Meanwhile Hintza, not having shown sufficient readiness and alacrity2 in redeeming3 his promises, was held as a hostage in the hands of the white man. He was, however, treated with the utmost consideration, and when he proposed to accompany a division of the troops, in order to exercise to the utmost his personal influence in recovering from his people the cattle and horses due, and to apprehend4 the murderers, according to treaty, he was allowed to do so, not only quite free in person, but even with his weapons in his hands.
Colonel Smith, however, who commanded the force, distinctly told the chief through an interpreter, that if he attempted to escape he would instantly be shot.
The force consisted of detachments of the Cape5 Mounted Rifles, the 72nd regiment6, and the corps7 of Guides—350 men in all.
Towards the afternoon of the day on which they marched, a circumstance occurred which justified8 Colonel Smith’s suspicions as to Hintza’s sincerity9. They had reached a streamlet and encamped, when one of the guides reported to him that two Kafirs, with five head of cattle, were near the camp, and that Hintza, on the plea that they would be afraid to approach, had sent one of his people to bring them in.
On being questioned, the chief declined to give any explanation on the subject, and the Kafirs not only did not come in, as they were ordered, but made off, and carried the horse of Hintza’s messenger along with them! The suspicion excited by this circumstance was increased by the evasive answers given to the Colonel’s repeated inquiries10 as to the point on which Hintza wished the troops to march.
After crossing the range of the Guadan Hills, the troops bivouacked on the Guanga, and here Hintza became more communicative, said that he wished them to march towards the mouth of the Bashee, by a route which he would point out, and that they must move at midnight. This was done, and they continued to move forward till eight o’clock in the morning, observing as they went the spoor of numerous herds13 of cattle that had been driven in that direction quite recently.
The men, being tired, were then halted for refreshment14.
At this point Hintza became particularly uneasy at the vigilance with which he was watched.
“What have the cattle done,” he said testily15, “that you should want them? and why should my subjects be deprived of them?”
“Why do you ask such questions, Hintza?” replied Colonel Smith; “you know well the many outrages16 committed on the colonists17 by your people, and the thousands of cattle that have been stolen. It is in redress18 of these wrongs that we demand them.”
The chief looked stern, but made no rejoinder. He appeared to recover himself, however, after breakfast, and was in high spirits while on the march. He rode a remarkably19 strong horse that day, which he appeared very anxious to spare from fatigue—dismounting and leading him up every ascent20.
As the party advanced, the tracks of numerous cattle were still found leading onward21, but the animals themselves were nowhere to be seen.
“You see,” remarked the chief, with a touch of sarcasm22 in his tone as he rode beside the Colonel, “you see how my subjects treat me: they drive their cattle from me in spite of me.”
“I do not want your subjects’ cattle, Hintza,” was the Colonel’s pointed23 reply; “I want, and will have, the colonial cattle which they have stolen.”
“Then,” returned the chief, “allow me to send forward my councillor Umtini to tell my people I am here, that they must not drive away their cattle, and that the cattle of your nation will be alone selected.”
Although it was quite evident that the chief meditated24 mischief25 it was thought best to agree to this proposal. Accordingly, the councillor, after being enjoined26 to return that night, which he promised to do, mounted and left the camp at full speed, accompanied by an attendant.
There was ground for uneasiness and much caution in all this, for those who knew Hintza best were wont27 to say that he possessed28 in a high degree all the vices29 of the savage—ingratitude, avarice30, cunning, and cruelty, and his treatment of the traders and missionaries31 under his protection, as well as his secret encouragement of the border chiefs, fully32 bore out their opinion.
“Now!” exclaimed the chief in high spirits when Umtini had left, “you need not go on to the Bashee, you will have more cattle than you can drive on the Xabecca.”
The path the troops were passing was a mere33 cattle-track leading up hill, from the bed of the Xabecca river, among tangled34 brushwood, and occasionally passing through a cleft35 in the rocks. Colonel Smith was the only member of the party who rode up the hill; Hintza and the others led their homes. On drawing near to the summit, the chief and his attendants mounted and rode silently but quickly past the Colonel into the bushes.
One of the guides observing the action called to the Colonel, who immediately shouted, “Hintza, stop!”
The savage had no intention of stopping, but, finding himself entangled36 in the thicket37, was compelled to return to the track. He did so with such coolness and with such an ingenuous38 smile, that the Colonel, who had drawn39 a pistol, felt half ashamed of his suspicions, and allowed the chief to ride forward as before.
At the top of the steep ascent the country was quite open. The Xabecca river was seen in front with a few Kafir huts on its banks. Here the chief set off at full speed in the direction of the huts.
Colonel Smith and three of the guides pursued. The latter were quickly left behind, but the Colonel, being well mounted, kept up with the fugitive40. Spurring on with violence, he soon overtook him.
“Stop, Hintza!” he shouted.
But Hintza was playing his last card. He urged his horse to greater exertion41, and kept stabbing at his pursuer with an assagai.
The Colonel drew a pistol, but it snapped. A second was used with like ill success. He then spurred close up, struck the chief with the butt42 end of the pistol, and, in so doing, dropped it. Hintza looked round with a smile of derision, and the Colonel, hurling43 the other pistol at him, struck him on the back of the head. The blow was ineffectual. Hintza rode on; the troops followed as they best could. They were now nearing the huts. At length, making a desperate effort, the Colonel dashed close up to the chief. Having now no weapon, he seized him by the collar of his kaross, or cloak, and, with a violent effort, hurled44 him to the ground. Both horses were going at racing45 speed. The Colonel, unable to check his, passed on, but before he was beyond reach the agile46 savage had leaped to his feet, drawn another assagai from the bundle which he carried, and hurled it after his enemy. So good was the aim that the weapon passed within a few inches of the Colonel’s body.
The act afforded time to those behind to come up. Although Hintza turned aside instantly and ran down the steep bank of the Xabecca, the foremost of the guides—named Southey—got within gun-shot and shouted in the Kafir tongue to the chief to stop. No attention being paid to the order, he fired, and Hintza fell, wounded in the left leg. Leaping up in a moment, he resumed his flight, when Southey fired again, and once more the chief was hit and pitched forward, but rose instantly and gained the cover of the thicket which lined the bank of the river. Southey leaped off his horse and gave chase, closely followed by Lieutenant47 Balfour of the 72nd regiment. The former kept up, and the latter down, the stream.
They had proceeded thus in opposite directions some distance when Southey was startled by an assagai striking the cliff on which he was climbing. Turning sharply, he saw Hintza’s head and his uplifted arm among the bushes within a few feet of him. The savage was in the act of hurling another assagai. Quick as thought the guide levelled his gun and fired. The shot completely shattered the upper part of Hintza’s skull48, and next instant a mangled49 corpse50 was all that remained of the paramount chief of Kafirland.
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1
paramount
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| a.最重要的，最高权力的 | |
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2
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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redeeming
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| 补偿的，弥补的 | |
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apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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8
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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14
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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16
outrages
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| 引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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redress
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| n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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enjoined
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| v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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avarice
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| n.贪婪；贪心 | |
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missionaries
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| n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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ingenuous
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| adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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41
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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42
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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43
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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44
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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45
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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47
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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48
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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49
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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