Perils in the Transvaal and Zululand Part 14

"Well, you were right, I expect," observed Baylen.

"I was to some extent," a.s.sented Hardy. "As soon as I made it understood that I was an officer in the employ of the Governor of Natal, there was a difference in the demeanour of the councillors towards me, and Mr Garnett too. A civil reception was given us, and a good hut a.s.signed for our accommodation. Then there followed a long delay, and at last I was told I was to be sent with letters to Sir Henry Bulwer; and the next day I set out, attended by two of Cetewayo's soldiers. I suspected at the time--and subsequent events confirmed my opinion--that the king wanted to get rid of me, because I stood in the way of his carrying out his designs against Mr Garnett. I was no sooner gone than he was informed there was an accusation made against him of practising witchcraft. The king would inquire into the matter himself. This I learned from the Zulu who was sent with me. But what ensued I could never learn with any certainty. Mr Garnett, I believe, underwent a kind of mock trial, being charged with bewitching several persons. He was found guilty, and was sentenced to be banished from the country.

Cetewayo had possibly thought that it would be dangerous to put him publicly to death. But it came eventually to the same thing. Mr Garnett set out, in company with two Zulus, who were directed to convey him to Delagoa Bay, whither his wife and children had already been sent.

But he never reached his destination. His guides came back with the story that he had been killed by a lion. The general belief was that he had been murdered, and his body left to be devoured by the hyenas.

"But that was not the worst," resumed Hardy after a pause. "There was something like a trial in his instance, and, besides, he might really have been killed by a wild beast, though the circ.u.mstances were full of suspicion. The usage of Usumanzi was a much grosser outrage. No charge was made against him, nor did he receive so much as a hint that the king was displeased with him. But the Isamisi, or prophets, whom, to do them justice, both Chaka and Dingaan had discouraged, had gained considerable influence with Cetewayo, and they resented Usumanzi's conversion, and more particularly when they found that he still adhered to his new creed after Mr Garnett's disappearance."

"I wonder he didn't leave the country," remarked Ernest Baylen.

"He was advised to do so," said Hardy, "but he was a brave man, and said he had done no wrong, and that he put his trust in the G.o.d he had newly learned. Nothing was heard about him for some time. But one morning, quite early, I was roused by a number of Zulus living in an adjoining kraal, who told me that the king had sent an Impi to eat up Usumanzi.

His house had already been surrounded, and himself, and every one belonging to him, even to the infants in arms, a.s.segayed. The cattle were being driven off at that moment. In an hour or two Usumanzi's kraal had been entirely destroyed by fire, and the ashes scattered in all directions. In a short time not a trace was left of his habitation."

"And was no complaint made of such an outrage?" asked Margetts.

"Who was there to make it?" inquired Hardy. "Usumanzi's relatives, if there were any of them left, were too thankful to have escaped notice, and were little likely to do anything that might cause them to share his fate. Perhaps you think that I might have made some representations to the Governor of Natal; but I had already incurred suspicion, and received a hint to keep quiet. The Government were unwilling at that time to come to a rupture with Cetewayo. I knew, too, that I should be required to produce witnesses; and not one of the Zulus, who knew the facts, could have been induced, by love or money, to say a word on the subject. Most probably they would have said, if they had been brought into a court of justice, that Usumanzi's kraal had caught fire accidentally. No. He knew in this instance that he was safe, and you may be a.s.sured that, let him profess what he will, there is no possibility of inducing Cetewayo to respect the rights of his own subjects, or those of other nations, except by putting him down by force of arms. And as for that--" He appeared to be about to add something more, but checked himself, and addressed his host. "It must be time for us to go to bed, Mr Bilderjik," he said. "We have a long day's work before us to-morrow, and must start early. I suppose you mean to set off for Helpmakaar the first thing in the morning?"

"Helpmakaar?" repeated the farmer. "No, I shall not set out for that in the morning, if I do it at all to-morrow. You have forgotten that we have left one of our waggons in a damaged condition on the other side of the Mooi."

"To be sure, so I had. How stupid of me! But if we are not going to be fellow-travellers to-morrow, I should like to have a little talk with you, Baylen, before we turn in for the night. Will you walk with me to the hotel in the village; I can say what I want while we are on the way there."

Mr Baylen a.s.sented. They said good-night to their host, and stepped out into the porch, and thence pa.s.sed through the little garden into the wide street of the picturesque little town, with its white houses--each shaded by its green verandah--and its double row of fruit trees already beginning to spread a pleasant shade. At that hour it was quite deserted, and Hardy presently began,--

"I thought it better not to tell you my reason for riding over from Umvalosa to meet you. I did not want to alarm the ladies."

"What has happened?" asked Baylen anxiously.

"No injury has been done to your property or your servants," said Hardy.

"But beyond Umvalosa, from a little distance outside the town, as far as Utrecht, or nearly as far, there is nothing but ruin and destruction."

"The storm two days ago, do you mean?" suggested Baylen.

"No; this storm has been of man's making," said Hardy. "Umbelini--you know him?"

"Every one knows him too well," was the answer. "If he fell into my hands, I should be disposed to make short work with him."

"He wouldn't come off much better in mine," said Hardy, "if I caught him 'redhanded,' as the saying is. He pretends to act independently of Cetewayo; but n.o.body doubts he is really under his orders. Well, he has made a raid on the district we have been speaking about, with a large force of Zulus. They have burnt to the ground every house in it; driven off the whole of the cattle, and murdered every man, woman, and child that came in their way."

"The district between Utrecht and Umvalosa?" said Baylen. "What can have made Umbelini, or rather Cetewayo, choose that? Why, that is the very district which was in dispute, and which the English have awarded to him! That is strange!"

"Well, the English have awarded it to him, no doubt," a.s.sented Hardy.

"But they didn't give it to him out and out, as he expected perhaps.

The rights of the settlers living in it were to be respected. Probably Cetewayo wishes to show his contempt for their decision. At all events, there is no doubt that he is showing studied disregard of Sir Henry Bulwer's demands. There is this business of the violation of the English territory, and the murder of the two women by Sirayo. His answers about that amount really to an insult. It is what I have long supposed, that, although he will not himself attack the English, he wants to provoke them to attack him."

"I suppose it must be so; and the English will be driven to declare war.

But about this raid by Umbelini. How far has it spread? Is it likely to spread further? Will it reach Umvalosa?"

"It has not got there yet, and I don't think it will. The place is incapable of resisting an attack; but I think Umbelini has already got as much spoil as he can carry away. Besides, the English forces are advancing to Rorke's Drift, and he will avoid any collision with them."

"If Umvalosa is not attacked, we might rest as usual on our way there.

It is one day's journey, you know, from Horner's Kraal."

"Rest? What, at Rogers' station, d.y.k.eman's Hollow?"

"Yes; we always rest there. I know Mr Rogers is away in England. But we should be made welcome all the same."

"Not a doubt of it. But you would find his station deserted. When they heard of Umbelini's approach, his head men packed his waggons with his household goods and valuables, and drove away his cattle."

"And where have his waggons and cattle been driven to?" inquired Mr Baylen. "To my station--to Horner's Kraal?"

"No; Rogers' men thought of going there; but the cattle and the contents of the waggons would be a tempting plunder. Umbelini, who is notorious for his rapacity, might have sent some of his men in pursuit. No; they have gone off to Rorke's Drift, to be under the protection of the British force a.s.sembling there. And that is where Mrs Baylen and all your party and waggons must go, if you take my advice--as soon, that is, as you have recovered the one which has been left on the bank of the Mooi."

"The troops a.s.sembling at Rorke's Drift! Ah, so you said just now.

Then what we heard at Durban must be true; and an ultimatum has been sent to Cetewayo."

"So I am told; and that thirty days have been allowed him in which to send an answer. If he does not do so, Zululand is to be invaded at three different points. One column, under Colonel Pearson, is to cross the Lower Tugela, and move on by Ekowe. A second, under Colonel Evelyn Wood, is to enter by crossing the Blood river, near Kambula. The third, commanded by Lord Chelmsford himself, will set out from Rorke's Drift, and penetrate to the interior by Isandhlwana Hill. If Cetewayo falls back, as they expect, before them, the columns will meet at Ulundi.

There he must fight them or surrender. That is what I am told; but of course it is only rumour."

"Well, Cetewayo certainly intends to fight us, and I hope the plan of operations may be successful. But it does not concern me, and I am anxious to be out of it. Can't we go on, resting at any place where we can find shelter,--at Umvalosa or elsewhere,--and get to Horner's Kraal?

There we shall be well out of it all."

"I really don't think you can, Baylen. I don't think you'd be troubled by Umbelini and his Zulus. As soon as Wood and his men move to their station on the Blood river, he is sure to take himself off, and will not return while Wood and his troops remain in that neighbourhood. But the country is full of lawless characters of all kinds,--escaped convicts, bush robbers, and adventurers who have lost everything at the diamond fields. There is no legal authority to keep them in control--no sufficient authority, at all events, and they would murder any one for the value of a tobacco pipe. It would not be safe for the ladies of your party, at all events, to attempt the journey, unless with a military escort, until order has been restored."

"And I suppose there is a general flight to Rorke's Drift?"

"There were a great many on their way there yesterday. I pa.s.sed young Vander Heyden and his sister, accompanied by Frank Moritz, as I rode out."

"Vander Heyden and Moritz! Why, they were in Durban a week or so ago!"

"Yes; but they travelled faster than you. They reached Vander Heyden's house--Bushman's Drift, as it is called--just in time to see it all in a blaze, and the Zulus plundering and killing every one they encountered.

Henryk and the others had just time to escape. If they had got there a few hours earlier, they would have been shot or a.s.segayed too."

"And they have gone now to Rorke's Drift?"

"Yes; I exchanged a few words with Moritz. He was hot enough about what he had witnessed. But he was calmness itself to Vander Heyden. _He_ did not say a word; but he looked like a man who meant to do something terrible, when the time came. I fancy some one, of whom he was very fond, must have been killed. But I did not like to ask. I gathered, however, that he was not going to Rorke's Drift for protection, but for revenge on those miscreants. Bitterly and notoriously as he dislikes the English, he means to join their army as a mounted volunteer. The Lord have mercy on the Zulus that come in his way, for he will have none. He is an experienced soldier, and will be a valuable recruit."

"Well," said Baylen, "I don't know that I can greatly blame him. I shall not be at all surprised if a great many should be found to follow his example. It is certainly high time that a stop should be put to these atrocities. Well, Hardy, I shall follow your advice. I shall send off the waggon with Mrs Baylen and Clara, with Matamo to take care of them, to-morrow morning, and I shall follow with the other as soon as we have got it out of the Mooi. I suppose the road to Rorke's Drift is open and safe, is it not?"

"Well, for it to be that, Umbelini and his Zulus must have withdrawn. I expect to hear with certainty about that to-morrow morning, and will come down and tell you about it before I start. Mrs Baylen must not set off until the road is safe."

"Many thanks. By-the-bye, I forgot to ask whether you have suffered much loss yourself from this Impi?"

"Not very much, thank you. I had fortunately sold off my stock a short time ago, and I had the money with me. My servants also got notice in time, and made their escape, with most of the articles of any real value. The house has been burnt and wrecked; but I daresay I shall get compensation when the war is over. Meanwhile, I mean to follow Vander Heyden's example, and take service with the mounted volunteers."

CHAPTER TEN.

Baylen returned to the pastor's house too late to impart any of the information he had received to the rest of the family; and, besides, he judged it better that they should all get a sound night's rest, undisturbed by perplexities and alarms. He was up, however, by daybreak, and soon afterwards Hardy arrived with the information that Umbelini and his warriors had all returned to their mountains without having approached Umvalosa. No doubt this was due to the fact that some of Colonel Evelyn Wood's men were on their way to the Blood river. But the condition of the Transvaal, between Umvalosa and Horner's Kraal, was even worse than he had described it. If Mr Baylen could obtain an escort of soldiers for the first ten miles or so, it might be safe for him to go, but not otherwise.

"Very well," said Mr Baylen. "I shan't be able to get that--not for some time, at all events. And I am more likely to get it at Rorke's Drift than anywhere else. So the plan I agreed on with you last night shall hold good. I shall send Matamo to get the waggon ready as soon as possible. When I have seen that off, the boys and I will go down to the Mooi. Mr Rivers, what will you and Mr Margetts like to do? It will be of no use your going to Mr Rogers' station, after what Hardy has told us, and I don't think it will be any better if you went to Spielman's Vley. It is very improbable that you would find the Mansens there."