The School Friends Part 18

At length most of the tusks in the neighbourhood were bought up, and as Mr Vincent had still some goods remaining, he wished to move further on.

He was, however, still so ill that he agreed, at the suggestion of his son, to entrust the goods to Kanenge, who promised faithfully to take care of them till his return. He accordingly determined to set out at once, hoping that the air of the desert would restore him to health, and the preparations for the journey being completed, the waggon, with its valuable load of ivory, descended to the plain. Kanenge, with most of his men, escorted it; while Martin and Kibo remained with Mr Vincent, who, should he feel stronger, was to follow the next day on a litter.

Martin's spirits now revived, and he began to hope that, the journey being commenced, his father would ultimately recover. His chief sorrow was with regard to Kibo. The Makololo chief positively refused to allow him to return. Martin entreated him to remain true to his faith, instead of falling into the ways of his tribe. "Try and instruct them, my dear Kibo," he said. "Young as you are you may be the means of spreading the glorious truths of the Gospel among them."

"You pray for me then," said Kibo. "I poor boy, I very weak, I do nothing by myself."

"We are all very weak and helpless in G.o.d's work," said Martin. "If you seek the aid of the Holy Spirit, you will have strength given you."

"Ah, yes," said Kibo; "I no trust to myself, and then I strong and do much."

This conversation took place at the door of the hut.

Martin thought he heard his father call to him. He ran to the side of his couch. Mr Vincent put forth his hand to take that of his son.

"Bless you, my boy," he whispered; "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin."

Martin put his arm under his father's head. The trader's eyes fixed to the last on his boy, the film of death stole over them, and ere a few minutes had pa.s.sed he had ceased to breathe.

Kibo left his friend for a time to indulge his grief alone, while he sent off a message to inform Kanenge of Mr Vincent's death.

Towards evening the next day, instead of the chief, who was expected, Masiko made his appearance. Martin was thankful to have a Christian at such a time with him.

Martin had chosen a spot under a wide-spreading tree for his father's grave, and Masiko, who had brought some presents to repay the natives, had it dug.

Here the white trader was buried by his orphan son and his two dark-skinned Christian friends.

Kibo had gone back to the village to order Kanenge's people to prepare for their departure that night, he having received intelligence that a party of their enemies were on the move and approaching the neighbourhood.

Darkness had set in, yet Martin was unwilling to leave the spot till, a.s.sisted by Masiko, he had covered the grave over with a thick roof of branches to prevent its being disturbed by savage animals.

He was thus engaged when loud shrieks and cries from the village reached their ears. His impulse was to hasten towards it to find Kibo, that they might, if the placed was attacked, escape together.

"Don't go," exclaimed Masiko, grasping Martin's hand; "you cannot help him, and will be killed or taken prisoner with the rest."

At that instant several figures were observed rus.h.i.+ng towards them.

"Come," exclaimed Masiko, dragging Martin forward in the direction the waggon had taken. "The enemy will not dare to attack our party armed with guns, and if we can reach them we shall be safe."

Martin, though anxious to discover his friend, could not help feeling that it would be unwise to return to the village, probably already in the hands of the enemy. He therefore hastened on with his faithful companion, trusting that they would outstrip the foe. He could only hope that Kibo had made his escape, and that he would rejoin them at the waggon. This it was probably the object of the marauding party to have surprised.

They had many miles of rough country to traverse; but, though weary, Martin was unwilling to stop and rest, as it was important to warn Kanenge of what had occurred, that he might move the waggon to a greater distance, or if his force was sufficient, pursue the enemy.

CHAPTER FIVE.

Just as day broke, Martin and his companion approached the camp. The chief, observing Martin's clothes torn, and his and Masiko's limbs scratched by the bushes through which they had pa.s.sed, inquired in an anxious tone why they had come without his son and the rest of his people. Masiko then briefly described what had occurred, and said that they had hurried on to warn him of the threatened danger.

"I know that you would not willingly have deserted your friend," said the chief to Martin.

"No, indeed, I would not," answered Martin; "and had not Masiko prevented me, I would have returned at all risks to the village to try and discover him. I was in hopes that he might have escaped, and would have followed us. If he does not appear, I am even now ready to return to try and find him."

The chief uttered an exclamation which showed his grief, and said--

"Too probably he and all with him were surrounded by the enemy, and were either killed or were carried off as prisoners. If there were a possibility of his being alive, I would follow him; but our enemies would not have attacked the place unless with a very large number of fighting men, against whom my people would have no chance of success. I also promised your father to defend the waggon and his property with my life, and if I pursue the enemy I shall leave that defenceless."

"I will sacrifice the waggon and all its contents rather than allow Kibo to be carried away into slavery," exclaimed Martin.

"I know your friends.h.i.+p for my son, but it would be useless," said Kanenge. "If the enemy were to see a party outnumbering them approaching, they would put their captives to death and take to flight.

I am better acquainted with the ways of my country than you are. Our first business is to take the waggon to a place where it will be safer than here, and I will at the same time send out scouts to learn what has happened."

Kanenge now gave orders to have the oxen yoked to the waggon and the march to begin. He had one of the oxen saddled for Martin to ride, who, wearied with his long run, more than once dropping asleep, nearly fell of.

After travelling some distance, a broad stream was reached, with an island in the centre and a village on the opposite side. Signals being made, the natives came across with several canoes. The waggon was quickly unloaded, when it and the goods were carried over to the island.

Kanenge a.s.sured Martin that they would be perfectly safe, as the enemy, having no canoes, could not attack them.

Shortly afterwards the scouts who had been sent out arrived, accompanied by one of the men who had been left in the village, and who was bleeding from several wounds. He had a sad account to give. The enemy, numbering upwards of a thousand men, had secretly approached the village, and almost surrounding it before they were discovered, had rushed upon the defenceless inhabitants, killing, as usual, all who opposed them, and making the rest prisoners. The man confessed that he and his companions had been completely surprised, but that they had all fought bravely; and not till he had seen Kibo surrounded by enemies and carried off, and he himself had been wounded, did he take to flight.

All the rest had been shot down.

Martin had eagerly listened to what the man said, and hoping from the account he heard that Kibo was alive, he resolved to attempt his release. He proposed, therefore, as soon as he had rested, to follow the enemy; and should he overtake them, to go boldly into their camp, and to try and redeem his friend. They might possibly be content to receive in exchange the remainder of the goods in the waggon, and if not, he should be ready to offer as many tusks as they might demand. He could not devote them to a more satisfactory purpose. He should like to have returned to Mr Warden with a waggon full of tusks, that he might for the future be no cost to him, but he would willingly sacrifice the whole could he regain his friend.

On explaining his plan to Kanenge, the chief replied that though he and Masiko, being strangers, might be allowed to enter the enemy's camp, should any of the Makololo go, they would be immediately killed.

Masiko, though well aware of the risk that he would run by putting himself in the power of the cruel savages bent on making slaves of all they could capture, without hesitation agreed to accompany Martin.

"G.o.d will take care of us, we are doing what is right, we must leave the rest to Him," he observed.

After a short sleep, Martin and Masiko got ready to set out.

Kanenge selected twelve of his most tried warriors to escort them till they should reach the neighbourhood of the enemy's camp. The Makololo were then to remain in ambush, to a.s.sist in any way which might be found practicable.

Among the stores was an English flag which Mr Vincent had been accustomed to hoist on a high pole above his waggon when prepared to trade with the natives. This Martin fixed to a staff with the intention of unfurling it on approaching the enemy.

Martin and his companions were some distance on their journey before daybreak. They hurried on till fatigue and hunger compelled them to halt. After breakfasting and taking a short rest they again proceeded.

In vain they endeavoured to obtain information as to the movements of the enemy. No inhabitants were to be seen.

They pa.s.sed, however, several villages which had been burned, and saw numerous bodies of men, women, and even of children, shot down while attempting to escape. Some of the men also had evidently been killed while fighting for their homes.

Masiko told Martin that the object of this raid, as well as of numberless others, had been solely to procure slaves to sell to the slave-dealers, who sent up parties many miles to the interior from the east coast.

"Unless the Christian people of your country and others unite to put a stop to the cruel traffic, there will be no peace or happiness for poor Africa," he observed.

At length a spot where a village had lately stood was reached. The remains of the huts were still smouldering, and it was evident that the enemy had not long quitted it. Numerous dead bodies lay about, shot through by bullets, showing that the enemy had firearms supplied by the white slave-dealers to enable them to carry out their nefarious undertaking. One man was found still breathing. The Makololo showed very little feeling for his sufferings, but Masiko stooping down, poured some water from his leathern bottle into his mouth, which somewhat revived him. The wounded man then told Masiko that the village having been surprised at night, most of the inhabitants had been carried off, and he supposed that the enemy could not be many miles off.

The sufferer's life was ebbing fast, and in a few minutes he ceased to breathe. Most of those killed were old men and old women, not considered worth carrying off as slaves; or, sadder still, several infants, who, incapable of enduring the fatigues of the journey, had been torn from their mother's arms and dashed lifeless on the ground.

Martin, unaccustomed to such scenes, felt sick at heart as he contemplated the spectacle, though the Makololo warriors regarded it with indifference. Too often, probably, they had treated their enemies in a similar manner.

The party now proceeded with the greatest caution, as it was difficult to ascertain how far off the enemy might have got. At any moment they might overtake them. Not a single native could be seen from whom they could gain intelligence.