A Looting Expedition in the Transvaal. (From " Home Among the Boers," by Mrs Carey-Hobson.)

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 97, 11 April 1885, Page 4

A Looting Expedition in the Transvaal. (From " Home Among the Boers," by Mrs Carey-Hobson.)

He had been riding round to some of the out kraals one morning in company with Klaas Roy, for the latter still counted out the sheep, when Jephtha was seen coming towards them as rapidly as he could, gesticulating wildly as he came. "That's Mynheer Herbert's man," said Roy ; " there's something wrong." " Where's the Sieur Carr?" said Jephtha, as he came near enough to be^ heard ; and then, recognising Jacobus with Roy, he called out: " Ach, Baasij 'Cobus ! please go and stop the Eoers. They have killed the poor master that Sieur Carr put on the place, and driven the wife and children among the thorn bushes ; and now they are doing just what they like in the house ! " "And, oh! Sieur," said the man, as they reached the house, and found Carr waiting for them on the stoep, "the Boers have driven off all the cattle, and the sheep are going away to-day, they say ! f ' " When did the cattle go, then ? " asked Carr. " And the poor man ? Are you sure he has been killed ? " " The Boers brought all the cattle up to the kraals last night, sir. That was the first we saw of them ; and when the poor master went out and talked to them, they shot him dead. The poor missis and the children ran away down the thorns to Mr Walters's place ; then they all came in the house, and beat the maids till they made them supper. " " Do you know any of the Boere, Jephtha?" " No, master; they don't belong to this veldt ; they come from far off." Jacobus, after a little conversation with the man, came to the conclusion that the marauders were none other than old Nicholas and his band of border free-booters; " and, if I am right," said he, remembering his cousin's adventure with the old man, "perhaps the sight of me may frighten him off, without more ado. I can't tight against him, but he shall be reported." They took a hasty breakfast, and were soon in the saddle ; and calling at Welgelegen, the Doctor accompanied them, Graham and Sinclair being obliged to remain at home, in order to be in readiness should old Nicholas see fit to pay them a visit. Thoy went at once to Walters'e, anxious to asceitain the safety of the woman and her children, as well as whether Walters and his store had come off scot-free. When nearing the house they were alarmed at the absence of life about the place. " I hope nothing has happened to Walters," said Carr. "He surely wouldn't leave the women and children till some of us came, or he might be gone to see after the murdered man." They all quickened their horses into a sharp canter, Jephtha keeping close to " the Sieur Carr." Their eyes as they rode were fixed upon the house, hoping to see someone come to the door, which stood wide open, but not a sign of anyone could they see. Suddenly thoy heard a shout — then another. " I think that'ss Walters' voice 1 Thank God!" exclaimed Carr. "But where is he?" They shouted in return, and listened for a reply, for it was evident the call had not proceeded from the house. Jephtha rode off to one side, while Klaaa and 'Cobus, following hi 3 example, diverged on the other, but still going towards the house. Jephtha was the first to discover the whereabouts of Walters lie was bound tightly to a tree ; that much they saw as they galloped towards him. "My wife! my wife! Mr Carr, go to her in the house," cried poor Walters, in an agony of fear ; "Jephtha can loosen me." Two of them stayed to undo the leathern thongs that fastened Walters, while Carr, Fall, and Jacobs ran quickly into the house. As we have said, the door into the voorhuis, or largo entrance living room, stood wide open, as also did that of the store, which opened on to the front stoep. On the right-hand side of the voorhuis there wa3 an inside entrance to the store. The first object they saw as they entered was the body of a coloured man lying across the threshold of this door. The Doctor went towards him, but Carr, merely exclaiming, " Poor old Neuw Yaar !" ran on through the voorhuis, and into the bedroom, calling to Mrs Walters. He was about to leave the room, not seeing her there, when he thought he heard a little moan close to him. A large quilt was hanging over the end of the bed ; he threw this up, and there was the poor young wife, whom he had come to seek, tied to the foot of the iron bedstead. She had fainted from fear, and had slipped down as far as the cord 3 would allow. The men had seemingly thrown the quilt over her, perhaps out of devilment, to make her husband think they had taken her away. In a tew moments Carr had cut the small cords with his pocket knife, and lifted her into an easy chair by the window. She had been terribly frightened, but not otherwise hurt. As she regained consciousness, her first cry was for her husband. " Robert ! oh, Robert ! " " Here I am, darling," answered Walters, who came in at the moment. "Speak cheerfully," said Carr, in a low tone. " She was only frightened on your account." "Come, pet wife, cheer up. lam all right, you see ; and nothing else matters, so loner as we have each other. They've all gone, darling." She looked at him, with a face as white as alabaster, and. tried to smile, but after a little struggle it ended in a flood of tears. " She'll be better now," said her husband, holding her firmly to his breast, with her head leaning on his shoulder. " I will go now and find the others," said Carr. " And if I can get a cup of tea it would do her good." The Doctor had found a simple restorative in Walters's medicine chest, and, preparing a little quickly, he took it in, advising Walters to keep his wife in her own room for a time. They had found the wife of the man who had been murdered at the other farm, and all her children, locked up in one of the outer rooms. She, poor thing, was sitting on the floor of the entity room, with her two boys in her arms, and the girls crouching behind her. The men had silenced her by threatening to carry off hor boys, or kill them, if she made a noise. Poor Neuw Yaar.h&d been murdered while trying to lock the inner door of the storeroom, in order to prevent the men from en tering the house by that way. It appeared that they had watched Walters go to the sheep kraals in the morning, and had then broken into the store from the door on the stoep. Old Neuw Yaar was near the back door, being the only man close to the house, and the cries of the women brought him in. The life of a black man is of no value in the eyes of those border freebooters ; he was therefore put out of the way of offering any opposition They had then completely looted the store of everything they could possibly carry off, tying Walters, upon his return from the kraals, to the tree to prevent his molesting them while doing so -laughing coarsely and jeeringly when he entreated to be allowed to go to his wife and the rest of the household.