The Young Colonists: A Story of the Zulu and Boer Wars Page 3

in as fast as we scraped itaway. It was just like dry sand."

  "We are all right for warmth," Tom said; "but it feels quite stifling."

  "Yes, we must try and get some air," Dick said. "The roof-sticks areclose together down at our feet. There were three or four left overwhen we had finished, so we can take them away without weakening theroof. We might shove one of them up through the snow."

  The sticks were removed carefully, but a quantity of fine snow fell inon their feet. One was then shoved up through the top, but the onlyeffect, when it was removed, was that it was followed by some snowpowdering down on their faces.

  "Let us tie four of them together," Dick said. "I have plenty of stringin my pocket."

  This was done, fresh sticks being tied to the bottom as the first wereshoved up through the snow.

  "Now, Tom, help me to work it about a bit, so as to press the snow allround, and make a sort of tube."

  For some time a shower of little particles fell as they worked, butgradually these ceased. Then the stick was cautiously lowered, beinguntied joint by joint, and looking up the boys gave a shout of pleasure.At the top of the hole, which was some six inches wide at the bottom,was a tiny patch of light.

  "We have only just reached the top," Dick said; "the snow must be nearfifteen feet deep."

  Small though the aperture was, it effected a sensible relief. Thefeeling of oppression ceased; half an hour later the hole was closed up,and they knew that the snow was still falling.

  Another length of stick was added, and the daylight again appeared.

  The boys slept a good deal; they had no sensation of cold whatever, theheat of their bodies keeping the air at a comfortable temperature. Theydid not feel so hungry as they expected, but they were very thirsty.

  "I shall eat some snow," Tom said.

  "I have heard that that makes you more thirsty," Dick remarked; "holdsome in your hands till it melts, and then sip the water."

  Four days passed; then they found that the snow no longer continued tocover up the hole, and knew that the snow-storm had ceased. The numberof sticks required to reach the top was six, and as each of these wasabout four feet long they knew that, making allowance for the joints,the snow was over twenty feet deep.

  Very often the boys talked of home, and wondered what their friends weredoing. The first night, when they did not return, it would be hopedthat they had stayed at the farm; but somebody would be sure to go overin the morning to see, and when the news arrived that they were missing,there would be a general turn out to find them.

  "They must have given up all hope by this time," Dick said, on the fifthmorning, "and must be pretty sure that we are buried in the driftsomewhere; but, as all the bottoms will be like this, they will havegiven up all hopes of finding our bodies till the thaw comes."

  "That may be weeks," Tom said; "we might as well have died at once."

  "We can live a long time here," Dick replied confidently. "I rememberreading once of a woman who had been buried in the snow being got outalive a tremendous time afterwards. I think it was five weeks, but itmight have been more. Hurrah! I have got an idea, Tom."

  "What is that?" Tom asked.

  "Look here; we will tie three more sticks--"

  "We can't spare any more sticks," Tom said; "the snow is up to our kneesalready."

  "Ah! but thin sticks will do for this," Dick said; "we can get some thinsticks out here. We will tie them over the others, and on the top ofall we will fasten my red pocket-handkerchief, like a flag; if any onecomes down into this bottom they are sure to see it."

  CHAPTER TWO.

  THE RED FLAG.

  Dick's plan was soon carried into effect, and the little red flag flewas an appeal for help ten feet above the snow in the lonely valley.

  Down in Castleton events had turned out just as the boys hadanticipated. The night of the snow-storm there was no sleep for theirparents, and at daybreak, next morning, Mr Humphreys and Mr Jacksonset out on foot through the storm for the distant farm. They kept tothe road, but it took them four hours to reach the farm, for the driftswere many feet deep in the hollows, and they had the greatest difficultyin making their way through.

  When, upon their arrival, they found the boys had left before the galebegan, their consternation and grief were extreme, and they started atonce on their return to Castleton.

  Search-parties were immediately organised, and these, in spite of thefury of the storm, searched the hills in all directions.

  After the first day, when it was found that they were not at any of theshepherds' huts scattered among the hills, all hopes of finding themalive ceased. So hopeless was it considered, that few parties went outon the three following days; but on the fifth, when the snow-stormceased and the sun shone out, numbers of men again tramped the hills inthe vague hope of finding some sign of the missing boys; they returneddisheartened. The snow was two feet deep everywhere, twenty in many ofthe hollows.

  The next day but few went out, for the general feeling was, that thebodies could not be discovered until the thaw came, and at present itwas freezing sharply.

  Among those who still kept up the search were several of the boys'school-fellows. They had not been permitted to join while thesnow-storm continued, and were therefore fresh at the work. A party offour kept together, struggling through the deep snow-drifts, climbing upthe hills, and enjoying the fun, in spite of the saddening nature oftheir errand.

  On arriving at the brow of a deep valley five miles from home, theyagreed that they would go no farther, as it was not likely that themissing boys could have wandered so far from their track. That they hadin fact done so was due to a sudden change in the direction of the wind;it had been driving in their faces when they started, and with bent downheads they had struggled against it, unconscious that it was sharplychanging its direction.

  "Just let us have a look down into the bottom," one of the boys said;"there may be a shepherd's hut here."

  Nothing, however, was seen, save a smooth, white surface of snow.

  "What is that?" one exclaimed suddenly. "Look, there is a little redflag flying down there--come along."

  The boys rushed down the hill at full speed.

  "Don't all go near the flag," one said; "you may be treading on theirbodies."

  They arrived within ten yards of the flag, in which they soon recogniseda red pocket-handkerchief. They were silent now, awestruck at thethought that their companions were lying dead beneath.

  "Perhaps it is not theirs," the eldest of the party said presently."Anyhow I had better take it off and carry it home."

  Treading cautiously and with a white face, for he feared to feel beneathhis feet one of the bodies of his friends, he stepped, knee-deep in thesnow-drift, to the flag. He took the little stick in his hand to pluckit up; he raised it a foot, and then gave a cry of astonishment andstarted back.

  "What is the matter?" the others asked.

  "It was pulled down again," he said in awestruck tones. "I will swearit was pulled down again."

  "Oh, nonsense!" one of the others said; "you are dreaming."

  "I am not," the first replied positively; "it was regularly jerked in myhand."

  "Can they be alive down there?" one suggested.

  "Alive! How can they be alive after five days, twenty feet deep in thesnow? Look at the flag!"

  There was no mistake this time; the flag was raised and lowered five orsix times. The boys took to their heels and ran and gathered in acluster fifty yards away on the hill-side.

  "What can it be?" they asked, looking in each others' pale faces.

  The behaviour of the flag seemed to them something supernatural.

  "We had better go back and tell them at home," one of them said.

  "We can't do that; no one would believe us. Look here, you fellows,"and he glanced round at the bright sky, "this is nonsense; the flagcould not wave of itself; there must be somebody alive below; perhapsthere is a shepherd's hut quite covered with the dr
ift, and they havepushed the flag up through the chimney."

  The supposition seemed a reasonable one, and a little ashamed of theirpanic the group returned towards the flag. The eldest boy againapproached it.

  "Go carefully, Tomkins, or you may fall right down a chimney."

  The flag was still continuing its up and down movement; the boyapproached and lay down on the snow close to it; then he took hold ofthe stick; he felt a pull, but held fast; then he put his mouth close tothe hole, two or three inches in diameter, through which it passed.

  "Halloa!" he shouted; "is any one below?"

  A cry of "Yes, yes," came back in reply. "The two Jacksons andHumphreys."

  "Hurrah!" he shouted at the top of his voice, and his companions,although they had not heard the answer, joined in the cheer.

  "Are you all right?" he shouted down again.

  "Yes, but please get help and dig us out."

  "All right; I will run all the way back; they will have men here in notime; good-bye; keep up your spirits."

  "They are all there below!" he shouted to his friends. "Come on, youfellows, there is not a moment to lose."

  Wild with excitement the boys made their way home; they rushed down thehill-sides, scrambled through the drifts in the bottoms, in which theysometimes disappeared altogether, and had to haul each other out,struggled up the hills, and, panting and breathless, rushed in a bodyinto Mr Humphreys' farmhouse, that standing nearest to them, on theirway to Castleton.

  "We have found them; we have found them," they panted out. "They areall alive."

  Mrs Humphreys had risen from her seat in a chair by the fire as theboys entered, and uttering a faint cry fell back insensible.

  At this moment the farmer, who had but five minutes before returned,having been out since daybreak on the hills, hurried into the room; hewas taking off his heavy boots when he heard the rush of feet into thehouse. "We have found them, sir; they are all alive!"

  "Thank God! thank God!" the farmer exclaimed reverently, and then seeinghis wife insensible hurried towards her, uttering a shout for theservants. Two women ran in. "Look to your mistress," he said; "she hasfainted; the good news has been too much for her--the boys are foundalive."

  With mingled exclamations of gladness and dismay the servants raisedtheir mistress.

  "Now, boys, where are they?" Mr Humphreys asked.

  The lads gave a rapid narrative of what had happened.

  "Under the snow all this time!" the farmer exclaimed; "they must be, asyou say, in a hut. Now, will one of you stay and show me the way back,and the others go on to Mr Jackson's and other places, and bring astrong party of men with shovels on after us?"

  The lad who had spoken with the prisoners remained to act as guide, theothers hurried off.

  "Come with me, my boy, into the larder. There, help yourself; you mustbe hungry and tired, and you have got to do it over again."

  Mr Humphreys then ran into the yard, and bade the four labourersprovide themselves with shovels and prepare to accompany him at once.

  He then went back into the parlour. His wife was just opening her eyes;for a time she looked confused and bewildered, then suddenly she sat upand gazed beseechingly at her husband--memory had come back to her.

  "Yes, wife, thanks be to God, it is true--the boys are alive; I am justgoing with these men to dig them out. They are snowed up in a hut.Now, Jane, get a large basket, and put in it lots of bread, and bacon--the men who are working will want something; fill the largest stone jarwith beer; put in a bottle of brandy and a bottle of milk, and set toand get some soup ready; bring three small mattresses downstairs and alot of blankets."

  Five minutes later the search-party started, Mr Humphreys and the guideleading the way; the men followed, one carrying five shovels; another,the basket and jar; the other two, three hurdles on which were placedthe mattresses and blankets.

  It was no easy matter so laden making their way over the hills andthrough the deep drifts. Mr Humphreys took his share of the labour;but it was two hours from the time when they started before they arrivedat the spot where the flag was waving, and the night was already closingin.

  Mr Humphreys hurried forward to the flag; he knelt down beside it.

  "Are you still alive, Dick?--it is I, your father!"

  "Yes, father, we are all alive, and we shall be all right now you havecome. Don't get too near the stick; we are afraid of the hole closingup, and smothering us."

  "Which side is the door," Mr Humphreys asked, "so that we can dig thatway?"

  "There is no door, father; but you had better dig from below, because ofthe wall."

  "There must be a door," Mr Humphreys said to himself, as he rejoinedthe men. "There can't be a hut without a door; Dick must be a littlelightheaded, and no wonder. Now, lads, let us set to work from below."

  The five men were soon at work, throwing aside the snow. In a shorttime the other parties arrived.

  Mr Humphreys had brought with him a stock of candles. These were litand stuck in the snow, where, as there was no wind, they burnt steadily,affording sufficient light for the search. The work was all the moredifficult from the lightness of the snow, as the sides fell in like sandas they worked upon it, and they were obliged to make a very broadcutting.

  At last there was a cheer, as they struck the ground.

  "Now, working up hill we must be at the hut in a few feet."

  Twenty willing hands laboured away incessantly, but to their surprise nohut was met with; they worked and worked, throwing the snow behind them,until Mr Jackson struck his shovel upon something hard.

  "Here is a wall or something," he said.

  Another minute uncovered a low wall of two feet in height, and directlyafterwards a leg was popped up through the snow. A loud cheer brokefrom the men.

  But again the snow-drift fell in from the sides, and it was anotherquarter of an hour before the lads were lifted from the narrow shelterwhere they had for five days lain.

  The Jacksons were too weak to stand, but Dick was just able to keep onhis feet. A cup of milk mixed with some brandy was given to each. ThenDick in a few words told the story, and the surprise of all, as theyexamined the little hut and heard the details of the almost miraculouspreservation of the boys, was almost unbounded.

  They were now wrapped in blankets and laid on mattresses placed on thehurdles; the contents of the baskets--for others besides Mr Humphreyshad brought a stock of provisions, not knowing how long the search-partymight be engaged--were distributed among the workers, and then four menlifted each hurdle and the party started for home, a messenger havingbeen sent back at full speed directly the boys were got out, to bear theglad news to Castleton.

  It was just midnight when the main body returned. A second cup ofbrandy and milk had done much to revive the two elder boys, and Dick hadbeen able to eat a piece of bread. James, however, had fallen asleepdirectly he was wrapped in the blankets, and did not awake until he wasset down at his father's door.

  At both houses doctors were in waiting for their arrival. Dick was atonce pronounced to be none the worse for his adventure, except that hisfeet were frost-bitten from long contact with the snow; indeed had itnot been from this cause he could, on the following day, have been upand about. As it was, in a fortnight, he was perfectly himself again.

  Tom Jackson was confined to the house for many weeks; he lost several ofhis toes, but eventually became strong and hearty again. James,however, never recovered--the shock to his system had been too great; helingered on for some months, and then sank quietly and painlessly.

  The events of the snow-storm left a far deeper trace upon Mrs Humphreysthan upon her son. The terrible anxiety of those five days had toldgreatly upon her, and after they were over she seemed to lose strengthrapidly. She had never been very strong, and a hacking cough nowconstantly shook her. The doctor who attended her looked serious, andone day said to Mr Humphreys--

  "I don't like the state of your wife; she has always been
weak in herlungs, and I fear that the anxiety she went through has somehowaccentuated her former tendency to consumption. The air of this place--you see she was born in the south--is too keen for her. If I were you Iwould take her up to London and consult some first-rate man in lungdiseases, and get his opinion."

  The next day Mr Humphreys started for London. The celebrated physicianexamined his wife, and afterwards took him aside.

  "I cannot conceal from you," he said, "that your wife's lungs are veryseriously affected, although consumption has not yet thoroughly set in.If she remains in this country she may not live many months; your onlyhope is to take her abroad--could you do that?"

  "Yes, sir," Mr Humphreys said. "I can take her anywhere. Where wouldyou advise?"

  "She would benefit from a residence either in Egypt or Madeira," thedoctor said; "but for a permanency I should say the Cape. I have knownmany complete cures made there. You tell me that you are engaged inagricultural pursuits; if it is possible for you to settle there, I cangive you every hope of saving her life, as the disease is not yetdeveloped. If you go, don't stay in the lowlands, but get up into thehigh plateaus, either behind the Cape itself, or behind Natal. Theclimate there is delicious, and land cheap."

  Mr Humphreys thanked him and left, returning the next day to Castleton.The astonishment of the boys, and indeed of Mrs Humphreys, wasunbounded, when the farmer announced in the evening at supper that heintended to sell his land and emigrate at once to the Cape.

  The boys were full of excitement at the new and strange idea, and askednumerous questions, none of which the farmer could answer; but hebrought out a pile of books, which he had purchased in town, concerningthe colonies and their resources, and for once Dick's aversion to booksvanished, and he was soon as much absorbed as his brother in the perusalof the accounts of the new land to which they were to go.

  On the following Saturday, to the surprise of all Castleton, anadvertisement appeared in the Derbyshire paper announcing the sale byauction at an early date of Mr Humphreys' farm.

  Dick and John were quite heroes among their companions, who looked withenvy at boys who were going to live in a land where lions and elephantsand all sorts of wild beasts abounded, to say nothing of warlikenatives.

  "There always seem to be Kaffir wars going on," one boy said, "out atthe Cape; you will have all sorts of excitement, Dick."

  "I don't think that sort of excitement will be nice," Dick replied; "itmust be horribly anxious work to think every time you go out to workthat the place may be attacked and every one killed before you get back.But that is all nonsense, you know; I have been reading about some ofthe Kaffir wars; they are in the bush-country, down by the sea. We aregoing up on to the high lands at the back of Natal. Father says verylikely we may buy a farm in the Transvaal, but mother does not seem tolike the accounts of the Dutchmen or Boers, as they are called, who livethere, and says she would rather have English neighbours; so I expect ifwe can get a farm somewhere in the Natal colony, we shall do so."

  "You seem to know all about the place," the boy said, surprised.

  "Well, we have had seven or eight books to read about it, and I seem nowto know more about South Africa than about any other country in theworld. There are the diamond-fields, too, out there, and I hope, beforeI settle down regularly to a farm, that father will let me go for a fewmonths and try my luck there. Would it not just be jolly to find adiamond as big as a pigeon's egg and worth about twenty thousandpounds?"

  "And do they do that?" the boy asked.

  "Well, they don't often find them as big as that; still, one might bethe lucky one."

  The news that Mr Humphreys and his family were about to sell off andemigrate naturally caused a great deal of talk in and around Castleton,and put the idea into the minds of many who had never before seriouslythought of it. If Mr Humphreys, who had one of the best farms in theneighbourhood, thought that it would pay him to sell his land and goout, it would surely be a good thing for others to do the same. He wasconsidered to be a good farmer and a long-headed man; one who would nottake such a step without carefully looking into the matter--for MrHumphreys, in order to avoid questioning and the constant inquiriesabout his wife's health, which would be made, did he announce that hewas leaving for that reason, did not think it necessary to inform peoplethat it was in the hopes of staving off the danger which threatened herthat he was making a move.

  A great many of the neighbouring labourers would gladly have gone withhim; but he found by his reading that Kaffir labour was to be obtainedout there very cheaply. He determined, however, to take with him two ofhis own hands; the one a strong active young fellow named Bill Harrison,the other a middle-aged man named Johnson, who had been with him from aboy. He was a married man with two girls, aged fifteen and sixteen, theeldest of whom was already employed by Mrs Humphreys in the house.Johnson's wife was a superior woman of her class, and Mr Humphreysthought that it would be pleasant for his wife, having a woman at hand,whom she could speak to. The girls were to act as servants--indeed MrHumphreys thought it probable that the whole party would live under oneroof.

  Among those whom Mr Humphreys' decision to emigrate had much moved wasMr Jackson. He was not in so good a position, as he did not farm hisown land; but he had sufficient capital to start him well in the colony,where a farm can be bought outright at a few shillings an acre. Hetalked the matter over with his friend on several occasions, and at lastsaid--

  "Well, I think I have pretty well made up my mind; the doctor is tellingme that my poor little chap is not likely to live long; his mother iswrapped up in him, and will never like the place again;--so I think onall grounds a change will be good. I can't come out with you, because Ihave got a lease of the farm; but I fancy that it is worth more than itwas when I took it, and if I can get a good tenant to take it off myhands I don't suppose the landlord will make any objections. I shalllook about at once, and, when my poor little chap is gone, I shan't belong before I come after you. You will let me know how you find theplace, and whether these book-accounts are true?--I have heard that manyof these chaps who write books are awful liars. I should like to get afarm as near you as may be."

  It was early in the spring when Mr Humphreys and his party embarked atPlymouth in the _Dunster Castle_. The farm had sold well, and MrHumphreys possessed a capital of several thousand pounds--a sum whichwould make him a rich man in the colony. None of the party had everseen the sea before, and the delight of the two boys and the wondermentof the labourers at all they saw was very great. Mr Humphreys hadtaken first-class passages for himself and family, while the others ofcourse were steerage passengers.

  CHAPTER THREE.

  THE FARM.

  The voyage to the Cape passed without any incident whatever. Theweather was fine the whole distance. Without even a single storm tobreak the monotony they touched at Capetown and Port Elizabeth, and atlast arrived at Durban. The journey had not been too long for the boys;everything was so perfectly new to them that they were never tired ofwatching the sea and looking for porpoises and the shoals of fish, overwhich hovered thousands of birds.

  Once or twice they saw a whale spout, while flying-fish were matters ofhourly occurrence. They had prodigious appetites, and greatly enjoyedthe food, which was altogether different to that to which they had beenaccustomed. They had stopped at Madeira and St Vincent, where greatstocks of delicious fruit had been taken on board. Altogether they werequite sorry when they arrived at the end of the voyage.

  The landing was effected in large boats, as the _Dunster Castle_ drewtoo much water to cross the bar at the mouth of the harbour.

  They stopped only one day at Durban, where Mr Humphreys hired a waggonto take the party to Pieter-Maritzburg, the capital. He was notencumbered with baggage, as he had decided to buy everything he wantedin the colony.

  "You may pay dearer," he said, "no doubt; but then you get just what youwant. If I were to take out implements, they might not be suited to therequirements of th
e country. As for clothes, they would of course bepretty much the same everywhere; still, it is better to take out only ayear's requirements and to buy as we want, instead of lumbering over thecountry with a quantity of heavy baggage."

  The party were greatly amused at their first experience of a Capewaggon; it was of very large size, massively built, and covered with agreat tilt; and it was drawn by sixteen oxen, spanned two by two. Thiswas an altogether unnecessary number for the weight which had to becarried, but the waggon had come down loaded from the interior, and MrHumphreys therefore paid no more than he would have done for a waggonwith a small number of oxen. They took two days to accomplish thejourney, the women sleeping at night in the waggon, and Mr Humphreysand his sons in blankets on the ground.

  The driver, who was an Englishman, had been many years in the colony,and from him, upon the road, Mr Humphreys gained much valuableinformation about the country. The driver was assisted by two Kaffirs,one of whom walked ahead of the leading cattle, the other alongside,shouting and prodding them.

  The boys were astonished at the power and accuracy with which the driverwhirled his whip; this had a short handle and a lash of twenty yardslong, and with it he was able to hit any animal of the team withabsolute certainty, and indeed to make the thong alight on any part oftheir bodies at which he aimed.

  On their arrival at Pieter-Maritzburg Mr Humphreys hired a house, andhere he placed his party while he set to work to make inquiries after asuitable location. He soon heard of several places which seemedsuitable, and having bought a horse started for Newcastle, a small townsituated close to the frontier-line between the Transvaal and Natal.

  He was away for three weeks, and on his return informed his wife that hehad purchased a farm of 2000 acres, with a substantial farmhouse, at adistance of ten miles from Newcastle, for the sum of 1500 pounds.

  The farmhouse was already roughly furnished, but Mr Humphreys purchaseda number of other articles, which would make it comfortable andhome-like. He laid in a great stock of groceries, and then hiring awaggon, similar to that in which they had before travelled, started withhis party for the farm, having also hired four Kaffirs to assist there.Travelling by easy stages, it took them twelve days to get to Newcastle.The country was undulating and the road rose steadily the wholedistance.

  Near Pieter-Maritzburg the population was comparatively thick.