the days of my life-第42章

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　to　float；　but　the　brave　Kaffirs　hung　on；　although　they　were　up　to　their　arm…pits　and　could　scarcely　stand。　Gibbs　wailed　softly　in　the　background　and　clasped　Bob　to　her　breast。　There　were　a　few　fearful　moments　of　doubt；　then；　thank　God！　the　horses　got　their　feet　again；　and　we　dragged　through；　damp　but　safe；　and　slept　that　night　in　fort　in　the　inn。
Such　were　some　of　the　incidents　of　that　extremely　arduous　journey。　At　length　we　reached　Newcastle　safe　and　sound；　and　drove　out　to　our　house　on　the　farm　Rooipoint；　about　a　mile　and　a　half　from　the　town。　This　house；　which　was　named　Hilldrop　（the　Mooifontein　of　“Jess；”　where　it　is　actually　described）；　was　and　no　doubt　still　is　a　very　pretty　place；　built　by　Osborn　for　himself　when　he　was　Resident　Magistrate　at　Newcastle。　It　is　backed　by　a　rocky　hill；　and　its　broad　verandah　mands　a　wide　and　charming　view。　Round　about　it　stood　orange　trees　—　I　believe　these　died　after　we　left　—　and　to　the　right　was　a　plantation　of　black　wattles。　For　a　colonial　dwelling　it　was　spacious；　having　a　good　drawing…room；　and　altogether　the　home　was　one　where　English　folk　could　live　in　decency　and　fort。　Moreover　our　furniture　had　arrived；　and　for　the　most　part　had　been　arranged　by　the　indefatigable　Cochrane　—　“that　man　who　calls　himself　Mr。　Cochrane；”　as　Gibbs　once　described　him　after　some　difficulty　which　interfered　with　her　fort。
I　wish　I　could　remember　more　of　the　sayings　of　Gibbs；　for　they　were　worthy　of　preservation。　Only　one　returns　to　my　mind；　however。　It　was　after　our　flight　before　the　thunderstorm；　a　terrific　thunderstorm；　I　admit；　which　had　reduced　Gibbs　to　a　perfect　jelly　of　terror。
“Don’t　be　so　foolish；　Gibbs；”　said　my　wife；　“and　make　an　exhibition　of　yourself。　Look　at　me；　I’m　not　frightened。”
“No；　ma’am；　I　see　you　ain’t；”　answered　the　gasping　Gibbs；　“and　I　tell　you　straight　I　don’t　call　it　ladylike！”
In　short；　by　contrast　with　all　we　had　undergone；　the　place　seemed　a　perfect　haven　of　rest。　This；　however；　it　was　not　destined　to　remain　for　long。　First　there　were　the　refugees；　some　of　them　people　I　had　known　in　the　Transvaal；　who　came　with　their　tales　of　woe　and　ruin；　asking　for　shelter　which　we　were　unable　to　give。　Then；　to　our　dismay；　we　learned　that　on　the　very　day　of　our　arrival　Colley　had　moved　out　to　attack　the　Nek。
Two　days　later　we　heard　the　sound　of　firing；　and　getting　back　to　Hilldrop　I　received　the　following　note　from　Beaumont；　the　Resident　Magistrate　of　Newcastle；　who　was　an　old　friend　of　mine；　now　one　of　the　Natal　judges。
28_1_81。
I　am　sorry　to　say　the　troops　failed　this　morning　in　their　attack　on　the　“Nek”　and　had　to　retire　to　their　waggon　laager；　after　heavy　loss。　We　have　no　further　particulars。　I　do　not　think　that　Newcastle　is　in　any　danger。　The　signal　for　alarm　in　town　is　a　bell；　but　should　I　think　there　is　any　occasion　for　it　I　will　send　out　a　runner　to　warn　you。　I　wish　I　could　give　you　a　wele　under　better　circumstances；　but　we　must　make　the　best　of　things。　With　my　kindest　regards　to　Mrs。　Haggard；　upon　whom　I　hope　Mrs。　Beaumont　will　soon　be　able　to　call　。　。　。　。
W。　H。　Beaumont。
On　the　following　day；　January　30；　I　wrote　a　letter　to　my　father；　which　I　have　just　recovered　with　the　others。
You　will　see　from　the　address　that　we　have　reached　this　in　safety　after　a　rather　difficult　journey　owing　to　the　villainous　state　of　the　roads。　Old　Gibbs　shot　straight　out　of　the　carriage　twice　but　came　to　no　harm。　Louie　is　well　and　expressed　herself　very　pleased　with　the　place。　。　。　。　We　have　e　out　in　very　troublous　times。　When　for　various　reasons　we　made　up　our　minds　to　e　up…country；　Newcastle　was　looked　upon　as　one　of　the　safest　places　in　the　Colony；　owing　to　the　large　body　of　troops　concentrated　there。　Nobody　dreamed　that　Sir　George　Colley　could　be　mad　enough　to　try　and　force　the　passes　with　such　a　handful　of　men；　and　I　believe　he　was　again　and　again　warned　of　its　impossibility。　However；　the　day　we　got　here　he　started；　and　a　few　evenings　afterwards　we　heard　the　guns　going　on　the　mountains。　Next　came　the　intelligence　that　we　had　met　with　a　crushing　repulse。　It　appears　that　the　Boers　beat　the　troops　back　without　difficulty；　and　from　what　I　can　judge　it　will　take　5000　men　and　a　great　expenditure　of　life　to　force　their　position。　Nearly　all　the　officers　actually　engaged　were　killed；　including　poor　young　Elwes　（Norfolk）　whom　I　sat　next　to　at　dinner　the　other　night。　He　was　talking　to　me　about　you；　and　said　that　he　saw　you　the　other　day　at　Lynn　station　talking　to　the　barmaid。　It　is　all　very　sad。　I　do　not　think　that　this　place　is　in　danger；　but　still　these　are　anxious　times　for　us　all。　Our　men　have　retreated　into　laager　near　the　top　of　the　mountain；　and　the　Boers　are　in　laager　on　the　top。　When　the　reinforcements　e　there　will　be　a　fearful　engagement　and　many　officers　will　be　picked　off。　All　the　Boers　are　in　rifle　pits　behind　stone　walls。　I　think　they　will　have　to　send　more　troops。
We　have　got　all　our　things　up　here　safely　and　have　made　the　place　quite　pretty；　but　somehow　one　can　take　no　pleasure　in　anything　just　now　with　blood　being　shed　like　water　all　round。　Every　time　one　sees　a　Kaffir　runner　ing　to　the　house　one　feels　anxious　lest　he　should　be　the　announcer　of　some　fresh　evil。　。　。　。　We　will　send　you　a　longer　letter　in　a　mail　or　two；　but　just　now　we　are　head　over　ears　in　work　arranging　the　house；　etc。　And　now　good…bye。　With　best　love　from　us　both　to　all　at　home；
Believe　me　ever
Your　most　affectionate　and　dutiful　son；
H。　Rider　Haggard。
Such　was　our　house…warming　at　Hilldrop。
On　February　8th　about　midday　once　more　we　heard　the　guns　at　work　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　hill　Scheins　Hoogte；　about　eleven　miles　from　our　farm。　The　firing　was　very　heavy；　that　of　the　field…pieces　being　almost　unceasing；　as　was　the　crash　and　roll　of　the　rifles。　At　dusk　it　died　away。　Some　Kaffirs　came　to　Hilldrop　and　told　us　that　a　force　of　British　soldiers　were　surrounded　on　a　hill　in　the　Ingogo　River；　that　they　were　fighting　well；　but　that　“their　arms　were　tired。”　The　Kaffirs　added　that　they　would　all　be　killed　during　the　night。
I　have　told　the　story　of　Ingogo　in　“Cetewayo　and　his　White　Neighbours；”　and　I　cannot　tell　it　again；　indeed；　I　have　no　heart　to　do　so。　It　was　a　miserable　and　an　aimless　business；　as　we　heard　of　it　from　the　lips　of　the　survivors。
After　the　Ingogo　defeat；　when　the　wounded　were　left　lying　on　the　ground　through　the　raging　African　night；　the　Boers　invaded　Natal。　One　night；　in　the　stillness；　I　heard　the　galloping　of　a　vast　number　of　horses。　Some　five　hundred　of　the　enemy　had　taken　possession　of　the　next　farm　to　our　own；　which　they　looted。　The　Boers　had　descended　into　Natal；　in　order　to　attack　the　reinforcements。　We　colonists　saw　a　chance；　a　desperate　chance　it　is　true；　of　cutting　them　off；　or　at　any　rate　of　inflicting　great　damager　upon　them。　A　number　of　us　congregated　at　Newcastle　with　the　idea　of　forming　a　volunteer　corps。　I　was　very　doubtful　whether　I　ought　to　join；　seeing　what　were　my　family　responsibilities。　I　remember　my　young　wife　ing　out　of　the　house　into　the　garden；　where　some　of　us　were　talking　over　the　matter；　and　saying；　“Don’t　consider　me。　Do　what　you　think　your　duty。　I’ll　take　my　chance。”
Never　did　I　admire　any　woman　more　than　I　did　her　upon　that　occasion。　In　all　the　circumstances　which　in　her　case　included　the　imminent　birth　of　a　child；　I　thought　and　think　her　conduct　in　this　matter；　and　indeed　throughout　all　these　troubles；　little　less　than　heroic。　But　of　such　stuff　is　she　made。
As　it　chanced；　however；　this　particular　adventure　came　to　nothing。　The　authorities　got　wind　of　it；　and　if　I　recollect　right；　my　friend　Beaumont　the　Magistrate　arrived　on　the　scene　with　a　message　from　the　Government　at　Maritzburg　or　elsewhere　to　the　effect　that　our　proposed　attack　on　the　Boers　was　forbidden；　and　that　if　we　insisted　on　carrying　it　out　we　should　be　repudiated；　that　our　wounded　would　be　left　to　lie　where　they　fell；　and　that　if　the　Boers　chose　to　shoot　any　of　us　whom　they　took　prisoner　no　remonstrance　would　be　made；　and　so　forth　and　so　forth。　It　was　a　peculiar　errand　that　he　had　to　perform；　but　the　British　lion　was　a　humble　animal　in　those　days；　its　tail　was　tucked　very　tightly　between　its　legs。　Also　the　authorities　were　naturally　anxious　to　prevent　the　war　from　spreading　to　t