CHAPTER THE FOURTH--White Man's Magic
When John found opportunity to put pen to paper, he wrote, as he said,"loads" to a school chum about the incidents of the next few days, everyone furnishing a new excitement. Mr. Halliday was so anxious toaccomplish the aim of his journey that he pushed on resolutely each day,striking camp at earliest dawn, marching with intervals until ten,resting until three or four, and then going on again until nightfall.The ground was varied, now a stretch of grass land, now a belt offorest; here a rapidly flowing stream rushing between high banks coveredwith dense vegetation, there a tract of hard volcanic soil so rugged andhot under the sun's rays that walking was painful. It was only duringthe intervals for rest that John was able to indulge his sportingtastes, and at the same time do service to the commissariat. He caughtsome fine fish in the rivers, and wished there had been time to followup the hippopotamus tracks he discovered on the banks. He brought downseveral water-buck and red congoni with his .303 rifle, and one day wasvastly excited to see a black-maned lion with his lioness cross from onepatch of reeds to another. The sight of other game in wonderfulvariety--zebras, leopards, antelopes--became so common that after a timeit ceased to be impressive, and opportunities for shooting them came butrarely, the country they frequented being flat and open, and their scentbeing so keen that it was almost impossible to come within range.
One incident that gave a little excitement was the crossing of the Thikariver. The water was so deep and the current so swift that to ford itwas impossible, and after vainly searching for a shallow part, Mr.Halliday confessed himself at a loss to know how to proceed. Johnsuggested that they should fell a tree and throw it across the river asa bridge, but this would be a somewhat lengthy operation; and SaidMohammed said it would take less time to construct a raft. This wasaccordingly done, by lashing together three dead logs found on the bank;but Mr. Halliday asked how it was to be prevented from being swept awayby the stream. Coja showed himself to be a man of resource. Taking arope between his teeth, he plunged into the river, first looking warilyround to make sure that no crocodiles were in the neighbourhood, andswam across, the force of the current giving his course an inclinationof sixty degrees. Having reached the other side, he fastened the ropeto a tree, and by aid of this line the raft was ferried over, conveyingnow the loads and now the men. One of the Wakamba slipped off when hewas in midstream, and instantly howled that a crocodile was after him;but Coja called him a liar, sprang after him, and catching him by thehair, towed him safely to the farther bank.
"One of the Wakamba slipped off when he was inmidstream."]
Hitherto the party had met no natives; but Coja now informed his masterthat the people of these parts were very bad, and advised that theyshould go slowly, so that no stragglers should be left to be set on androbbed--if not maltreated or killed. Mr. Halliday was somewhat troubledat the thought of unfriendly natives between his prospective estate andthe outposts of civilization; but consoled himself with the reflectionthat the area of settlements was rapidly enlarging, and the country inthe settled parts being brought thoroughly under control.
The country beyond the Thika river proved to be more difficult than anythat had hitherto been traversed. Bare rocky hills, cut by deep anddangerous ravines, alternated with stretches of long coarse grass anddense thorny scrub, impenetrable save by low tunnels made by roaminghippopotami. As they burrowed painfully through these tunnels, theywere oppressed by the suffocating heat, their clothes were torn by thethorns, and their skin irritated by the multitudinous insects. It waslike wandering through a complex maze, the hippo paths twisting this wayand that in apparently aimless fashion, though Coja said they were aclear sign of the neighbourhood of water. After a whole day spent inthis fatiguing march the party came abruptly upon a broad river, flowingwith swift but almost noiseless current between banks clad with noblepalms and every species of tropical vegetation, amid which countlessthrongs of monkeys desported themselves, and birds of many coloursdarted this way and that like fragments of a rainbow. Mr. Hallidaypitched his camp for the night above the river, and for the first timethe porters surrounded it with a boma--a close fence of thorn bushes,which they constructed with wonderful celerity. For the first time,too, a watch was kept, the porters being told off to take turns atsentry-go. It occurred to Mr. Halliday, waking in the middle of thenight, to see whether the sentry was alert at his post, and he was notgreatly surprised to find him fast asleep. He shook him up and ratedhim very soundly, his reprimand being, perhaps, the more impressivebecause delivered in a tongue which the man did not understand. Mr.Halliday slept no more that night, coming to the conclusion that if itwas necessary to keep watch, the porters were not to be entrusted withthe task.
It was next day that the party first encountered the native inhabitants.They came upon a luxuriant plantation of manioc, and shortly afterwardssaw a number of fierce-looking men, armed with spears, lurking in thelong grass. Mr. Halliday ordered Coja to go forward and explain that hewas a friend, bent on a peaceful errand, and that he would give goodprices for any food the people cared to bring him. One of the nativesran back to the village, and soon returned with the chief, who presenteda singular appearance in a ragged and stained khaki jacket, and adilapidated sun-helmet with an ostrich feather stuck in it at a rakishangle. It turned out that this was not his usual attire, but had beenhastily donned in honour of the white man.
"He seems a very respectable old guy," said Mr. Halliday to John as thechief came up with a broad smile. With Coja's aid as interpreter, Mr.Halliday repeated what had already been said to the men, and as anearnest of what was to come, presented the chief with a number ofcoloured beads, feeling somewhat doubtful whether such trifles wereworth the acceptance of one who, as his dress showed, had already hadsome intercourse with Europeans. But the chief showed unmistakablepleasure, and immediately sent two of his young men to bring wild honeyand gourds of milk for the wasungu. Presently a number of women came,bearing loads of water-melons and other vegetables, which were verywelcome after the dry fare of the past few days, the vendors beingthoroughly satisfied with a handful of red beads or a short strip ofcloth.
Mr. Halliday had directed the course of his march, under Coja'sguidance, according to instructions and a rough map given him by hisfriend Gilmour. The district recommended to him as an excellent sitefor his farm lay on high ground to the east of Mount Kenya, and Mr.Gilmour had marked the exact spot by erecting a post, the top of whichwas carved to the shape of a man's head. When Mr. Halliday expressed adoubt whether the post would still be found after the lapse of severalyears, his friend reassured him on the point, declaring that the nativeswould not touch it, and unless it had been thrown down by a sportiverhinoceros, or "collected" as an object of interest by some wanderingEuropean sportsman, it would remain precisely as he had left it. Mr.Halliday, judging by his sketch-map that he must have nearly reached hisdestination, got Coja to ask the natives whether they knew of this post,and was disappointed with their negative answer. There was nothing forit but to continue the march. Accordingly he took leave of the friendlynatives, after purchasing considerable quantities of food, and set off.
There was every indication that his goal could not be far distant. Thecountry was open, the soil a rich red loam, covered with rank roughpasturage and wild clover, with occasional clumps of woodland. The airwas so cool, except at mid-day, that it was hard to believe they werewithin a degree or two of the Equator; but by testing the boiling-pointof water John discovered that the height was five thousand feet abovesea-level, and the temperate climate was explained.
Two days after leaving the native village Mr. Halliday decided to pitchhis camp, and taking that for a centre, to explore the surroundingcountry.
"If this isn't the place, it ought to be," he said to John. "I neversaw a finer country for grazing; it's good for three or four sheep anacre, or I'm a Dutchman, and fruit ought to grow here as well as inKent."
"It's rather strange, though," said John, "t
hat there's no game to beseen. There ought to be plenty."
"That's true. Perhaps they've been killed off by some disease, though Ihope that's not the explanation. We'll maybe find out by and by."
The camp was pitched near a shallow stream, a boma was erected round it,and next day the travellers set off with Coja and one of the porters,leaving the rest in charge of the second Swahili.
They waded several small streams, and in the afternoon came to a broadriver which, on consulting his map, Mr. Halliday felt sure was the onemarked as forming the northern boundary of his suggested settlement. Butthough they searched its banks for some hours, they failed to discoverthe post, and had to return unsuccessful, reaching camp after nightfall.Next day they set off again in a different direction, so as to strikethe river at a point higher up its course. When they came to it, Cojapointed to a native village on high ground some distance on the otherside, and suggested that inquiry should be made there. The river couldonly be crossed by swimming, and there being no sign of crocodiles, theyplunged in, finding the water deliciously cold. Their approach wasdescried from the village, and they were soon met by a group of youngwarriors armed with bows and arrows, who, standing at a distance,demanded who they were and what was their business. Coja shouted inreply that they had come to make friends with the chief, and had broughtsome valuable presents for him. One of the men ran back to the village,the others remaining on guard, and forbidding the strangers to advanceuntil the chief arrived.
Some little time elapsed before the chief made his appearance amid agroup of elders. At first he stood suspiciously aloof while Cojaexplained the purpose of the white men's visit, but when Mr. Hallidaydisplayed a strip of coloured cloth, and Coja announced that it was agift for the chief, the natives drew a little nearer, and said that theywere willing to be friends if the strangers would not rob them. Coja'sreply to this was that the white men were very good, and would neverdream of robbing their friends, adding that the cloth would be handed tothe chief if he would come and answer a few questions.
"Give it him at once," said Mr. Halliday, "and say there's more ifthey'll tell us what we want to know."
The gift of the cloth finally disarmed the chief's suspicions. Lookingvery much pleased, he came forward with his men, and said that he wasready to give what help he could. Mr. Gillespie had warned Mr. Hallidaynot to believe too implicitly any statements made by natives, who wouldalways say what they thought would please; so when, in answer to hisquestion about a post with a man's head, the chief said that hecertainly knew it, and asked for another piece of cloth, Mr. Hallidayshook his head, promising to give more presents if the chief would leadhim to the landmark. At this the chief looked much troubled, and hismen began to talk eagerly, it being evident from their manner that theywere trying to dissuade him from complying with the white man's request.Mr. Halliday was at a loss to understand their reluctance until Coja,after a long colloquy with the chief, announced that they were afraid togo near the post, which was a terrible devil, for their medicine man hadseen its eyes move, and its mouth grin at him. It had come theresuddenly one day, no one knew how, but they thought it must have sprungout of the ground, and some of their cattle that grazed around it hadsoon afterwards died, so that they were sure it was a devil, and theyhad never since allowed their herds to roam in that direction.
"Where is it?" asked Mr. Halliday.
The chief pointed up the river, and said that if the white man hadmedicine strong enough to destroy the devil the people would be verygrateful. Mr. Halliday thought he might turn this superstition to goodaccount. He explained that he had come from the end of the world tomake a home in this country, and the devil had no doubt establishedhimself on the ground in order to show that it was to be a white man'sproperty. But now that he had come, the devil's work of guarding theland was over, and if the chief would promise to be a friendlyneighbour, the devil should be at once destroyed, and a good priceshould be paid for the land, since it was clearly a part of the chief'sgrazing grounds. The chief gave the promise with alacrity, adding thathe would become the blood brother of any man who should rid the countryof so terrible a creature. Thereupon Mr. Halliday asked him to lead theway as far as he dared, and he should see for himself that the devil hadno power against the white man's magic.
The chief sent a messenger back to the village with this good news, andsoon a great throng of people came flocking down, men, women, andchildren, some blowing rude horns, others beating drums, all in greatexcitement. The devil was on the bank of the river from which the whitemen had crossed. Having swum back in company with the chief andhalf-a-dozen of his men, the travellers marched up the river, thepopulace flocking along the other bank, being only occasionally visibleamong the trees.
After walking for about half-a-mile, the chief struck away from theriver, and led the way to a saucer-like depression between two ranges oflow hills. It was open grass country for the most part, but at thefurther end of the hollow, about three miles away, there was a thickmass of forest. All at once the chief came to a halt, and, pointingahead, declared that the devil was there, and he would go no farther.Neither Mr. Halliday nor John could distinguish the post among the longgrass, but asking the chief to remain where he stood, they went forwardto search for it. After a few steps they missed Coja, and turning tolook for him, found that he had halted a hundred yards or so from thechief, being evidently unwilling to face the devil, and at the same timewishing to appear braver than the natives.
Walking some distance apart, so that they should not miss the post, Mr.Halliday and his son in a minute or two caught sight simultaneously ofwhat they sought. A thick knobby post stood among the grass, its topabout a foot above the level of the stalks. The knob had been carvedwith some skill to the shape of a face with the mouth wide open.
"We may as well do the job with becoming solemnity," said Mr. Halliday."We'll have a shot or two at it before we go near. Range about ahundred, isn't it?"
"I should think so. Bet you I get most shots in his mouth."
"Considering that our rifles and cartridges are alike, I don't see howyou're going to judge. Anyway, you take first shot."
John fired. A flock of birds rose with a great clatter of wings intothe air, and the group of natives yelled and flung themselves facedownward into the grass, whereupon Coja began to taunt them withcowardice. A shot from Mr. Halliday followed; then each fired again,and Mr. Halliday, turning round, declared that the devil was killed, andwalked towards the post. Coja, now thoroughly reassured, ran after him,the natives following at a distance.
"All four shots in the mouth; the honours are easy," said Mr. Halliday."You're a better shot than I thought you, John. We'd better pull thething up, hadn't we?"
But they found the post so firmly fixed that they could neither pull itup nor push it over. It was evidently a case for digging. Having noimplements with them they were obliged to leave it standing; but Mr.Halliday showed the admiring natives the bullet marks in the mouth, and,slapping the top of the head, assured them that the devil would do nomore harm. He then gave the chief another strip of cloth and a handfulof beads in reward for his services, and the party returned to theriver, where the happy result of the expedition was announced to themain body of the villagers, from whom the proceedings had been hidden bythe contour of the ground. The chief wished Mr. Halliday to feast withhim, and afterwards witness a war-dance, and when the invitation wasdeclined, he insisted on his white friend accepting a small pied goat.
"The pioneer of our stock, John," said Mr. Halliday. "But the chiefmust take charge of it until we come up to settle. I don't suppose weshall see it again."
But in this he was mistaken, for when he came some weeks later to enterinto occupation of his estate, the goat was brought to him with everymark of respect by a deputation of the villagers.
Settlers and Scouts: A Tale of the African Highlands Page 5