masterman ready-第37章

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I　get　clear；　and　then　we　will　get　away　somehow　or　other。　You　must　do　it；　for　I　am　sure　he　will　flog　me　till　I　am　dead；　and　he　will　shoot　you；　as　runaway　prisoners；　as　he　did　his　two　Hottentots　the　other　day。'　As　Romer　and　I　thought　this　very　probable；　we　did　as　Hastings　told　us；　and　when　the　Dutchman　had　gone　towards　him　where　he　was　tied　up；　about　fifty　yards　from　the　house；　we　went　in。　The　farmer's　wife　was　in　bed；　having　just　had　an　addition　to　her　family；　and　the　children　we　cared　not　for。　We　seized　two　muskets　and　a　large　knife；　and　came　out　just　as　the　Dutchman　had　struck　the　first　blow　with　the　rhinoceros　whip；　which　was　so　severe；　that　it　took　away　poor　Hastings'　breath。　We　went　up；　he　turned　round　and　saw　us：　we　levelled　our　muskets　at　him；　and　he　stopped。　‘Another　blow；　and　we'll　shoot　you；'　cried　Romer。　‘Yes；'　cried　I；　‘we　are　only　boys；　but　you've　Englishmen　to　deal　with。'　When　we　came　up；　Romer　kept　his　piece　levelled　at　the　Dutchman；　while　I　passed　him；　and　with　the　knife　cut　the　thongs　which　bound　Hastings。　The　Dutchman　turned　pale　and　did　not　speak；　he　was　so　frightened；　and　the　slaves　ran　away。　As　soon　as　Hastings　was　free；　he　seized　a　large　wooden　mallet；　used　for　driving　in　stakes；　and　struck　the　Dutchman　down　to　the　earth；　crying　out；　‘That　for　flogging　an　Englishman；　you　rascal！'

〃While　the　man　lay　senseless　or　dead　…　I　didn't　know　which　at　the　time　…　we　tied　him　to　the　waggon　wheels；　and　returning　to　the　house；　seized　some　ammunition　and　other　articles　which　might　be　useful。　We　then　went　to　the　stables；　and　took　the　three　best　horses　which　the　Dutchman　had；　put　some　corn　in　a　sack　for　each　of　them；　took　some　cord　for　halters；　mounted；　and　rode　away　as　fast　as　we　could。　As　we　knew　that　we　should　be　pursued；　we　first　galloped　away　as　if　we　were　going　eastward　to　the　Cape；　and　then；　as　soon　as　we　were　on　ground　which　would　not　show　the　tracks　of　our　horses'　hoofs；　we　turned　round　to　the　northward；　in　the　direction　of　the　Bushman　country。　It　was　dark　soon　after　we　had　altered　our　course；　but　we　travelled　all　night；　and　although　we　heard　the　roaring　of　the　lions　at　a　distance；　we　met　with　no　accident。　At　daylight　we　rested　our　horses；　and　gave　them　some　corn；　and　then　sat　down　to　eat　some　of　the　provision　we　had　brought　with　us。〃

〃How　long　were　you　with　the　farmer　at　Graaff　Reinet？〃

〃Nearly　eight　months；　sir；　and　during　that　time　we　could　not　only　speak　Dutch；　but　we　could　make　ourselves　understood　by　the　Hottentots　and　other　natives。　While　we　were　eating　we　held　a　consultation　how　we　should　proceed。　We　were　aware　that　the　Dutchmen　would　shoot　us　if　they　came　up　with　us；　and　that　they　would　come　out　in　strong　force　against　us；　and　we　were　afraid　that　we　had　killed　the　man；　and　if　so；　they　would　hang　us　as　soon　as　we　got　to　the　Cape；　so　we　were　at　a　great　loss　to　know　how　to　act。　At　last　we　decided　that　we　would　cross　the　country　of　the　Bushmen；　and　get　to　the　sea…side；　to　the　northward　of　the　Cape。　We　determined　that　it　would　be　better　to　travel　at　night；　as　there　would　be　less　fear　of　the　wild　beasts；　or　of　being　seen；　so　we　went　fast　asleep　for　many　hours。　Towards　the　evening；　we　found　water　for　the　horses；　and　then　we　fed　them　again；　and　proceeded　on　our　journey。　I　won't　tell　what　passed　every　day　for　a　fortnight；　by　which　time　we　had　pretty　well　killed　our　horses；　and　we　were　compelled　to　stop　among　a　tribe　of　Gorraguas；　a　very　mild；　inoffensive　people；　who　supplied　us　with　milk；　and　treated　us　very　kindly。　We　had　some　adventures；　nevertheless。　One　day　as　we　were　passing　by　a　tuft　of　small　trees；　a　rhinoceros　charged　upon　my　horse；　which　very　narrowly　escaped　by　wheeling　short　round　and　getting　behind　him；　the　beast　then　made　off　without　meddling　with　us　any　more。　Every　day　we　used　to　shoot　some　animal　or　other；　for　provision：　sometimes　it　was　a　gnu；　something　between　an　antelope　and　a　bull；　at　other　times　it　was　one　of　the　antelope　kind。

〃Well；　we　stayed　for　three　weeks　with　these　people；　and　gave　our　horses　time　to　refresh　themselves；　and　then　we　set　off　again；　keeping　more　towards　the　coast　as　we　went　southward；　for　the　Gorraguas　told　us　that　there　was　a　fierce　native　tribe；　called　Kaffers；　to　the　northward；　who　would　certainly　kill　us　if　we　went　there。　The　fact　is；　we　did　not　know　what　to　do。　We　had　left　the　Cape　without　any　exact　idea　where　we　should　go　to；　like　foolish　boys　as　we　were；　and　we　became　more　entangled　with　difficulties　every　day。　At　last　we　decided　that　it　would　be　better　to　find　our　way　back　to　the　Cape；　and　deliver　ourselves　up　as　prisoners；　for　we　were　tired　out　with　fatigue　and　constant　danger。　All　that　we　were　afraid　of　was　that　we　had　killed　the　Dutch　farmer　at　Graaff　Reinet；　who　had　treated　us　so　brutally；　but　Hastings　said　he　did　not　care；　that　was　his　business；　and　he　would　take　his　chance：　so　when　we　bade　adieu　to　the　Gorraguas；　we　turned　our　horses'　heads　to　the　south…east；　so　as　to　make　the　sea　and　go　to　the　southward　at　the　same　time。

〃I　have　now　to　mention　a　most　melancholy　event　which　occurred。　Two　days　after　we　had　recommenced　our　travels；　in　passing　through　some　high　grass；　we　stumbled　on　a　lion；　which　was　devouring　a　gnu。　Romer；　who　happened　to　be　some　ten　yards　foremost　of　the　three；　was　so　alarmed　that　he　fired　at　the　animal；　which　we　had　agreed　never　to　do；　as　it　was　folly　to　enrage　so　powerful　a　beast；　when　our　party　was　so　small。　The　lion　was　slightly　wounded；　he　gave　a　roar　that　might　have　been　heard　for　a　mile；　sprang　upon　Romer；　and　with　one　blow　of　his　paw　knocked　him　off　the　saddle　into　the　bushes。　Our　horses；　which　were　frightened；　wheeled　round　and　fled；　for　the　animal　was　evidently　about　to　attack　us。　As　it　was；　he　did　make　one　bound　in　our　direction；　we　could　not　pull　up　until　we　had　gone　half　a　mile；　and　when　we　did；　we　saw　the　lion　had　torn　down　the　horse　which　Romer　had　ridden；　and　was　dragging　away　the　carcass　to　the　right　at　a　sort　of　a　canter；　without　any　apparent　effort　on　his　part。　We　waited　till　he　was　well　off；　and　then　rode　back　to　the　spot　where　Romer　had　fallen：　we　soon　found　him；　but　he　was　quite　dead；　the　blow　with　the　lion's　paw　had　fractured　his　skull。

〃I　ought　to　have　said　that　the　Gorraguas　told　us　not　to　travel　by　night；　but　by　day；　and　we　had　done　so　in　consequence　of　their　advice。　I　believe　it　was　very　good　advice；　notwithstanding　this　unfortunate　accident；　for　we　found　that　when　we　had　travelled　all　night　the　lions　had　more　than　once　followed　us　the　whole　time；　and　indeed　I　have　often　thought　since　that　we　were　altogether　indebted　to　his　mercy　who　ordereth　all　things；　both　in　heaven　and　earth；　that　we　escaped　so　well　as　we　did。　Three　days　after　poor　Romer's　death　we　first　saw　the　wide　ocean　again。　We　kept　near　the　coast；　but　we　soon　found　that　we　could　not　obtain　the　supply　of　game；　or　fuel　for　our　fires　at　night；　so　well　as　we　could　in　the　interior；　and　we　agreed　to　get　away　from　the　coast　again。　We　had　a　dreary　plain　to　pass　over；　and　we　were　quite　faint　for　want　of　food　…　for　we　had　been　without　any　for　nearly　two　days　…　when　we　came　upon　an　ostrich。　Hastings　put　his　horse　to　his　speed；　but　it　was　of　no　use　…　the　ostrich　ran　much　faster　than　the　horse　could。　I　remained　behind；　and；　to　my　great　joy；　discovered　his　nest；　with　thirteen　large　eggs　in　it。　Hastings　soon　came　back；　with　his　horse　panting　and　out　of　wind。　We　sat　down；　lighted　a　fire；　and　roasted　two　of　the　eggs：　we　made　a　good　dinner　of　them；　and　having　put　four　more　on　our　saddle…bows；　we　continued　our　journey。　At　last；　one　forenoon；　we　saw　the　Table　Mountain；　and　were　as　glad　to　see　it　as　if　we　had　seen　the　white　cliffs　of　Old　England。　We　pushed　on　our　horses　with　the　hopes　of　being　once　more　comfortably　in　prison　before　night；　when；　as　we　neared　the　bay；　we　noticed　that　English　colours　were　flying　on　board　of　the　vessels　in　the　road。　This　surprised　us　very　much；　but　soon　after　that　we　met　an　English　soldier；　who　told　us　that　the　Cape　had　been　taken　by　our　forces　more　than　six　months　ago。　This　was　a　joyful　surprise；　as　you　may　suppose。　We　rode　into　the　town；　and　reported　ourselves　to　the　main　guard；　the　governor　sent　for　us；　heard　our　story；　and　sent　us　to　the　admiral；　who　took　us　on　board　of　his　own　ship。〃



Chapter　XXXIX

The　next　morning；　as　there　wa