Perils in the Transvaal and Zululand Part 3

"My name is Whittaker," said the elder of the two travellers, a pleasant-looking man of about thirty, "and I am happy to be introduced to you, Mr Rivers. This is Mr Walters. He lands at East London, but all the rest of us, I believe, are going on to Durban."

"I believe so," a.s.sented Rivers. "Do you reside in Durban, may I ask?"

"No. I am the chief clerk in the Colonial Bank at Pieter Maritzburg. I have been home on business connected with the bank, and am now returning."

"Do you know these Dutchmen?" asked Margetts, looking as he spoke at the group of three who were still seated by the taffrail.

Mr Whittaker looked in the direction indicated.

"Yes," he said, "I do know them; and I am not particularly glad to have them for my fellow-pa.s.sengers. I have seen them once or twice in Natal, and I met them at the house of one of our correspondents a week or two ago in London."

"What do you know about them?" inquired Redgy. "I know that they have an especial dislike to Englishmen," said Whittaker; "that is, Vander Heyden has; I don't know about the other. If you knew the colony as well as I do, Mr Rivers, you would be aware that there is a great difference observable among the Dutch settlers. Some of them are kind and friendly enough with all white men--"

"All _white_ men?" interposed Redgy. "Not with blacks, then?"

"No, Mr Margetts," returned the other gravely. "A man can know very little about the colony not to be aware that every Dutchman regards the natives as being of little more account than dogs or horses--of a good deal less account than many horses."

"So I have heard. But what about their relations.h.i.+p with other whites?"

"As I was saying, some of them will receive kindly and hospitably all Europeans; but others entertain a rooted dislike to all but their own countrymen. Englishmen in particular they regard as their natural enemies. They will not do them the slightest service, or exchange the most ordinary civilities with them. I have known some Boers refuse even a gla.s.s of cold water to an Englishman when he was almost peris.h.i.+ng with thirst."

"And this Vander Heyden is one of that sort, hey?" asked Margetts. "By the way, did not Captain Ranken say he was an officer?"

"He has been some years in the Dutch service. He left the Transvaal when his father died; but he is now returning to marry, and live on his property with his wife and sister. Some years ago, when visiting a friend at Maritzburg who is a merchant there, there was a quarrel with an English officer, which attracted a good deal of attention, and made Vander Heyden, for the time at all events, very notorious. That was caused by his manner of dealing with the natives."

"What were the particulars?" asked Mr Walters.

"He was on his way to Maritzburg," said Whittaker, "and on the road he met a servant of Captain Tarleton's, who was taking two horses belonging to his master to Rorke's Drift. The spot where they met was at a small spring in the middle of a long dry tract of country. They arrived nearly about the same time; but Tarleton's servant got there first, and was proceeding to water the horses, when Vander Heyden ordered him imperiously to desist, and wait until his party had watered their cattle. He took the captain's servant for a native,--a Kaffir or Zulu; but the man really was a Sikh, and as bold and fierce as Vander Heyden himself. He angrily refused; and, when the Dutchman thrust him violently on one side, he drew his knife, and would have stabbed his a.s.sailant, if the others of the party had not seized him. While the altercation was going on, Captain Tarleton himself rode up, and, having heard the particulars from the bystanders, took up the quarrel. The result was a challenge; and there would have been a duel in Maritzburg a day or two afterwards, if the matter had not reached the ears of one of the local magistrates. He sent for the parties, convicted Vander Heyden of an a.s.sault, and required him to find securities to keep the peace, or leave the colony. The Dutchman chose the latter course. But the affair, I take it, has not increased his affection for us English."

"Well, he must keep the peace here," remarked the captain, who had again joined them; "and I shall take care that he does. But I agree with Mr Whittaker that he is not very likely to be over cordial with us English.

I have already seen some indications of his feelings towards us."

"The other man--Moritz his name is, I think," observed Redgy--"appears to be more amiably disposed."

"The young lady too seems pleasant," said Mr Whittaker; "but I suppose she will be in a great measure under her brother's orders."

"No doubt," said Rivers. "Well, of course, it rests with herself whether we are to be friendly with her or not."

Several days pa.s.sed on. Madeira was reached; and then the s.h.i.+p's course was set for Saint Helena, where there was to be a delay of at least twenty-four hours. The antic.i.p.ations expressed as to Vander Heyden's demeanour were fully verified. He stood aloof himself from all the pa.s.sengers except Moritz and the Portuguese, Martinez; and it was tolerably plain that he only sought his society as a means of keeping the others at a distance. At the meals, which took place in the princ.i.p.al cabin, he seated his sister at the end of the table, on the captain's right. He himself sat next to her, with Moritz immediately opposite, and Martinez next to him. As he never addressed a single word to the Englishmen, and the Portuguese could not speak English, all conversation with Annchen became almost impossible; indeed, as none of them had been introduced to her, they could hardly under such circ.u.mstances presume to address her. Indeed, they felt too much offended at the haughty dislike which Vander Heyden made no show of concealing, to have any desire to do so; and the voyage to the Cape might have been accomplished without the interchange of a word between the young lady and her English fellow-pa.s.sengers, if it had not been for an occurrence which took place when they were some days' voyage south of Madeira, and approaching the equator.

All the party were on deck. Annchen, dressed entirely in white, and wearing a large hat of the same colour,--the crown being thickened as a defence against the sun,--was sitting on a low stool under the shade of the companion. Rivers, Redgy, and Mr Walters were lying on the deck under an awning which they had constructed with the help of an old sail.

A sharp wind had been blowing since daybreak, which threatened to rise to a gale at sundown. Presently one of the sailors, carrying a load of potatoes to the coop, came up the hatchway. He had evidently been drinking, and was extremely unsteady on his legs. A gust of wind caught him as he stepped on deck. He reeled, and struck against Vander Heyden, upsetting him, and knocking him against Annchen, who was standing close by. She lost her balance, and the wind, catching her hat, swept it across the deck. It would have been carried into the sea, if it had not been caught in the rigging. Rivers started up, skimmed nimbly up the ropes, recovered the hat, and, descending, presented it to its owner.

Annchen coloured, and glanced hurriedly round at her brother, expecting him to acknowledge the civility.

But Vander Heyden was differently employed. He had regained his feet, and was on the point of angrily reproving the sailor for his clumsiness, when he suddenly exclaimed,--

"Ha! you here, you English scoundrel! What has brought you into this s.h.i.+p? How dare you intrude yourself on me?"

"I want to have nothing to do with you," retorted the man sullenly. "I couldn't help the wind blowing, could I? As for my being an English scoundrel, a Dutch coward is worse any day!"

"Insolent hound!" cried Vander Heyden, striking him a heavy blow as he spoke; "I will teach you to insult a Hollander."

The man reeled and fell on the deck, knocking over another sailor, named Van Ryk, who was pa.s.sing at the moment. Their dislike of the Boer seemed to be as great as his of them. They leaped up and rushed together on Vander Heyden, and an angry fray would have ensued, if Wyndham, the first mate, had not interfered. He had seen what had occurred, and desired the combatants to desist.

"Mr Vander Heyden," he said, "this cannot be allowed. Bostock has had more than his allowance of grog, and I shall see that he is punished for that; but I am pretty sure he did not mean to annoy you--"

"Whom do you call Bostock?" interrupted the Dutchman,--"that schelm, Cargill? I know him better than you do, I fancy."

"I know him by the name in which he entered this s.h.i.+p," returned the mate. "But it does not matter what his name is. You had no right to strike him, and should beg his pardon."

"Beg his pardon!" exclaimed the other haughtily; "you do not think I shall do that! He has hurt me a good deal. I believe I have sprained my ankle badly. But, anyway, I am not to be subjected to his drunken insolence. If he intrudes himself on me again, he will suffer sharply for it. Help me down below, Frank," he continued; "I must get my shoe off, and bandage my ankle. The surgeon had better come to me."

"Stop, sir," said the mate. "I shall send for the captain, and inform him of what has pa.s.sed. You will be pleased to wait till he comes on deck."

Captain Ranken accordingly was summoned, and, having heard Wyndham's statement, asked Vander Heyden whether the matter had been correctly reported; but the latter made no reply.

"I must a.s.sume, then, that the thing really occurred as reported. I beg to tell you, sir, that I command this s.h.i.+p; and any one who interferes with its discipline is accountable to me. You will beg this man's pardon, as the mate has most properly required, and give your undertaking not to repeat your violence, or I shall confine you to your cabin. Any repet.i.tion of your offence will be punished by your being put into irons."

"I shall give no promise," said Vander Heyden angrily. "Frank, help me to my cabin, and send the surgeon to me. I suppose he will not be forbidden to attend me."

"Certainly not, sir," said Captain Ranken; "I did not know that you had been hurt. Perhaps when below you will think better of this, and give the promise I require. I hope you will forgive me, Miss Vander Heyden,"

he continued, as the Dutchman was helped down the companion. "I am extremely sorry for what has occurred; but it is necessary for the comfort of the whole s.h.i.+p, that I should maintain strict discipline."

Annchen bowed silently, and, taking her hat from George, who was still standing by, holding it in his hand, thanked him very civilly. She then expressed her intention of going down to her brother, to see if she could render him any help.

"I think you had better not," said George. "The surgeon has just gone to him, and will do all that is necessary. Mr Moritz, too, is with him, and there is hardly room for more in the cabin. But I will go down and inquire."

He went below accordingly, and presently returned with the information that the surgeon said there was a severe sprain. But he had bandaged and fomented the ankle, and it would be better for the patient to remain for the present quite quiet. Moritz also returned on deck with the same report, at the same time thanking Rivers with much courtesy for his services. George replied; and a conversation ensued, which altogether dispelled the awkwardness which had hitherto prevailed. Vander Heyden's sprain was found to be worse than it was at first apprehended. It became evident that for a week at least he would be a prisoner in his cabin, thus rendering the captain's sentence altogether needless. His absence from the deck and the daily meals, made an entire alteration in the relation of the pa.s.sengers to one another. Annchen pa.s.sed a considerable part of her time in her brother's cabin, but she was still frequently on deck, and when there showed no disposition to repel the civilities of her fellow-pa.s.sengers, and the whole party soon became extremely friendly with one another.

One evening Captain Ranken announced that they were now within a day's sail of Saint Helena, and that he intended to make up a party, which he hoped all the pa.s.sengers would join, to visit Longwood and Napoleon's grave.

"I am afraid your brother will still be a prisoner, Miss Annchen," he said. "But that need not deprive us of your and Mr Moritz's company."

Annchen made no reply, unless a slight tinge of colour which overspread her cheek might be regarded as one. She knew that her brother would in all likelihood insist on her remaining in the s.h.i.+p; but that she was very unwilling to do. She was very fond of him, and always sided with him, so far as she was able; but she was not blind to his faults, and knew that in the quarrel which had recently taken place he was almost entirely to blame. She had saved him from the indignity of giving the promise required by Captain Ranken, by a.s.suring the captain privately that her brother would not repeat the offence, though he was too proud to say so; and Captain Ranken, taking into consideration the confinement which Vander Heyden had already undergone, and influenced doubtless, as all men are apt to be, by appeals from bright eyes and arguments from rosy lips, had agreed to make no further mention of the matter. But she was not disposed to submit to her brother's dictation respecting her fellow-pa.s.sengers, whom she had found extremely agreeable and friendly; against whom, too, there seemed to be no other objection than that they were Englishmen. George Rivers in particular was a very agreeable companion, and she was greatly diverted with the humorous sallies of Redgy Margetts and young Walters, who kept the whole party in a state of continual amus.e.m.e.nt. Mr Whittaker, again, was an agreeable fellow-pa.s.senger, though graver and less communicative than the others.

She was more frank and easy with the young men, because it was generally known that there was an engagement between her and Mynheer Moritz,--one of those family compacts, with which both parties seemed to be satisfied, though there was no display of ardent affection on either side. On the whole, the party in the cabin and on the deck was a pleasant one, Moritz appearing to enjoy it as well as herself. But Annchen felt sure that if her brother should be told of the proposed expedition to visit the interior of Saint Helena, he would object to her joining it; and she was not disposed to forego the pleasure she promised herself, to gratify his fancy. She therefore said nothing on the subject until the captain's boat, which was to convey the party on sh.o.r.e, had been made ready. Then she told Captain Ranken that she had resolved to go on the party with the others.

"Delighted to hear it, Miss Vander Heyden?" answered the captain; "and I think I can promise you that you will not regret your determination. I have already sent a message on sh.o.r.e to order a carriage, which will take us to Longwood. Now then for the detested residence, and the empty grave, of the _ci-devant_ conqueror of Europe!"

CHAPTER THREE.

"Nature must have intended this island for a prison," remarked Miss Vander Heyden, as she looked up at the inaccessible precipices by which Saint Helena is environed. "Nothing but a bird could make its way into the interior, except by the landing-places, and the narrow paths which lead up the mountain-sides from them."

"True," a.s.serted the captain; "and there are only four landing-places which it is possible for a boat to approach, and three of them are more or less dangerous. This one which we are now drawing near to is the only one in the island which deserves the name of a landing-place."

"And it would be difficult for an enemy to a.s.sail that," remarked Rivers, as he glanced at the fortified lines, bristling with cannon, which commanded the quay. "It would take a great many s.h.i.+ps of the line to silence those batteries. Even then, from the tops of those cliffs, any force that attempted a landing might be destroyed without the possibility of retaliation. Yes, I agree with you, Miss Vander Heyden; Napoleon's heart, if he ever really contemplated an escape from his captivity, must have died within him when he came within sight of these precipices."

"You are right, sir," said Captain Ranken. "That was his real ground of complaint against Saint Helena. He talked of the unhealthiness of the climate, and the badness of his accommodation, and the rudeness of the officials in charge of him. But the true grievance was that escape was impossible."