CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
THE FATE OF THE PARAMOUNT CHIEF OF KAFIRLAND.
Meanwhile Hintza, not having shown sufficient readiness and alacrity inredeeming his promises, was held as a hostage in the hands of the whiteman. He was, however, treated with the utmost consideration, and whenhe proposed to accompany a division of the troops, in order to exerciseto the utmost his personal influence in recovering from his people thecattle and horses due, and to apprehend the murderers, according totreaty, he was allowed to do so, not only quite free in person, but evenwith his weapons in his hands.
Colonel Smith, however, who commanded the force, distinctly told thechief through an interpreter, that if he attempted to escape he wouldinstantly be shot.
The force consisted of detachments of the Cape Mounted Rifles, the 72ndregiment, and the corps of Guides--350 men in all.
Towards the afternoon of the day on which they marched, a circumstanceoccurred which justified Colonel Smith's suspicions as to Hintza'ssincerity. They had reached a streamlet and encamped, when one of theguides reported to him that two Kafirs, with five head of cattle, werenear the camp, and that Hintza, on the plea that they would be afraid toapproach, had sent one of his people to bring them in.
On being questioned, the chief declined to give any explanation on thesubject, and the Kafirs not only did not come in, as they were ordered,but made off, and carried the horse of Hintza's messenger along withthem! The suspicion excited by this circumstance was increased by theevasive answers given to the Colonel's repeated inquiries as to thepoint on which Hintza wished the troops to march.
"We are going right," was the only answer that could be elicited fromthe taciturn savage.
After crossing the range of the Guadan Hills, the troops bivouacked onthe Guanga, and here Hintza became more communicative, said that hewished them to march towards the mouth of the Bashee, by a route whichhe would point out, and that they must move at midnight. This was done,and they continued to move forward till eight o'clock in the morning,observing as they went the spoor of numerous herds of cattle that hadbeen driven in that direction quite recently.
The men, being tired, were then halted for refreshment.
At this point Hintza became particularly uneasy at the vigilance withwhich he was watched.
"What have the cattle done," he said testily, "that you should wantthem? and why should my subjects be deprived of them?"
"Why do you ask such questions, Hintza?" replied Colonel Smith; "youknow well the many outrages committed on the colonists by your people,and the thousands of cattle that have been stolen. It is in redress ofthese wrongs that we demand them."
The chief looked stern, but made no rejoinder. He appeared to recoverhimself, however, after breakfast, and was in high spirits while on themarch. He rode a remarkably strong horse that day, which he appearedvery anxious to spare from fatigue--dismounting and leading him up everyascent.
As the party advanced, the tracks of numerous cattle were still foundleading onward, but the animals themselves were nowhere to be seen.
"You see," remarked the chief, with a touch of sarcasm in his tone as herode beside the Colonel, "you see how my subjects treat me: they drivetheir cattle from me in spite of me."
"I do not want your _subjects'_ cattle, Hintza," was the Colonel'spointed reply; "I want, and will have, the _colonial_ cattle which theyhave stolen."
"Then," returned the chief, "allow me to send forward my councillorUmtini to tell my people I am here, that they must not drive away theircattle, and that the cattle of your nation will be alone selected."
Although it was quite evident that the chief meditated mischief it wasthought best to agree to this proposal. Accordingly, the councillor,after being enjoined to return that night, which he promised to do,mounted and left the camp at full speed, accompanied by an attendant.
There was ground for uneasiness and much caution in all this, for thosewho knew Hintza best were wont to say that he possessed in a high degreeall the vices of the savage--ingratitude, avarice, cunning, and cruelty,and his treatment of the traders and missionaries under his protection,as well as his secret encouragement of the border chiefs, fully bore outtheir opinion.
"Now!" exclaimed the chief in high spirits when Umtini had left, "youneed not go on to the Bashee, you will have more cattle than you candrive on the Xabecca."
The path the troops were passing was a mere cattle-track leading uphill, from the bed of the Xabecca river, among tangled brushwood, andoccasionally passing through a cleft in the rocks. Colonel Smith wasthe only member of the party who rode up the hill; Hintza and the othersled their homes. On drawing near to the summit, the chief and hisattendants mounted and rode silently but quickly past the Colonel intothe bushes.
One of the guides observing the action called to the Colonel, whoimmediately shouted, "Hintza, stop!"
The savage had no intention of stopping, but, finding himself entangledin the thicket, was compelled to return to the track. He did so withsuch coolness and with such an ingenuous smile, that the Colonel, whohad drawn a pistol, felt half ashamed of his suspicions, and allowed thechief to ride forward as before.
At the top of the steep ascent the country was quite open. The Xabeccariver was seen in front with a few Kafir huts on its banks. Here thechief set off at full speed in the direction of the huts.
Colonel Smith and three of the guides pursued. The latter were quicklyleft behind, but the Colonel, being well mounted, kept up with thefugitive. Spurring on with violence, he soon overtook him.
"Stop, Hintza!" he shouted.
But Hintza was playing his last card. He urged his horse to greaterexertion, and kept stabbing at his pursuer with an assagai.
The Colonel drew a pistol, but it snapped. A second was used with likeill success. He then spurred close up, struck the chief with the buttend of the pistol, and, in so doing, dropped it. Hintza looked roundwith a smile of derision, and the Colonel, hurling the other pistol athim, struck him on the back of the head. The blow was ineffectual.Hintza rode on; the troops followed as they best could. They were nownearing the huts. At length, making a desperate effort, the Coloneldashed close up to the chief. Having now no weapon, he seized him bythe collar of his kaross, or cloak, and, with a violent effort, hurledhim to the ground. Both horses were going at racing speed. TheColonel, unable to check his, passed on, but before he was beyond reachthe agile savage had leaped to his feet, drawn another assagai from thebundle which he carried, and hurled it after his enemy. So good was theaim that the weapon passed within a few inches of the Colonel's body.
The act afforded time to those behind to come up. Although Hintzaturned aside instantly and ran down the steep bank of the Xabecca, theforemost of the guides--named Southey--got within gun-shot and shoutedin the Kafir tongue to the chief to stop. No attention being paid tothe order, he fired, and Hintza fell, wounded in the left leg. Leapingup in a moment, he resumed his flight, when Southey fired again, andonce more the chief was hit and pitched forward, but rose instantly andgained the cover of the thicket which lined the bank of the river.Southey leaped off his horse and gave chase, closely followed byLieutenant Balfour of the 72nd regiment. The former kept up, and thelatter down, the stream.
They had proceeded thus in opposite directions some distance whenSouthey was startled by an assagai striking the cliff on which he wasclimbing. Turning sharply, he saw Hintza's head and his uplifted armamong the bushes within a few feet of him. The savage was in the act ofhurling another assagai. Quick as thought the guide levelled his gunand fired. The shot completely shattered the upper part of Hintza'sskull, and next instant a mangled corpse was all that remained of theparamount chief of Kafirland.