock to him. If that were the case, and these miners from Ashanti would be in danger lower down the river, where would they be safe? In Elmina?

"Then we shall have to part, I fear," he said, after some minutes'

thought. "The Fantis swarm lower down the stream, and though some might be friendly, others would soon make an attack upon you. Where can you go?"

"There are villages in our own country where we shall be secure, white chief. Already the fighting men will have left, so that our coming will not be noticed, and there will be none strong enough to harm us. Then, as the warriors return, we can leave. When all is quiet we will go to the mine and commence work again, for you will return?"

"I should say that we shall do that without a doubt," answered d.i.c.k.

"The gold obtained has been abundant, and my employers will come again when the country has grown quiet. Perhaps this trouble will die down rapidly, and we shall be back in a month or two."

"You may, and yet I doubt it, Englishman. This war has been the thought of my countrymen for many years. They long to reach the coast, to have their own town there, where they may obtain supplies and guns. Yes, we know that, for we have listened to their talk. And besides, our brothers are born to fight. In times of peace they have little to do, and so it happens that we are forever quarrelling with those who live near at hand. A few, like ourselves, are trained to mine, and the king keeps us free from interference. We are necessary, for with gold the king buys guns and powder, and in our country it is a law that every nugget found goes to him as tribute. The dust belongs to the diggers, while those who dare to conceal the nuggets, even if they be only as small as the smallest bean, are taken to k.u.masi and sacrificed. Thus, as I said, we can return to the villages, and we shall be safe so long as we can keep away from the war parties. For they will know that we come from the mine, and doubtless the king, having declared that he will fight the Fantis and the English, has given orders for all who worked there to be slain or taken captive."

"And how do you propose to avoid these war parties?" asked d.i.c.k, anxiously.

"In this way. We will steam on till we are clear of these cravens who attacked us, and as the moon grows near we will tie up under the bank.

Then, if our white chief agrees, we will serve out the dust, each man taking what is due to him. Then we will dive into the forest, and will make for k.u.masi. Trust us to keep away from the fighters."

"While I shall have to run down-stream alone and escape them if I can."

"We would gladly come with you," said the native, "but it would mean death to us. If the white chief desires it we will come."

"No. I will go alone. You have done splendidly," said d.i.c.k. "You have proved true and more than brave. I shall report that to our employers.

We will steam on for a little while, and then we will serve out the wages. Later we shall hope to meet again at the mine."

Little did d.i.c.k guess that this river would be dyed in many places with the blood of men ere the country was quiet again, and that the forests and woods would echo to the cheers of British soldiers ere King Koffee, the arrogant and bloodthirsty potentate of k.u.masi, would consent to withdraw his fighters. He did not know that even then telegrams were speeding home to England, that the situation at Elmina and at Cape Coast Castle was serious in the extreme, and that nothing but war and rumours of war were in the air. Little did he dream that he was still within the nest of a hornet, almost the only man of his colour still alive so many miles from the coast. How was he to learn that thousands of warriors were on the march, and that the forest paths were teeming with men of Ashanti? It was enough for him to remember the danger from which he had escaped. The memory of it, and of the successful defence and escape, filled him with glee, and he looked forward to the brush which he might have on his way down the Pra with a light heart which defied all thoughts of failure.

Two hours later the launch ran in to the bank, and was moored under the trees. Then the books showing the amounts due to the miners were produced, for d.i.c.k had had the care of these, and had sent them to the launch in one of the bags. There was a pair of scales also, and very soon the portions were separated, four ounces of gold going to swell each little heap, as a special reward for the manner in which the men had fought. Then each of the heaps was sewn up in a piece of canvas, and secreted upon the person of the owner. The remainder of the dust was stored in the cabin again, and, that done, the launch put out from the bank, and ran to the far side of the river. Then, with many a cheer and shout, the Ashanti gold-miners--excellent fellows all, and very different from their warlike brethren--stepped ash.o.r.e, and made off into the bush. d.i.c.k and Johnnie felt quite lonely when they had gone. They pushed off into the stream and steamed away.

"Better leab um boat behind," said the native, suddenly, after some minutes' silence. "Suppose hab to run, den boat hold um back. P'raps mean um dead."

It was an excellent idea, showing again that there is wisdom to be found in a native, and that Johnnie, for all his quaint looks and merry ways, was a thinker.

"We'll do so certainly," said d.i.c.k, at once adopting the advice. "Look for a spot where we can hide her, and which we can pick out again should we require her. It must be on this bank, too, so we will keep within easy distance."

It was not until an hour had pa.s.sed that they hit upon a suitable place.

Then, at a nod from the leader, the launch swung in closer to the bank, while Johnnie ran to the stern and drew in the painter. He ran the native craft up alongside the launch, and hopped lightly into her.

Then, as d.i.c.k put the propeller astern--for the stream ran fairly strong here--the native pushed off, and guided the boat into the shallows.

There was a ma.s.sive tree there--a species of fern, growing to the height of thirty or forty feet perhaps, and dropping its abundant spreading foliage like an umbrella all round till the tips trailed in the water.

Johnnie pushed boldly in, and d.i.c.k could see the big fronds shaking.

Then he edged the launch closer in till her nose dipped under the leaves, and he heard her grate against the side of the native craft.

"Got um fast front and back," sang out the native. "No move um, whateber happen. She fill wid water, and not sink. Tree hold um up nicely. Yes, and no one know um dere. Whole army pa.s.s, and neber guess. Golly, ma.s.sa, de berry place!"

"And one to find easily," answered d.i.c.k. "Now, hop along, and let us get off. We've plenty of steam, and I think we'll put her hard at it.

The tales of these warriors of King Koffee make me uneasy, and I'm anxious to get down to the coast."

Very soon Johnnie appeared from amidst the leaves, and they pushed off into the stream till they reached the centre. And there they remained throughout the day, reeling the miles off rapidly, for they had the stream to help them.

"We'll keep on without a single halt right down to the sea," said d.i.c.k, as he sat on the edge of the engine-well, eating a meal which the native had just cooked. "We know there will be a moon, and now that the river is broader we shall be able to see easily. We'll chance sandbanks, and hope that none will come in our path. By to-morrow morning the natives should be left behind, and we should be within reach of friends. Good coffee, Johnnie. You are a capital hand at other thing besides making war!"

The native stoker grinned his delight as he turned to face his master.

"When me so high me learn to cook," he said, with a merry laugh, holding his hand out some three feet from the deck. "In my country de women and de children see to de food while de men smoke and sleep, and get strength for de fight."

"A queer way of getting up one's muscle," laughed our hero. "Just fancy training for school sports, or a gymnastic compet.i.tion, in a similar manner! One would be rather soft, and hardly in the best condition."

"Dere where Johnnie learn to fight," went on the stoker. "Me go out when me not yet a man, and in de first battle me kill an enemy. He rush so"--he clambered from the well, and demonstrated the method of attack with such energy that the launch rolled--"he make stroke at Johnnie's head, and miss um mark, golly! by de inch. Den me answer. Me hit wid all de strength wid um club, and he go whop! He fall dead on de ground.

Den me take um head, and shout de war cry."

He made another attempt to bring the last in reality before his master, and set the forests ringing. d.i.c.k clapped a hand over his mouth, and pushed him into the well.

"Steady, my lad," he said. "There may be an Ashanti army within hearing of that call, and then what will happen? Spin your yarn if you wish, but do it quietly. How's steam?"

A little abashed, but yet glowing with the memory of his victory, the native stepped to the gauge and read off the pressure. Then he shovelled a heap of coal from the bunker.

"Come night, and not see so well," he said. "Hab plenty ready to run wid."

About three hours after that, dusk began to fall, and for a little while the fugitives were compelled to lie in close to the bank of the river, for it was densely dark. But the time pa.s.sed pleasantly enough, for d.i.c.k had his pipe alight for the first time since the previous day and as he smoked it, watching the glow of the bowl, and looking across to a similar glow proceeding from the clay gripped between the white teeth of the native, his thoughts returned to the stockade. He went over all the scenes again, his nearness to James Langdon, and the luck he had had then. His successful attempt to reach the stockade, and the desperate fight he had had on the way. And, later, the retreat, with all its numerous incidents. He was still thinking of it when the moon came up in all her splendour, flooding the river till it was almost as light as day. And then, for the first time for many an hour, he looked at himself, and was horrified. His hands were cut and scratched in all directions, as doubtless was his face also. His clothes hung in ribbons about him, while, by the stains upon the breast of his coat and upon his shirt, one would have thought that he had been badly hit. But that he certainly was not; and now he remembered how the wretch who had first attacked him outside the stockade, had fallen under his own sword-- fallen against the one who struck the blow.

"Time to move," he said, springing to his feet. "Steady ahead. More.

Let her have it."

The native grinned. He wiped his hands with a piece of waste extracted from his pocket, and then opened the throttle. And once he had the launch moving at full speed he leaned back in contentment, watching his master with one eye, while with the other he looked at the smoke curling up from his pipe.

An hour later, as they swung round a bend in the river, and came into a long, straight stretch, a cry of amazement escaped them. The water on the left bank was black with native craft, while the hubbub of some thousands of voices came to their ears. But that was as nothing to the shouts which greeted the appearance of the launch when she came into the straight. There was a deafening burst of shouting. Tom-toms and drums were beaten in all directions, while the deep note of many a native war-horn was heard. For crossing the stream was one division of King Koffee's army, _en route_ for the Fanti country. And of this division, amounting to some ten thousand men, not more than a tenth were on the water, for there were insufficient boats within a radius of many miles to carry more. The pa.s.sage was being made by detachments, and the first crossing had just commenced. That there were more of the warriors ash.o.r.e d.i.c.k quickly learned, for if there had been shouting from the men on the water, the noise from the jungle was vastly more p.r.o.nounced. And then the firing commenced, though the launch was beyond the range of the cheap, Birmingham-made guns owned by the natives. Still, the loud reports issuing from the bush were sufficient to show what was happening, while any doubt that there could possibly have been was set at rest by the manner in which the surface of the river was struck and thrashed by the bullets. They splashed in all directions, bullets ricocheting and screaming, slugs and buck-shot of native manufacture dropping heavily into the water, while the numerous pebbles which were fired sank out of sight at once.

d.i.c.k smiled grimly, once he had overcome his first feelings of consternation and astonishment. He stretched out from his position at the tiller and caught up a rifle. Another movement and he had three of the weapons at hand, for there was a good supply on board. And while he held the tiller between his knees, he jerked cartridges into the breeches. As for Johnnie, his mouth had opened in one vast expression of astonishment as the natives came into view, and for an instant he had changed colour under the dark pigment of his skin. Then, glancing at his leader, and seeing how he was engaged, the little fellow gripped his pipe the tighter and threw himself upon his shovel. The door of the furnace swung open with a clatter, and d.i.c.k heard the grating of the shovel on the narrow iron floor of the engine-well. A flash lit up the stoker's figure, and d.i.c.k caught sight of a roaring fire, quenched a second later with a ma.s.s of coal. Then a dense volume of black smoke swept out of the low funnel and went trailing overhead till it merged with the clouds and the trees. He glanced at the pressure gauge, and by the help of the moon saw that it stood at sixty. Johnnie turned to it also and pointed.

"Hab plenty more soon, ma.s.sa," he said. "Make water bubble and fizz.

Boiler go bur-r-r-r-r wid de pressure. Chimney velly hot. Golly! Look at um!"

"Time to think about a shot or two," answered d.i.c.k, quietly. "Get a couple of rifles and some cartridges, and load. Keep them handy to the engine. Then go on stoking. By the way, have we a fender aboard?"

"Big one forard, sar. Where hab him?"

"Right on the bows, rather low down. Slippy, my lad."

They had little time for chatter, and both knew it. The native crawled on his hands and knees along the deck, and swung a large rope fender over the bows, securing it on the very stem of the launch. Then he ran back, and the furnace door swung open again. By now the steam pressure had risen to sixty-four, and the needle was slowly jerking up. The funnel vomited even more inky-black smoke, while flames and small particles of coal flew into the air, the latter raining down on the deck. Meanwhile the natives had not been idle, for after the first shouts of surprise, and the salvo of bullets and slugs, the whole ma.s.s of canoes had set off across the river to intercept the launch. The consequent confusion can be well imagined. There were then screams and shouts of anger. Boats became locked together, and d.i.c.k saw some of the crews striking at one another in their rage and in their anxiety to get clear of their neighbours, and have a share in the capture.

"That gives us a chance," he said. "If they had started from the outside line there would have been no doubt about the issue. Now it's touch and go. They may be lined across our way, or they may not.