Hendricks the Hunter Part 29

The quaggas and gnus, however, soon after separated, going off in different directions. As the ground appeared more favourable in the direction the quaggas had taken, Rupert proposed that they should give chase to them.

The two Kaffirs dashed over all impediments for the sake of turning the herd and giving the gentlemen an opportunity of shooting some of them.

A cloud of dust marked their course. On the animals dashed at a slas.h.i.+ng pace, but very soon relaxed their efforts, as they are no match for a horse. The two Kaffirs now appeared ahead of them, and shouting and shrieking, drove them back towards Rupert and Crawford, who had drawn up out of sight behind a clump of bushes. Both firing at the same time, each brought down a quagga, and before the herd had recovered sufficiently to go off in another direction, they had reloaded, and two more lay struggling on the ground. Just then Crawford saw a young filly which had missed its mother and got separated from the herd.

"I heard your sister Helen say she should so much like to have a young quagga to try and tame it," exclaimed Crawford, riding up to the little animal, which seemed in no way alarmed at the appearance of the horse, but apparently mistaking it for its parent, trotted alongside.

"If you like, we'll endeavour to keep it between us till we can give it in charge of one of the Kaffirs," said Rupert, coming up.

The little animal at first appeared perfectly contented with its new companions, and galloped between them. Suddenly, however, finding that it had made a mistake, it attempted to bolt; but Rupert, expecting this, had prepared a noose at the end of his halter. Finding itself caught, the filly made a most determined resistance, kicking, snapping its jaws, in which not a tooth was to be seen, das.h.i.+ng round and round, and hanging back with its whole weight, altogether exhibiting its ferocious nature.

Fortunately the Kaffir soon came up, and applying his water bottle to its lips, quickly brought it to a more amiable state of mind. Crawford now stroked its back and spoke gently to it, till the little creature appeared perfectly at its ease.

"I should so much like to keep the small animal alive, for I am sure it would please your sister to have it, and I am afraid that the Kaffir might not treat it properly," he observed to Rupert. "If you don't object, I'll lead it back to the farm, while you and your men continue the chase."

"With all my heart," answered Rupert, who guessed that Crawford, as yet inexperienced in hunting, would not be of much use.

Crawford, therefore, leading his horse with one hand and the animal by the other, set off for the farm, while Rupert and his men, having covered up the dead quaggas with bushes, to guard them from the vultures and jackals until the arrival of the waggon, continued on in pursuit of further game.

Rupert was fully as successful as he expected; a couple of pallahs, three springbocs, and a buffalo being the result of the expedition, in addition to the quaggas, and all within the radius of a couple of miles.

The waggon appeared in due time, and being loaded, he and his men set off to escort it back to the farm.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE DEFENCE.

Mrs Broderick did not feel quite satisfied with herself at having allowed Rupert and so many men to quit the farm. Percy noticed that she was less at her ease than usual. She at length desired him to take a look-out on the platform to ascertain if his brother and Crawford were returning.

"They are not likely to be back for some time," he answered, "so that I am afraid I shall not be able to report their appearance in the distance."

"Then, my dear Percy, take a survey of the country round, especially on the opposite side of the river. Perhaps the Zulus may be coming back; and should they find out how few persons there are at the farm, they may demand Mangaleesu, and threaten us with an attack should we refuse to give him up."

"Pray set your heart at rest on that point, mother," answered Percy. "I will, as you desire it, take a look round, though I am pretty sure not to see any one. Supposing the Zulus were to come, we would close the gates and keep them out."

"But when they see only you on the platform they would force it open,"

said Mrs Broderick.

"They would find that no easy matter, while I should be peppering them from above," said Percy, laughing. "I will mount the two swivel guns on the platform above the gate, and I will carry up all our spare rifles, so that I can pop away briskly at the fellows if they approach with hostile intent."

"Were you to do that, you would expose yourself, and they would soon find out that there was only one person defending the walls," said Mrs Broderick.

"I have a bright idea," exclaimed Percy. "What do you say to letting the girls dress up in Rupert's and my clothes? Perhaps we shall also find some among my father's and Crawford's which would suit them. They might show themselves while the enemy appeared at a distance, and then get out of harm's way."

Mrs Broderick could not help smiling, notwithstanding her anxiety at Percy's proposal.

"The girls will be ready to do anything that is necessary, but I trust that after all no enemies will come near us, and I only wish you, as a precautionary measure, to convince yourself that none are in the neighbourhood," she said.

"Very well, mother, I will go, and shout out loud enough for you all to hear, if I see any one," answered Percy. "Then let the girls put on their male attire and hurry up, with muskets in their hands, to the ramparts. They need not put on any lower garments, as the Zulus would only see their heads and shoulders. By the bye, if they were to rig up a few dummies, it might a.s.sist to deceive the enemy, and they might be left to be shot at in case they should have firearms among them."

On leaving his mother, Percy shouted to his sisters to come and hear the proposal he had to make.

The young ladies, who had been employed in various ways at the back of the premises, hearing his voice, hurried round to ascertain what he wanted. He had by this time reached the platform.

"I was telling mother that, should any enemy appear, I would advise you all to rig up in our clothes. I forgot Biddy; she would be a host in herself, if she will rout out father's old uniform coat and his c.o.c.ked hat and sword. If she flourishes the blade in the rays of the sun, and rushes about here and there, she'll make the enemy believe that we have a large garrison, and they will hesitate to approach us. Tell Mangaleesu that he must disguise himself, and that he will not be recognised in a round hat and big necktie; and his wife too, she will prove useful. 'We shall do finely,' as Denis would say, and now I'll just look out and see if any enemy is at hand. In all probability the Zulus have given up their search for Mangaleesu as hopeless, supposing him by this time to be miles away from the frontier, so you need not begin your preparations just yet, though I should like to see Biddy dressed up in our father's c.o.c.ked hat and uniform coat, with a sword by her side. She'd make a fine picture of an Amazon."

Having thus delivered himself, Percy placed his telescope at his eye, and slowly sweeping it round, took in every spot between the farm and the most distant part of the landscape.

"Do you see any one?" asked Maud, who had climbed up and stood by his side.

"Nothing moving that I can make out," he answered; "but that, of course, does not prove that no one is coming. Perhaps a whole army of Zulus may be advancing behind the trees, and it will be only by a lucky chance that my gla.s.s is pointed at them at the moment they are crossing some open s.p.a.ce."

"You don't really think they are coming, do you?" asked Maud, in a somewhat anxious tone.

"Of course not; but I almost wish they would, that we might have an opportunity of putting my admirable plan of defence into execution. I'd give anything to see Biddy hurling defiance at the savages from the ramparts. I'm confident that we should make an heroic defence, and immortalise our names."

"I wish you would not joke about so serious a matter," exclaimed Maud.

"What would be the use of immortalising our names if we were all to be killed?"

"I don't mean that we should be killed," said Percy. "My idea is that we should drive them back defeated and discomfited. I confess that I should like to have old Vermack and a few of our other men to follow up the enemy. Depend upon it, they would give a good account of all they caught sight of. The Dutchman, who hates the Zulus with all his heart, would knock them over like ninepins."

"Oh, don't speak in that way!" said Maud. "But are you sure that you do not see any one coming? Pray do take another look round with your gla.s.s. I daresay you are right. But mother is unusually anxious, and I don't think she would be so unless there was a strong impression on her mind that danger is at hand."

"Well, I'll make another examination of the surrounding world," said Percy; and he again took up the gla.s.s, and resting it on the top of the wall, swept the country. "Don't start back with terror if I say that I see a regiment of Zulus in the distance. They may not be intending to come here. Perhaps Cetchwayo is at their head, and he may merely be making a visit of inspection round his father's territories."

"But do you really mean to say that you see a regiment crossing the river?" asked Maud, in a somewhat alarmed tone.

"No; I was only supposing the matter," said Percy, laughing. "In case any may have crossed over, and be creeping up on our side, I'll now turn my gla.s.s in that direction."

He was for some time silent, while Maud watched his countenance.

Suddenly he exclaimed--

"Yes, I do see something moving. Now don't tumble down off the platform, Maud; for whether they are men or beasts I cannot yet clearly make out. Yes, I see now; there is a man leading a horse with one hand and a small animal with the other. I do believe it is Crawford. The animal is a quagga. Every now and then the creature begins to frisk about and pull away from him. He has a hard matter to get it along, that is very evident. Now he stops and is patting the creature, now they are coming on again. Now the little brute is kicking and plunging, trying to bite him; but he holds on manfully. I wish that I could go and help him; but I must not desert my post. I guess how it is; he has managed to catch the quagga, and is bringing it in to try and tame it, very likely to present to one of you girls."

"Not for me or Rose. If it's for one of us, it's for Helen," exclaimed Maud. "He evidently admires her, though she is too busy to admire him in return. At all events, we shall have him as an addition to the garrison, should the Zulus come before Rupert and the men with him return."

"I have been looking out for them, but I don't see them. Crawford, however, will be here presently, and tell us what they are about, so that we may know when to expect them."

Percy had taken two or three turns on the platform, when he suddenly exclaimed, "I do believe there are some people coming down the mountain, but who they are I cannot make out, though there appear to be a good many of them. Maud, do you go down and tell Helen and Rose and Biddy to get ready. I'll fire the signals to let the men know they are to drive in the cattle. Crawford will be here long before the Zulus can cross the river, even if he doesn't mount his horse and let the young quagga go. Don't alarm our mother, that's all. I say, Maud," he added, as his sister was hastening away, "before you do anything else, send Biddy here with the swivel guns. One at a time is as much as she can carry, and I have got a rope to hoist them up. There are places already fitted to fix them in; and then tell her to bring along the muskets and a good store of ammunition. Let Mangaleesu know what is wanted, and he'll help her, and his wife too. As long as they do not show themselves, there is no reason why they should not come out of their retreat."

Maud hastened away to obey these directions, and Percy resumed his look-out through the telescope. He was more than ever sure that a considerable force was coming over the hill,--a force, too, which took no pains to conceal itself. This might prove that they came with no hostile intentions, or it might be that, confident in their own strength, they were indifferent to being discovered.

"I wish that Rupert and the hunters were not away," said Percy to himself. "This may be no joking matter; at the same time we must put on a bold face, and not allow the savages to suppose that we are daunted by their numbers. I only hope that Rupert will be back before they cross the river, for it would be serious were he to be caught by them; and then perhaps my father and Lionel will be coming, and they may be surprised by the cunning rascals."

Again and again Percy turned his gla.s.s to the eastward.

"Hurrah! that's one good thing; the fellows have halted just about the spot where they were before encamped."