Hendricks the Hunter Part 31

"I feel sure you are right," said Percy. "We must not let our mother know, however, it will agitate her too much. I am very glad you did not set off to meet the waggon. I'll tell you what we ought to do. We must pull across in the boat, and be ready to receive whoever is coming. It will be some time before the Zulus can reach the river; and I would suggest that you and Crawford, with four men, go down, and while you and he take the boat across, the others with their muskets can cover your pa.s.sage, and keep the Zulus in check."

"I agree with you that is the best thing to be done," said Rupert.

"You're a soldier, every inch of you."

Percy was flattered at his brother's compliment, and his readiness to follow his suggestions, without showing the slightest tinge of jealousy.

"In the meantime," continued Rupert, "we had better get up the dummies, and post them in the most conspicuous places, so as to make the greatest show possible."

"I advise that they be fixed a little way from the ramparts, so that we can pa.s.s in front of them," said Percy. "Although they should be placed where they can be seen by the enemy, it would be as well to conceal as much of them as possible, or their real character may be detected."

"Well, do you continue to keep a look-out," said Rupert; "and I will go down and carry out our proposed plan."

Rupert found Crawford and Mangaleesu on their way with some of the dummies, which at a little distance had greatly the appearance of living people. Mangaleesu's were decidedly the best, his figures admirably representing Kaffir warriors in various att.i.tudes, prepared for battle.

Under Percy's and Rupert's directions they were placed as had been proposed.

"But we ought to be going down to the boat," cried Rupert; and he summoned the men he had collected. "Percy, you fire a musket if you see any Zulus approaching the river, who may be shut out from our view, and another, if you observe any crossing in the distance; then we shall know how to act. Come along, Crawford!"

They hurried out, running at full speed, as they were convinced that there was no time to be lost. On reaching the bank of the river, they could see farther up the stream than they could from the farm.

Percy was in the meantime watching to catch sight of the Zulus who had gone to the northward. They were still visible as they made their way among the trees. By this he knew that if his father was coming, they had not yet succeeded in cutting him off. While still watching them, he heard the shouts of the Hottentot drivers and the crack of their whips, and he had the satisfaction of seeing the waggon approaching, the poor oxen covered with foam, and trotting at a speed at which they had probably never before moved when yoked. In a few minutes the waggon drove over the drawbridge into the farm, greatly to the satisfaction of Percy, both on account of the drivers, who, had they been overtaken, would have run a great risk of losing their lives, and of the store of meat which they were bringing in.

Rupert and his party lost no time in launching the boat. As yet, as he looked to the north, he could see no one, nor were the Zulus visible to the naked eye. Confident, however, that Percy would give warning, should any approach the river, he and Crawford agreed to pull across, and having stationed their men under cover, they at once shoved off.

They were soon over. Rupert landed, and ran up the bank that he might obtain a more extensive view than he could in the boat.

"Hurrah! here come four hors.e.m.e.n, and one of them, I am sure, is my father, and another must be Lionel," he cried. "They are das.h.i.+ng along at a tremendous rate. They have seen the Zulus, depend upon it, and probably expect to have to swim their horses across. How fortunate we came over for them!"

Just as he spoke the report of a musket from the fort was heard, it was followed immediately afterwards by another.

"That shows that the Zulus are coming this way," he shouted. "Yes, I see them, a whole band of yelling savages. On they come, clas.h.i.+ng their s.h.i.+elds and shaking their a.s.segais, fully expecting to gain an easy victory; but my father and Lionel will be here first."

Rupert stood ready to rush down to the boat, should it be necessary to save his life; for, brave as he was, he knew that it would be wrong to run any risk of throwing it needlessly away. He calculated that there were twenty or thirty Zulus approaching, running at their utmost speed; but the ground was rough in the extreme, and in many places their progress was impeded by th.o.r.n.y bushes, through which they could not force their way. Though they were coming on at a fearfully rapid rate, the hors.e.m.e.n were moving still faster. Another shot was fired from the fort. This Rupert took to be a signal that some more Zulus were crossing the river lower down. If they made good speed, they might cut off his men stationed on the western bank. He became doubly anxious, therefore, for the arrival of his father. He could now distinguish him clearly, as he could also Lionel and Vermack and the trusty Matyana.

The Zulus would, he hoped, after all be disappointed. Standing on the highest part of the bank, he waved his hat and then bounded down to the boat, which Captain Broderick and his companions could not see, to show them that she was there, ready to carry them across. The only fear was that one of their horses might fall, for it was evident by the way they kept their whips moving that they were hard pressed. On they came, surrounded by a cloud of dust, as they pa.s.sed over a sandy tract.

"They'll do it! they'll do it!" cried Rupert. "Stand by, Crawford, to shove off the moment we get into the boat. I'm half inclined to send a shot among those Zulus. I should knock over one of them if they come much nearer."

Crawford stood holding the oar ready, and watching his companion.

Presently he saw Rupert springing down the bank; directly afterwards Captain Broderick and Lionel's heads appeared above it, followed by those of the Dutchman and the Kaffir.

The first two threw themselves from their horses. "Well done, my dear boy! well done!" exclaimed Captain Broderick. "We will drive our horses into the water, and they will swim after the boat."

The Dutchman and Kaffir, however, disdaining this mode of crossing, kept their saddles, urging on the other two steeds, while the Captain and Lionel took their seats in the boat. There was no time to ask questions or give answers. Rupert could only say, as he gave a gripe of the hand to Lionel, "I am sure that you must be my brother Walter. I am delighted to see you. Now, Crawford, shove off."

Rupert, as he spoke, grasped his oar, and he and Crawford strained every nerve to urge the boat through the water. Scarcely had they got half-way across when a body of Zulus appeared on the top of the bank, and began to hurl their a.s.segais at them; but the moment they did so a volley from the west bank poured in among them, making them rapidly spring back, for every shot had told, and they probably expected a much larger dose to follow. Captain Broderick and Lionel, having unslung their rifles, also opened fire on the enemy. This gave the men time to reload, as also to enable Vermack and the Kaffir to get out of the reach of the a.s.segais, they and the horses having fortunately escaped the first shower.

"What! did you expect the farm to be attacked?" asked Captain Broderick, looking up at the walls. "How did you manage to collect so large a body of defenders?"

"We originated them, sir," answered Crawford. "You'll see who they are as we get nearer." He could not manage to say more, exerting himself as he was at the moment, nor did Captain Broderick ask further questions.

Landing, they drew up the boat, for they had no time to carry her to the harbour under the walls. They immediately joined the men, and as the Zulus again appeared on the bank, drove them back, enabling Vermack and Matyana to get to land with the horses.

The moment they had fired the volley another shot from the fort summoned Rupert to look down the stream, where he caught sight, though still, however, at some distance, of another body of the enemy who were coming up on the western bank.

"There's no time to be lost, sir," he said to his father. "We must get into the fort and haul up the drawbridge, or we shall have a number of those fellows upon us."

Captain Broderick, seeing the importance of this advice, called out to Vermack and the Kaffir, to drive up the horses. The whole party then hurried on as fast as they could move towards the farm. Percy had thoughtfully stationed several men at the ropes to haul up the drawbridge as soon as they were over.

They were not a moment too soon. Scarcely was the drawbridge secured when the Zulus who had been coming up the west bank and the party who had pursued Captain Broderick, and who had now crossed, uniting, made a desperate rush to get in.

No sooner, however, had they got within range of Percy's swivels, than both were fired in rapid succession, throwing their ranks into confusion, while he, picking up musket after musket, began to blaze away at them. This kept them in check and enabled Captain Broderick and the rest of the men to reach the ramparts, who immediately opened so hot a fire, that the Zulus, wanting courage to face it, hastily retreated, believing that the farm was defended by a far larger garrison than they had supposed.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

THE ATTACK.

As soon as the Zulus appeared, Percy had insisted on his sisters retiring from the ramparts.

"You have performed your parts, girls, and I cannot allow you to run the risk of being hit by one of those black fellow's a.s.segais. Down with you! down, quick!" he shouted.

Heroines as they were, they perhaps not very unwillingly obeyed; but when Percy told Biddy that she must retire, she exclaimed--

"What! me a gineral, an' goin' to desert me post! Sure, I don't mind the n.i.g.g.e.rs' long spikes more than if they wor mop-handles." And levelling a rifle, of which she had possessed herself, she fired down on the still advancing Zulus. Then picking up one after the other, she blazed away with deadly effect, bringing down a Zulu at every shot, until Percy told her to begin reloading, while he, with the other men who had now mounted to the platform, kept up the fire. Meantime Captain Broderick, with Lionel, had entered the fort. Mrs Broderick, who had been waiting with feelings it would be difficult to describe, seeing her husband and the young stranger appear at the gate, hurried forward to meet them. A brief embrace was all Captain Broderick had time to give his wife, before he, with Rupert and Crawford, climbed up on the platform, he having scarcely recognised his daughters in their strange attire. Lionel thought it was his duty to follow them. He was about to do so, when his eyes met those of the lady approaching him.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, "you must be--I know you are--my mother."

Mrs Broderick threw her arms round his neck, and pressing him to her heart, kissed him again and again, as she exclaimed, in a voice choking with emotion, "You are my long-lost Walter: I need no one to tell me that; I remember every lineament of your countenance."

For the moment, as she clasped her boy in her arms, she heard not the rattling of the musketry, the shrieks and yells of the a.s.sailants, the shouts of the defenders, the din of battle; every feeling, every sense was absorbed in contemplating her recovered child. She would scarcely release him from her embrace to receive the welcome which his sisters, who now came up, showed their eagerness to give him.

He looked at them with no little astonishment at first, not comprehending who they were, until they told him that Percy had persuaded them to dress up in order to deceive the enemy.

"But I must not let the rest be fighting on the walls while I remain down here in safety," he said at length. "I don't like to leave you, mother; but while others are exposed to danger, it is a disgrace to me to keep out of harm's way."

"But, my dear boy, I cannot let you go," exclaimed Mrs Broderick. "You have only just been restored to me, and the a.s.segais of the cruel Zulus might reach you on the platform. Percy has sent your sisters down, which shows that he considers there must be danger."

"The same kind Being who has. .h.i.therto preserved me will take care of me still," answered Lionel; "and my father and my brothers are exposed to the same peril."

Mrs Broderick had a severe struggle, but his arguments prevailed, and she at length allowed him to join the defenders on the walls. The Zulus in the meantime had only retreated beyond musket shot.

Percy had pointed out to Captain Broderick where the main body were encamped. Taking the telescope, he looked through it in that direction.

"They have heard the firing, and are marching down towards the river,"

he observed. "They little expect to find the farm so well garrisoned.

Percy, you have acted admirably; for I believe, had our a.s.sailants not been led to suppose that a large number of men were posted round the walls to give them a warm reception, they would have come on much more boldly. It would be as well now to get rid of the dummies, lest their keen eyes should discover how they have been deceived, and they should then fancy that we have even fewer men than is really the case."

"I don't like so summarily dismissing my garrison, but of course you are right, father," said Percy; and he and Rupert went round and began to throw the dummy warriors off the platform, two of the pumpkins splitting, however, in falling.