The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-12-11

y
hear English againv'
How long have you been prisoner
here, Every n asked.
Six years and a bit, Quatermail;
I have lost count Of the odd months
lately.
II came up here with Major Aldey
and three other gentlemen and forty
bearers.
sThat devil Wambc ambusheI us and
murdered the lot to get their guns.
They weren't much use to him when
he got them, being breech-loaders, for
the fools fired away all the ammunition
in a month or two.
However, they are all in good or
der. and hanging up in the hut there.
They didn't kill me, because one Of
them saw me mending gun just be-
fore they attacked us, so they kept me
is kind Of armorer.
Twice | tried to make bolt of it,,
but was caught each time.
Last time Wambe had me fogged
gerry nearly to death; you can see the
scars on my back.
Indeed, should have died if it
hadn't been for the girl Maiwa, who
nursed me by stealth.
HE got that accursed iron trap
among our things also, and suppose
he has tortured between one and two
hundred people to death with it.
1T was his fayorite amusement. and
he would 20 every day and sit and
wa-ch his victim till he died.
Sometimes he would give him food
and water to keep him alive longer,
telling him or her that he would let
them go if he lived to a certain day.
But he never did let them go.
"They all died there. and I could
show you their bones behind that
5ock."
"The devilr' I said, grinding my
teeth. II wish I hadn't interfered.
wish I had left him to the same fate"
"Well, be got taste of it, anyway"
said Every. I'm glad he got taste.
t'There's justice in it, and now he's
gone to a place where hope there's
another one ready for himl
by Jove! should like to have the
setting of itr'
And SO he talked on. and sat and
listened to him, wondering how be had
kept his reason for so many years.
But he didn't talk as have told it,
In good English.
He spoke very slowly, and as though
he had got something in his mouth,
continually using native words, be-
fause the English ones had slipped his
memory.
At last Nala came up and told us that
food was made ready, and thankful
enough were we to get it, can tell
you.
After we had eaten we had consul
Ntion.
Quite thousand of Wambe's sol
ters were put hors de combat, but at
EAST two thousand remained hidden
p the bush and rocks, and these men,
together with those in the outlying
braals, were a source of possible dam
ger.
The question arose, therefore, what
yas to be done; were they to be fol-
pwed or left alone?
waited until everybody had spoken,
yome giving one opinion and some an
0ther, and then, being appealed to,
gave mine.
1t was to the effect that Nala should
take leaf out of the great Zulu
TvChako's book and incorporate the
tribe not DESTROY it.
We had a good many women among
the prisoners
Let them, suggested, be sent to the
hiding places Of the soldiers and make
an offer.
II the men would come and lay down
their arms and declare. their allegiance
to Nala, they and their town and cat
tie should be spared.
Wambe's cattle alone would be seized
as the prize of war
Moreover, Wambe having left no
children, his wife. Maiwa should be
declared chieftainess of the tribe. UNI
der NaIa.
If they did not accept this offer by
lhe morning of the second day, it
ohOhA0 bG tdhSA a. q QCCldIdtlOA Ludt
hey wished to continue the war.
Their town should be burned, their
aattle, which our men were already
collecting and driving in in great num-
bers. would be taken. and they would
be hunted down.
This advice was at once declared
to be wise, and acted on.
The women were dispatched. and 1
saw from their faces that they never
expected to get such terms. and did
not think that their mission would be
in vain.
Nevertheless, we spent that after
noon in preparation against possible
surprise, and also in collecting all the
wounded Of both parties into hospital
which we extemporized out of some
huts, and there attended to them as
best we could.
That evening roor Every had the
first pipe o. tobacco that he had tasted
for six years.
Poor fellow, he nearly cried with joy
over 1t.
The night passed without any sign Of
attack, and on the following morning
we began 10 see the effect of
our message. for women, children. and
a few men cam4 in in little knots. and
took possession of their hunts.
1t was, OF course, rather difficult to
prevent our men from losting. and
generally going on as natives, and,
for fha fnoftar of That white mon