The Golden Rock Part 31

"I made certain she would be with the waggon," said Hume drearily.

"Let us get a fire alight, and when we have had some food we may hit upon something."

In a few minutes a bright fire was burning, with a kettle in position.

Food was brought out from the locker, and once more they sat down, looking silently at the crackling flames. Gradually the fire burnt away and they were left in darkness.

"Well," said Webster.

"We have overrun the spoor," said Hume gloomily.

"Why, here stands the waggon!"

"She never came as far as this. The waggon was brought on here to lead us astray. They met the waggon in the road, and have gone off in a direction opposite to this. They may have circled round, struck the road below the old 'outspan,' and returned towards Pretoria."

"Good heavens! then they may be fifty miles away?"

"Ay, and we are on foot."

Webster groaned. "What next?"

"There is one hope. It is possible the Dutchman has a house somewhere in these parts, and, if so, we may find her before it is too late."

"Then let us start. With a lantern it is possible to distinguish hoof-marks in the dust."

"Come, then," said Hume, after a quick look round.

The lantern was secured, and they strode off rapidly, Hume whistling.

"For G.o.d's sake, stop that!" growled Webster.

Hume whistled the louder.

Webster gave one fierce look towards his companion, then strode ahead, but presently faced round.

"Look here, Hume," he cried, "what is the meaning of this?"

"Go on," said Hume, catching his friend by the arm. "When I went to get the lantern I fancied I saw the figure of a man disappear from the far side of the waggon. It is probably one of our boys returning for more loot; light the lantern now, and keep on down the road, making as much noise as you can, while I lie in wait for him."

"Don't let him escape," said Webster, with great excitement. "Wouldn't it be better if we both went after him?"

"No; leave him to me."

Webster went away down the road, swinging his lantern, and making vain attempts to sing, while Hume crouched down to the ground for some minutes before beginning his stealthy advance towards the waggon, whose position he guessed. When at last he caught the faint gleam of the white canvas he slowly circled round, and then stopped to listen. To his great relief he heard someone at work in the waggon, turning over the goods, and carefully he crept forward till he reached the desselboom, where he could hear the exclamations of the man inside as he groped among the packages. The echo of Webster's song--which had come fitfully--ceased, and the man, clicking his tongue, jumped to the ground, stood listening a moment, then went round to the fire, where he could be heard blowing at a coal. Hume slipped round the waggon, saw a dark figure crouching at the fire, the glow of the coal as he blew on it throwing out his round head, noiselessly stepped forward, then flung himself on the Kaffir, burying his face in the pile of ashes. There was a smothered cry, a fierce struggle, and Hume dragged the man to the desselboom and bound him fast with a rheim.

Then he hollowed his hands and sent a shout ringing through the night to recall Webster, having first satisfied himself that his prisoner was Klaas the driver.

Webster did not delay his return, and it was not long before he ran up, guided by the fire, which Hume had restarted.

"Have you got him?"

"Yes; lashed to the waggon."

"Thank G.o.d for that! Let's look at him. Ah, you black devil, what have you done with the lady?"

Klaas blinked at the lantern, then sullenly looked away.

Webster drew a sjambok from the side of the waggon, a formidable weapon made from rhinoceros' hide, and made it whistle through the air.

"Now I'll make you speak. Where's the lady?"

Klaas looked at the sjambok, and clicked with his tongue in token of defiance.

"Leave him to me," interposed Hume quietly. "Of what people are you,"

he asked the native; "a Makatese?"

Klaas gave a click.

"A Fingo?"

"Yoh!" he exclaimed, with a flash from his small black eyes.

"Well, then, of what people?"

"A Gaika of the house of Kreli!"

Frank looked at the man steadily, then suddenly spoke in Kaffir.

"You a Gaika; and you come like a dog of a Fingo in the night to rob those who have served you well, after playing the part of a jackal to the men who carried off the lady!"

The Kaffir made a sharp exclamation when he heard Hume speak his own tongue, gave him a swift, startled look, then hung his head.

"Well, Gaika, what do you say before this baas cuts the marks of disgrace upon you with the sjambok?"

The Kaffir lifted his head.

"What did the master say about the lady--the Inkosikasi?"

"I said she had been carried away; but why repeat it, when you helped?"

"It is true, baas, I would have taken one of the things from the waggon--the thing that plays; but I did not know that the lady had been taken."

"You lie!"

"Yoh!"

"Why did you steal away when we came? Was it not because your heart was black?"

"Because the things had been disturbed by that Makatese boy. Let me speak. When the baas went to shoot there came a white man, with writing, saying we were to inspan and trek, so that the waggon would be near where the baas was shooting. We inspanned, and one white man came along. He said this was the place to outspan. In the morning another white man came with a cart, which drew up over there beyond the thick bush. They said the lady would go with them until you came back. Then I went off with the oxen to the water, and when I came back the cart was gone, and the lady and the white men, also the leader, and the things in the waggon were disturbed. So my heart was afraid, and I went back to the oxen."