KOMATI-POORT
The four lads were no longer dressed in the guise
of farmers. These suits were carried in the packs
to be resumed when they neared the Transvaal.
They now dressed in the tweeds they had worn at Johannesburg,
and either felt hats or straw. They still wore
jack-boots. The heat of the day was now great,
much more so, indeed, than they had been accustomed
to, for while Maritzburg lies two thousand two hundred
feet above the sea, Johannesburg is five thousand
seven hundred. Behind them Jack led the spare
horse, and the four new men stepped lightly along
with their muskets slung behind them by the side of
two strong Basuto ponies, each carrying a couple of
boxes containing half a hundredweight of dynamite.
These were concealed from view by sacks and blankets,
the cooking utensils, and other light articles.
The spare horse carried the flour, paraffin, fuses,
and other stores, which brought up the weight to a
hundred and twenty pounds. This was somewhat lighter
than that carried by the ponies, but they were anxious
to keep it in good condition in case one of their
own gave out.
The baggage had all been very carefully packed, so
that even when going fast it might not be displaced.
They had found no difficulty in obtaining the dynamite,
as several of the stores kept it for the use of the
mines. They made no difficulty in selling it,
and would not have been sorry to part with their whole
stock. In view of the possibility of a siege,
it was not an article that any sane man would care
to keep on the premises. Chris had gone round
to these stores and had obtained an offer from each,
and as he said that he intended to accept the lowest
tender, it was offered to him at a price very much
below what he would ordinarily have had to give for
it. The cases were sewn up in canvas, on which
was painted respectively, Tea, Sugar, Biscuits, and
Rice. Travelling five hours and halting at ten
o’clock at a farmhouse that was still tenanted,
and again travelling from half-past three until eight,
they made about twenty-five miles the first day.
Then they encamped at a spot where there was a small
spring and consequently good feed for the horses,
and knee-haltering them and taking off their saddles
they turned them loose.
The natives had collected fuel as they went along,
and a fire was soon made. When the kettle approached
boiling, some slices of bacon, of which they had brought
thirty pounds with them, were fried. There was
no occasion to make bread, as they had enough for
a two days’ supply. The natives parched
some mealies (Indian corn) in the frying-pan when the
bacon was done, the fat serving as a condiment that
they highly appreciated, and they quenched their thirst
from the spring.
Four days’ travelling took them to the drift
across the Tugela. So far their journey had been
wholly uneventful. Before crossing the next day
they had a long talk with the two Zulus. Their
language differed somewhat from that of Jack, but
Chris understood them without difficulty; for a considerable
portion of the labourers in the mines at Johannesburg
were Zulus, and mixing with these, as Chris had done,
he understood them even better than he did Jack.
