WILL HE WIN HER?

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 49, 19 June 1880, Page 4

WILL HE WIN HER?

BY JAMES GRANT

Chaptee XXX. I know not whether I ought to relate what I saw; but as it was the favourite/ mode of putting prisoners-to death, and as X fully expected to peritli by the samp awful means, the scene made a deep andterrible impression on me ; and ■ yet; though face to face with it, my soul was with Clarice— Clarice who seenied but a memory now, for our separation appeared a kind of anticipated death which might be followed alas! by no ; ' re^iir ; ctipn-i : . " " ' ■ ; r At a given signal at least a hundred willm.j; hiynds were laid upon the miserable nian. His clothes were re'nt from him, and he stood stripped; in the sun- ; shi-^i -fh^ whiteness of his skin forming" as sm lar a contrast to the dark forms pf h s ■cantor's as his round and some- '■■■'■ what paunchy figure did .to. theirs,. VjNtii h. were all., bone, brawa, and muscle. . , - : -H6 Aras to wJiere a fire had beeu lighted, and thoh throwu on the grass with his faeje tp; the sky, orratheir to ihe branches of Hie trees, which ,g,-ew so (Jens^ly overhead as to ihut •'ductile bine ■•ar.opy above. The Umlan^tMU made a last demand that -ho would produce the *' ben-itcliing powders, or show where they were concealed," and he made a last appeal to the Creator cf whom they knew nothing that he was iunocent of possessing any" Buch-ihirsg :. • I hsvo often thought since that a little;- iai-t or art -might have saved him, ; but: terror' had deprived him of both. Mis hands and feet were bound , to four strong pegsf "which ; were driyen, into the gi'ound, and a succession of the flat^stones which had been . heated in the adjacent fire till red hot were placed upon his body. - , ' '. ■ A shriek, which I sometimss hear in ihejrnory still, broke from ■ the poor Dutchman when the fi:Bt of theso imi. promptu instrametits of torture 'touched Ins tender skin.; but so great wasfthe agony "he end uw> I that moahs— moans w : hich v/ -gradiiaily grew ...fainter and hoarjfi?r — alone cs< api»d him, rolling or.ef f hi3 forheadj-an.'l i turned awayiiv' utter horror of the scene. wKicli lasted for neariy aa-hp,u,r. My heart gave a bound of relief when tbe repoi t : of a' musket annoui.cVd tliat he had been: shot through the bead by some savage weary of the protracted labour of tdrfcurmg him,' and perhap3 wished to test my powers of endurancein the gvme/fashion. . ' ; Aft; r what. I had witnessed; the reader may imagir.e;Jtny emotions when ithlß sntfie terrible; hands' under w f hich Bruine^Knsleer hud perished were, roughly laid" on me, and I was dragged closer s to the . Inkpsi t and councillors; ■whe during ail this episode :of horror Bad 1 been composedly/ ...sitting . ,crosulegged, and smoking 1 :y 'theicdiagha pipe«v ■■.-^.'^■'\-\i " .-' '■'■," My forage cap, a common regimental one, l^ithlthe Scottish checquer round it, was now struck from my head by. [ ;. some mischievous ov i m patient fellow, , whose assegai whistled close: by J me. ■'/■■ '■::. ■'•... . ■ • ■- It was then, that on sipeing, my j face , fully, the, presiding chief, uttered; a fierce- guttural exclamation, expressive of astonishment, and stepping forward ■fhre-w.' his well' piled ; arms about; me, quite a* much ioniy astanishment as tothat of his followers. j #: He proved to be the great <?hief. Sandilli, whom I saved from the claws - of th©_tree_tiger,._and;_who now recpg-, nized, and in gratitude prottected ■cue. "..' ■'■■.■■" '■-:.;;. . ■ '.['': ' "My 'brother chiefs and amapatjaki," te exclaimedy while brandishing his assegai orer niy head, in token I that he; wpuld ..fpstep ana .fguard inc,':he saved my life' Jrbira a great and 'temjb le ; .iebp^r.d;J.r':vJßeTiold; tho ri> marks oi J ifcs teetHi" he added, . showing' the barely ; : liealsdl leaeratjon^of his shoulder, " arid ishall save him now!" . ; * " But if spared: he will fight against •us again|" urged^-one b£ tho woellyiieaded councillors. \ '■■ ', "He shall fight against us no niore," said Sandilli, with a gi'ia that showad all Mb' teeth; . . V ■} '". •■ " How knpwjron that?" asked others with darkening ! look?.. ,",'.. ■ • "I have a 'reason,"-' said Sandilli,; parting ; me | Ori'the shonlder, while an- ' expression i of indescribable rurinins; Hfcple , over his ffl'e, and _,he led ime a tittle "way 1 apart from "where the remain* pf ihe poor^oclor were left, pegete.d to ''■-."tho earth '.And mutilfttod.i just- as I have descrJbed-th6m, ..with, the sjrecdyj nsro- ' jSfe.la, o.r vulturflß, already flapping black wings in the branches o£ the trees aborp. .i . -■ ■-. - : ' ■ ■'When I ;th»u2jlifc. of Clarieo and E^nny Garysforb being in the hands, pf. people such as thoseil felt life, alpiosfc •falueltjs?, thbugh^.thera was a great re- ; liiftb niy tortured mind in having cscaped a death .so terrible as that by which the doctor perished, [ "Yet, straitgesas it may appear,.. l soon-dis-missed all thought of the. unfortunate:* ■^ ..X>^tchmah ; for w.hen one is on active serrice the sense of danger and the ac-: itual value of hum an. life, like sympathy^ lorhuman suffering, grow less and less , ..fliery day, froju, the" men» eirQuinistance.. of' being hourly face to faca with -■"••.'dffathV/.---, .-••.■■;"■'■. •. ■ ' : ■•. .-- ■■:':- '{■■'■. ■■■"' 0n the same fire bjr which the fatal <:;>itpnes had , b,ee^ ? vheated : a ;4laa'g© .iron pbis was filled, with Caffre corn, boiling • for the breakfast of- the chiefs, arid San- ' dilli invited me to share it with Ithe.m,;. but I^felt'oterpbwered bj> thirati after ... all I had undergone me.nta,llyl andibjodily, and preferred a bunch' of- hoiieypoi grapes from the nearest bush, onWhidH they ■' were, growing wild. I" " . Vr'v-l^oa.^-nptlunjj n.ows" said Sandtlli, 1 'Vyottare hob iny prisoner but mf f iieHd rather, and such shall be protected. He w Wo saved the r li fe of Sandilli < must be as. the, brother of all the Eoussie of the : l 'Ainatola.s.. ■ ■ ;;.,, ■i'^A'pfeas^nfc fraternity,'' thpucht I, b6wjn^.an assent in silence, i but he now prpcijeded to. ask me a number,' of strange questions ; and he listened' to iny answers his large oars seemed to. quiver like those of a styghourid u.n..^ easily and nervously at thei ?amer ; time. . : ";■■ • • .••.■; - : : . ' \ i-.yv-jVi . He was surprised to find that I- spnke. his native language with fluenc^. But the reason of the lattet was speedily •

explained when mors than one chief with whom inqtiietei'itimes l£ had bartered old mu skets • and ammunition, beads, buttons, and knives, /for, ivory, diamonds, and karqsses,;. recognised - in me the once friejidly trader. "Have you a; father .or mother in your home beyond the sea?" asked Sandllllv ;;-.-;:- y^-h r i--.:h ■>:■■■■,:■ h'-- ; v : "I have neither to rejoice for niy return or to sorrow for my death." " They are dead ?" "Yes-— -years ago— dead." "That is well," said Sandilli, smiling. " Why, great chief ?" "Because you may with a lighter heart dwell among the iKoussie." . ft Dwell here ?" I repeated, faintly, "Yes. Eernain,>vifch*rae, apd'l shall give you a wife, to make your: bosom glad, to hoe the maize for you, and cook ;f or you in ydiirrkraaiov , My heart sank at. this pros pect, which seemed to indicate a; troublesome captiyity. .:■ ,-;-:- -;■;.:;;..: ..,.;.■■■.-, • " Is it true," aske'd one of the Inkpsi, who proved ,tp be /ilermanus, a chief oE the Graika tribe*, # that jthe jreafc chief of ;your riatidhlis a woman ?" : " Quite true,", said I, •• _ ■ . . . And then^ all who ti'eird' me laughed with surpris"e"and scorn "Are her flocks ; and herds as numerous -as mine?" asked Saadilli proudly. ." Perhaps not." . "Wall, wah!";- cried all, clapping their hands, and_stwking*th.eir shields at this admission of Her. Majesty's inferiority. .-,,... ... " Are her warrior* and people as numerous;" *•■?' More numerour by far." : i"How farsoF' " They are as numerous as the leaves in the forasti-or thr. blades of grass in the wild karoo." Titter disbelief was expressed on hearing this. .; ,: : ". Are .they all bravo like the Torjtises?" (meaning the 74th) asked San- . dilli , after a paused V ; Yes all;" / . • ■ . . ; "It matters not — shall fight thffhr/-' exelaimeil the ..Graika chief. "What say you Caff re. warriors, shall we not again go forth! and. 'fi&ht. these feeble white men ? Let iis "kill them nil, up to tha slopes of the Table Mountain, and take captive their .fair w^en^and girls, p£ all 'they possess, until the last of them is driven- intpr.tliat accursed sea, by the aid of which they.i first came among :usi" : : ■;■■ /:;;■ ■•—. ;■;;:■ ; -: ; "' , ; . . • " Wah, wah^wah!" cried a thousand -savage -voices, while the steel-headed assegais clatterel on the shied of tough buß'a^hide. ;? ; '.., But^whfn, t^e"clamour subsided, Sandilli shoblrhis^ead vpith something of doubt and,dejcc|ion in his air. ' *' Chiefs V arid ' councillors," said he, "the white- fcand' never rise* in clouds s'o.hij-h as when it is just on the eve bf being chisheci by a ; tempest of raini So ' it .may be with our people in -this; war agkirist the ■white chief who is a woman. ; A' year or more may see cconiplptely crushed. We sh*lKfii{ht,many a battle ere then,- but we may fight in vain, have we pot already been sorely defeated, eve'n; here at the ; Amatolas ? It] was destined that it should be so ; -and if the armed tide of tlie wljita^tjen^ast roll beyond evenVthe banks. 7 s>f the Orange .Kjyeiyitis the will of the white man's ~<Sodi and soJ-Tis will he<\oqe," said the -pbor. savage. .with .a kind ot piety that was quite Unintentional. Tl»e whole of Saridilli's force .which, I have stated^ as Jb.eing -many thousands strong,;*riow prepared to fall back, to".wardsi the valley of the Water Kloof and' the-HV'ight3 of Kroorae, leaving the remains of the doctor to tb,ejr.:fato. ,No,t far from .these an old Caffre, wnostf necklace of ; tiger's ':- tee) h— a? kind pf s.avage^ordcr of knigh^lioud— slipped l^was -a , * brave' fellow, lay dying, with |lire»' bayonet wounds, in his bare brawny chest, ' ! ' ■ I atfcem.pted to place a bandage over ..these. ■ : L K'-;'--' " •'•' '"- ■ ■■ ■■■.' ' ■ '" Touclrnte-not/^said he spurnin<j me scorhfully-V "Go,* go, and; leave mo to die in' peace. Think you fcbn-fc an sged lion cares for the tendering, of the jackal"?'' ; .' ; - . ; Sp:he,.too; was left to the beaks of the asvogels,- as tho whole horde departed in.a north-^earterly d\yeet\pn, talc-, ing me withthenU .d 11 the chiefs were, mounted", : and -Sandilli, in pursuance of his. friendship forms, gave me the horse of- Pitoi, son. of Vanga, who ha,d fallen in action with us during the previous day. : Thus the hope of escape began to gather in myheairt as wef rode on, though every hour 'of that long arid'; weary day added to , thft;difl|isiiitj: of the attempt by incre^sirig; the "di stan ces that layf ; hetw^en my. friends and: me. r ' '' After many halts? doubts, delays, and a&ain setting forth, Sdndilli ; sepa-I ratedi ; pj^^h i tp arnxy, an d; with a few selec'i modntevl; warriors escorted me. to a remote part of the Amatola .country, near the source of the Upper Keiskamniii JJiver, where in' a place called the Gfulu ,: Valley, stood the. ;Wolf'«"l)e nj;.his:Own--f^P;ifti;- ;- -'Nearrthis'werptjie. luxuriant gardens: of -a : chief named .Sogu, famous— or rather infa.mqus-^-inithis war as the slayer of all ; the Eurojiean ' milita,ry, villagers o.f ; t'heij,eigh.hounn!? district. ■'; *The house w/a.3 not lyilike a| snug bpor's. farm, vand had -pro bahly. onc.e. bee^ sucl|. It : was fninwhcd a. he.terpgenous collection, of furniture—. and utensils plunderod from, "the DutcTb ■ ancl English' kraals' that now lay inruins elsewhere. " ;i : Here I found myself many mile % s.— some hundreds, so far,as JpWlil reckon .r^from siiccpuror Mean/'of informnr tipn, deprived of a;h.b.fs6j'".o.f arms, a,nd :: alt' miejans of escape," sfor; a chos'tri paTty. j 6i [ i Sartdilli's ; nien, SPme twen ty in nil try-. hptjrfhdvrere ::- given - to ; me ostensibly" as an eseortj- proved in reality to be, my. watc.h,ful ? gu,ar,ds, a.nd X -^as. their, prirlp'netii " :: . : ''y\?"'/-ili}' ! * ' ' ' I ''-. "';•'.:. j ,.'. B^firy;, , mpvement/ of- mine waj wat.che i d thejr ? stealthy r , black,, eyes and every timVl weni} liear ' the! stable. where tHeir*Uoj!r|^B.:^«rA\kep]bV. near tlie ; gkrden.-ofthe. kAal. 0/ a great clump of-bambp,p-like.,rje^ds. some, thirty feet, high on two sides— jin shor. . rif I crossed the threshold! of " th]e. doqr, , atle^st three: of thena. attended me with ; mu,slcet, knife, arid'as'segaiv all of whem, the handled very significantly.

THE aBNTEBMEN. It is refreshing to find fcliafc a new subjjecs has been added to the regular inonofconoua i;oulibe of the present toasts lists. It is, of course needless fcb say in wllafc counfcry the following speech was made — made by a lady proposing fclie health of ." The Q-entle-men " at. a literary ve-ariion : — G-orl bless 'em; they halve our joys ; they double our. 'sorrows ; they ti-sble our expenses ; .-■■they, quadruple our caros ; thoy excite our nmg-n.-inimily ; they increase our self-respect; they awake our enthusiasm; arouse our affections ; they control our; property ;. and out- manoeuvre us us in everything. This would be a very dreary world without; 'em. In fact, I may sav, without prospect; of sue* eesful contradiction that without 'era it would not be much of a world any How. We love 'em, and the clear beings can'b help it, we control 'em, and the precious fellows don't know it. As husbands they arc always convenient, tho' not always on hand ; as beaux, they are by no means *' matchless." They are most agreeable Tisitors ; thej are handy at State fairs, and indispenable at oyster saloons.. Tbey are splendid as escorts, for gome othev fellow's wife or sister, and as friends they are better than women. Ag our fathers they are inexpressibly grand. He may bo n failure ir busine? s, a wreck in constitutJon, not enough to boasb of as a boanty, nothing to speak of no. a wit, less than nothing as a legislator for woman's rights, ancl even not brilliant as a member of the Press ; but if he is our own father we overlook his shortcomings, and cover his pecsadiloes with the mantle of charity. Then, as our husbands, how we love to parade them as paragons. In. the subljrn,e language in the inspired poet : — We'll lie for them We'll cry for them, And, if we could, we'd fly for them. We'd do anything bat die for them.