The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-11-06
CHAPTER Y.


3DOVE.
IF men pass not there, then musi
they go round the great peak OF the
mountain twp days journey and hall
a day"
And now far is the peak from us p
IAN tonight shall you walk and an
tomorrow. and if you walk fast, al
sunset shall you stand on the peak"
rzhistled, fol. thatmeant a fve-and.
forty miles trudge without sleep.
Then | called to. the men to take
each of them as much cooked eler
plants meat as he could conveniently
carry.
did the same myself, and forced
the woman Maiwa to eat some as we
went.
This did with difficulty, for at that
time she seemed neither to sleep nor
eat nor rest SO fiercely was she set
on vengeance,
Then we started, Naive guiding Us.
After going for some half hour over
gradually rising ground we found our
selves on the farther edge of great
bush-clad depression, something like
Lie DOltOul u ii ldkH.
This depression through which we
had been travelling was to a very great
extent covered with bush; indeed, al
most altogether so, except where it
was pitted with gIades such as that
wherein had shot the elephants.
At the top of this slope Maiwa
halted, and putting her hands over her
eyes, looked back.
Presently she touched me on the
arm, and pointed over the sea Of forest
toward comparatively vacent space
Of country some six or seven miles
away.
l looked, and suddenly I saw some
thing flash in the red rays of the set
ting sun.
4 pause, and then another quick
flash.
what is it?" asked.
'It is the spears of Wambe's Impi.
and they travel fast" she answered,
coolly.
l suppose that my face showed how
little liked the news, for she went
on:
Fear not; they will stay to feast
upon the elephants, and while they
feast we shall journey.
.'We may yet escape"
After that we turned and pushed on
again, till at length it grew so dark
that we had to wait for the rising Of
the moon. which lost US time, though
it gave us rest.
Ir<,.4,,,o q Ao7r7 1,nua ~ 4ho NOV. No n
seen that ominous flashing Of the
spears; if they had, doubt if could
have kept control Of them.
AS it was, they Travelled faster than
had ever known loaded natives to go
before, SO Thoroughbred was their
desire to see the last of Wambe's
country.
/, however, took the precaution to
march last Of all, fearing lest they
should throw away their loads to
tighten themselves, or, worse still. the
tucks: for these kind Of fellows would
be capable Of throwing anything away
if their own skins were at stake.
If the pious Aeneas, whose story you
were reading to me the ether night,
had been mongrel Delagoa Bay ma
tive, Anchises would have had a poor
chance of getting out of Troy-that is,
If he was known to have already made
satisfactory will.
At moonrise we started on again. and
with short occasional halts Travelled till
dawn, when we were forced to rest
and eat.
Starting once more, about half-past
five, we crossed the river at noon.
Then began the long toilsome ascent
through thick bush, the same in which
shot the bull buffalo, only some
| twenty miles to the west Of that spot.
and not more than twenty-five miles
on the. hither side of Wambe's kraal.
There were six or seven miles of
this dense bush, and hard work it was
to get through It.
Next came a belt of scattered for
est, which was easier to pass, though
in revenge the ground was sleeper.
This was about two miles wide, and
we passed it by about four in the
afternoon.
Above this scattered bush lay a long
steep slope of bowlder strewn ground,
which ran up to the foot Of the little
peak, some three miles away.
AS foot-sore and weary we emerged
on to this inhospitable plain, some of
the men, looking round, caught sight
of the spears Of Wambi's Impi COM
ing rapidly along not more than a
mile behind us.
At first there was a panic, and the
bearers tried to throw of their loads
and run, but / harangued them, call
ing out to them that / would certain
~ shoot the first man who did so, and
that if they would but trust in me
/ would bring them through the mess.
Now ever since had killed those
three elephants singlc-handled had
gained great influence over these men,
and they listened to me.
So of 20 went as hard as ever we
could 60; the members Of the Alpine
Club would not have been in it with US
we made the powders burn, as q
Frenchman would say.
When we had done about mile. the
spears began to emerge f4om The belt
of scattered bush. and the whoop Of
their bearers as they viewed us broke
upon our ears
Quick as our pace had been before
1t grew much quicker now, for terror
lent wings to my gallant crew.
But they were sorely tired. and the
toads were heavy SO that run OF