The Ruined Cities of Zululand Part 21

Isabel sat on her horse like a statue, her lips parted showed the white teeth, her eyes intently fixed on the island, and her face shaded from the sun by a flapped-hat with its broad brim.

Shouts and yells came floating on the air over the s.h.i.+re river, sometimes very loud and eager, at others dying away, and at last a large black ma.s.s slowly approached to the water side. Isabel clasped her hands as the elephant waded into the river, e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.n.g. some words in her own language; but the great animal paused, looked over the s.h.i.+re towards the opposite bank, and, whether suspecting clanger or not liking a second swim, it returned to cover.

And now a faint column of blue smoke shot up from the island, telling that Wyzinski had fired the bush; it thickened as the dry reeds caught fire, the red flame darted up at intervals, and heavy ma.s.ses of smoke rolled away to leeward. The fire leaped merrily onward, making rapid progress, and soon a loud trumpeting was heard, as, plunging into the river, the elephants, terribly frightened, swam towards the opposite bank, their trunks raised in the air high above the water. They would evidently land within twenty paces of where Dona Isabel was posted.

"Tighten your bridle-rein, Dona Isabel," whispered the soldier, as he placed his hand on the snaffle. "Be ready. Here they come!"

"Madre de Dios!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the astonished girl. "Oh! Santa Maria, how grand!"

Rolling about like seven huge porpoises, their backs, heads, and flapping ears above water, the elephants came on swimming in Indian file. The trunk raised straight up in the air gave to the black ma.s.ses a strange look, while the tusks at times lowered sent the water in their front spurting into the air. Three out of the seven were males. They gained the bank, the water falling from them in sheets, and then they leisurely walked away for cover. One old male was some dozen yards behind the rest, and this elephant Captain Hughes singled out for himself. Landing, it stood for a second or two, the water dripping from its huge sides, looking curiously around. At this moment the loud reports of two rifles rang out from the forest, and the remaining elephant, alarmed, moved off in an oblique direction, which would bring it close to the spot where stood Dona Isabel and the soldier.

The former seemed quite stupefied with wonder as the great ma.s.s came onward at a trot, swinging its long trunk to and fro.

"Ride for your life, Dona Isabel!" said Hughes; "keep for the open, and ride hard."

Hughes loosed his hold of the reins, and the pony started off. Isabel, turning in her saddle, fixed her gaze on the elephant, and in so doing turned the pony's head right for the forest.

Hughes shouted loudly, but without effect; the girl, wholly absorbed with her astonishment, knew not her danger. For a second the elephant paused, then, trumpeting with rage, dashed after her.

The right moment had been lost. Captain Hughes, in his endeavours to make Isabel turn, had neglected it, and when he did raise his rifle to fire, the elephant was at forty paces distant, turned from him, and going at full speed. To level his rifle, aim, and fire, was the work of a second. The elephant slackened its pace, but only for a moment, the soldier, his rifle at the trail, das.h.i.+ng madly after it. On swept the pony at top speed, but the elephant gained on it. Isabel's hat had fallen, her long, jet-black hair was floating on the wind. The forest lay before her, through which she could not ride many paces; but she knew it not, for her gaze was still rivetted on the elephant. On they swept, the soldier das.h.i.+ng after them madly, shouting to her yet to turn for the open. The forest line was reached, and in a moment, swept from her saddle by the branches, Dona Isabel lay on the ground, the riderless pony das.h.i.+ng on. On, too, came the elephant, after the horse, trumpeting furiously. It pa.s.sed over the prostrate form, its huge foot within an inch of the fair head, and the next moment its tusks were buried in the flanks of the agonised horse, which had been stopped by the forest undergrowth. Bearing it down, the huge elephant actually pinned the animal to the ground, where it held it impaled and writhing with agony, then deliberately kneeling on the bleeding carca.s.s literally crushed it into a shapeless ma.s.s. Rising, the elephant turned from the dead pony, trumpeting once more as it saw lying on the ground, quite inanimate, the form of the rider. Dom Francisco and a.s.sevedo were hurrying up, but were yet distant. They both fired, but the bullets served but to enrage still further the infuriated animal, as it came on, the blood dripping in large gouts from its reddened tusks. It was a race between it and the soldier--a race won by the man, as, breathless, and with only one barrel of his rifle loaded, he stood between the senseless Isabel and the charging animal. On it came, right upon him; if it pa.s.sed it must tread down the fair girl's body. The thought gave him nerve, it steadied his hand as he aimed right for the centre of the forehead. The report rang out, the elephant halted suddenly, swaying from side to side, and then fell with a heavy thud. A loud shout from the two men advancing over the plain, and Hughes knew that Dona Isabel was safe. Throwing aside his now useless rifle, he knelt by her side, raising her on his arm, and leaning her head back against his knee; a small red stream was flowing from her forehead, and she had fainted.

"My child--my Isabel!" moaned the old man, forgetting his pride in his sorrow, as he threw himself by his daughter's side, panting and breathless.

"It is nothing, she has fainted. I go for water!" exclaimed a.s.sevedo, as he hastened towards the river.

Slowly the blue veins beneath the clear olive skin began to beat again.

Once more the eyes opened and closed. Hughes was busy sponging away the blood, which flowed rather freely, with a handkerchief. Dom Francisco and a.s.sevedo, kneeling by Isabel's side, were using the cool water of the s.h.i.+re river; and close beside them, its tusks red with blood, the enormous bulk of the dead elephant; while, fifty paces away--a crushed and unsightly ma.s.s--lay the pony.

Isabel opened her eyes, and seemed for a moment utterly astonished.

"Santa Maria!" she e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, "where am I?"

Then suddenly the whole affair seemed to flash on her memory, and, raising herself gently, she smiled.

"I was not frightened, only astonished," said the brave girl, as the red blood mantled in her cheeks. "Where is the elephant?"

"There," answered her father; "and you may thank the Senhor Capitano Inglesi that it lies there."

Isabel de Maxara turned--the dead animal with its gory tusks, and the shapeless ma.s.s which had been a horse, met her gaze. For a moment her face flushed, the red blood once more mantling richly under the clear olive skin; the next she grew deadly pale. "I thank you, senhor," she said as she looked full at the soldier and held out her hand, "I thank you for my life."

The rest of the party were standing by the elephant. Hughes clasped the long taper fingers, and looked into the black eyes, from which the tears were falling. For a moment they met the gaze, and then fell before his as he kissed the little hand held out to him.

"Your ball has s.h.i.+vered his head, Hughes," called out Wyzinski, but the soldier paused a moment to thrust into his bosom a blood-stained pocket-handkerchief before he joined them.

The second ball, a heavy conical one, had penetrated the skull before bursting, making a frightful hole, and blowing the head to pieces; a second severe wound, behind the shoulder, showing where the first had struck.

The elephant was a very large one, and was the only one out of the seven secured.

"And now, gentlemen, let us leave the cutting up to the natives. You can scarcely refuse my late request now, after what has pa.s.sed, if it is only that Dona Isabel needs rest."

"If we comply I must make a condition, namely, that you send a messenger to Quillimane, to warn Captain Weber of the delay, and it must not be for more than twenty-four hours."

"Agreed, and now for the boats and my house at Nyangue," cheerfully exclaimed a.s.sevedo.

"Senhor Inglesi, I thank you most heartily and sincerely," said the old n.o.ble, taking off his hat, bowing, and grasping the soldier's hand warmly in his own. "You have earned our eternal grat.i.tude at the peril of your life."

"Don't you think a light infantry movement and a timely retreat would be a brilliant evolution?" whispered the missionary, as he pa.s.sed Hughes.

"I don't mind backing the flavour of the water-melons of Portugal against the custard-apples of India."

"Nonsense. Just mind your own business," replied Hughes, as he picked up the discharged rifle, shouldered it, and joined the party on the s.h.i.+re's bank.

Volume 2, Chapter II.

THE "HALCYON."

The coast of Africa, as seen from the sea, is never very prepossessing; and the sandy spit of land, with the equally sandy bar, which obstructs the entrance to the Zambesi at Quillimane, is no exception to the rule, while the banks of the river are low and flat, dotted here and there with tall cocoa-palms, and haunted by alligators. The town itself, or rather village, for it can hardly boast of any more sounding name, consists of a few better-cla.s.s houses, one of which was owned by Dom a.s.sevedo, and a number of half-ruinous huts and sheds. The anchorage is unsafe, and often untenable, while the low-lying land is a hot-bed of fever. Outside the bar, her two anchors down, the blue peter at her fore, and the English Union Jack floating at her gaff, rode the brig "Halcyon." She was a rakish-looking craft, her long low black hull rising on the waves, and showing from time to time her bright clean copper as she rolled. Her masts raked slightly off, her sharp bows and sides round as an apple, told the seaman at once that she must be a dry s.h.i.+p, and her breadth of beam, if needed, attested the fact. Every bit of bra.s.s work on board was as usual rubbed bright as gold, every rope was carefully coiled down, and her decks white as snow. The "Halcyon"

would not, in fact, as she rode to her anchors off the bar at Quillimane, have disgraced herself, even had she been, as she once was, her Majesty's gun brig "Torch."

Sold out at a time when the system of steam was rapidly changing the aspect of the navy, the "Torch" was nearly new. Bought by a Liverpool firm, she had been thoroughly overhauled and fitted out for a three years' cruise on the African coast, trading in ivory, gold dust, and ostrich feathers.

Captain Weber, an old sailor of thirty years' standing, commanded and partly owned her, and on such a voyage of course great lat.i.tude had been allowed him.

His three years' trading voyage ended, and bound for the Cape, but intending once more to touch at Delagoa Bay, he had been induced to delay his departure in consideration of the handsome sum offered by the Portuguese n.o.bleman returning from his tour of inspection of the stations on the Zambesi.

Captain Weber, as has been already mentioned, was a middle-sized stout built man, with a reddish mahogany-coloured face, and long grey hair.

He was proud of his brig, lived for her, and believed in her capabilities to an unlimited extent. His first-mate, Thomas Blount, was a young man for his station in life, rather tall, and, as we have already seen, fond of dress. The two were leaning over the bulwarks, looking towards the land, one afternoon, three days after the events just narrated. The crew, which was a strong one, consisting of twenty hands, all told, were between decks.

"Our pa.s.sengers should arrive this afternoon. Dom a.s.sevedo's messenger said so, did he not, Captain Weber?"

"Yes, and that haze to the southward and eastward tells of a blow. It will be a foul wind for us. We must make sail before sunset, Mr Blount."

"I think," remarked the younger man, "I see a boat crossing the bar, there, right over that Madras fellow's stern."

"Well, I hope it may be them. We have more fever on board than I care to see, and I hate this hot, unhealthy hole. Rouse up the watch, Mr Blount, and heave short at once."

"Ay, ay, sir," replied the mate, touching his cap, round which ran a narrow strip of gold lace, and moving away.

The captain remained where he was, watching the black specks, for there were three of them, rising and falling on the waves outside Quillimane bar. The decks of the brig were no longer deserted, and the s.h.i.+pping of the capstan bars told that the orders just given were being carried out.

"Bring to, starboard cable," called the first officer from the quarter-deck.

"Ay, ay, sir," was the ready response, for the seamen were tired of riding at anchor off the bar, and the click of the capstan, as they stamped round to a merry tune of the flute, was music to officers and men alike.

"Up and down, sir," was the cry of the second mate, who on the forecastle was superintending the duty of heaving up the anchor, and which term meant that the brig was right over her anchor.

"Heaving away, sir," came again the cheering shout, as the anchor left the ground and the men strained every nerve to run the heavy ma.s.s up to the brig's bows.

The flute rang out a merrier tune, round and round went the capstan bars, then came the second officer's loud shout of "Heaving in sight, sir," as the men suddenly stopped in their merry round.

"Cat and fish the anchor, Mr Lowe. Bring to the port cable. Heave short," were the brief words of command from the quarter-deck.