The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-10-24
CHAPTER VIII.
Continued.

Then, of course, he guessed that
had had something to Go with your
seizing the koppie and holding it while
the Impi rushed the place from the
mountain, so he determined to torture
me to iea Ii before help could come.
"Oh, heavens, what q mercy it is to
hear English again.
How long have you been prisoner
here, Every:" asked.
six years and bit. Quatermai--; ;
! have lost count of tic odd months
lately.
Il came up here with Major Alley
and three other gentlemen and forty
bearers.
That devil Wambe ambushe>: 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 OF 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 alta cked us, so they kept me
as kind of armorer.
'Twice 1 tried to make bolt of it.
but was caught each time.
Last time Wambe had me fiosged
very nearly to death; you can see the
scars on my back.
d a. 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 l suppose
he has tortured between one and two
hundred people to death with it.
1T was lis favorite amusement, and
he would go every day and sit and
watch 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 80 if he lived to certain day.
But he never did let them so.
''They all died there. and I could
show you their bones behind that
sock."
The Gevil:' I said. grinding my
teeth. II wish hadn't interfered. 1
wish I had left him to the same fate"
"Well, he got a'taste Of it, anyway"
said Every. Pm glad he got a taste.
There's justice in it, and now he's
gone to a place where I hope there's
another one ready for him!
.'.Ey Jove! I should like to have the
setting of itr'
And so he talked on, and I sat and
listened to him, wondering how he had
kept his reason for so many years.
But he didn't talk as I have told it,
in good English.
Ee spoke very slowly, and as though
he had got something in his mouth,
continually using native words, be-
cause the English ones lad 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 4 consul
tation.
Quite a thousand of Wambe's SOL
diers were put hors de combat, but at
least two thousand remained hidden
in the bush and rocks, and these men,
together with those in the outlying
kraals, were a source of possible dam
ger.
The question arose, therefore, what
was to be done; were they to be fol-
lowed Or left alone?
waited until everybody had spoken,
some giving one opinion and some an
other, and then, being appealed 10,
gave mine.
1t was to the effect that Na!a should
take leaf out Of the great Zulu
TChakos book anG 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.
If the men would come and lay down
their arms and declare their allegiance
to Nala, they and their town and cat
tie should be spareI.
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, rsl-
der Nala
If they did not accept this offer by
the morning of the second day, it
should be taken as declaration that
they wished to continue the war
Their town should be burned, their
cattle, which onr men were already
collecting and driving in in great num-
bers, would be taken, and they would
he hunted down.
This advice was at once declared
to be wise, and acted on.
The women were dispatched. and l
saw fsom 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 it.
Tho niobt M crad without INV sion of