As the sun set, our minds were filled with foreboding;
would the natives attack us that night? The
moon was just at the full. Should the natives prove
treacherous, we felt confident, even with our small supply
of ammunition, that we should be able to hold our
own as long as the ammunition lasted. But, bearing
in mind the small quantity of ammunition we then had,
the number of wounded, and the inexperience of the
majority of our force, we did not look forward with
high hopes to the outcome of such a conflict.
All that night Lieutenant von Hohnel and I took
watch by turns, each watch lasting two hours. While
on watch I sat near the gate of our zeriba in a chair.
Before me stretched a little valley, gleaming in the
moonlight, and surrounded on all sides by hills. In
the immediate neighbourhood of the camp all was
still, save for the tramp of the night-watch outside the
zeriba, and the occasional groan of a wounded man
in his tent; but from behind the hills which surrounded
us, every moment there rang out loud cries,
as if the whole country was up in arms, and engaged
in fiercest conflict.
Motio showed no inclination to sleep, and I whiled
away the weary hours of my watch in conversation
with him. He did not think the natives would attack
that night, but he said: “ There is no doubt about
it; they are getting ready, and in a day or two they
will be upon us. The cries heard echoing from hill
to hill can be explained in but one way: there are
many strangers, young men, warriors, now gathered
together, and encamped in the immediate neighbourhood
of our zeriba. These men, attracted by the
promise of profitable attack upon your caravan, have
brought with them but few supplies; and in order
to satisfy their hunger they are robbing the plantations
in the neighbourhood. The cries are made by
the owners of the plantations, shouting from one to
the other to keep watch against the thieves.”
I asked Motio if he wished to remain with his people.
He said, no; he liked it much better with us.
With us he had no work, and with the exception
of the time spent on the desert he was well fed.
And then he said that I was a great medicine-man
and could, if I willed it, cure him of his disease.
He said he was not afraid to return to his people;
he was perfectly confident that, if I left him there,
I would give him medicine to thwart all their evil
designs against him.
We had really become fond of this man. His confidence
in us was so great, and his willingness to perform
any service we might require of him was so
remarkable, that we came to look upon him almost
as a friend, and lost sight of the fact that the poor
creature was suffering from some disagreeable complaint.
We decided that, should we not be attacked
during the night (in which case our plans would very
much depend upon the outcome of the struggle), we
should set out at early dawn, and endeavour to escape
from the neighbourhood of a people bent upon our
destruction.
A t 4.30 the camp was aroused, and all preparations
made for departure. Shortly after five a thick mist,
like a pall, settled down upon the valley, and effectually
screened us from prying eyes; so that our prep