Tales from the Veld Part 28

"Well, the Kaffirs they dropped, crawling for shelter, and Harry came in as cool as you please, with an a.s.segai in his hand that he picked up.

Then he seed me crouching down, and laugh'd a'most till he cried, for I were covered with the leavings of the churn.

"They took their places inside the room, each one at a hole, and began firing by fits and starts, Tom standin' ready with a charge of powder from the horn each time.

"'They're going to rush the cattle,' sed Oll; 'and we can't prevent 'em from here. Some of us had better get into the shed.'

"Well, three of them boys went out--Oll, and Harry, and Willie--and there were a terrible how-de-do out there, shoutin' an' whistlin', and bangin'; the dogs barking fit to bust themselves, the ole red bull bellering, and the fowls that had flew to the roof cackling all together. My! I were skeered, and Tom, he looked if he'd bolt inter the tub along with me, but he jes' kep on pouring out the powder.

"Then I yeard 'Hurrah,' and ole Tolver tore open the door, and Tom most split his throat.

"The Kaffirs were on the run, and when I crep' out, I seed Harry a tearin' up the hill arter them, with Will at his heels, then--oh, lad!-- oh, lad!--from the wood there came out, swift and silent, a party of Kaffirs led by the chief Tyali, and they cut between the three boys and the house.

"I yeard Oll shout, 'Back! Turn back!' then again, 'Together, brothers!'--and the three, clubbing their rifles, went straight at the chief and his men, an' ole Tolver dancing about at the door, fearing to shoot, and Tom staring with his eyes wide, and the powder running from the horn on the floor.

"Then there were a whirling crowd of men, and the smack of sticks--and the 'thud--thud--thud,'--and groans--and out of the pack Oll lurched, carrying Willie, whose head lay back limp.

"He came along like a tipsy man--rolling--with his mouth fixed in a smile, and the blood running from his head.

"When he were near the door a Kaffir stabbed him in the back, and the ole baas shot the Kaffir.

"Then Oll reeled back, and he spoke in gasps, 'I can't--go--any-- further--father--take Will--he's hurt,'--then he jes' sank to the ground, and rolled over.

"Seth brought Willie in, and laid him down on the floor.

"And ole man Tolver stood outside the door calling for a loaded gun; and then he sprang at a Kaffir who were stooping to stab Oll, and broke the stock of his gun.

"I were by the door, 'cause I had no strength to move, and I seed someone pa.s.s.

"'Get into the house, father,' he sed, 'and hold it.'

"It were Jake; and in his hand he held the axe he took away in the morning.

"He put his hand on his father's shoulder a moment 'Get back,' he sed, 'for the sake of the boys,' and then he ran up to where the Kaffirs still swarmed around Harry. He opened a lane with his axe. I tell you I thought it were like splitting water-melons, and I laughed, and Jimmie, he cried. The Kaffirs gave way, crouching and holding their s.h.i.+elds up. Then Jake lifted Harry, who were on his knees, and carried him down. As he came, the whole lot of them--maybe five hundred--came with a rush; then Jimmie dashed out, and took Harry from his brother, and Jake stood out alone.

"'Shut the door!' he shouted loud and stern; 'do you hear--shut it!'

"The old baas looked wildly at Seth; and Seth he shook his head.

"'Shut it,' sed Jake; 'in the name of our mother!' and the ole man with a sort of groan pulled the door to, jamming my fingers.

"Outside were the noise of that fight, and inside were silence, and white set faces, and the tears running from Jimmie's eyes.

"'Let me out!' he cried; 'let me out!' he kep' on cryin'--'let me out!'

and then he struggled to open the door.

"Then we heard Jake again.

"'Good-bye,' he sed; and we held our breath, till the fierce shout rose higher and higher, and we knew Jake were dead.

"Then the ole man's beard curled up. He forgot about his other sons.

He opened the door, and with a roar he ran into the Kaffirs, and Jimmie with him. Seth were follering, too, when an a.s.segai whizzed into the room, and a Kaffir stood at the doorway, when Seth jabbed him in the stomach with the muzzle, and druv his fist into the face of another; then he pulled-to the door, and there were only him and Tom and me, with Willie dead and Harry gasping.

"Then Seth began to sing. He'd stop to shoot, then he'd sing again; and the sound of his singing were worse than the yelling of the Kaffirs swarming all round the house. Tom he stood up in the room tremblin' and loadin', his face black where the smoke stuck to the tears, and once and again he'd jump to a hole and shoot.

"And at last an ole pot leg struck Seth on the head and he sot down.

"He put his hand to his head and looked at the blood; then he shook his head and laughed a strange laugh.

"'It's all over,' he sed--'dang it.' Then he saw Harry, and he said softly: 'Poor chap,' then he stared at Willie, and his eye came on to me watchin' him.

"'Abe,' he sed, 'you'll find my concertina hanging up; jes' hand it to me.'

"Well, I gave it him, and bolted back into the tub, and he began to play.

"The Kaffirs stopped, and I yeard one call out 'Yinny!' and others said 'Yoh!' and you could hear them trying to peep in.

"'Tom,' he said soft.

"'Yes, Seth.'

"'You and Abe get into the mealie pit in the pantry. Maybe, they'll not see you.'

"Tom he shook his head, and banged the gun--and the Kaffirs came hard at the door.

"Seth he went on playing, and Harry rolled over. 'I've got a pain,' he muttered; 'mother, I've got a pain,'--and Seth he went on playing softer and softer.

"Then I crawled away inter the dark of the pantry--inter the mealie hole."

Abe stopped, and his face looked grey and aged.

"Well, Abe?"

"That's all sonny. They did not find me."

"And what became of Tom?"

"He went with his brothers, sonny. Seven better boys you'd never want to meet, and seven finer men you could not. They all went--in that one day--and the Kaffirs swep' on over the land."

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

OUT OF THE DEEP SEA.

"I see that the magistrate at Port Nolloth has seen the sea-serpent. It was a mile out at sea--raised its head ten feet from the water, and remained in sight for an hour."

"Is he partickler about the ten feet?" said Abe Pike.