Part 16 (1/2)

”A little more stew, please,” said John, interrupting. ”You'd better get your own supper, khansaman; you must be pretty peckish after your exertions.”

”I am indeed, sir, an abhorred vacuum, and retire with permission to get jolly good tuck-in.”

”Thank goodness!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed John when he had gone. ”I say, Charley, I was getting very nervous when we didn't see the light for so long. You were pulled up by that hedge, of course; how did you get through?”

”Burrowed like a mole. I've a greater respect for that animal now. I suppose we'll make tracks for home in the morning, by the bye?”

”Well, d'you know, I'd rather like to finish this job now we've started.

Juma's still at large: his men are a rabble, of course, but they're not licked, and if he gets them back to this fort of his he may still worry us, to say nothing of harrying the people about him. What do you say?

Are you game?”

”What about the farm?”

”Gillespie will have sent somebody up by the time we could get back.”

”But don't you think we've done for Juma? To-night's work will damage his prestige, and I shouldn't wonder if the 'bad men,' as Bill calls them, round on him now.”

”I don't know. It will take him some time to recover from the blow, of course, but you see he still has some of our rifles and a certain amount of ammunition, I should think, and they'll go a long way in this country of bows and arrows. No: I confess I'd like to follow him up. The chief difficulty is our natives. They've recovered their property, which is what they came for, and I rather doubt whether they'll be willing to go any farther from home. If they won't there's no more to be said.”

”In any case we aren't strong enough to storm the fort, if it is a fort.”

”I shouldn't propose to do that. My idea is to start at sunrise or before, and get to the fort in advance of Juma. His men are quite demoralized: they'll take some time to rally. They'll probably hide in trees during the night, and they'll have to find one another in the morning, so that if we start early we can easily outstrip them.”

”We don't know the way.”

”But we've got some prisoners, my boy. No, we haven't though; I called our men off before they caught them. That's awkward.”

”I wonder if the fellow who tried to pot me is still alive.”

”You didn't tell me of that. When was it?”

Ferrier related the incident that happened outside the boma. John at once accompanied him to the spot, which they reached just in time to see the wounded man limping towards the outer hedge. They ran after him and caught him, taking him back to the camp, where John examined his leg, and did what he could by bathing and bandaging. Meanwhile he questioned the man, and learnt from him that the fort lay a long day's march to the north. It was held by about forty men, of whom several were Swahilis and had rifles. The fort was built on an island in the river--not the stream flowing past the camp, but a broader river into which that emptied itself a day's march to the south. To find it would be easy.

They had only to follow the stream for a short distance, and then strike across country directly to the north. They would soon come upon the river, and the surrounding country being hilly, the easiest way to the fort was to follow its course.

”Now we'll tackle our natives,” said John.

He found, as he had expected, that they were at first loath to engage themselves for a further expedition. They had recovered their property: the chief would be expecting them; they wanted to return and celebrate their success by a feast. John pointed out that, though they had done much, they would greatly enhance their glory if they carried back a great quant.i.ty of spoil from the enemy. They had been wantonly attacked: why not repay their attackers in their own coin? The fort would certainly contain things worth having. This argument appealed to the men, and when the chief's son reminded them that the wasungu had kept their promise and led them to a bloodless victory, they began to waver. ”The wasungu are great hunters of lions,” said the young chief; ”they are also great hunters of men.” John said that any who wished to go home might do so; but none were disposed to pa.s.s through the country without the whole body, and ultimately they agreed to follow the msungu wherever he chose to lead them. ”You've a most persuasive tongue,” said Ferrier to John, as they went away to talk things over. ”I'm inclined to think you ought to have gone to the bar after all.”

”Bos.h.!.+ The judges aren't savages. We shall have to arrange a flying column--that's the name for it, isn't it? It's quite clear from what the prisoner said that we must get to the fort well in advance of Juma.

If they get back we shan't be able to dislodge them: they won't be caught napping again, you may be sure. As it is, we may find it a hard nut to crack if there are forty men in the fort. We shall have to divide forces, too. We must leave enough men to guard this loot, and I'm afraid we can't both go, old chap: one of us must remain in charge.”

”Well, you've done the hardest work so far: you take a rest and let me try my luck.”

”But you fired the boma; it's my turn. Tell you what, we'll toss for it. Heads I go, tails you do as you please.”

The spin of the coin decided for John.

”Just my luck,” said Ferrier. ”I always lost the toss when I captained the lacrosse team at McGill's. How many men will you take?”

”I can't do with fewer than twenty. I'll take Bill; Coja and Said Mohammed had better remain with you. By the way, you'll send over to our old camp in the morning and fetch the half-dozen we left there.