Part 15 (1/2)
”The prince wishes to see the great hunter face to face,” answered the chief; ”and he and his followers, with his waggon and cattle, will accompany us forthwith The word has been spoken The order must be obeyed”
”Weto his English companions ”But load your rifles, and be prepared to act as I h there is, I fear, but little chance of athered closely round their prisoners, whom, however, they did not ill-treat, but allowed them to walk as they liked
”I fear that , will take to flight,” said Hendricks to the chief ”Let o on first, and I will tell them that you come as friends Will you trust me?”
The chief looked at him ”Yes,” he said, ”I know that I can trust the word of a white chief, and you o forward”
”Halt here, then, for a few et ahead of you,” said Hendricks, ”and I will trust you also with my people, that you will not injure them”
The chief, on this, ordered his followers to halt, while Hendricks went on with rapid strides towards the careat consternation, they having just caught sight of the Zulus, and they confessed that in anotherthat he and those with hied, however, to quell their fears by the assurance that Cetchould not injure thereater consequence to hi On their arrival, the chief told Hendricks that he must at once inspan and proceed towards Cetchwayo's camp, which was much nearer than had been supposed On Hendricks, however, representing to him that he and his people had been withoutuntil soe of the re his followers, who forthwith lighted several fires, and cooking it after their barbarous fashi+on, quickly ate the whole of it up, scarcely leaving a few scraps for the hungry dogs
This was not a little provoking to the hunters, but it allowed theue they all felt
As soon as the feast was over, Hendricks gave the word to inspan The chief so tothat they would try tohim that they would acco, though he took good care so to place his people on either side, that they would have found it a difficult et off, even had they been so disposed
CHAPTER NINE
KING PANDA
The band of Zulus, with the captives in their midst, were compelled to on, uncertain of the reception they ht meet with at the end of their journey, would not hasten on the oxen even when the ground was level, and it was frequently rough, with steep hills to ascend or descend, so that a quicker pace was iiment of un the ring at the top, which is theto take to the songs descriptive of the deeds they had perfor so captured a party of white men, who had not ventured to strike a blow for freedom; while they boasted especially of the way they intended to annihilate Uave way to their exuberant spirits by leaping and dancing in a fashi+on which offered a curious contrast to the uards They shrieked, they quivered their assegais, and clashed their shi+elds together, until Crawford, who had never before seen an exhibition of the sort, began to fear that they ht take it into their heads to kill him and his companions
”I think we should be prepared for an attack froravely ”For my part, I hope that we shall sell our lives dearly, if they attempt to take them”
”No fear of that for the present,” answered Denis; ”they are only in soe in battle
You see Hendricks rides on as composedly as ever, so does Lionel, who perfectly understands what they are saying They don't intend us any hare, and it would be as well not to do anything to offend them Hendricks knows them better than ood hulad e are out of their co”
”So say I,” exclaies they are, I should not have been so eager to come into their country”
”As to that, I do not suppose they are worse than other tribes,” said Denis; ”they are certainly ret is that we shall have further delay in going in search of my father I wish that you were to accoh I daresay Percy will be very glad of your company; and he has soentleman to talk to, as they must lead a somewhat monotonous life in that out-of-the-way spot, with only an occasional visit from a Dutch boer and his frau, or, when the weather is not too hot, a gallop through the wilds”
”I am half inclined to ask Hendricks to let me accompany him on his expedition into the interior,” said Crawford ”I aet tired of the sort of life you describe However, I shall be able to judge better when I have seen the place”
”Or the young ladies, eh?” observed Denis; ”I fancy so will depend upon that, won't it?”
Crawford made no reply
This conversation caused the journey to appear shorter than enerally kept together, a away in a lively fashi+on, while Hendricks rode ahead, thinking over his plans for the future, and considering how he could best get free froent, for such was the rank held by Cetchwayo at that ti gradually from the plain It was at present the habitation of Panda The warriors raised a shout, intended as a co their shi+elds and shaking their assegais, they on at a faster speed than heretofore The Hottentots, observing their threatening gestures, obeyed, and the ground being even, the oxen pulled away, incited by the lash of the drivers, which came doith incessant whisks on their flanks
Hendricks, knowing the customs of the country, put his horse into a trot, Crawford and Denis and the two boys i him, and thus the warriors and their captives appeared to be rushi+ng forward eagerly towards the palace of the king The chief who had captured them hurried on first to announce the success of his expedition Just before he reached the kraal he was met by a tall stout chief, evidently a person of ain, and then crouched down to the ground, apparently not daring to look up at his face The tall chief wore, like the others, a cap stuck full of ostrich and crane feathers, with lappets of monkey skins, a kilt of the sa over his shoulders, fastened in front by numerous white ox-tails His features were handso hi, he was remarkably stout He was evidently also a powerful h birth--wonderfully small hands and feet for a person of his size