Part 25 (1/2)
”Don't be afraid, Kalinda They shan't hurt you,” said Percy; ”I am sure my father will not let them take you away”
As they hurried on they saw the Zulusback the boat It was evident that the savages had perceived how the fugitives had escaped them
”You may beckon and shriek and howl asto allow you tofurther attention to the Zulus, they hurried on to the house, where they found Captain Broderick
Percy at once introduced Kalinda and Mangaleesu to his father, telling him how much he and Denis were indebted to them
”We coaleesu
”Our ene our death, and if we are turned away I fear that we shall be overtaken”
”I promise to afford it you,you from my house by force, and I will not allow them to enter”
”There is no time to be lost then, for they are very close to the bank,”
said Rupert ”I will go and see what they are about”
Captain Broderick led the chief and his wife into the house, while Rupert hastened to where he could watch the Zulus They were doing as he feared they would; nearly half the band were already in the strea, to keep away the crocodiles, while the other half were preparing to follow The current was carrying them down, but not very rapidly, so that they would land at a point not far below that on the opposite bank from which they had started
He at once returned to report what he had seen Captain Broderick had by this time come back to the front of the house There were fortunately thite men, as well as the Hottentots, and several faithful Kaffirs within call He ordered Rupert at once to bring out the arms and put them into the hands of the Kaffirs, whoht their rifles, and by the time the Zulus had landed, he had a dozen men, besides himself and Denis and his two sons, ready to defend those to whom he had promised protection, should their ene drawn them up on the inside of the moat in front of the house, he waited to see how the Zulus would proceed As soon as they had landed and shaken theitives; then guessing that they had taken shelter in the farht of the force prepared to receive the by the cow-tails hanging round his neck, and the feathers in his head-dress, advanced and began an address to Captain Broderick
”The Zulus and the white men are brothers,” he said ”The enemies of the one are the enemies of the other How coainst us? We have long been seeking one who is a traitor to his country, and who has defied our king Panda, the lion of the world, and I desire to knohether he is still flying across the country, or has been received into the house of our friend If he has, we demand that he may be delivered up to us forthwith, to be treated as he deserves”
Captain Broderick listened patiently until the chief had come to an end
”I wish to be friends with the Zulus, as well as with all the people a whom I live,” said the captain ”I have no desire to protect any one because he is an enemy to the Zulus, but I cannot allow any injury to be inflicted on persons who have rendered essential service to those dear to me There is no one in this house I can consent to deliver up to you, and therefore if you expect it you o away disappointed I have said it, it is useless to ask ry, andwhich Captain Broderick could not understand The Zulus appeared doubtful how to proceed; at length Captain Broderick spoke to them
”To show you that I wish to be friends, if you are hungry, I will feed you,” he said ”You shall have a heifer, which I was going to kill to-night, but you must retire with it across the river, where you can feast as you desire”
This proood effect on the Zulus They saw, indeed, that they were not likely to gain anything by force from a white man, ell prepared to repel it, and was not to be intily shouted out, ”Give us the heifer We will go”
On this Captain Broderick ordered one of the Hottentots to bring out the animal from a shed at a short distance off The Hottentot obeyed the order with evident unwillingness; indeed, the poor animal seemed to know, by the way it walked, the fate prepared for it As it approached, the Zulus rushed forward to seize it, for they considered it rather gained by their own prowess than as a gift
”We take the heifer because ant food; but understand, we do not abandon the right of search for the fugitives who have rebelled and deserve death,” said the chief, turning to Captain Broderick
Having thus delivered himself, he stalked off with his followers to the bank of the river, when, plunging in, they waded and swa the heifer before them
Rupert hurried down to watch them They went on for some distance to a sheltered spot under the hill, where shortly a fire was seen blazing up, evidently for the purpose of cooking the heifer As it continued burning brightly for some time after darkness had set in, there was no doubt that the Zulus were enjoying the Captain Broderick was too well accusto it possible that they ht, he kept a vigilant watch, and ordered his little force to remain under arms until it was ascertained to a certainty that they had taken their departure frohbourhood
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
UNPLEASANT NEIGHBOURS