On leaving the banks of the Coanza the caravan1 proceeded due east. Soldiers marched at the head and in the rear, as well as upon the flanks of the troop; any escape of the prisoners, therefore, even if they had not been loaded with their fetters2, would have been utterly3 impossible. They were all driven along without any attempt at order, the havildars using their whips unsparingly upon them whenever they showed signs of flagging. Some poor mothers could be seen carrying two infants, one on each arm, whilst others led by the hand naked children, whose feet were sorely cut by the rough ground over which they had trod.
Ibn Hamish, the Arab who had interfered4 between Dick and the havildar, acted as commander to the caravan, and was here, there, and everywhere; not moved in the least by the sufferings of the captives, but obliged to be attentive5 to the importunities of the soldiers and porters, who were perpetually clamouring for extra rations6, or demanding an immediate7 halt. Loud were the discussions that arose, and the uproar8 became positively9 deafening10 when the quarrelsome voices rose above the shrieks11 of the slaves,
[Illustration: If ever the havildar strolled a few yards away, Bat took the opportunity of murmuring a few words of encouragement to this poor old father.]
many of whom found themselves treading upon soil already stained by the blood of the ranks in front.
No chance again opened for Dick to get any communication with his friends, who had been sent to the van of the procession. Urged on by the whip they continued to march in single file, their heads in the heavy forks. If ever the havildar strolled a few yards away, Bat took the opportunity of murmuring a few words of encouragement to his poor old father, while he tried to pick out the easiest path for him, and to relax the pace to suit his enfeebled limbs. Large tears rolled down old Tom's cheeks when he found that his son's efforts only resulted in bringing down upon his back some sharp cuts of the havildar's whip. Actæon and Austin, subject to hardly less brutality12, followed a few steps behind, but all four could not help feeling envious13 at the luck of Hercules, who might have dangers to encounter, but at least had his liberty.
Immediately upon their capture, Tom had revealed to his companions the fact that they were in Africa, and informing them how they had been betrayed by Harris, made them understand that they had no mercy to expect.
Old Nan had been placed amongst a group of women in the central ranks. She was chained to a young mother with two children, the one at the breast, the other only three years old, and scarcely able to walk. Moved by compassion14, Nan took the little one into her own arms, thus not only saving it from fatigue15, but from the blows it would very likely have received for lagging behind. The mother shed tears of gratitude16, but the weight was almost too much for Nan's strength, and she felt as if she must break down under her self-imposed burden. She thought fondly of little Jack17, and imagining him borne along in the arms of his weary mother, could not help asking herself whether she should ever see him or her kind mistress again.
Far in the rear, Dick could not see the head of the caravan except occasionally, when the ground was rather on the rise. The voices of the agents and drivers, harsh and excited as they were, scarcely roused him from his melancholy18 reflections. His thoughts were not of himself nor of his own sufferings; his whole attention was absorbed in looking for some traces of Mrs. Weldon's progress; if she, too, was being taken to Kazonndé, her route must also lie this way. But he could discover no trace of her having been conducted by this line of march, and could only hope that she was being spared the cruelties which he was himself witnessing.
The forest extended for about twenty miles to the east of the Coanza, but whether it was that the trees had been destroyed by the ravages19 of insects, or broken down before they had made their growth by being trampled20 on by elephants, they were growing much less thickly than in the immediate vicinity of the river. There were numbers of cotton-trees, seven or eight feet high, from which are manufactured the black-and-white striped stuffs that are worn in the interior of the province; but, upon the whole, progress was not much impeded21 either by shrubs22 or underwood. Occasionally the caravan plunged23 into jungles of reeds like bamboos, their stalks an inch in diameter, so tall that only an elephant or giraffe could have reared above them, and through which none excepting such as had a very intimate knowledge of the country could possibly have made their way.
Starting every morning at daybreak they marched till noon, when an hour's halt was made. Packets of manioc were then unfastened, and doled24 out in sparing quantities among the slaves; sometimes, when the soldiers had plundered25 some village, a little goat's flesh or some sweet potatoes were added to the meal; but generally the fatigue, aggravated26 by inadequate27 rest, took away the appetite, and when meal-time arrived many of the slaves could hardly eat at all. During the first eight days' march from the Coanza no less than twenty unfortunate wretches28 had fallen upon the road, and had been left behind, a prey29 to the lions, panthers, and leopards30 that prowled in the wake. As Dick heard their roars in the stillness of the night, he trembled as he thought of Hercules. Nevertheless, had the opportunity offered itself, he would not for a moment have hesitated in making his own escape to the wilderness31.
[Illustration: The caravan had been attacked on the flank by a dozen or more crocodiles.]
The two hundred and fifty miles between the river and Kazonndé were accomplished32 in what the traders call marches of ten miles each, including the halts at night and midday. The journey cannot be better described than by a few rough notes that Dick Sands made upon his way.
April 25th.-Saw a village surrounded with bamboo palisading, eight or nine feet high. Fields round planted with maize33, beans, and sorghum34. Two negroes captured, fifteen killed, rest took to flight.
26th.-Crossed a torrent35 150 yards wide. Bridge formed of trunks of trees and creepers. Piles nearly gave way; two women fastened to a fork; one of them, carrying a baby, fell into the water. Water quickly tinged36 with blood; crocodiles seen under bridge; risk of stepping into their very jaws37.
28th.-Crossed a forest of bauhinias; great trees, the iron-wood of the Portuguese38. Heavy rain; ground sodden39; marching difficult. Caught sight of Nan in the middle of caravan; she was toiling40 along with a black child in her arms; the woman with her limping, and blood trickling41 from her shoulder.
29th.-Camp at night under a huge baobab, with white flowers and light green leaves. Lions and leopards roaring all night. A soldier fired at a panther. What has become of Hercules?
30th.-Rainy season said to be over till November. First touch of African winter. Dew very heavy. Plains all flooded. Easterly winds: difficulty of respiration42; susceptibility to fever. No trace of Mrs. Weldon; cannot tell whether she is ahead. Fear Jack may have a return of fever.
May 5th.-Forced to march several stages across flooded plains, water up to the waist; many leeches43 sticking to the skin. Lotus and papyrus44 upon higher ground. Great heavy leaves, like cabbages, beneath the water, make many stumble as they walk. Saw large numbers of little fish, silurus-species; these are caught by the natives, and sold to the caravans45.
7th.-Plain still inundated46. Last night, no halting-place to be found. Marched on through the darkness. Great misery47. Except for Mrs. Weldon, life not worth having; for her sake must hold out. Loud cries heard. Saw, by the lightning, soldiers breaking large boughs48 from the resinous49 trees that emerged from the water. The caravan had been attacked on the flank by a dozen or more crocodiles; women and children seized and carried off to what Livingstone calls their "pasture-lands," the holes where they deposit their prey until it is decomposed50. Myself grazed by the scales of one of them. A slave close beside me torn out of the fork, which was snapped in half. How the poor fellow's cry of agony rings in my ear! This morning, twenty missing. Tom and the others, thank God! are still alive. They are on in front. Once Bat made a sharp turn, and Tom caught sight of me. Nothing to be seen of Nan; was she, poor creature, one of those that the crocodiles had got?
8th.-After twenty-four hours in the water we have crossed the plain. We have halted on a hill. The sun helps to dry us. Nothing to eat except a little manioc and a few handfuls of maize. Only muddy water to drink. Impossible for Mrs. Weldon to survive these hardships; I hope from my heart that she has been taken some other way. Small-pox has broken out in the caravan; those that have it are to be left behind.
9th.-Started at dawn. No stragglers allowed; sick and weary must be kept together by havildars' whip; the losses were considerable. Living skeletons all round. Rejoiced once more to catch sight of Nan. She was not carrying the child any longer; she was alone; the chain was round her waist, but she had the loose end thrown over her shoulder. I got close to her; suppose I am altered, as she did not know me. After I had called her by name several times she stared at me, and at last said, "Ah, Mr. Dick, is it you? you will not see me here much longer" Her cadaverous look pained my very soul, but I tried to speak hopefully. Poor Nan shook her head. "I shall never see my dear mistress again; no, nor master Jack; I
shall soon die. "Anxious to help her, I would gladly have carried the end of the chain which she had been obliged to bear because her fellow-prisoner was dead. A rough hand was soon upon my shoulder; a cruel lash52 had made Nan retreat to the general crowd, whilst, at the bidding of an Arab chief, I was hustled53 back to the very hindmost rank of the procession. I overheard the word Negoro, in a way that convinced me that it is under the direction of the Portuguese that I am subject to this hard indignity54.
11th.-Last night encamped under some large trees on the skirts of a forest. Several escaped prisoners recaptured; their punishment barbarously cruel. Loud roaring of lions and hyenas55 heard at nightfall, also snorting of hippopotamuses56; probably some lake or water-course not far off. Tired, but could not sleep; heard a rustling57 in the grass; felt sure that something was going to attack me; what could I do? I had no gun. For Mrs. Weldon's sake, must, if possible, preserve my life. The night was dark; no moon; two eyes gleamed upon me; I was about to utter a cry of alarm; fortunately, I suppressed it; the creature that had sprung to my feet was Dingo! The dog licked my hands all over, persisting in rubbing his neck against them, evidently to make me feel there; found a reed fastened to the well-known collar upon which the initials S.V. had so often awakened58 our curiosity; breaking open the reed, I took a note from inside; it was too dark for me to see to read it. I tried, by caressing59 Dingo, to detain him; but the dog appeared to know that his mission with me was at an end; he licked my hands affectionately, made a sudden bound, and disappeared in the long grass as mysteriously as he had come. The howling of the wild beasts increased. How I dreaded60 that the faithful creature would become their prey! No more sleep this night for me. It seemed that daylight would never dawn; at length it broke with the suddenness that marks a tropical morn. I was able cautiously to read my note; the handwriting, I knew at a glance, was that of Hercules; there were but a few lines in pencil:-
"Mrs. Weldon and Jack carried away in a kitanda.
Harris and Negoro both with them. Mr. Benedict too. Only a few marches ahead, but cannot be communicated with at present. Found Dingo wounded by a gun-shot. Dear Mr. Dick, do not despair; keep up your courage. I may help you yet.
"Your ever true and faithful
"HERCULES."
As far as it went, this intelligence was satisfactory. A kitanda, I know, is a kind of litter made of dry grass, protected by a curtain, and carried on the shoulders of two men by a long bamboo. What a relief to know that Mrs. Weldon and Jack have been spared the miseries61 of this dreadful march! May I not indulge the hope of seeing them at Kazonndé?
12th.-The prisoners getting more and more weary and worn out. Blood-stains on the way still more conspicuous62. Many poor wretches are a mass of wounds. One poor woman for two days has carried her dead child, from which she refuses to be parted.
l6th.-Small-pox raging; the road strewn with corpses63. Still ten days before we reach Kazonndé. Just passed a tree from which slaves who had died from hunger were hanging by the neck.
18th.-Must not give in, but I am almost exhausted65. Rains have ceased. We are to make what the dealers66 call trikesa, extra marches in the after-part of the day. Road very steep; runs through nyassi, tall grass of which the stalks scratch my face, and the seeds get under my tattered67 clothes and make my skin smart painfully. My boots fortunately are thick, and have not worn out. More slaves sick and abandoned to take their chance. Provisions running very short; soldiers and pagazis must be satisfied, otherwise they desert; consequently the slaves are all but starved. "They can eat each other," say the agents. A young slave, apparently68 in good health, dropped down dead. It made me think of Livingstone's description of how free-born men, reduced to slavery, will suddenly press their hand on their side, and die of a broken heart.
[Illustration: More slaves sick, and abandoned to take their chance.]
24th.-Twenty captives, incapable69 any longer of keeping pace with the rest, put to death by the havildars, the Arab chief offering no opposition70. Poor old Nan one of the victims of this horrible butchery. My foot struck her corpse64 as I passed, but I was not permitted to give her a decent burial. Poor old Nan! the first of the survivors71 of the "Pilgrim" to go to her long rest! Poor old Nan!
Every night I watch for Dingo; but he never comes. Has Hercules nothing more to communicate? or has any mishap72 befallen him? If he is alive he will do what mortal strength can do to aid us.
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1
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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fetters
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| n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 )；束缚v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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doled
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| 救济物( dole的过去式和过去分词 )； 失业救济金 | |
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plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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leopards
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| n.豹( leopard的名词复数 )；本性难移 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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maize
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| n.玉米 | |
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sorghum
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| n.高粱属的植物，高粱糖浆，甜得发腻的东西 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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40
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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41
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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42
respiration
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| n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用 | |
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43
leeches
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| n.水蛭( leech的名词复数 )；蚂蟥；榨取他人脂膏者；医生 | |
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44
papyrus
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| n.古以纸草制成之纸 | |
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45
caravans
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| （可供居住的）拖车（通常由机动车拖行）( caravan的名词复数 )； 篷车； （穿过沙漠地带的）旅行队（如商队） | |
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46
inundated
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| v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付 | |
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47
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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48
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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resinous
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| adj.树脂的，树脂质的，树脂制的 | |
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decomposed
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| 已分解的，已腐烂的 | |
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caption
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| n.说明，字幕，标题；v.加上标题，加上说明 | |
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52
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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53
hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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indignity
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| n.侮辱，伤害尊严，轻蔑 | |
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55
hyenas
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| n.鬣狗( hyena的名词复数 ) | |
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hippopotamuses
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| n.河马（产于非洲）( hippopotamus的名词复数 ) | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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61
miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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71
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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72
mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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