Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-07-30

QuratlOn.
The Beers refused to pay cash, and
at the end of four months my partner
had the capital and had the expert
ence.
After this came to the conclusion
that storekeeping was not in my line
and having four hundred pounds left
I sent my boy Harry to school in
Natal, and buying an outfit with what
remained of the money started upon a
big trip.
This time determined to 60 farther
afied than had ever been before. so
I got passage for few pounds in a
trading brig that ran between Durham
and Delagoa Bay.
From Delagoa Bay marched ill.,
land, accompanied by twenty porters.
with the idea Of striking up north to.
ward the Limpopo. and Keeping paral-
lei to, but at distance of about one
hundred and fifty miles from. the
coast.
For the first twenty days of our
journey we suffered good deal from
fever-that is, my men did, for think
that I am fever-proof.
Also was hard put to it to keep the
camp in meat. for although the cOun-
try proved to be very sparsely popu.
lated there was but little game about.
Indeed, during all that time I hardly
killed anything larger than water.
buck, and water-buck is. as you know,
not very appetizing food.
On the twentieth day, however, we
came to the banks Of largish river.
the Gonooroo it was called.
This crossed. and then struck in.
land toward a great range of noun
tains. continuation. as / believe Of
the Drakenberg range that skirts the
coast of Natal. the blue crests of which
we could see lying on the distant
heavens like shadow.
From this main range great spur
shot out some fifty miles or so toward
the coast, ending abruptly in one tre-
mendous peak.
This spur discovered separated the
territories of two chiefs named Nala
and Wambe, Wambe's territory being
to the north and Nala's to the south.
Nala ruled tribe of bastard Xulus
called the Butana. and Wambc a much
larger tribe called the Matuku. which
presented marked Basutu characters
tics.
For instance, they had doors and
verandas to their huts, worked skins
perfectly, and wore waistcloth, and
not moocha.
The Butiana were more or less sub
ject to the Matuku, having been sur
prised by them some twenty years be-
fore, and mercilessly slaughtered
down.
The tribe was, however, now recover
ing, and, as you may imagine, it did
not love the Matuku.
Well, l heard as I went along that
elephants were very plentiful in the
dense forests that lay upon the slopes
and at the foot of the mountains that
bordered Wambe's territory.
Also heard very i'll report of this
worthy himself, who lived in kraal
upon the side of the mountain which
was so strongly fortified as to be prac-
tically impregnablc.
1t was said that he was the most
cruel chief in this part of Africa, and
that he had murdered in cold blood an
entire party Of English gentlemen who
some seven years before had gone into
his country to hunt elephants.
They had an old friend of mine with
them as guide. John Every by name,
and often had l mourned over his un-
timely death.
All the same, Wambe or no Wambe,
I determined to hunt elephant in his
country.
l never was afraid Of natives, and I
was not going to show the white
feather now.
am a bit of fatalist, as you fel.
lows know. so came to the conclusion
that IL it was fated that Wambe
should send me to join my old friend
John Every I should have to go, and
there was an end Of it.
Meanwhile l meant to hunt elephant
with a peaceful heart
On the third day from the date Of
our sighting the great peak we found
ourselves beneath its mighty shadow.
Still following the course of the river
which wound through the forests at
the base of the peak, we neared the
territory of the redoubtable Wambe.
This, however, was not accomplished
without certain difference of opinion
between my bearers and myself. for
when We reached the spot where Wam-
He's boundary was supposed to run the
bearers sat down and emphatically re-
fused to go step farther.
I sat down, too, and argued with
them, putting my fatalistlc views be.
fore them as well as was able.
But / could not persuade them to
look at the matter in the same light.
"At present" they said, "their skins
were whole; II they went into Wan.
be's country without his leave they
would soon be like water eaten leaf
'It was very well for me to say that
that would be fate.
"Fate no doubt might be walking
about In Wambe's country, but while
they stopped outside they would moi
meet him"
"Well," said to Gobo, my head
man, "and what do you mean to do?"
1--WE mean to 60 back to the coast
Macumazahn," he answered, inso
lently.