The Vee-Boers Part 6

He had barely time to arrange his battery--all the available guns belonging to the party--as the leading elephant, a grand old tusker, with ears big as carriage umbrellas, entered the open list in the timber, the rest still following in file. Though going only in a walk, it was with a stride that carried them along fast as most other animals in full run, and in a few seconds after the tusker stood on the stream's bank; then with a flourish of trumpets, and a whirl of his flexible trunk, struck straight down into the water.

But never to go out of it again alive, on his own legs. Scarce had he wetted his huge hooves, when he was saluted by a fusillade from the opposite side that not only tumbled himself over, but five or six of his fellows following immediately behind, some of them wounded, some killed outright. The rest of the herd took instant affright and wheeling round, went off in wild rush, no longer aligned, but in scattered confusion, breaking through the bushes in every direction.

When the waggons were again drawn back upon track, and moved off inland, in addition to their usual loading, they carried several hundred pounds weight of valuable ivory.

Note 1. The "dissel-boom" of a waggon is the pole to which the hind oxen are attached, the others in front drawing by the trek-touw.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

A CAMP FULL OF CARCa.s.sES.

Another encampment of the Vee-Boers, their three waggons as before, forming its substantial centre. In almost everything else it is different from that under the baobab, being situated in a _kloof_ [Note 1] between two rocky ridges, which, trending towards one another, meet and form a sort of _cul-de-sac_. The valley's bottom is of some breadth, gra.s.s--covered but treeless, save some stunted bushes scattered thinly over it, with here and there a tall camel-thorn, from which hang the purse-like pensile nests of a colony of weaver birds. The ridges are of basalt, and along their slopes lie huge boulders, some square-shaped and big as houses; other similar blocks being strewn about on the level below. Just over the camp, and shadowing it from the sun, is a high _kop_ [Note 2], on whose ledges cling aloes, euphorbias, and other plants, characteristic of desert vegetation; for all is barrenness, above and around, the bottom land alone showing any sign of fertility. This last is due to a spring, which, issuing from the cliff's base, trickles down the valley, to be caught in a little pool, some hundred paces below. Being a permanent fontein, it afforded sufficient water for all the animals when they wanted it. But few of them want it now; most being dead, whilst those that survive are in death's throes, without hope of recovery. The fatal work begun by the tulp, is being finished by the tsetse; good as finished already--and the migrating graziers will soon be without stock of any kind, horse, ox, or cow. Even their dogs are dead or dying.

This wholesale fatality, as they have since ascertained, was brought about by the buffaloes; some of the people, sent back to the river higher up, having there found no signs of the venomous insect. They had gone with a view to continuing the journey; but before a fresh start could be made, the too well-known symptoms of tsetse-sickness had declared themselves, and all thoughts of treking further were relinquished.

For the first forty-eight hours the effect of the poison had not been perceptible, and there was a hope of the animals escaping. A hope which had to be abandoned when they began to water at the eyes, and run at the nostrils, their hair standing on end as in the midst of an arctic winter, while they were under the hottest of tropical suns. Soon after came swelling of the jaws, scouring, with consequent emaciation, weakness to staggering; some actually going mad, as with hydrophobia, and having to be shot. All would have been shot ere this, but for a lingering, half-despairing belief that some might still get over it.

This is now gone; many of them have been buried; and of those above ground, the dying lie mingled with the dead, groaning and moaning piteously.

When at length comes the conviction that all are doomed, the fiat goes forth to put the suffering creatures out of pain. The guns are again brought into requisition; a brisk, though reluctant, fusillade follows, and the camp is left without a living quadruped.

For a time there was silence, profound and solemn as that which succeeds the firing over a soldier's grave. Every one sate despondent, or stood in listless att.i.tude, ignorant of what was next to be done. They but knew that to remain there would be out of the question, while treking away with their waggons was no longer possible. These huge vehicles, now teamless, with their white canvas covers, were as s.h.i.+ps becalmed in mid-ocean; all sails set, but not a breath of wind to blow them on. And the migrating Boers themselves might be likened to s.h.i.+pwrecked sailors-- castaways on a desert sh.o.r.e--for not much better was their situation.

Around they saw the ruin of their hopes, the wreck of their fortunes, but nothing of what lay before them, or beyond.

Under such circ.u.mstances no wonder at their being sad and despondent.

But if silent, not so was the scene around. Throughout the kloof were noises enough, and more than enough, since all were disagreeable to their ears. Skulking among the rocks and bushes, the jackal gave out its long--drawn, lugubrious whine, in concert with the wild, hysterical laughter of the hyena; while from the ledges above came the hoa.r.s.e wah-wah of baboons, as though these quadrumana were afflicted with colds, and all the time clearing their throats.

Along the cliff's crest were perched vultures of various species, sunning themselves, with wings outstretched, now and then uttering harsh croaks as they contemplated the rich banquet below, soon to be ready for their beaks. [Note 3.] Eagles, soaring high in air, meant partaking of it also, as betokened by their necks craned downwards, and screams of eager concupiscence.

An interval having elapsed, and the necessity for action forcing itself upon his mind, the head baas, Jan Van Dorn, summoned his two a.s.sociates into council, for deliberation on what should be done.

A flat-topped stone near the centre of the camp offered a convenient seat, and, sitting down upon it--all three pipe in mouth--the leader thus delivered himself--

"Brothers! we're in a bad way now; it couldn't well be worse."

"Ya--ya, that is true," responded the others in a breath, Blom adding--

"Nach Mynheer Jan, it couldn't possibly be worse."

"Then what ought we to do, think you?"

To which merely formal question Van Dorn received no answer, the other two tacitly puffing away at their pipes in expectation that he would tell them. Accustomed to this sort of deference the old jager no longer held back, but proceeded to unburden himself, saying--

"Well, brothers; the first thing we must do is to look out for our lives--our very lives. And it's the only thing we can do now. To keep on to the place we were making for, even though sure of reaching it, wouldn't help us a bit. Without our cattle we'd be no better off there than here; and now that our horses and dogs are gone too, there's but small chance for us subsisting by the chase. Once our ammunition gave out, we'd be just as Bosjesmen, have to live on roots and reptiles.

That's not the life for a Vee-Boer, nor the diet either."

"_Gott der himmel_, no!" was the deprecatory exclamation of Blom, sent forth between two puffs of smoke.

"So," continued Van Dorn, "I see no hope for us but return to the Transvaal."

"Neither I. Nor I," a.s.sented the a.s.sociate baases, Rynwald adding interrogatively--

"But, Mynheer Jan, how are we to get back there?"

This was just the trouble that stared all in the face, and had been in their thoughts ever since the tsetse-sickness first made its appearance among the stock. For in their thoughts, also, was the Karoo they had lately crossed with so much difficulty and danger. This when they had all the means of transport, waggons to carry their women, children, provisions, and other effects, with horses to ride upon. What would be the recrossing it without these, and afoot? Impossible, as Van Dorn well knew; and so declared, saying--

"Overland, brothers, we never could get back. We are more than three hundred miles from Zoutpansberg, the nearest settlement of our people, as you know. Some of us might hold out to reach it, but not all; only the strongest. The weak ones, our dear ones, would many of them perish by the way. Need I say more?"

"No--no!" promptly responded Rynwald, thinking of a wife and only daughter, the fair Katharina. "That's enough, Mynheer Jan. We mustn't attempt to go back over the Karoo; it would be our ruin, as you say."

"Then how are we to go?" demanded Blom. "What other way?"

"By _water_," answered the head baas. "We must make down the river, and on to the sea."

"What river are you speaking of?"

"The Limpopo. The stream we've just left should run into it, not a great way below; and the Limpopo itself empties somewhere to the northward of Delagoa Bay. I have heard there is a Portugese settlement, a small port near its mouth, where whalers and coasting vessels occasionally call. If we can reach that, 'twill give us a chance to get down the coast to Port Natal, and then over the Drakenbergs back home."

"That would be a long voyage," suggested Blom, "full of all sorts of dangers, too."

"In time not near so long as by land, and not half as many dangers either--if we have luck."

"Ay, if we have luck. But suppose we haven't?"

"We must take the chances, Mynheer Hans; all the more as there's no help for it. But I'm sure it's our best way."

"So I," seconded Rynwald.

"But," said Blom, less objecting than to get a clearer comprehension of what their chief intended, "you don't propose our descending the river afoot--tramping along the banks, do you?"

"Certainly not! That would be a trudge to take time, indeed; harder than crossing the Kalahari [Note 4] itself. We'll sail down to the sea."

"But what about boats? We have none."

"We must do without them--build rafts, which in a way will be better than boats."

"Oh! that's your idea, Mynheer Jan. I suppose it's a good one, and for the best. Well, I'm willing too. So let us make it a water journey."

The other two having already p.r.o.nounced in favour of this, the consultation came to a close by Van Dorn saying--

"And, brothers; the sooner we start the better. We can gain nothing by staying longer in this tainted spot; but may lose something--our health, likely, if not our very lives."