Part 5 (1/2)
HANS STERK BECOMES A PRISONER WITH HIS COMPANIONS--FINDS AN UNEXPECTED ALLY--PLOTS AN ESCAPE
There are few conditionsa prisoner When,habits, and when the captors are men who are bound by none of those lahich possess an influence in civilisation, and where, consequently, the prisoner ratify the whim of a despot, a captive's condition is one not to be envied
As soon as Hans Sterk found that he had been fairly entrapped and made prisoner by the Matabili, he blamed himself for his want of watchfulness and caution: had he been one of the unskilled residents of the towns, he could not have been more easily outwitted He saw that his captors looked at him with contempt and seemed to consider him quite a novice in the art of bush warfare; and as they talked unreservedly of their proceedings, he was enabled to find out how artful had been their plans
The Matabili, he discovered, had crossed the spoor of his horses, and saw at once that it led to the ravine in which he was concealed; they believed that he must be with his companions concealed in that ravine, but if they followed hi provided with horses, either escape by riding, or would fight and probably kill many of his enemies before he was himself slain They decided therefore to ascertain first whether he was still in the ravine; and a young keen-eyed boy was despatched to the far side, to see if there were any spoor leading _out_; for if there were not, then the white men must be concealed in the ravine
As soon as this boy's report had been received, the Matabili chiefs concluded that the men had come either to act as spies, which was unlikely, or else for the purpose of rescuing the two girls This latter supposition was considered thebeen carefully surrounded by a large party of the Matabili, who, to avoid suspicion, left the kraals in parties of three or four only, a careful espionage was kept upon the two feuarded against, and preparations made for his capture and for that of his companions
The prisoners were conducted to the kraal fro The three men were placed in the hut, the door of which was closed, their hands tied behind them, and some half-dozen boys appointed to watch the hut froreatest energy and enterprise fail in the atte to obtain certain results; these failures do not invariably occur in consequence of want of skill or care on the part of the men themselves, but seem to be the effect of soain and again such failures happen, we are accustohly cast down, and to feel that no endeavours of our own can aid us: do e may, think e may, yet an evil luck will attend us, and failure must follow
These seasons of ill-luck or want of success may be the means used to teach us that man's efforts alone can be but fruitless, and that it needs the assistance of higher powers to ensure success
It ith a feeling of utter despair that Hans Sterk contemplated his late failure and his present pitiable condition Like as a beaten chess-player reflects on the aht of the past, in order to find how he ht have avoided his late failure; but the fact remained, that the eneuine of success
The hut in which he was a bound prisoner was like all the huts of the Kaffirs It was constructed of strong wicker-work, and thatched with reeds and long grass; the door was merely a small wattled hurdle, and did not so entirely block the doorway as to prevent those outside fro in; the walls were so thin that voices and conversation, even though carried on in a moderately low voice, could be heard from hut to hut After the three prisoners had remained silent a short period, Hans said--
”Friends, I aht you into this state We have tried our best, but we have failed: men can do no more than try”
”We have been unlucky,” said Bernhard; ”and most likely shall not see another sun rise, for the old chief eance by seeing us assagied”
”Don't let us look at the worst,” said Victor; ”wehere like sheep to be taken, to the slaughter I too believe we shall die to-morrow, but let us at least try to escape”
”Rather difficult to escape, with our hands tied, and surrounded by ene is impossible to men its and nerve,” replied Hans; ”and now I feel once th by your remark, ill try to escape, and here is my plan: as soon as it is quite dark, ill free each other's ar the withes and hide rope of one of us, then he who is free can liberate the others See, in the roof there is an assagy, with this we can cut the fastenings as soon as one pair of hands are free
Next, one of us can go to the door and by so them round to the front of the door; the other two can then work a way through this thin thatch and escape to the horses The alariven at once; but if it should be, a run for life is better than nothing”
”It would never succeed, Hans,” replied Victor: ”the noise of breaking through the thatch would be too great; perhaps a better plan may occur to us if we think for awhile”
The threeover every possible means of escape for nearly a quarter of an hour; but no idea seemed to be likely to be practically useful As they were thusto the boys ere on watch She was laughing with them, and, from what the three prisoners could hear, she seeth she said, ”I should like to throw some dirt at them, to let them kno little a Matabilithe action to the words, she pushed aside the door, and, with a taunting laugh, threw a handful of earth at the prisoners After a feords with the boys, she then withdrew, and all were again silent A single term of abuse burst from the lips of Bernhard as a lump of clay struck him; and then, with a look of conteain racked his brain for some ideas which should aid hi his arms quietly but forcibly backwards and forwards for sos, exclai of a Matabili! You can free yourselves in five minutes, if you strain your knots Try what you can do”
The twotheir knots; which proceeding, however, was not as successful as had been that of Hans
The latter, however, by one or two cuts of the assagy soon liberated the arms of his companions, and, to their surprise, addressed them in a whisper as follows:--
”Soon after sunset we shall be free, so stretch your limbs, and be ready for a battle for life and freedom”
”What is your plan, Hans?” said Victor; ”let us hear”
”It is not my plan; it is Katrine's inforirl threw contained a roll of paper from Katrine This is what she says:--
”'An hour after sundown, there will not be a man in the kraal, only six boys to watch you and two old women to watch us Free your aruns are in the chief's hut, the one with the large ox-horns over the doorway, the horses are in the kraal next the cow's kraal: ill be ready The girl who takes this I have won by presents I leave to you, Hans, the plan: you may depend I tell you truth; I have learned all this froirl'”
”And that was in the clay ball,” exclaimed Victor ”Ah, Bernhard, we are but stupid hands on the spoor Hans, after all, is the born leader
Whatin the ball, Hans?”