Part 12 (1/2)
”Don't shoot, Trask,” said Brian warningly, observing that that worthy was ai curs whom he considered in rather too close proximity to his horse's hocks ”Don't shoot We haven't time to stop and have a row here”
”Who is your heades who had slouched forward to u_,” was the ready reply
”_Who_ is he, not _where_ is he?” repeated Brian
”He is away,” again answered the rizzled Kafir with an evil expression of countenance
”Now look,” said Brian forcibly ”When did those oxen and horses pass by here? The spoor is at your very doors One of you o with us and carry it on, or you are responsible equally with the thieves”
By this ti the huts by twos and threes, and were clustering around, a proportion arh, heavy kerries, and their deree, as theythemselves in their deep bass tones
Woreasy, scantily-clad for in the sun with their round-headed, beady-eyed brats, and were gazing at us; the while discussing us with the freedo teru_,” replied the spokesman ”If any oxen came by here they did not stay here Why not follow them further if you have followed thereeted the words
”Good,” said Brian ”These oxen have been stolen, and we have traced thereat deal e, turning his back upon us ”Go Go and find your oxen”
Again that insolent jeering laugh went up from the onlookers, and here an unpleasant discovery forced itself upon us By accident or design, the crohich was now considerable, had closed round us on every side A serried ri--faces walled us in, while requests for tobacco and other things were hurled at us in tones that savoured es was clear They intended to delay our advance as long as possible We had, rather foolishly, allowed ourselves to be led into a trap
Then occurred the unexpected A tall Kafir, in the forefront of the reat jeering tone--
”_Hau! Iboh the whole crowd
”_Ibomvu_!” roared the round
I have said so as to the effect produced upon our co poll It seemed to drive him quite mad It mattered not that it was uttered by one man or a thousand, the effect upon hiood here In less than a second he had put his horse straight at the original offender, and with a tough seacow-hide sja into that astonished and ill-advised ruffian with the fury of a madman
On head and face and naked shoulders the terrible lash descended, and the lightning-like celerity of the attack was such as to leave neither tiht for resistance--the victi to escape from that awful lash, while those around, appalled by the white, infuriated countenance, and the frenzied plunging of the horse, gave way, though not before several of theht and left as though he were hewing his way through with a sabre And in effect this is just what he , for the crowd on that side opened out in wildest confusion, of which we took advantage, and in less than a minute were a couple of hundred yards from the spot
And now a terrific hubbub arose in our rear A glance over our shoulders showed the crowd roaring forward on our track, while a others who had dived into the huts to arais
”Face round,” cried Brian, ”and aim, but for your lives don't fire If we can't scare the”
We wrenched our horses round The roaring, surging rush of oncoun barrels sending forth their contents into the thick of the mob would create awful havoc, and there were four more in reserve, for we each had double barrels
Besides, they knee could gallop out of reach at no loss to ourselves
So they halted, brandishi+ng sticks and assegais, and howling out every kind of taunting and abusive epithet
”_Ibo his sjah the air as he flourished it round his head
”Come on, all of you, and taste this I'll cut the whole lot of you to thongs! I'll show you how _Ibomvu_ can burn!”
This speech, in Kafir, raised another roar of es were not inclined to accept the invitation therein embodied, wherefore we turned our horses' heads, and proceeded leisurely onward
”Go on, go on,” howled the mob after us ”Go and find your oxen!