Part 14 (2/2)
Instead of doing this, however, he placed his hat on a branch where it could be seen by the eneround, he worked his way along, so as not to be seen froht, he rose, and finding he could not be seen, ran rapidly away froaone fully a ela river
CHAPTER NINETEEN
UNEXPECTED MEETING--HANS TELLS HIS STORY--THE AMBUSCADE--GREEK MEETS GREEK IN WAR--THE COUNTRY NEAR NATAL--THE NEWS--THE SOLITARY HUNT IN THE BUSH
Believing that as soon as the Zulus found that they had been again cheated they would follow on his trace, Hans ran and walked as fast as he could, avoiding all detached bushes in order to escape any aht have prepared for him He thus continued his course until it beca chosen a tree, near an open space, where he believed he could have good warning if any enean to think how he could procure soht a fire in order to cook was too dangerous a proceeding to adopt, and though al himself to eat raw flesh, and thus he did not see any hts he had had no sleep, and though the excitement of his escapes had kept him up, and the water of the river had refreshed hi been seated beneath the tree before he felt sleep stealing over hiht Hans, ”and will then awake, be ready to proceed at daybreak, and shall certainly find so hiun at a moment's notice, he turned on his side, and in a very few minutes was fast asleep, undisturbed by a dream of any kind
The sun had risen, and ell above the horizon before Hans awoke from his deep sleep, which he did with a sudden start of alarht He instantly stretched out his hand for his gun, but could not find it Jue party of Kaffirs, who, aries and shi+elds, had surrounded hile weapon to defend himself with, he knew that resistance was useless, and therefore stood calied immediately As soon as he stood up, however, several of the Kaffirs called as though to so in the direction in which it appeared the person hom the Kaffirs had called, he first saw the sht occurred to him that he was to be roasted alive
His astonish towards him, one of as decidedly Dutch in his appearance
”Could these also be prisoners?” was Hans' first thought, ”and are we all to be burnt together?” But seeing that the white uns, he was more puzzled than before He waited till the men caht me asleep; few men have ever done that before” For an instant theHans in Dutch, said, ”You must be one of the Mensch, but what, in God's na here, and why is your face black?” Hans, forgetting for the h the water had partly washed off that which had been on his legs, still they had a very Kaffir-like tinge about them, whilst his hair was so matted withat the remark of the Dutchman
”My face may be black,” he replied, ”but I am Hans Sterk, a true-born Africander”
”You Hans Sterk!” said the other with incredulity ”We heard he was killed with the two Uys” ”You Hans Sterk!” the man repeated, as he came nearer, and examined Hans closely, ”and how did you escape? You ht of thethe clothes of some of Retief's murdered men Come to the fire and let us hear your story”
”Let me eat and drink first,” said Hans ”I have been two days without food, and have travelled on foot at a rate that would have puzzled an ostrich Then, when I'm washed, you shall hear of my escape But tell me the news How came you here? and have all my people escaped?”
”We are out on patrol from the Bay, for we, too, were defeated when your people were; and we caone back to Bushman's river, but it is bad for them Their cattle are swept away, and they have little or no food Their crops are destroyed, and they dare not again attack the Zulus, at least not till they get ained this inforrilled buffaloe He knew there was a journey before hi taken sufficient to satisfy his i for food, he inquired for the nearest streauise, and showed himself in his natural colours
”Then all those Kaffirs are from Natal Bay?” inquired Hans
”Yes, these are our Kaffirs,” replied the Dutchman ”There were many Kaffirs killed in the battle, and these men have come up to look after any of their friends who reater defeat than yours, and we lost ten or twelve white men, whilst hundreds of our Kaffirs were killed”
”How is it that you don't fear a strong party co now?” inquired Hans; ”for I was followed to within three miles of this place by a party of Zulus”
”We have our spies out, and one is hidden in that tree on the hill there, and if he saw danger he would signal to us at once A man reported yesterday afternoon that he heard a shot fired froan to doubt his report Still we ca true, and we caht about a mile from here, and at daybreak crossed your spoor, and followed it for some time, when a spy came in, and said he had seen a ht he was a Zulu You were lucky to escape being assagied at once, before we found out our nal Matuan, coelasteadily towards a Kaffir as signalling from a hill on which the Dutchman had said a spy was concealed, he at once replied--
”Zulus are coht theht by the assembledin any way ”Select three , ”and let theood runners They must draw the Zulus into an ambush
Conceal the reiven these directions, and seen the three Kaffirs despatched in the direction in which the Zulus were advancing, followed the Kaffirs, who had run to sost them
”Next to cattle, these felloill like to carry off the spears and shi+elds of their ene, ”and we may please theuns will ensure us a victory, so we need not fear the results We ait here”