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Dead Man's Land: Being the Voyage to Zimbambangwe of certain and uncertain, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 45. Clearing Up |
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_ CHAPTER FORTY FIVE. CLEARING UP "How did I manage to come to your help?" cried Captain Lawton, as he stood with his fellow countrymen in a group; and when his men had ceased raising the echoes again and again with their exultant cheers, "Why, of course it was through your messenger, who galloped hot foot all the way, changing ponies as they broke down. Cheerful looking chap that, but how he can ride! Ah, here he comes." For Dunn Brown came into sight, walking towards them slowly, the four ponies following him like dogs. He came up very quietly, and as those whom he had rescued advanced to meet him, full of expressions of gratitude, there was one who could not speak the words he wished to say. They were something that he had at heart concerning calling Dunn Brown a coward; but he never knew, and for his part, when he had to speak he only looked dismally at those who surrounded him and said, "So--" Then he stopped short to give a gulp, and added, "glad;" but it sounded like a sigh. He literally sneaked away as soon as he could, to shake hands with Dan and Buck Denham. This however he did with so much energy than Dan yelled and Buck roared, "Murder!" "Don't!" he cried. "My arms are both coming off. But I say, Brownie, you are the finest foreloper I ever had in my life, and I never expected to see you again. Here, Mr Mark, sir," he cried, as he turned his back suddenly upon the gaunt self-appointed messenger who had saved all their lives, "just take me away somewhere, or I shall break down and blubber like a great girl. Quick, sir, before the soldiers see." Then quickly, and his big voice raised the echoes again from all around--"Have any of you seen anything of my teams--two span, forty-six oxen?" He was answered by a deep bellowing from out of sight somewhere in the depths of the ruins. "Hooroar!" cried Buck. "The poor beggars know me, and the niggers haven't ate them all." "Well, sergeant," said Captain Lawton, "want to speak to me?" "Yes, captain." "Well, what have you to report?" "All has been done as you wished, sir." "How many prisoners?" "Only two, sir--a big one and a little; and the little one's a chief, sir. Gold bangles, and a gold band round his head and feathers in it." "What's that?" cried Mark anxiously. "Feathers, sir," said the sergeant. "Quite a dwarf." "Oh!" cried Mark excitedly. "T'other's a big fellow, sir, about six foot four. Fine-looking chap; but they both had a very narrow escape. Four of our lads came upon them dancing a sort of war dance on the men who had been shot, and I think if our lads had not come up they would have begun spearing." "But the men did not hurt them?" interposed Mark. "No, sir," replied the sergeant. "They did not mind being taken a bit. Began laughing and wanted to go on dancing; but our men were a bit too wild. You see, sir, their blood was up after the fight." "But you are sure they are not hurt?" cried Mark. "Oh, yes, sir; quite sure, sir." "They are our friends, Captain Lawton. The big one is your Illaka whom you found for us." "Oh, that accounts for it," said the captain. "Fetch him here, sergeant." "And the little one too, sir?" "Oh, yes," cried Mark. "He is a pigmy chief. They have saved our lives again and again, Captain Lawton." "And thought nothing of risking their own," put in Dean. In a few minutes the sergeant was back with the two so-called prisoners, who no sooner caught sight of the boys than failing the spears, which had been taken from them, they flung up their hands and began a dance of triumph which would have gone on for long enough if Mark and Dean had not stopped them, when Mak drew himself up stiffly and made an imitation military salute to the captain, and the pigmy snatched off his gold band and feathers, dropped on all fours, and began rubbing first one cheek and then the other against Mark's feet, just like a cat, as the boy afterwards said. It was that same night again beneath the stars, and with the walls of the camp guarded--now by military sentries, though there was not the slightest fear of a return of the severely punished and scattered tribe. The two boys were seated with Sir James and the doctor, Captain Lawton having retired with his officer to one of the waggons which had been given up to them, worn out as they were with their forced march made under the guidance of Dunn Brown, when Dan made his appearance to say that Peter Dance and Bob Bacon would be glad if Sir James would see them for a minute. "Oh, yes, of course," was the reply, and directly afterwards the two men made their appearance. "Well, Dance? Well, Robert," said Sir James. "What is it?" The two men looked at one another, then at their master, ending by grinning at Mark and Dean. "Oh," said Sir James good-humouredly, "it was them you wanted to see, was it?" "Well, Sir James--" began the elder keeper, and then stopped and looked at Bob. "Oh, don't hesitate to speak," said Sir James. "Boys, these two brave fellows fought for us like heroes." "No, no, Sir James," grumbled Peter. "It was Bob Bacon." "Nay, Sir James," cried Bob sharply. "It was Peter." "It was both of them," said Sir James sharply, for he was worn out with the excitement of the day. "Peter, after we had got away--the doctor and I both wounded--nursed us both as tenderly as a woman." "Beg your pardon, Sir James," growled Peter; "not as a woman, sir." "Well, as good as a woman; and as for Robert Bacon, we should have starved over and over again but for the clever way in which he stole down of a night from the cavern, and never came back without food in some shape or another; eh, doctor?" "Invariably," replied the gentleman addressed. "Oh, it warn't anything to make a fuss about, Sir James," said Bob, changing from one foot to the other, and looking very uncomfortable. "I stole lots of it from the waggon." "Yes," said the doctor, "and risked being speared by the enemy." "Oh, no, sir, begging your pardon," said Bob modestly. "It was much too dark for that; and the two forelopers as the blacks kept to look after the bullocks always saved me a snack or two for you when one of the beasts was killed." "Well, thanks to you both, my lads, we did well. Yes, Peter; what is it?" "I only wanted to say, Sir James," said the keeper, "that--that is, Sir James--here, go on, Bob; you know what we want to say." "Yes, mate, but now it's come to the point I don't like to say it." "My good men," said Sir James, "I am too old and tired for all this shilly-shallying. So now then, Robert, tell me what it is you both want to say." "Yes, Sir James. I will try, Sir James. But you see you have been a good master to us, and now it comes to the point, though we settled it all right together, it don't seem quite fair just now for us to give you warning." "No," said Sir James, "it does not. But if I take your warning, as you call it, how are you going to get back?" "Well, sir, Peter thought that we might go back with the soldiers." "I don't think it would be possible," said the doctor, interposing, "and you must not forsake us now." "Oh, no, sir; not forsake you, sir. We want to give a month's notice to leave; and we thought that would be quite right. You see, sir, as I said to Peter here, black game don't seem in our way--didn't I, Peter?" "That's a true word, Bob," said the elder keeper; "and you said, lad, it was all right with pheasants and partridges and a hare now and then--" "Yes, Sir James and Dr Robertson, and I says to my mate, if I had 'listed, I says, and it was my duty to, I'd pot the niggers as free as anyone, but being only a gamekeeper it don't seem quite the thing." "Well, doctor," said Sir James, "you hear what these men say. Now I should like to hear your opinion." "Well, Sir James, I will give it you plainly. As a man with a great love for research I should go away from this ancient place with a feeling of extreme regret--but I must own that we are buying our curios at too dear a rate." "Thank you, doctor," said Sir James. "Now, boys, what have you to say. Don't both speak at once." "No, father," said Mark, "I am too ill and weak to do the talking. Dean will say all I want." "Well, Dean, boy," said Sir James; "speak out frankly. Do you think we ought to stay here, as perhaps we safely might after the lessons the natives have had?" "No, uncle, I don't; and if the place were a hundred times as tempting as it is I would give up all the curios and the gold sooner than you should run such a risk again." "Hear, hear, hear!" cried Mark. "But don't think me a coward, doctor, for turning faint-hearted like this." "You needn't be afraid of that," said the doctor quietly. "What I want to hear is your father's definite opinion upon the question." "Well, I will give it to you," said Sir James gravely. "As an elderly man who wishes to act wisely, I cannot help feeling that we are intruders in the country of these wild tribes, and we should never be safe." He paused for a few moments, and his hearers exchanged glances. Then he continued, "Speaking now as your father, Mark, my boy--as your uncle, Dean--I feel that I should not be justified in running any more risks; and lastly, as an old man who wants to behave generously and well to our servants, and those who have risked so much for our sake, I am," he continued, with a twinkle in his eye, "very, very tired; old England was never so dear to me before. There, doctor--there, my dear boys, I want to go home!" Memorandum: They went home. [THE END] _ |
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