CHAPTER XII
CAPTAIN ARCOLL SENDS A MESSAGE
I once read--I think in some Latin writer--the story of a man who wascrushed to a jelly by the mere repeated touch of many thousand hands.His murderers were not harsh, but an infinite repetition of thegentlest handling meant death. I do not suppose that I was verybrutally manhandled in the cave. I was trussed up tight and carried outto the open, and left in the care of the guards. But when my sensesreturned I felt as if I had been cruelly beaten in every part. Theraw-hide bonds chafed my wrists and ankle and shoulders, but they werethe least part of my aches. To be handled by a multitude of Kaffirs islike being shaken by some wild animal. Their skins are insensible topain, and I have seen a Zulu stand on a piece of red-hot iron withoutnoticing it till he was warned by the smell of burning hide. Anyhow,after I had been bound by Kaffir hands and tossed on Kaffir shoulders,I felt as if I had been in a scrimmage of mad bulls. I found myselflying looking up at the moon. It was the edge of the bush, and allaround was the stir of the army getting ready for the road. You knowhow a native babbles and chatters over any work he has to do. It saysmuch for Laputa's iron hand that now everything was done in silence. Iheard the nickering of horses and the jolt of carts as they turned fromthe bush into the path. There was the sound of hurried whispering, andnow and then a sharp command. And all the while I lay, staring at themoon and wondering if I was going to keep my reason.
If he who reads this doubts the discomfort of bonds let him try themfor himself. Let him be bound foot and hand and left alone, and inhalf an hour he will be screaming for release. The sense of impotenceis stifling, and I felt as if I were buried in some landslip instead oflying under the open sky, with the night wind fanning my face. I wasin the second stage of panic, which is next door to collapse. I triedto cry, but could only raise a squeak like a bat. A wheel started torun round in my head, and, when I looked at the moon, I saw that it wasrotating in time. Things were very bad with me. It was 'Mwanga whosaved me from lunacy. He had been appointed my keeper, and the first Iknew of it was a violent kick in the ribs. I rolled over on the grassdown a short slope. The brute squatted beside me, and prodded me withhis gun-barrel.
'Ha, Baas,' he said in his queer English. 'Once you ordered me out ofyour store and treated me like a dog. It is 'Mwanga's turn now. Youare 'Mwanga's dog, and he will skin you with a sjambok soon.'
My wandering wits were coming back to me. I looked into his bloodshoteyes and saw what I had to expect. The cheerful savage went on todiscuss just the kind of beating I should get from him. My bones wereto be uncovered till the lash curled round my heart. Then the jackalswould have the rest of me.
This was ordinary Kaffir brag, and it made me angry. But I thought itbest to go cannily.
'If I am to be your slave,' I managed to say, 'it would be a pity tobeat me so hard. You would get no more work out of me.'
'Mwanga grinned wickedly. 'You are my slave for a day and a night.After that we kill you--slowly. You will burn till your legs fall offand your knees are on the ground, and then you will be chopped smallwith knives.'
Thank God, my courage and common sense were coming back to me.
'What happens to me to-morrow,' I said, 'is the Inkulu's business, notyours. I am his prisoner. But if you lift your hand on me to-day soas to draw one drop of blood the Inkulu will make short work of you.The vow is upon you, and if you break it you know what happens.' And Irepeated, in a fair imitation of the priest's voice, the terrible cursehe had pronounced in the cave.
You should have seen the change in that cur's face. I had guessed hewas a coward, as he was most certainly a bully, and now I knew it. Heshivered, and drew his hand over his eyes.
'Nay, Baas,' he pleaded, 'it was but a joke. No harm shall come on youto-day. But tomorrow--' and his ugly face grew more cheerful.
'To-morrow we shall see what we shall see,' I said stoically, and aloud drum-beat sounded through the camp.
It was the signal for moving, for in the east a thin pale line of goldwas beginning to show over the trees. The bonds at my knees and ankleswere cut, and I was bundled on to the back of a horse. Then my feetwere strapped firmly below its belly. The bridle of my beast was tiedto 'Mwanga's, so that there was little chance of escape even if I hadbeen unshackled.
My thoughts were very gloomy. So far all had happened as I planned,but I seemed to have lost my nerve, and I could not believe in myrescue at the Letaba, while I thought of Inanda's Kraal with sheerhorror. Last night I had looked into the heart of darkness, and thesight had terrified me. What part should I play in the greatpurification? Most likely that of the Biblical scapegoat. But thedolour of my mind was surpassed by the discomfort of my body. I wasbroken with pains and weariness, and I had a desperate headache. Also,before we had gone a mile, I began to think that I should split in two.The paces of my beast were uneven, to say the best of it, and thebump-bump was like being on the rack. I remembered that the saints ofthe Covenant used to journey to prison this way, especially the greatMr Peden, and I wondered how they liked it. When I hear of a man doinga brave deed, I always want to discover whether at the time he was welland comfortable in body. That, I am certain, is the biggest ingredientin courage, and those who plan and execute great deeds in bodilyweakness have my homage as truly heroic. For myself, I had not thespirit of a chicken as I jogged along at 'Mwanga's side. I wished hewould begin to insult me, if only to distract my mind, but he keptobstinately silent. He was sulky, and I think rather afraid of me.
As the sun got up I could see something of the host around me. I am nohand at guessing numbers, but I should put the fighting men I saw atnot less than twenty thousand. Every man of them was on this side hisprime, and all were armed with good rifles and bandoliers. There werenone of your old roers[1] and decrepit Enfields, which I had seen signsof in Kaffir kraals. These guns were new, serviceable Mausers, and themen who bore them looked as if they knew how to handle them. Theremust have been long months of training behind this show, and Imarvelled at the man who had organized it. I saw no field-guns, andthe little transport they had was evidently for food only. We did nottravel in ranks like an orthodox column. About a third of the forcewas mounted, and this formed the centre. On each wing the infantrystraggled far afield, but there was method in their disorder, for inthe bush close ranks would have been impossible. At any rate we keptwonderfully well together, and when we mounted a knoll the whole armyseemed to move in one piece. I was well in the rear of the centrecolumn, but from the crest of a slope I sometimes got a view in front.I could see nothing of Laputa, who was probably with the van, but inthe very heart of the force I saw the old priest of the Snake, with histreasure carried in the kind of litter which the Portuguese call amachila, between rows of guards. A white man rode beside him, whom Ijudged to be Henriques. Laputa trusted this fellow, and I wonderedwhy. I had not forgotten the look on his face while he had stared atthe rubies in the cave. I had a notion that the Portugoose might be anunsuspected ally of mine, though for blackguard reasons.
About ten o'clock, as far as I could judge by the sun, we passedUmvelos', and took the right bank of the Labongo. There was nothing inthe store to loot, but it was overrun by Kaffirs, who carried off thebenches for firewood. It gave me an odd feeling to see the remains ofthe meal at which I had entertained Laputa in the hands of a dozenwarriors. I thought of the long sunny days when I had sat by mynachtmaal while the Dutch farmers rode in to trade. Now these men wereall dead, and I was on my way to the same bourne.
Soon the blue line of the Berg rose in the west, and through the cornerof my eye, as I rode, I could see the gap of the Klein Labongo. Iwondered if Arcoll and his men were up there watching us. About thistime I began to be so wretched in body that I ceased to think of thefuture. I had had no food for seventeen hours, and I was dropping fromlack of sleep. The ache of my bones was so great that I found myselfcrying like a baby. What between pain and weakness and nervousexhaustion, I was almos
t at the end of my tether, and should havefainted dead away if a halt had not been called. But about midday,after we had crossed the track from Blaauwildebeestefontein to thePortuguese frontier, we came to the broad, shallow drift of the KleinLabongo. It is the way of the Kaffirs to rest at noon, and on theother side of the drift we encamped. I remember the smell of hot earthand clean water as my horse scrambled up the bank. Then came the smellof wood-smoke as fires were lit. It seemed an age after we stoppedbefore my feet were loosed and I was allowed to fall over on theground. I lay like a log where I fell, and was asleep in ten seconds. Iawoke two hours later much refreshed, and with a raging hunger. Myankles and knees had been tied again, but the sleep had taken the worststiffness out of my joints. The natives were squatting in groups roundtheir fires, but no one came near me. I satisfied myself by strainingat my bonds that this solitude gave no chance of escape. I wantedfood, and I shouted on 'Mwanga, but he never came. Then I rolled overinto the shadow of a wacht-en-beetje bush to get out of the glare.
I saw a Kaffir on the other side of the bush who seemed to be grinningat me. Slowly he moved round to my side, and stood regarding me withinterest.
'For God's sake get me some food,' I said.
'Ja, Baas,' was the answer; and he disappeared for a minute, andreturned with a wooden bowl of hot mealie-meal porridge, and a calabashfull of water.
I could not use my hands, so he fed me with the blade of his knife.Such porridge without salt or cream is beastly food, but my hunger wasso great that I could have eaten a vat of it.
Suddenly it appeared that the Kaffir had something to say to me. As hefed me he began to speak in a low voice in English.
'Baas,' he said, 'I come from Ratitswan, and I have a message for you.'
I guessed that Ratitswan was the native name for Arcoll. There was noone else likely to send a message. 'Ratitswan says,' he went on, "'Lookout for Dupree's Drift." I will be near you and cut your bonds; thenyou must swim across when Ratitswan begins to shoot.'
The news took all the weight of care from my mind. Colin had got home,and my friends were out for rescue. So volatile is the mood of 19 thatI veered round from black despair to an unwarranted optimism. I sawmyself already safe, and Laputa's rising scattered. I saw my hands onthe treasure, and Henriques' ugly neck below my heel.
'I don't know your name,' I said to the Kaffir, 'but you are a goodfellow. When I get out of this business I won't forget you.'
'There is another message, Baas,' he said. 'It is written on paper ina strange tongue. Turn your head to the bush, and see, I will hold itinside the bowl, that you may read it.'
I did as I was told, and found myself looking at a dirty half-sheet ofnotepaper, marked by the Kaffir's thumbs. Some words were written onit in Wardlaw's hand; and, characteristically, in Latin, which was nota bad cipher. I read--
'_Henricus de Letaba transeunda apud Duprei vada jam nos certioresfecit._'[2]
I had guessed rightly. Henriques was a traitor to the cause he hadespoused. Arcoll's message had given me new heart, but Wardlaw's gaveme information of tremendous value. I repented that I had everunderrated the schoolmaster's sense. He did not come out of Aberdeenfor nothing.
I asked the Kaffir how far it was to Dupree's Drift, and was told threehours' march. We should get there after the darkening. It seemed hehad permission to ride with me instead of 'Mwanga, who had no love forthe job. How he managed this I do not know; but Arcoll's men had theirown ways of doing things. He undertook to set me free when the firstshot was fired at the ford. Meantime I bade him leave me, to avertsuspicion.
There is a story of one of King Arthur's knights--Sir Percival, Ithink--that once, riding through a forest, he found a lion fightingwith a serpent. He drew his sword and helped the lion, for he thoughtit was the more natural beast of the two. To me Laputa was the lion,and Henriques the serpent; and though I had no good will to either, Iwas determined to spoil the serpent's game. He was after the rubies,as I had fancied; he had never been after anything else. He had foundout about Arcoll's preparations, and had sent him a warning, hoping, nodoubt, that, if Laputa's force was scattered on the Letaba, he wouldhave a chance of getting off with the necklace in the confusion. If hesucceeded, he would go over the Lebombo to Mozambique, and whateverhappened afterwards in the rising would be no concern of Mr Henriques.I determined that he should fail; but how to manage it I could not see.Had I had a pistol, I think I would have shot him; but I had no weaponof any kind. I could not warn Laputa, for that would seal my own fate,even if I were believed. It was clear that Laputa must go to Dupree'sDrift, for otherwise I could not escape; and it was equally clear thatI must find the means of spoiling the Portugoose's game.
A shadow fell across the sunlight, and I looked up to see the man I wasthinking of standing before me. He had a cigarette in his mouth, andhis hands in the pockets of his riding-breeches. He stood eyeing mewith a curious smile on his face.
'Well, Mr Storekeeper,' he said, 'you and I have met before underpleasanter circumstances.'
I said nothing, my mind being busy with what to do at the drift.
'We were shipmates, if I am not mistaken,' he said. 'I dare say youfound it nicer work smoking on the after-deck than lying here in thesun.'
Still I said nothing. If the man had come to mock me, he would get nochange out of David Crawfurd.
'Tut, tut, don't be sulky. You have no quarrel with me. Betweenourselves,' and he dropped his voice, 'I tried to save you; but you hadseen rather too much to be safe. What devil prompted you to steal ahorse and go to the cave? I don't blame you for overhearing us; but ifyou had had the sense of a louse you would have gone off to the Bergwith your news. By the way, how did you manage it? A cellar, Isuppose. Our friend Laputa was a fool not to take better precautions;but I must say you acted the drunkard pretty well.'
The vanity of 19 is an incalculable thing. I rose to the fly.
'I know the kind of precaution you wanted to take,' I muttered.
'You heard that too? Well, I confess I am in favour of doing a jobthoroughly when I take it up.'
'In the Koodoo Flats, for example,' I said.
He sat down beside me, and laughed softly. 'You heard my little story?You are clever, Mr Storekeeper, but not quite clever enough. What if Ican act a part as well as yourself?' And he thrust his yellow faceclose to mine.
I saw his meaning, and did not for a second believe him; but I had thesense to temporize.
'Do you mean to say that you did not kill the Dutchmen, and did notmean to knife me?'
'I mean to say that I am not a fool,' he said, lighting anothercigarette.
'I am a white man, Mr Storekeeper, and I play the white man's game.Why do you think I am here? Simply because I was the only man inAfrica who had the pluck to get to the heart of this business. I amhere to dish Laputa, and by God I am going to do it.'
I was scarcely prepared for such incredible bluff. I knew every wordwas a lie, but I wanted to hear more, for the man fascinated me.
'I suppose you know what will happen to you,' he said, flicking theashes from his cigarette. 'To-morrow at Inanda's Kraal, when the vowis over, they will give you a taste of Kaffir habits. Not death, myfriend--that would be simple enough--but a slow death with everyrefinement of horror. You have broken into their sacred places, andyou will be sacrificed to Laputa's god. I have seen native torturebefore, and his own mother would run away shrieking from a man who hadendured it.'
I said nothing, but the thought made my flesh creep.
'Well,' he went on, 'you're in an awkward plight, but I think I canhelp you. What if I can save your life, Mr Storekeeper? You aretrussed up like a fowl, and can do nothing. I am the only man alivewho can help you. I am willing to do it, too--on my own terms.'
I did not wait to hear those terms, for I had a shrewd guess what theywould be. My hatred of Henriques rose and choked me. I saw murder andtrickery in his mean eyes and cruel mouth. I could not, to be savedfrom the utt
ermost horror, have made myself his ally.
'Now listen, Mr Portugoose,' I cried. 'You tell me you are a spy.What if I shout that through the camp? There will be short shrift foryou if Laputa hears it.'
He laughed loudly. 'You are a bigger fool than I took you for. Whowould believe you, my friend. Not Laputa. Not any man in this army.It would only mean tighter bonds for these long legs of yours.'
By this time I had given up all thought of diplomacy. 'Very well, youyellow-faced devil, you will hear my answer. I would not take myfreedom from you, though I were to be boiled alive. I know you for atraitor to the white man's cause, a dirty I.D.B. swindler, whose nameis a byword among honest men. By your own confession you are a traitorto this idiot rising. You murdered the Dutchmen and God knows how manymore, and you would fain have murdered me. I pray to Heaven that themen whose cause you have betrayed and the men whose cause you wouldbetray may join to stamp the life out of you and send your soul tohell. I know the game you would have me join in, and I fling your offerin your face. But I tell you one thing--you are damned yourself. Thewhite men are out, and you will never get over the Lebombo. From blackor white you will get justice before many hours, and your carcass willbe left to rot in the bush. Get out of my sight, you swine.'
In that moment I was so borne up in my passion that I forgot my bondsand my grave danger. I was inspired like a prophet with a sense ofapproaching retribution. Henriques heard me out; but his smile changedto a scowl, and a flush rose on his sallow cheek.
'Stew in your own juice,' he said, and spat in my face. Then heshouted in Kaffir that I had insulted him, and demanded that I shouldbe bound tighter and gagged.
It was Arcoll's messenger who answered his summons. That admirablefellow rushed at me with a great appearance of savagery. He made apretence of swathing me up in fresh rawhide ropes, but his knots wereloose and the thing was a farce. He gagged me with what looked like apiece of wood, but was in reality a chunk of dry banana. And all thewhile, till Henriques was out of hearing, he cursed me with a noblegift of tongues.
The drums beat for the advance, and once more I was hoisted on myhorse, while Arcoll's Kaffir tied my bridle to his own. A Kaffircannot wink, but he has a way of slanting his eyes which does as well,and as we moved on he would turn his head to me with this strangegrimace.
Henriques wanted me to help him to get the rubies--that I presumed wasthe offer he had meant to make. Well, thought I, I will perish beforethe jewel reaches the Portuguese's hands. He hoped for a stampede whenArcoll opposed the crossing of the river, and in the confusion intendedto steal the casket. My plan must be to get as near the old priest aspossible before we reached the ford. I spoke to my warder and told himwhat I wanted. He nodded, and in the first mile we managed to edge agood way forward. Several things came to aid us. As I have said, weof the centre were not marching in close ranks, but in a loose column,and often it was possible by taking a short cut on rough ground to jointhe column some distance ahead. There was a vlei, too, which manycircumvented, but we swam, and this helped our lead. In a couple ofhours we were so near the priest's litter that I could have easilytossed a cricket ball on the head of Henriques who rode beside it.
Very soon the twilight of the winter day began to fall. The far hillsgrew pink and mulberry in the sunset, and strange shadows stole overthe bush. Still creeping forward, we found ourselves not twenty yardsbehind the litter, while far ahead I saw a broad, glimmering space ofwater with a high woody bank beyond.
'Dupree's Drift;' whispered my warder. 'Courage, Inkoos;[3] in anhour's time you will be free.'
[1] Boer elephant guns.
[2] 'Henriques has already told us about the crossing at Dupree'sDrift.'
[3] Great chief.