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Title: With Buller in Natal
A Born Leader
Author: G. A. Henty
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH BULLER IN NATAL
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WITH BULLER IN NATAL
[Illustration: "CHRIS SPRANG AT HIM."]
WITH BULLER IN NATAL
OR, A BORN LEADER
BY
G. A. HENTY
PREFACE
It will be a long time before the story of the late war can be
written
fully and impartially. Even among the narratives of those who
witnessed
the engagements there are many differences and discrepancies,
as is
necessarily the case when the men who write are in different
parts of
the field. Until, then, the very meagre military despatches
are
supplemented by much fuller details, anything like an accurate
history
of the war would be impossible. I have, however, endeavoured
to
reconcile the various narratives of the fighting in Natal, and
to make
the account of the military occurrences as clear as possible.
Fortunately this is not a history, but a story, to which the
war forms
the background, and, as is necessary in such a case, it is the
heroes of
my tale, the little band of lads from Johannesburg, rather
than the
leaders of the British troops, who are the most conspicuous
characters
in the narrative. As these, although possessed of many
admirable
qualities, had not the faculty of being at two places at once,
I was
obliged to confine the action of the story to Natal. With the
doings of
the main army I hope to deal next year.
G. A. HENTY
CONTENTS
I. THE BURSTING OF THE STORM
II. A TERRIBLE JOURNEY
III. AT THE FRONT
IV. DUNDEE
V. THE FIRST BATTLE
VI. ELANDSLAAGTE
VII. LADYSMITH BESIEGED
VIII. A DESPERATE PROJECT
IX. KOMATI-POORT
X. AN EXPLOSION
XI. BACK WITH THE ARMY
XII. THE BATTLE OF COLENSO
XIII. PRISONERS
XIV. SPION KOP
XV. SPION KOP
XVI. A COLONIST'S ADVENTURE
XVII. A RESCUE
XVIII. RAILWAY HILL
XIX. MAJUBA DAY
XX. LADYSMITH
ILLUSTRATIONS
"CHRIS SPRANG AT HIM"
CHRIS OFFERS HIS SERVICES TO SIR PENN SYMONS
CHRIS AND HIS COMPANIONS SCOUTING
"BOTH RIFLES CRACKED AT ONCE"
"THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS ROAR AND A BLINDING CRASH"
"WITH A SHOUT OF TRIUMPH THE TWO BOERS RAN DOWN"
"PRESENTLY FROM BEHIND THE FOOT OF THE HILL SIX HORSEMEN
DASHED OUT"
THE NAVAL GUNS ON MOUNT ALICE
"ONE OF THE BOERS HELD UP HIS RIFLE WITH A WHITE FLAG TIED TO
IT"
THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH
[Illustration: SOUTH EASTERN AFRICA]
WITH BULLER IN NATAL
CHAPTER I
THE BURSTING OF THE STORM
A group of excited men were gathered in front of the Stock
Exchange at
Johannesburg. It was evident that something altogether unusual
had
happened. All wore anxious and angry expressions, but a few
shook hands
with each other, as if the news that so much agitated them,
although
painful, was yet welcome; and indeed this was so.
For months a war-cloud had hung over the town, but it had been
thought
that it might pass over without bursting. None imagined that
the blow
would come so suddenly, and when it fell it had all the force
of a
complete surprise, although it had been so threatening for
many weeks
that a considerable portion of the population had already
fled. It was
true that great numbers of men, well armed, and with large
numbers of
cannon, had been moving south, but negotiations were still
going on and
might continue for some time yet; and now by the folly and
arrogance of
one man the cloud had burst, and in thirty hours war would
begin.
Similar though smaller groups were gathered here and there in
the
streets. Parties of Boers from the country round rode up and
down with
an air of insolent triumph, some of them shouting "We shall
soon be rid
of you; in another month there will not be a rooinek left in
South
Africa."
Those addressed paid no heed to the words. They had heard the
same thing
over and over again for the past two months. There was a
tightening of
the lips and a closing of the fingers as if on a sword or
rifle, but no
one replied to the insolent taunts. For years it had been the
hope of
the Uitlanders that this would come, and that there would be
an end to a
position that was well-nigh intolerable. Never before had a
large body
of intelligent men been kept in a state of abject subjection
by an
inferior race, a race almost without even the elements of
civilization,
ignorant and brutal beyond any existing white community, and
superior
only in the fact that they were organized and armed, whereas
those they
trampled upon were deficient in both these respects. Having no
votes,
these were powerless to better their condition by the means
common to
civilized communities throughout the world. They were ground
down by an
enormous taxation, towards which the Boers themselves
contributed
practically nothing, and the revenue drawn from them was spent
in the
purchase of munitions of war, artillery, and fortifications,
so
enormously beyond the needs of the country, that it was no
secret that
they were intended not only for the defence of the republic
against
invasion, but for a general rising of the Boer population and
the
establishment of Dutch supremacy throughout the whole of South
Africa.
The Boer government was corrupt from the highest to the
lowest. The
president and the members of his family piled up wealth to an
enormous
amount, and nothing could be done without wholesale bribery.
The price
of everything connected with the mining industry was doubled
by the
supply being in the hands of monopolists, who shared their
gains with
high state officials. Money was lavished like water on what
was called
secret service, in subsidizing newspapers to influence public
opinion
throughout Europe, and, as it was strongly suspected, in
carrying on a
propaganda among the Dutch in Cape Colony, and in securing the
return of
members and a ministry secretly pledged to further in every
way the aims
of the Presidents of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
The
British and other aliens were not only deprived of all rights
of
citizenship, but even freedom of speech and the right of
public meeting
was denied them; they were not allowed to carry arms except by
a special
license, their children were taught in Dutch in the schools,
they had no
right of trial by jury; judges who had the courage to refuse
to carry
out the illegal behests of the president were deprived of
their offices,
and the few editors of newspapers representing the Uitlanders--as
all
men not born in the state were called-were imprisoned and
their journals
suppressed.
Intolerable as was such a state of things to a civilized
community, it
might have been borne with some patience had it not been that
the
insolence of their masters was unbounded. Every Boer seemed to
take a
pleasure in neglecting no opportunity of showing his contempt
for the
men whose enterprise and labour had enormously enriched the
country, and
whose superior intelligence he was too grossly ignorant to
appreciate. A
Boar farmer would refuse a cup of water to a passing traveller,
and
would enforce his refusal by producing his rifle immediately
if the
stranger ventured to urge his request. Of late the insolence
of the
Boers had greatly increased; the manner in which England had,
instead of
demanding justice with the sternness and determination that
the
circumstances called for, permitted her remonstrances to be
simply
ignored, was put down as a consciousness of weakness. And
having now
collected arms sufficient not only for themselves but for the
whole
Dutch population of South Africa, the Boers were convinced
that their
hour of triumph had come, and that in a very short time their
flag would
float over every public building throughout the country and
the Union
Jack disappear for ever.
The long discussions that had been going on with regard to a
five or
seven years' franchise were regarded with absolute
indifference by the
Uitlanders--even the shorter time would have afforded them no
advantage
whatever. The members from the mining districts would be in a
hopeless
minority in the assembly; and indeed, very few of those
entitled to a
vote would have cared to claim it, inasmuch as they would
thereby render
themselves citizens of the republic, and be liable to be
commandeered
and called upon to serve in arms, not only against the
natives, upon
whom the Boers were always making aggressions, but against
England, when
the war, which all foresaw could not long be delayed, broke
out.
For months the negotiations went on between President Kruger
and Mr.
Chamberlain, the British colonial minister, and the certainty
that the
Boers were bent upon fighting became more and more evident.
Vast
quantities of rifles, ammunition, and cannon poured into the
Transvaal,
their passage being more than winked at by the Dutch ministry
of Cape
Colony.
It was that day known that President Kruger had thrown off the
mask of a
pretended desire for peace, and that an ultimatum had been
telegraphed
to England couched in terms of such studied insolence that it
was
certain war must ensue. The greatest civilized power on earth
would have
shown less arrogance towards the most feeble. Not only was
England
called upon to send no more troops to South Africa, but to
withdraw most
of her forces already in the country, and this by a state that
owed its
very existence to her, and whose total population was not more
than that
of a small English county.
The terms of that ultimatum had just become known in
Johannesburg, and
it was not surprising that it had created an intense
excitement. All had
long felt that war must come, and that at an early date, but
the step
that had now been taken came as a surprise. From all
appearances it had
seemed that the negotiations might be continued for months yet
before
the crisis arrived, and that it should thus have been forced
on by the
wording of the ultimatum showed that the Boers were satisfied
that their
preparations were complete, and that they were in a position
to overrun
Natal and Cape Colony before any British force capable of
withstanding
them could arrive. England, indeed, had been placed in a most
difficult
position. The ministry were not unaware of the enormous
preparations
that the Boers were making, and had for some time past been
quietly
sending out a large number of officers and a few
non-commissioned
officers and men to the Cape. But so long as there was a hope
that the
Boers would finally grant some redress to the Uitlanders, they
could not
despatch any considerable number of troops, for had they done
so they
would have been accused not only on the Continent, but by a
section of
Englishmen, of forcing on a war with a weak state, whereas in
point of
fact the war was being forced on by a country that most
erroneously
believed itself to be stronger than England. The Boers of the
Transvaal
knew already that the Orange Free State would join them at
once, and
believed firmly that every Dutchman in Natal and Cape Colony
would at
the signal take up arms.
Presently a gentleman detached himself from the crowd in front
of the
Exchange, and joined a lad of some sixteen years old who was
standing on
the other side of the street.
"Well, father, is it all true what they say?" the latter
asked--"that
Kruger has sent such an ultimatum to England that war is
certain?"
"It is quite true, Chris; war is absolutely certain. Kruger
has given
the British Government only two days to reply to the most
insolent
demand ever addressed to a great power, and worded in the most
offensive
manner. I imagine that no reply will be given; and as the
ultimatum was
sent off yesterday, we shall to-morrow morning be in a state
of war."
"Well, father, there is no doubt what the result will be."
"No doubt whatever as to the final result, but I am afraid
things will
go very badly for a time. I am glad, very glad, that Kruger
should have
sent such an ultimatum. It cannot but be accepted as a
defiance by all
England; and I should say that even the opposition, which has
of late
continually attacked Mr. Chamberlain, will now be silenced,
and that
Government will be supported by all parties."
After a quarter of an hour's walk they arrived at home. It was
a
handsome house, for Mr. King was one of the leading men in
Johannesburg.
He had come out with a wife and son ten years before, being
sent by some
London capitalists to report to them fully upon the prospects
of the
gold-fields. Under his advice they had purchased several
properties,
which had been brought out as companies, and proved extremely
valuable.
He was himself a large holder in each of these, and acted as
manager and
director of the group. "What is the news, Robert?" his wife
asked, as he
and her son came in. "I have had three or four visitors in
here, and
they all say that there is quite an excitement in the town."
"It has come at last," he said gravely; "war is inevitable,
and will
begin in twenty-four hours. Kruger has sent one of the most
extraordinary demands ever drawn up. He calls upon England to
cease
sending out troops, and to speedily recall most of those now
in South
Africa, and has given two days for a reply, of which one has
already
expired. As it is absolutely certain that England will not
grant this
modest request, we may say that the war has begun. I wish now
that I had
sent you and Chris down to Durban a fortnight ago, for there
will be a
fearful rush, and judging by the attitude of the Boers, I fear
they will
make the journey a very unpleasant one. As we have agreed, it
is
absolutely necessary that I should remain here. There is no
saying what
steps the Boers will take with reference to the mines; but it
is certain
that we must, if possible, keep them going--not for the sake
of the
profit, which you may be sure Kruger will not allow to go out
of the
country, but because if they were to be stopped it would cost
an immense
deal of money to put them in working condition again,
especially if, as
is likely enough, the Boers damage the machinery. I shall do
as little
work as I can; and the Boers will not, I fancy, interfere with
us as
long as they can benefit by the working. For myself, I would
risk any
loss or damage rather than aid in supplying them with gold,
but for the
sake of our shareholders in Europe I must do my best to save
the mines
from destruction. Indeed, if I don't work them, probably they
will do so
until the end is at hand, and will then do as much damage as
possible.
You know we have agreed on this point." "Yes, I suppose it is
best,
Robert; but it seems terrible leaving you alone here, and I
shall be in
a perpetual state of anxiety about you."
"I don't think there is any occasion for that; as long as I am
working
the mines and they are taking the gold, which no doubt they
will have to
repay when our army are masters here, they will not interfere
with me.
They treat us badly enough, as we know; but they love the gold
even more
than they hate us, so I have no fear whatever as to my
personal safety.
I am afraid, dear, that for a time things will go very badly
with us.
Already we know that commandos have gone forward in great
strength to
the frontier, and I should not be surprised if the whole of
South Africa
rises; at any rate, the Boers are confident that it will be
so.
Gladstone's miserable surrender after our disasters at Laing's
Nek and
Majuba have puffed them up with such an idea of their own
fighting
powers and our weakness, that I believe they think they are
going to
have almost a walk over. Still, though it was certain that we
should
have a hard time whenever war came, we have been hoping for
years that
England would at last interfere to obtain redress for us, and
we must
not grumble now that what we have been so long expecting has
at last
come to pass. I believe there will be some stern fighting. The
Boers are
no cowards; courage is, indeed, as far as I know, the only
virtue they
possess. In the long run they must certainly be beaten, but it
will only
be after very hard fighting."
"What do you think they will do, father?"
"I can't say what they will do, but I am sure that what they
ought to do
is to merely hold the passes from Natal with enough men for
the purpose,
and to march their whole force, broken up into half a dozen
columns,
into Cape Colony. There is no force there that could resist
them, they
would be undoubtedly joined by every Dutchman there, and I am
convinced
that the Africander ministry would at once declare for them,
in which
case England would have to undertake the tremendous work of
conquering
the whole of South Africa afresh, for certainly she could not
allow it
to slip from her hands, even if it should prove as stern a
business as
the conquering of half India after the Sepoy Mutiny. Now to
business.
Fortunately we sent down your clothes and everything we had of
value to
our friends the Wilsons, at Durban, six weeks ago. What you
have
remaining you must leave behind to take its chance. You will
be able to
take no luggage whatever with you. We know how terribly the
trains have
been packed for the past fortnight, and a week ago almost all
the
carriages were commandeered for the use of the troops going
south.
"You must take with you a basket of provisions, sufficient, if
necessary, for two or three days for you both. There is no
saying how
long you may be on your way to the frontier; once beyond that
you will,
of course, be able to obtain anything you want. But you need
expect no
civility or courtesy from the Boers, who, indeed, would feel a
malicious
pleasure in shunting you off into a siding, and letting you
wait there
for any number of hours. You must mind, Chris, above all
things, to keep
your temper, whatever may happen. You know how our people have
been
insulted, and actually maltreated in scores of cases, and in
their
present state of excitement the Boers would be only too glad
to find an
excuse for acts of violence. I was speaking to you about it
three days
ago, and I cannot impress it too strongly upon you. I have
already given
you permission to join one or other of the corps that are
being raised
in Natal, and if anything unpleasant occurs on the road, you
must bottle
up your feelings and wait till you get a rifle in your hand
and stand on
equal terms with them."
"I promise that, father. I think, after what we have had to
put up with
here, during the past two or three months especially, I can
bear
anything for these last few days."
"Yes, Chris; but it will be more trying now that you have your
mother
under your charge. It is for her sake as well as your own that
I impress
this so strongly upon you. Now, will you go down at once to
the railway-
station and enquire about the trains? I shall go myself to the
manager
and see whether I can get him to make any special arrangement
in your
mother's favour, though I have no great hopes of that; for
though I know
him well, he is, like all these Dutchmen in office, an
uncivilized brute
puffed up with his own importance."
Chris started at once, and returned an hour later with a very
discouraging report. The station was crowded with people. No
regular
trains were running, but while he was there a large number of
cattle-
trucks had been run up to the platform, and in these as many
of the
fugitives as could be packed in were stowed away. As soon as
this was
done the train had started, but not half the number collected
on the
platform had found room in it. His father had left a few
minutes after
him, and presently returned.
"From what I can hear," he said, "there is no chance whatever
of your
being able to get any accommodation, but must take your chance
with the
others. Viljoen told me that except the waggons there was not
a carriage
of any sort or class left here, and that there was no saying
at all when
any would return; but that even if they did, they would be
taken for the
use of the troops going south. All he could say was that if,
when I came
down to the station with you, he is there, he will see that
you go by
the first waggons that leave."
"That is something at least," Mrs. King said quietly. "I
certainly do
not wish to ask for any favour from these people, and do not
want to be
better off than others. I have no doubt that it will be an
unpleasant
time, but after all it will be nothing to what great numbers
of people
will have to suffer during the war."
"That is so, Amy. And now I think that the sooner the start is
made the
better. The rush to get away will increase every hour, and we
shall have
the miners coming in in hundreds. Many of the mines will be
shut down at
once, though some of them will, like ours, continue operations
as long
as they are allowed to."
"Make your basket, or bag, or whatever you take your
provisions in, as
small as possible, mother. I saw lots of baggage left behind
on the
platform. You see, there are no seats to stow things under. I
should say
that a flat box which you can sit on would be the best thing.
And you
will want your warmest cloak and a thick rug for night."
"I have a box that will do very well, Chris. Fortunately we
have plenty
of cold meat and bread in the house. I shall not be more than
half an
hour, Robert."
In less than that time the party were ready. Chris's
preparations had
been of the simplest. He carried over his arm a long, thick
greatcoat,
in the pocket of which he had thrust a fur cap and two woollen
comforters. He had also a light but warm rug, for he thought
it probable
that he might not be able to be next to his mother. He had on
his usual
light tweed suit, but had in addition put on a cardigan
waistcoat, which
he intended to take off when once in the train. In his pockets
he had a
couple of packets of tobacco, for although he seldom smoked,
he thought
that some of it might be very acceptable to his
fellow-passengers before
the journey was over. He wore a light gray, broad-brimmed
wide-awake,
with a white silk puggaree twisted round it, for the heat of
the sun in
the middle of the day was already very great, and would be
greater still
when they got down to Natal. The box, which a Kaffir servant
put on his
shoulder, was about eight inches deep and a foot wide, and
eighteen
inches long.
"What have you in it, mother?"
"Two tin bottles of cold tea, each holding a gallon."
"I should hardly have thought that we wanted as much as that."
"No; but there may be many women who have made no provision at
all,
thinking that we shall at least be able to get water at any of
the
stations we stop at. I have a small tin mug, and that joint of
meat; the
rest of the box is filled up with bread-and-butter. I have cut
it up and
spread it, so that it packs a good deal closer than it would
do if we
put the loaves in whole."
Mr. King had his wife's thick-wadded winter cloak and a rug
over his
arm, and a small hand-bag with a few necessaries for the
journey. Mrs.
King was in her usual attire, and carried only a white
umbrella.
"We look as if we were starting for a picnic rather than a
journey that
will last three or four days," she said with an attempt at
gaiety.
"There is one comfort, we shall have nothing to look after
when we get
to the end."
Chris walked on ahead to let his father and mother talk
together, for
although all arrangements had been discussed and settled
during the past
two or three days, there was much they had to say to each
other now that
the parting had come. The lad was a fine specimen of the young
Uitlander. A life passed largely in the open air, hard work
and
exercise, had broadened his shoulders and made him look at
least a year
older than he really was. He was a splendid rider and an
excellent shot
with his rifle, for his father had obtained a permit from the
authorities for him to carry one, and he could bring down an
antelope
when running at full speed as neatly as any of the young
Boers. Four
days a week he had spent in the mines, for his father intended
him to
follow in his footsteps, and he had worked by turns with the
miners
below and the engineers on the surface, so that he might in
the course
of a few years be thoroughly acquainted with all the details
of his
profession.
The last two days in each week he had to himself, and with
three or four
lads of his own age went for long rides in search of sport. A
couple of
hours every evening were spent in study under his father's
direction. He
was quiet in manner, and talked but little. He deeply resented
the
position in which the British population in the Transvaal were
placed,
the insolence of the Boers towards them, and their brutal
cruelty
towards the natives. The restraint which he so often found it
necessary
to exercise had had no slight influence on his character, and
had given
a certain grim expression to the naturally bright face. Many
had been
the discussions between him and his friends as to the prospect
of
England's taking up their cause. Their disappointment had been
intense
at the miserable failure of the Jameson raid, which, however,
they felt,
and rightly, must some day have a good result, inasmuch as it
had
brought out the wretched position of the Uitlanders, who,
though forming
the majority of the population, and the source of all the
wealth of the
country, and paying all the taxes, were yet treated as an
outcast race,
and deprived of every right possessed by people of all
civilized
nations.
They had wondered and fretted at the apathy with which the
enormous
warlike preparations of the Boers were regarded at home, and
the fact
that they were permitted to become a formidable power, capable
of
offering a desperate resistance even by the armies of England;
whereas,
before they had been enriched by the industry and enterprise
of the
immigrants, they had been in danger of being altogether wiped
out by the
Zulus and Swazis, and had only been saved by the interference
on their
behalf of the British power. Thus, then, while the war-cloud
had been
slowly but surely gathering, the lads had watched the
approaching crisis
with delight, unmingled with the anxiety and foreboding of the
capitalists, who, without doubting what the end must be, were
sure that
enormous losses and sacrifices must result before their
deliverance from
Boer oppression could be obtained.
The scene at the station was an extraordinary one. Men, women,
and
children of all ranks were crowded on the platform; the
greater
capitalists, the men whose fortunes could be counted by
hundreds of
thousands, had for the most part left, but many who in England
would be
considered as rich men had remained in the town till the last
moment, to
make their final arrangements and wind up their affairs. With
these were
well-to-do storekeepers, with their wives and families,
together with
mining officials, miners, and mechanics of all kinds. Piles of
baggage
rendered movement difficult, for many had supposed that the
regular
trains were still running, and that they would be able to
carry away
with them the greater portion of their belongings. The scenes
at the
departure of the previous trains roughly awakened them to the
fact that
all this must be abandoned, and women were crying and men
cursing below
their breath at this last evidence of Boer indifference to the
sufferings of those by whose work they had so greatly
benefited. Mr.
King soon found that the manager was still there, but on
speaking to him
he shrugged his shoulders, and said:
"I do not see what I can do. Look at the crowd there. When the
waggons
come up there will be a rush, and I have no men here to keep
such a
number in order."
"I see that, Mr. Viljoen, but if you would send a man with us
to where
the waggons are standing in readiness to come up, my wife
could take her
place then."
"Yes, I will do that at once. You had better go with her
outside the
station, and the porter shall take you on from there. If you
were to get
off the platform here and walk up the lines, others would
notice it, and
there would be an immediate rush."
He called to one of the porters on the platform, and gave him
instructions, and in a few minutes Mrs. King was seated on her
box in
the corner of a truck, which, with a few others, had a covered
roof,
although it was entirely open at the sides. In the next
half-hour eight
or ten others, who had been similarly favoured by the manager,
joined
them. All these were known to the Kings, and it was a great
relief to
them to find that they would travel together, instead of being
mixed up
with the general crowd. They had packed themselves together as
closely
as possible, so that when the train became crowded there
should be no
room for anyone to push in among them. Among the party was
John Cairns,
a great chum of Chris's. He and his father and mother had been
waiting
for two hours at the station, and he told him that there were
seven or
eight of their companions there.
"We will take our seats on that side," Chris said, "and as we
move in
shout to them to join us. It will be a great thing to get as
many people
we know in here as possible."
Presently the train began to move. Fortunately, at the spot
where it
drew up, a group of their acquaintances were clustered
together, and
these all managed to get into the truck, which was speedily
filled up
until there was scarce standing-room. Three minutes later the
train
moved on. A great number were left behind, although everyone
made as
much room as possible, women especially being helped in after
the trucks
seemed absolutely choke-full. As soon as the train was fairly
in motion
many of the men climbed up on to the roofs of the covered
waggons,
thereby relieving the pressure below, and enabling all the
women to sit
down. Others ranged themselves along the sides, sitting on the
rail, and
so minimizing the space they occupied. But even with all this,
the women
were packed inconveniently together. All, however, were so
much pleased
at their good fortune in having got away that there was no
complaining
or grumbling. That the journey would be a long one, all knew;
but at
least they had started, and would soon be a free people in a
free
country. Chris and his friends had been among the first to
climb up on
to the roof, and they sat down in a group at one end of it.
"It is going to be pretty cold here to-night, and desperately
hot to-
morrow," Chris said; "but we can put up with that. I would
stand it for
a month rather than stop any longer among these brutes." There
was a
general murmur of agreement.
"Thank heavens," one of them said, "the next time we meet them
will be
with arms in our hands. We have a long score to pay off, and
we shall, I
expect, have plenty of chances. The Boers are boasting that
they will
soon drive the last Englishman out of South Africa, and seem
to regard
it as a sort of general picnic. They will find out their
mistake before
they have done."
"Still, we must not think that it is going to be a picnic our
way,"
Chris said. "They have quite made up their minds that every
Boer in Cape
Colony and Natal will join them at once. If they do, it will
be a very
long business to put them down, though I have no doubt it will
all come
right in the end. Do you know anything about the others?"
"I know that Peters and Carmichael and Brown went off with
their people
last night, but I don't know about the others."
"Capper and Willesden and Horrocks went yesterday," another
lad said.
"Sankey and Holdsworth were on the platform, and no doubt got
into
another truck.
"There are seven of us here," Chris said, "and as six have
gone on, that
makes thirteen certain, and there are eight more to come. Most
of us
will stop at Pietermaritzburg, but I suppose some, whose
friends are
going straight home, will go down with them to Durban."
"There will not be many who have to do so," another said. "Sankey's
people and Carmichael's are going to Cape Town, but, so far as
I know,
all the others will stay and see it out either at Maritzburg
or Durban.
Do you think that we should take any others with us, Chris?"
"I don't think so. You see we all know each other, and it
would be a
nuisance having fellows with us of whom we know nothing. They
might not
pull with us, while we have been so much together that there
is no fear
of our having any disagreement. I think we have all pretty
well settled
that it will be much better to act by ourselves, instead of
joining any
of the corps that are sure to be formed down there. Still, if
we knew
one of the men getting up a corps--and some of our people are
pretty
sure to do so--I do think it would be a good plan to join, if
they would
accept us as a sort of independent troop, ready to act with
them when
there is any big fighting, and to go about on our own account
at other
times. You see, none of us will want any pay. We shall all
furnish our
own horses and arms, and shall therefore be on a different
footing from
men who have to draw pay and be equipped at the public
expense; and I
don't see why any officer commanding a troop in one of these
corps
should object to our joining him on those terms. But anyhow, I
feel sure
that we should be able to do a great deal more good by being
free to
move where we liked, and to undertake expeditions on our own
account,
than if we were to act in a more regular manner."
There was a general chorus of agreement.
"Now, how long do you think it will be before we cross Laing's
Nek? Of
course we ought to be there by to-morrow morning. It is only a
hundred
and fifty miles, and at fifteen miles an hour, which is about
their
usual rate of travelling, we should cross the frontier at two
o'clock,
for it was about four when we started. But there is no saying.
My father
thought we ought to take four days' provisions with us; I
think we could
hold out for that time."
"You don't mean to say, Chris, he thought it possible we might
be as
long as that?" "He did think so, Peters. He considered that we
might be
shunted off very often to let trains with men and stores for
the troops
go on ahead of us."
"Well," the other replied, "I don't care so much for myself,
though I
don't say that it would be lively to be stuck up here for four
days and
nights, but it would be awful for the women; and I should say
that very
few of them have got more than enough provisions for a day.
Still, of
course, if we are shunted at a station we shall be able to buy
things."
"I am not so sure of that," Chris said. "You know what the
Boers are at
their best; and now that they believe the time has arrived
when they are
going to be the absolute lords of all South Africa, they are
so puffed
up that there is no saying what they may do to show their
hatred and
contempt for us. And whatever happens, you fellows, you must
keep your
temper. My father spoke to me very strongly about it. You must
remember
that they will not mind what they do, and would shoot any of
us down on
the smallest excuse, knowing well enough that we are helpless,
and that
it is unlikely any enquiry would ever be made, or anyone
punished even
if they shot a dozen of us. We must remember that we intend to
pay off
old scores later on, and that we mean to do it with interest."
CHAPTER II
A TERRIBLE JOURNEY
Twenty-four hours had gone, and not half the distance had yet
been
covered. The night had passed painfully to all those in the
waggons, for
though most of the women had provided themselves with wraps of
one sort
or another, the cold was severe. This, however, was less felt
than the
cramped position in which all had to sit on the floor, unable
to move or
to stretch their legs, the only change obtainable being by
standing up.
The pressure was most felt in the open waggons, where the men
as well as
the women were packed together so closely that even sitting
down was
impossible. Some slight relief had been afforded by the men on
the
covered waggons taking as many from the uncovered trucks as
could lie
down there with them; but as the latter were by far the more
numerous, a
comparatively small number of men could be so entertained.
For a time the rising of the sun afforded some relief, but as
it gained
in power the position of the fugitives became almost
unbearable. The
stoppages were frequent, and at all the stations the Boers
from the
neighbourhood had assembled, some from curiosity, but the
majority to
wait for the trains that were to take them to the front.
Although
sometimes detained for three or four hours, the passengers
were not
allowed to alight. The men, indeed, at times, by common
impulse, sprang
out, but were soon forced to take their places again, some of
the Boers
using their heavy whips over their heads and shoulders, while
others
with pointed guns prevented any attempt at retaliation. Men,
and even
women, crowded the platform, jeering and cursing those in the
waggons,
menacing them with their whips and snatching at such trinkets,
and even
cloaks as took their fancy. The men were all several times
searched for
weapons, and made to turn their pockets inside out, the
contents being
unceremoniously transferred to those of the Boers. Chris and
his
companions would have taken their places below with their
friends, but
these implored them not to do so, being afraid that they would
be
enraged beyond endurance, and might in their anger say or do
something
that would give an excuse to the Boers to use their rifles,
which they
so often pointed threateningly at women as well as men. It was
only when
the train was in motion that food and drink were passed up
from below,
as these too would assuredly, had they been seen, have been
confiscated
by the brutal tormentors.
When they steamed into Standerton in the afternoon, the
distress of the
women and children for water was so great that men determined
at all
costs to endeavour to get some for them. As if by one impulse,
when the
train came to a standstill outside the station, they jumped
out and made
for the little village. But here all refused to give or sell
them water
or food, and in a few minutes a large party of Boers rode in,
and
falling upon them with their whips, drove them back to the
train. Had
they been armed the men would assuredly have resisted till the
last,
although certain to be killed, so mad were they with passion.
As it was,
it would have been throwing away their lives, without a chance
of even
avenging themselves on their assailants. As they reached the
waggons and
climbed into their places again, several had broad blue weals
across
their faces, while many more were smarting from the cuts they
had
received on the body. Chris and his companions had got out
when the
others did so, but had not followed them. Their supply of
water and cold
tea was not yet exhausted, as most of the ladies had made
preparations
for a journey of two or three days, and Mrs. King and the
mothers of the
other lads begged them not to go.
"The Boers are only waiting for an excuse to use their
firearms," Mrs.
King said, "and whatever happens you had better stay here. You
can do no
good by going." So, reluctantly, they had again taken their
places on
the roofs of the carriages, and sat there with their pulses
beating and
their fists clenched as they heard the shouts and the cracking
of the
heavy whips in the village, and presently saw the men running
back,
pursued by their cowardly assailants. Two or three of the lads
were so
enraged at the sight that they would have jumped down had not
Chris laid
a restraining hand on them.
"Wait your time," he said in a hard voice. "We can't repay
them now, but
we will remember this when our turn comes."
The Boers, as they rode up, leapt from their horses, and with
shouts of
exultation walked along the waggons, striking at the men,
hurling every
epithet of contempt and hatred at them, and even spitting at
them. Many
of the women were also struck as well as being grossly
insulted.
"And these scoundrels call themselves Christian men, and their
friends
speak of them as simple pious farmers! I call them, both from
their
appearance and their actions, as unmitigated a set of ruffians
as are to
be found on the face of the globe," Cairns exclaimed
passionately.
They were indeed as unsavoury in appearance as they were
brutal in
manner. Water is scarce in the Transvaal, and is used most
sparingly for
all purposes of cleanliness. The Boer sleeps in his clothes,
gives
himself a shake when he gets up, and his toilet is completed,
unless on
very exceptional occasions when he goes outside the door to
the water-
cask, fills his hands with water, and rubs them over his face.
Four times in the year, however, the Boers indulge in a
general wash
before starting with their wives and families for four or five
days'
stay at the nearest town to attend the services of the church
and to do
their quarter's marketing. In dress the Boer is almost
universally
slovenly, his clothes hang about him stained and discoloured
by long
usage. In the majority of cases he is altogether without
education, and
very many Boers are scarcely able to sign their names. Most of
them wear
beards and long unkempt hair. But in point of physique they
are fine
men, tall and powerfully, though loosely, built, but capable
of standing
great fatigue if necessary, although averse to all exercise
save on
horseback. All are taught to shoot from boyhood, and even the
women in
the country districts are trained in the use of firearms, for
it is not
so long since they lived in dread of incursions by the Zulus
and Swazis.
There was no attempt whatever at uniformity of dress. Most of
the men
wore high riding boots. Some of the young men from the towns
were in
tweed suits, the vast majority wore either shooting jackets or
long
loose coats; some were in straw hats, but the elder men all
wore large
felt hats with wide brims. They were all, however, similarly
armed with
rifles of the best and most modern construction. Their general
appearance was that of a large band of farmers of the roughest
type and
wholly without regard for their personal appearance.
It was fully an hour before the train moved again. Then it was
shunted
on to a siding while the Boers entrained with their horses on
a long
line of waggons which had just come up, and which started on
its way
south as soon as they were on board. Then the emigrant tram
crawled on
again. There was another night of wretchedness, and in the
morning they
arrived at Volksrust, the frontier town. Here they were again
closely
searched for arms, and what provisions remained among them
were
commandeered, or as the emigrants called it, stolen. However,
they knew
that their troubles were now nearly over, and did not grumble
when they
were informed that the train would go no farther, and that
they must
make their way on foot to Newcastle.
They were told tauntingly that they might find some of their
friends
there if they had not already run away, and that if they
stopped at
Pietermaritzburg for a week they would have another journey
down to
Durban as prisoners. All were too glad to get out of the
clutches of the
Boers to utter complaints which they knew would be useless,
and they
went off at once. The prospect was not, however, a pleasant
one.
Newcastle was nearly thirty miles away, but they hoped that at
least
they might obtain shelter and rest and food for the women at
some of the
scattered farms. At first their progress was slow, for after
being for
more than two days and a half packed up like cattle, they had
almost
lost the use of their limbs; but gradually the pace was
accelerated. Men
took the little children on their shoulders, others helped the
women
along. Charlestown, on the British side of the frontier, was
already
occupied by the Boers, who hooted and abused them as they
passed
through. At Laing's Nek there was a Dutch commando with some
guns.
Two miles on the women could go no further, and they halted at
a large
farmhouse which had been deserted by its owners. All the men,
however,
who were alone, determined to push on at once to Newcastle,
and promised
they would send vehicles of some sort to take them on if they
could
possibly be obtained. Mrs. King and the other ladies
authorized them to
pay any sums demanded.
Thankful indeed were the tired women when they reached the
farmhouse.
They found the doors unfastened, as the farmer knew that were
he to lock
them the Boers would certainly batter them in when they
arrived, and
would probably do greater damage to the furniture left behind
than if
they had obtained an entry without trouble. The men soon found
the wood-
shed, and in a short time great fires blazed in every room.
The bedding
had been carried away, but utterly worn out as they were, the
women were
only too glad to lie down on rugs and cover themselves with
their
cloaks. The men gathered in the lower room and talked for some
time
before thinking of going to sleep. There was scarce one who
was not
determined to join one of the volunteer corps being raised at
Durban and
Maritzburg, and to avenge the insults and ill-treatment to
which they
had been subjected. The long-smouldering animosity towards the
Boers had
been fanned during the past three days into a fierce fire, and
even
those who had not before thought of taking part in the
struggle were now
as eager as the others to do so.
In the morning all were astir early. Had they been supplied
with food
they would have waited until waggons came out from Newcastle,
but these
could hardly arrive until evening, and at any moment the Boer
advance
might commence. They therefore determined to move on early,
for if they
met the waggons half-way these could return with them at once
to the
town. It was desirable to start as soon as possible so as to
get well on
the way before the heat of the day was at its fullest.
Accordingly by
six all were in movement. The long night's rest had done them
good,
still more so the thought that by the end of the day they
would be among
friends, and they were disposed to laugh and joke over their
present
situation. All the men had cut themselves heavy cudgels from
the stock
of firewood, and the fact that they were not as before wholly
defenceless was no slight gratification to them. Even the
ladies spoke
confidently of being able to walk the twenty miles to
Newcastle should
they not meet vehicles coming to fetch them. They could go ten
miles now
and then halt till the sun was setting, and after such a long
rest could
certainly go on to Newcastle.
"I am afraid, mother," Chris said as they started, "that what
seems so
easy now will be too much for many of the women. We started
without
breakfast, and unless we can get something by the way I doubt
if many
will reach the town to-night. Of course for the men it is
nothing. Very
often when I have been out on the veldt and have started
early, I have
had nothing till I got back late in the evening. What are you
wearing
that veil for, mother? I saw that you pulled it down over your
face
yesterday afternoon. I suppose you did it to keep the dust out
of your
eyes, but there is none now."
"I had a reason for doing it, but I can put it up now."
She lifted the white veil to its usual place round her hat; as
she did
so, Chris uttered a sharp exclamation as his eye fell on a
bluish-red
mark across her face.
"You don't mean to say, mother," he said in a tone of horror,
"that one
of those scoundrels struck you?"
"They struck a good many of us, Chris, and there was no reason
why I
should escape more than another."
The lad's face grew white.
"Why did you not call out? I would have--"
"I know you would," she interrupted gently, "and so of course
I did not
cry out. You had all had enough to try you to the utmost, and
I was not
going to risk your life by letting you know what had happened.
It
flashed across me at once that if you had seen it happen you
would have
been down from the roof in an instant and struck the man. Had
you done
so, your fate would have been sealed, you would have had half
a dozen
bullets in your body; therefore, I simply dropped my veil, and
I can
assure you that the smart of the Boer's sjambok gave me less
pain when I
felt that you knew nothing of it."
Chris walked along silently for a minute or two; then he said
quietly:
"Thank you, mother. I am sure it would have been as you said.
I could
not have helped it. No one could see his mother struck without
interfering."
"I can understand that, dear; but it would have been a poor
consolation
for me had you been killed in endeavouring to right a wrong
that I could
very well put up with, and shall forget in a week."
"I suppose so, mother. I should not so much mind if I only
knew the
fellow's name, or even knew him by sight, so that I might
possibly have
the chance some day of settling accounts with him."
They walked on until eight o'clock, and then rested under the
shade of
some rocks. Fortunately there had been some rain two days
before, and
they had been able to quench their thirst at a little stream
that came
down from the hills. There were in all some thirty women and
eighteen
men.
"Look here, Harris," Chris said, "there is a farmhouse over
there, and
as I see cattle and horses, it evidently is not deserted. Let
us go and
see if we can get some bread and some milk for the women."
"All right!"
The other lads were quite ready to go also, and they walked
across to
the house, which stood some half a mile away. As they
approached it a
Boer came out. On seeing them he re-entered it, and appeared
again with
a rifle.
"I am afraid we shall get nothing here," Harris said. "The
Dutchmen in
Natal are only waiting for the Boers to advance to join them."
"Well, we will try anyhow," Chris said doggedly. "I dare say
that you
are right; but Boer or no Boer, if there is any food in that
house I
mean to get it."
They went quietly on. When they were within fifty yards the
Boer shouted
to them to go back.
"We have some women and children with us," Chris replied,
continuing to
advance. "They are exhausted from want of food and fatigue,
and we have
come to ask for some bread, and if you have it in the house,
some milk."
"If the house was full of both you should not have a crumb of
bread or a
drop of milk. Halt! I say, or I will put a bullet into you."
Chris did not heed the command.
"We have plenty of money to pay you, and are willing to give
ten times
its fair price."
He was now within ten yards of the farmer. The latter burst
into a
torrent of abuse, and was in the act of raising his rifle when
Chris
sprang at him. The Boer, who had no idea that this lad would
venture to
attack him, discharged his rifle almost at random, and the
ball passed
through the brim of Chris's hat. An instant later his heavy
stick fell
on the Boer's head, and levelled him to the ground.
"Now, Harris," he shouted, "do you and the others go into the
house, and
first of all bring me out one of these fellows' whips. Cairns,
pick up
his rifle, and reload it. Sankey, do you and the others keep
guard at
the door, and don't let those viragoes out"--for three women
had just
appeared, and were cursing with a fluency that Billingsgate
would have
envied.
Harris had already come out with a heavy whip by the time
Cairns had
reloaded. Chris took it and said to the Boer, who, in view of
the
formidable sticks the lads carried, had thought it best to lie
quiet;
"Now you can get up, you hulking ruffian. I am going to give
you a
lesson in civility. Oh, you won't get up? Well, it will make
no
difference to me," and he proceeded to give the howling Boer a
tremendous thrashing. "There," he said, when his arm was
tired, "you may
get up and go, and I hope that the lesson will do you good.
Now, Cairns,
we will search the house. It is likely enough he has a lot of
rifles
hidden somewhere, and perhaps when we have gone he may go and
fetch some
more of his class. We may as well possess ourselves of them."
The seven lads went into the house, paying no further
attention to the
Boer. In spite of the fury of the women, they searched the
house
thoroughly, and in a large case in a disused room they found
twelve
Mauser rifles, with a thousand cartridges. They then took a
basket and
filled it with bread, and emptied the milk from two large pans
into a
pail.
"We are not thieves and robbers, like your people," Chris said
to the
women, as he threw five shillings on the table. "Your man has
been good
enough to tell us that he will be in Maritzburg with the Boers
in a
week's time. Therefore, as war has been declared, the muskets
are lawful
spoil taken from a rebel. Now, boys, let's be off."
The cartridges were divided among them; then, with the
thirteen guns,
the basket, and pail, they started to rejoin their friends.
"Well, that
is a fair capture to begin with," Chris said. "As far as we
are
concerned, the war has begun. The Boer has made off, I see. I
should not
be surprised if we hear of him and some of his friends again.
However,
now we are well armed they can come as soon as they like."
Great was the joy among the women and children when they
returned with
the much-needed refreshment.
"I was getting very anxious about you, Chris," his mother
said. "We
heard the man fire. But where have you got all these rifles
from?"
"The owner of the farm is a Boer, mother, and as he told us, a
rebel. As
he began the affair by putting a bullet through my hat, and
abusing us
and our nation heartily, we took the liberty of searching his
house,
with good success. I need not say that he did not give us this
bread and
the pail of milk of his own free-will, but I left the money
for them."
His mother had turned pale when he said that a bullet had gone
through
his hat, but she said nothing.
"What became of the man?" she asked. "You did not kill him, I
hope?"
"No, mother; I contented myself with thrashing him with one of
his own
whips until my arm ached."
There was enough bread for all to have a slice. The women and
children
had as much milk as they could drink, the rest was divided
among the
men. The extra rifles were given to those who could best use
them. In
half an hour the women said that they were ready to go on
again, and
that they would rather do that than wait, for they greatly
feared that
the Boer might gather some of his friends and attack them.
Feeling
greatly strengthened and refreshed, they started at a good
pace. They
had gone about a mile when Sankey said to Chris:
"Look, there is a party of mounted men across the valley."
"Then we had better plant ourselves among the rocks, and let
the unarmed
men go on with the women and children, and take shelter a bit
farther
on. I don't suppose they will venture to attack us when they
find, to
their disgust, that we are armed with as good rifles as their
own. They
have a great respect for their lives."
Accordingly the seven lads and the six men with rifles at once
took up a
position among the rocks. The rest of the party went forward
two hundred
yards and then took shelter also. The Boers, feeling certain
that the
party was unarmed, did not trouble themselves to open fire at
a
distance, but rode forward in a clump at full gallop.
"They are about a thousand yards away now," one of the men
said. "We may
as well give them a volley."
The thirteen rifles flashed out almost simultaneously. There
were, as
they had counted, sixteen Boers. Five horses fell, three
others galloped
off riderless, and the party broke up and rode off at full
speed in
various directions.
"I don't think we need trouble any more about them," said
Sankey's
father, who, was one of the party, as he rose to his feet.
"You may be
sure that several of those who got away carried bullets
somewhere about
them."
As they turned to rejoin their friends there was a general
exclamation
of satisfaction, for two large waggons were seen coming along
the road.
In ten minutes the women and children, with all the older men,
were
comfortably seated and on their way to Newcastle. Chris and
his party
accompanied them on foot so as to form a rear-guard. "We have
won our
first battle," Chris laughed.
"But for you there would not have been any battle at all,"
Field said.
"I don't think any of us would have gone forward after that
fellow
warned us back had you not done so."
"I was determined to get some milk for the children," Chris
said, "and
would have gone forward even if I had been alone. I don't
think I ever
felt such a satisfaction as I did in thrashing that Boer. One
of them
struck my mother across the face, you know, in the train, and
though it
was not the same man, I feel better now that I have taken it
out of
someone."
At Newcastle they found a small British force, and learned
that there
were four or five thousand troops at Dundee. Trains were still
running,
and after only an hour's delay at Newcastle to obtain a meal,
the whole
party went on. Late that evening they arrived at Colenso. Mrs.
King and
the ladies and gentlemen of the party had decided to sleep
there, but
hearing on the road that the little town was crowded with
fugitives from
the Transvaal and the farms near the frontier, they determined
to
continue the journey to the capital, which they reached the
next
morning. The lads had quite decided upon their course before
starting,
and had arranged with their parents to remain at Maritzburg.
The general
opinion was that the British force at the front could not
possibly
maintain itself, but that as soon as the invasion began in
force they
must fall back, as the Transvaal Boers would be able to attack
them in
front and on the right flank, while the Free Staters would
pour down
through Van Reenen and De Beers Passes and make straight for
Ladysmith,
and so threaten their line of retreat.
There were a few indeed who still believed that the Boers
would stand
entirely upon the defensive so far as Natal went. They would
occupy the
formidable passes through the Drakensberg and await attack
there, while
they would invade Cape Colony at many points and raise the
Boer
population. However, the general opinion was that they would
advance
into Natal in great force, and in that case it was doubtful,
indeed,
whether Sir George White could oppose them successfully north
of
Maritzburg. He might even, it was thought, be obliged to fall
back to
Durban until reinforcements arrived from England. Already
there was a
rush to the offices that had been opened for the volunteer
corps. Many
of the fugitives from the Transvaal had joined, as had most of
the young
farmers who had been obliged by the hostility of their Dutch
neighbours
to abandon their homes in the north of Natal, while numbers of
all ranks
in Maritzburg, Durban, and other towns were giving in their
names. All
the lads who had come down with Chris had some time before
obtained
their parents' consent to join a volunteer corps, or form one
among
themselves, and as it was evident that the crisis was at hand
no
objections were raised to their doing so at once. Mrs. King
would go
down to Durban with her friends, so that there was no need for
her son
to accompany her.
It had been agreed by the other lads that they would all meet
at ten
o'clock at the hotel where Chris put up, and the party
mustered in
greater strength than had been expected, for they found that
the boys
who had preceded them had all waited in the town, and were
stopping at
the various hotels. They too had been as badly treated by the
Boers as
the last arrivals, and were all eager to begin work.
"There is no getting a private room here," Chris said, "so we
had better
go outside the town and talk things over." As they went they
chatted
over their adventures on the road, and great satisfaction was
felt among
those who had not been present on hearing how Chris had
thrashed the
Boer, and had gone tip to him in spite of his threat to shoot.
At their
last meeting at Johannesburg they had elected him their
captain, but he
had at the time refused to accept the post, saying that it
would be
wiser to decide that afterwards, as one of the others might
show himself
better fitted for the position. However, their first step when
they sat
down by the bank of the little river outside the town was to
again elect
him by acclamation.
"Very well," he said, "as you all wish it I will accept the
post. I
suppose we are well provided with funds. Our fathers all said
they would
find our outfit, and money enough for all expenses." There was
a general
assent. "Well, we start better than we had expected, for we
have
thirteen rifles: twelve of them are Mausers, the other we will
sell; so
we shall have to buy nine others. That had better be done this
morning,
for we may be sure that there will be a rush to the gunsmiths'
shops. In
the next place we must each buy a saddle and saddlery. We have
agreed
that we will not have any approach to uniform; because, as we
all speak
Dutch, we shall be able to pass unobserved, if necessary,
among them.
But I have been thinking it over, and it seems to me that if
we have
nothing of the sort we shall run the risk of being shot by our
own men."
"What are we to do, then, Chris?"
"I think that we had better get flat caps, like the fatigue
caps our
soldiers wear. They can be carried in our pockets inside our
shirts when
we are in the neighbourhood of the Boers, and when we are
riding
anywhere near our own troops we can put them on instead of our
felt
hats. It would alter our appearance altogether when riding in
groups,
and even at a distance we could hardly be taken for Boers."
All agreed that it would be an excellent plan.
"We shall, of course, have bandoliers for our cartridges, and
haversacks
for our provisions and spare packets of ammunition. Not an
hour must be
lost in getting these things. I hear that Captain Brookfield,
who came
up to Johannesburg last year and stayed a fortnight with us,
has raised
a corps, which he has named the Maritzburg Scouts. I will call
upon him
this afternoon and tell him that there are one-and-twenty of
us, all
somewhere about my age, and that we mean fighting; and that as
we all
speak Dutch we think we can do more good by scouting about on
our own
account than by joining any regular corps; but that at the
same time we
should like, if there was anything like regular fighting, to
place
ourselves under the orders of an officer like himself. It is
rather
difficult to explain, you know, but I think he will understand
what we
mean. We should be, in fact, a section of his troop, acting
generally on
independent service, either scouting, or going in among the
Boers and
getting intelligence, trying to blow up bridges, and engaging
looting
parties--for we may be sure that the Boers will be scattering
all over
the country plundering.
"Of course I shall say, if he won't accept us on those terms,
we shall
do as we best can on our own account; but that as we don't
require pay,
and will provide ourselves with all necessaries, we do not see
that we
should be any burden when we join him. I propose that we meet
here again
this afternoon, and I hope that by that time we shall all have
got our
mounts and saddlery. I hear that many of the loyal farmers
north have
driven their animals down here, and are only too glad to sell
the horses
at the usual prices. Mind, the clothes we have now won't do;
we must get
them of farmer fashion. Don't go together to any shop, but let
each
choose for himself; we don't want anything like uniformity of
pattern.
The stuff must be strong. We shall each want a couple of
blankets; one
of these, with a slit cut in the middle to slip over the head,
will
serve as a greatcoat. Now, let us be off! To save trouble, I
should say
that we had each better put a certain sum, say twenty pounds,
to go into
a fund for general expenditure--food and ammunition, and that
sort of
thing--into one of the banks, and we can draw upon that as we
require
it."
"I should say, Chris," Sankey said, "that we had better put
all our
money into the fund. Our people are all going to pay for our
outfit, and
you know they have agreed to give us a hundred pounds each to
last us
through the war. It is of no use carrying money about with us.
I think
we should agree to pay it all into the common fund, and that
at the end
of the business what remains is to be divided among those of
us who go
through it."
"I think that is a good plan, Sankey. Certainly we cannot all
expect to
come out alive, and that arrangement will save all trouble
about money."
On going back into the town they learned that a large farmer
had
encamped two miles away, with a big drove of cattle and a
couple of
hundred horses, many of which were fine animals, and it was
agreed at
once that Sankey, Carmichael, and Peters should hire a buggy
and drive
over there and choose twenty-one good horses. Harris and Field
undertook
the purchase of the rifles, and Chris went to the office which
Captain
Brookfield, who had been an officer in the English army had
taken. He
had sent in his name, and was at once shown in.
"Well, Chris," he said cordially as he entered, "I am glad to
see you.
You have grown and widened out a good deal since last year. I
suppose
your father and mother have both come down with you?"
"My mother has come down, sir, but my father thought that he
ought to
remain behind to look after the mines."
"Have you come here to enlist?"
"Not exactly, sir, and yet I have to a certain extent;" and he
told the
officer of the little corps that had been formed among his
companions at
Johannesburg.
"A very good idea. Speaking Dutch, as you say they all do,
they ought to
do good service as scouts. But why have you come to me?"
This Chris explained.
The captain laughed. "I suppose the fact is, Chris, you think
that you
will be able to see and do more if you are altogether
independent of
other people's orders."
"Perhaps that is it, sir; but if there is any cavalry fighting
we should
much rather be under orders. Such a small corps would look
ridiculous
marching out by itself."
"Well, I don't see any reason why you should not carry out
your plan. It
would certainly be better that you should have some--what I
may call--
official sanction. All the men in our corps are paid five
shillings a
day, and as your troop would serve under different conditions,
you can
to a certain extent dictate your own terms. I will, if you
like, accept
you as an independent corps, attached to my command when with
me, but at
other times free to scout and to act as you choose; but mind,
I cannot
be responsible for any scrape that you get into. You might
call
yourselves the Johannesburg section of the Maritzburg Scouts,
maintaining yourselves at your own expense, and drawing
neither pay nor
rations."
"Thank you very much, sir; that is just what we want."
"Then, if you will bring your companions here this evening, I
will swear
you in. I shall administer a different oath to you from that
which the
others take, and merely pledge you, when under my orders, to
obey them,
with permission to withdraw from the corps when you choose.
And indeed,
receiving no pay or assistance from government, you would
naturally be
free to do so."
Leaving Captain Brookfield, Chris went and bought his clothes,
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