The White Chief of the Caffres Part 14

As I listened to Tembile, and reflected on what he said, and then thought of the life I had led in my uncle's office, I really began to think that civilisation was a mistake. What prince or duke in England could go out from his house, and within a few miles get a shot at a wild elephant or buffalo, or walk through as magnificent a forest as that near our kraal, and shoot antelope, or rare and beautiful birds? The freedom, too, of the life here was one of its greatest charms. Although the advantages of civilisation are great, yet the price we pay for these is enormous. Should I return to England and become a sort of slave to society, or should I remain in Africa? was really a question which I thought over frequently. The attraction at Wynberg, however, turned the scale.

Soon after my arrival at my old kraal, I had made inquiries about the white women who had been my fellow-pa.s.sengers from India, but I found there was a disinclination on the part of the Caffres to give me any information about them. I afterwards spoke to Tembile about them, because I knew I could trust him to tell me the truth. He said that the Caffres were afraid, now that I had been so long among white men, that I might endeavour to take away the white women; so they had been concealed, and I was not to know where they lived.

I a.s.sured Tembile that I had no intentions of that sort, and I believed it would be better for the white women, to now remain with their husbands and children, than for them to return with me.

Having made various inquiries, I heard that there were more than a dozen elephants' tusks in the kraal near, some of them very heavy, but the Caffres had no wish to dispose of their ostrich-feathers. These feathers they used as head-dresses when great dances took place, and were very proud of them. I told the Caffres that I wanted as many tusks as I could procure, and, as I had now some very strong guns, I should like to find elephants and shoot them.

I had been five days at the kraal of my old friends, when news was brought that the elephants, according to their annual custom were coming westward, and were only a day's journey from our kraal.

I therefore a.s.sembled all the men whom I had formerly taught to use a gun, and told them that I wished their help in shooting some of the largest elephants. I explained to them that an elephant might be hit by many bullets and yet would not be killed, unless he were struck by the bullet behind the shoulder, or in the chest. I then said that I could give them powder and could make bullets for them, so that they need not expend the store of those which they had carefully preserved in case they were attacked again by the Zulus. The Caffres expressed their willingness to join me in my shooting expedition, but reminded me that there was as much danger in attacking elephants as there was in a fight with the Zulus. I admitted that there was danger, but that, if we were careful, we need none of us get hurt.

I had brought with me from England two large-bored double-barrelled guns, which I knew would be well-suited for shooting elephants or other large game, and I had practised with these guns at Cape Town, and could make nearly certain of hitting a mark the size of a man's head at eighty yards nearly every time I fired. I felt, therefore, great confidence in my weapons, and I intended to take Tembile with me when I hunted, and to make him carry my second gun, by which means I could obtain four shots at any one elephant.

News was brought us two or three times a day by Caffres, as to where the elephants were feeding and what they were doing; so, all our plans being arranged, I started with Tembile and four other Caffres for that part of the bush where it was thought we should find the elephants.

The bush in this part of Africa consisted of large trees, about ten or twenty paces apart. Between these there was dense matted underwood, so thick and tangled that a man could not force his way through it. From the trees creepers of large size hung in festoons, like large ropes.

Some of these had projecting from them thorns an inch or more in length, and sharp as a needle. The dense underwood rose to a height of three men, so that it was in many places impossible to see round you a greater distance than you could reach with an a.s.sagy. The only means of moving through the bush in these dense parts was by following the paths made by the elephants. When a herd of these animals had been for any length of time in the bush, they made so many paths that it was easy to move about in the bush; but the growth of the vegetation was so rapid, that a few weeks after the elephants had left the bush it had again overgrown the old paths, and was once more impenetrable.

Elephants usually left the thick bush during the night or very early in the morning; they would then roam about in the open country, and drink at some stream or pond. When possible, they would roll in the wet mud, like pigs; then, as day broke, they would re-enter the bush, seek the densest parts, and there remain quiet during the heat of the day.

I had decided that the best chance of success with the elephants would be to follow them into the bush, come upon them during the middle of the day, and get our shots at them as they stood half sleeping in the bush.

The Caffres, I knew, could walk so quietly in the bush, that, if we were careful about the direction of the wind, we might approach the herd without their being aware that an enemy was near them.

A day's journey brought our party to the country where the elephants had now taken up their residence. The Caffres near were most anxious about their crops, for they expected the elephants would come some night and eat up, or trample down their corn. We found that the elephants had not drank during the previous day; so we felt sure they would drink during the coming night. Some large ponds near the edge of the bush was the place where it was expected they would satisfy their thirst, so we sent some Caffre boys to keep watch near these ponds, and to let us know the news as soon as possible.

The sun had not risen on the following morning when our spies came into the kraal, and told us that the elephants were now drinking and rolling at these ponds; that there were nearly a hundred of them; and, among these, three enormous bull-elephants, with tusks nearly as long as an a.s.sagy.

This news was very gratifying. So, after we had eaten our breakfasts and taken some corn with us, we started for the bush. We examined the footprints and marks made by the animals, and could easily distinguish those made by the three large bulls. To follow these tracks into the forest was easy. The bush-path was clear and well trodden; so we moved on silently, but not too quickly.

When we were some distance in the bush, we heard the trumpet of an elephant; and I came to the conclusion that we were now within half a mile of our formidable game. Having sat down and talked in whispers for some time, we then slowly advanced, peeping through the bush whenever any opening gave us a chance of doing so.

I was leading, and was followed by Tembile, who carried my second gun; then the other men came after, each stepping on the same spot, so that we incurred but slight risk of treading on any dried stick, for to crack a stick in the bush would have given the elephants warning of our approach. Suddenly Tembile touched my shoulder, and, on my looking round, he pointed to my right, and then stood motionless. On looking in the direction at which Tembile was pointing, I saw an enormous elephant standing motionless and broadside to me, and not ten paces distant.

Signalling to two of the Caffres to approach, I pointed to the elephant's shoulder, and, raising my gun, fired my two barrels in quick succession. Each of the Caffres fired a shot, then we turned and rushed down the path up which we had advanced. For an instant there was no sound except the echoes of our guns. Then the most tremendous screams and trumpetings were given by some fifty elephants, and we heard the branches of the trees snapping like a succession of rifle-shots.

We could not tell at first in which direction the elephants were moving, the noise of the broken branches coming from all around us. After a time, however, we learned from the sounds that the herd was moving away from us. Having reloaded my gun, we advanced with great caution to the spot from which we had fired. The elephant was not there, but his tracks were quite distinct. He had rushed forward through the bush, and had carried everything before him--trees being carried away as though they were mere sticks.

A few paces from where he had stood we found blood in abundance, and from the appearance of this blood the Caffres a.s.sured me the monster must soon die. It was dangerous work following this wounded elephant, because he would be more savage now than at any time; so we had to advance with great caution. We had not gone far, however, before we saw him leaning against a tree, swinging his trunk about, and swaying his huge body. The Caffres told me not to fire, as he must soon fall, and to fire would disturb the remainder of the herd. We waited only a short time, when the elephant slipped down and remained quiet. Tembile cautiously approached it and signalled to us that it was dead. We had no fear of the game being carried off, so we left it in the bush and again followed the remainder of the herd.

When elephants have been alarmed they rush away through the bush for about a mile, then stop and become very cautious; to approach them requires the greatest care, as they are then on the watch, and, their scent and hearing being both very acute, the approach of a man is soon discovered.

The traces of the elephants were easily followed, and we knew when we were close to them by the rumbling noise we heard. A large elephant was soon seen, standing flapping his large ears, and with his trunk raised so as to scent the air; but our approach had been so cautious that the animal had not discovered us, and he received eight bullets behind the shoulder before he had time to move. He did not charge as we expected, but ran only a few yards and then dropped. Two large-tusked elephants were thus killed, but we wanted two more; for we had seen by the footprints that there were two other large bulls in this herd.

During the whole of this and the following day we followed the herd, and killed five large elephants, all with magnificent tusks. Such sport I was aware I should never again enjoy, and so I made the most of it.

After four days the whole of this ivory was conveyed to Natal Bay, and I had bid my old friends good-bye. I hardly liked parting with them, and held out hopes that I would again return to their country; I feared, however, that I should not be able to do so, for when once settled in England it would be difficult for me to leave.

On my return to Natal, I found the Dutchman who was there had collected several large tusks, and also many hundred ostrich-feathers, so that I had a large stock to carry back to Cape Town. My voyage to Cape Town was rapid, a fair wind all the way; and in seven days after leaving Natal, I was once more at Wynberg, and at the house of my friends. I found letters there both from my father and uncle, in both of which consent was given to my marriage with Miss Rossmar.

After a month's residence at Cape Town we were married, and started for England. Fair winds and fine weather favoured us, and in sixty days after leaving Cape Town we reached England.

My life now became one of comparative monotony. I worked with my uncle, and after a time succeeded him in his business. Money was plentiful: my wife possessed a good fortune, and my uncle at his death left me all his property, which was considerable.

I owned a house in London and also one in the country; in the vicinity of the latter there is what is called in England good sport--partridges, pheasants, hares, and rabbits being numerous. But such sport was to me dull and uninteresting; I was always remembering my sport in Africa, and had a longing for again roaming through an African forest in search of large game; but civilisation had advanced in South Africa, and I heard that where I had followed the tracks of elephants, sugar plantations and corn-fields now existed, and that even the Caffres had lost their simplicity, and were now in that disagreeable condition of being half-civilised.

My father had retired from the Indian service, and had taken a pretty house in the country near me, but was often complaining of the climate and habits of England. To him India was the most charming country in the world, and the servants in India were the very best. Still he managed to enjoy himself and pa.s.sed much of his time with me, listening to my account of the incidents that had happened to me in Africa.

I had missed in my early youth the training usually given to gentlemen's sons: I knew but little Greek or Latin; of history I was ignorant; of mathematics I had but a superficial knowledge. Yet my early training had been of a very practical kind, and was of benefit to me in after-life. I had learned to rough it in my youth, and to do everything for myself. Although I kept many servants, yet I was not dependent on these, as most people are in civilised countries. I could, if required, light my own fire and cook my own meals, and I should have felt it no hards.h.i.+p to do either.

Although I fully appreciated the advantage of a large and well-furnished house, yet I could have been quite happy in a hut no bigger than a Caffre kraal. And I had learned the great secret, that if we curtail our wants, we arrive at the same result, as though we increased our income. My wants were few, and these I had ample means of supplying.

Instead of working on at my late uncle's business till I became too old to enjoy freedom, I gave up the business whilst I was still comparatively young, and devoted my attention to various subjects in which I was interested; so that, although my early education had been very different from that of most boys, it had been of a thoroughly practical kind. I had learned self-dependence and could help myself, and envied no man. I watched with interest the changes that took place in South Africa, and my only regret was, in seeing how affairs were managed out there by those who seemed utterly ignorant of everything connected with the country and the people. I sometimes offered suggestions when it appealed that catastrophes must occur if matters went on as they were going. My opinions were ignored, and the disasters occurred, but such results are not unusual. My career as a White Chief of the Caffres was not without its charms to me, both during its existence and now as a reminiscence; and I trust it may have afforded amus.e.m.e.nt to my young readers.