Part 6 (1/2)
As aades from the Zulus, and some from various tribes in all directions, the difference in Hans' pronunciation of several words was not noticed, or at least not paid particular attention to And as he spoke in a tone of authority his orders were not questioned, though he was personally unknown to the two e of the horses, who believed him to be some chief sent direct from Moselekatse
When Hans had led the men some few yards from the bushes where his companions were concealed, he stopped and said, ”Now leave the horses here; I can take them alone Go back and watch the cattle; the chief wants you to see that all is safe in the kraal”
With that same tacit obedience which had before been shown by the men, and which would appear unaccountable in those who did not know the Matabili character, the ave the sufficient to awe the near theht of the Dutch so bold a scheme into practice, would have seeiven up without any suspicion
One very lohistle had scarcely been given by Hans before Bernhard and Victor, with Katrine and her sister, were by his side
”Get on this horse, Katie,” said Hans, ”and your sister on that next me, and we can now escape”
”No,” said Katrine, ”it will not do for us to ride If any Matabili saw us on a horse, they would knoere prisoners escaping, but if they only saw the horses they o in the dark?”
”It is difficult to find the way,” replied Hans, ”for I can see but a short distance; still I can tell by those three stars close together that we are going north”
”Yes, we are; and I think I can find the path here We shall have to pass a kraal about half a mile farther on What shall we do if anyto take the horses to the chief,”
replied Hans, ”that may satisfy them”
”It may; but this is not the way to the chief's kraal,” replied Katrine
”We shall be in danger there”
The party round rapidly and quietly; the horses, seenise their masters, followed them without hesitation, and scarcely required to be touched by the rear follower As they neared the kraal past which they had to walk, they heard sounds of loud talking and occasional singing, so that the slight noise of the horses'
feet they trusted would not be heard A Matabili at all times, however, is watchful, and more particularly in tie were opposite the kraal the singing and talking suddenly ceased, and some half-dozen men came out of their huts, and called out, ”Who is there?”
”Taking the horses by the chief's orders,” replied Hans, in Matabili
Resting his hand on Katrine's arm, he whispered, ”Not a move, Katrine, we must escape by boldness; any hurry now, and we irl who had lived amidst events which the denizen of civilisation is unacquainted with: she had witnessed ers and risks, and was thus seasoned, as it were, to a life of adventures Just as the irl will travel by an express train without any very great fear the very day after some fearful accident er, so did Katrine trust that all ers around Still when she found that the approach of her party had been heard by theto Hans, she feared another scene of bloodshed would soon be enacted, such as that to which she had been a witness when she was first captured by the Matabili and her father slaughtered Her tre areth and hope
The moment, however, was critical, and had not Hans' answer been confident and distinct, he ht for his life under circumstances where he could not well escape; for it would have been alht as dark as that on which they were escaping Fortunately thea dislike to ht, in consequence of snakes, centipedes, and scorpions, on which their naked feet ht tread, they waited inside their kraal until the party had passed, and the sound of their footsteps was heard no more
”We are safe so far,” whispered Hans, ”thank God! Can you tell me, Katrine, where this path leads to?”
”It leads down to the stream about a mile on, and then is lost in the plain beyond It has been used for driving the cattle to and fro many '_wilde_' on the plain beyond”
”If, then, we can cross the river, we may consider ourselves safe,”
remarked Hans; ”for we can then put you on the horses, and can ride all night Our spoor cannot be followed by night, and twelve hours' start ought to enable us to reach our people before we are overtaken”
”But there are hundreds of the Matabili out on war,” said Katrine, ”and we may fall in with some of them”
”Ah! and I have lost my far-seer,” said Hans ”That is a loss But we had better not talk; let us listen and think; we may then be less liable to a surprise”
The party reached the stream of which Katrine had spoken, and crossed it in safety, and found before the plain