CHAPTER XXXIV

EXPLANATIONS AND SURPRISES

"NOW, young men," said Van der Wyck. "Having got you out of this mess, perhaps you will tell me how and why you got into it?"

It was close on mid-day. Van der Wyck had "out-spanned" on the edge of the forest. His native "boys" were either jabbering or sleeping, while the horses and oxen browsed before resuming their trek.

Colin related the series of events that led up to their capture by the Makoh'lenga, laying particular stress upon the fact that neither he nor his chum attempted to probe the secrets of the mysterious tribe.

"H'm," ejaculated the Afrikander. "That puts a different construction on things. _Allemachte_, when I heard you were in those fellows' clutches I thought you had neglected my advice and had started to discover things. Almost every kraal within a couple of hundred miles knew of your capture, but the natives have such a wholesome respect for Umkomasi that they dare not give information. I heard the news quite by accident from one of Sibenga's crowd, so I came on straightaway. Luckily I brought every ounce of blasting powder I possessed with me; but it rather spoiled my chances of making a bit out of Umkomasi."

"Have you been long in East Africa?" asked Colin.

"Some weeks," was the reply. "When I left you in Cape Town I meant to go to Mafeking. You see, I had a farm left me by an uncle who died while I was fighting Huns round about this very spot. But somehow I decided to let the farm go a bit, and have a look round the old familiar places before I settled to work. I had an idea of doing a bit of bartering with Umkomasi, who, I think I told you, was in my debt. And I meant to look you up at Kilembonga, so you see I hadn't forgotten you."

For some minutes Colin sat and thought. He wanted to ask Van der Wyck a question, but, somehow, he rather dreaded doing so.

"Better do it," he soliloquised, "and get it off my chest. It'll clear the air."

He still hesitated. Evidently the Afrikander read his thoughts.

"What is bothering you now?" he asked.

"I want to ask you something, and I hardly like to," said Colin. "You might be very annoyed."

"It takes a lot to make me very annoyed," rejoined Van der Wyck. "I'll let you try, anyway. Out with it."

"You don't happen to be known as Jan Groute, do you?" asked Sinclair.

Van der Wyck held his sides, threw back his head, and roared with laughter until the tears came into his eyes.

"_Allemachte!_" he exclaimed, when he was able to regain his speech. "You'll be calling me Ned Kelly, Claude Duval, Deadwood Dick, or even Robin Hood next. No, I've been a good many things in the last twenty-five years, but bush-ranging or train robbery isn't in my line. What made you think that?"

Colin told him.

"It is certainly strange," admitted the Afrikander. "I can give no reason why the chief bandit gave you the go-by in the train. Perhaps he took a fancy to you. And you say your boss, Colonel Narfield, wrote to me?"

"Yes," replied Desmond, "but we know the letter went to the wrong address."

"Shouldn't have got it in any case," observed Van der Wyck, "until I got back to Mafeking. That may be very soon, now; you see, it's not much use digging for gold under five hundred feet of rock. I was hoping to get a little gold from the Makoh'lenga."

"Sorry, it was our fault," said Colin.

"Not at all," declared the Afrikander. "I would not be much of a pal if I hadn't done my best to get you out of a mess. You did the same for me, you'll remember. By the by, what did you do with the swastika?"

"The Makoh'lenga collared it," said Sinclair. "It's buried underneath the rock, unless it was blown to atoms!"

"Wrong again," exclaimed the Afrikander. "You're rather off things in the guessing line just now. Here it is. I took charge of it when I fired Umkomasi and his friends out of the cave."

And once more Colin Sinclair became the possessor of the Amulet of the Makoh'lenga.

* * * * *

"Any news?" asked Farmer Van der Wyck.

Colonel Narfield shook his head.

The native postman had just departed, leaving a batch of correspondence for the owner of Kilembonga. Beyond a few letters from home, posted nine weeks earlier, there was little of interest except a note from District Commissioner Wynyard.

"No," replied the Colonel. "No news of the lads. I'm beginning to fear--here's a line from Wynyard. He's heard nothing, of course, and pooh-poohs the Makoh'lenga theory. He adds the information that Jan Groute and his gang were laid by the heels at Pondogo's Kraal, and they are all snugly under lock and key at Tabora. That's why he hasn't been able to ride over and see us recently. There are some newspapers. One of them is the _Jo'burg Express_. Care to have a look at it?"

The two men entered the living-room. Tenpenny Nail was engaged in laying the table for the evening meal. "Here, you," exclaimed Colonel Narfield, pointing to the table, "what's all this? I have not told you that I was having more friends to supper."

Tenpenny Nail grinned.

"All right, sah!" he replied. "Dey come one-time quick."

"Who?" demanded the Colonel.

"Massa Colin, I 'specks," answered Tenpenny Nail, quietly. "Three white mans an' heap plenty boys. You no make savee, den ask Blue Fly."

"Rot!" exclaimed Colonel Narfield, yet, curious to know how the rumour originated, he went out on to the stoep and called Blue Fly.

Evidently something was in the air, for the Haussas and the East African natives were greatly excited. All declared that Colin and Desmond were on the way to the house.

They seemed so emphatic about it that the Colonel and the old Boer went to the gate and looked down the road. Not a soul was in sight, although the track was clearly visible for at least two miles until it descended the remote sides of a hill.

None of the servants had gone in that direction, and no one had arrived with the exception of the postman, and he had not come from Sibenga's Kraal, but from an entirely opposite quarter.

"Blue Fly, you lying rascal!" exclaimed the Colonel. "You've been drinking."

"Me, no, sah," declared the Haussa emphatically. "Nyagava him tell. No lie, Nyagava."

Nyagava was an East African who worked as a blacksmith on the estate. The Colonel knew from personal observation that he had not been out of the workshops since nine o'clock that morning.

"Tell Nyagava I want him," ordered Colonel Narfield.

But Blue Fly did not move. He was gazing steadfastly down the road.

"Dey come!" he shouted.

Sure enough the top of a white canvas tilt was appearing over the crest of the hill. Then came the leaders of a span of oxen tugging at the heavy, slow-moving vehicle.

"By Jove!" ejaculated the astonished Colonel.

"Your man was right, Colonel Narfield," said the old farmer quietly, as he lowered his binoculars. "There are three white men on the front of the wagon. I can't quite distinguish their faces, but perhaps you might."

He handed his companion the glasses. The Colonel adjusted the focus.

"By all that's wonderful!" he shouted. "It is Colin and Desmond."

Limping slightly, the Colonel went to meet the long-lost ones. Piet Van der Wyck, equally overjoyed, accompanied him, while crowding behind them were dozens and dozens of the Kilembonga employees yelling, dancing, and shouting themselves hoarse.

In the van of this little crush one of the most conspicuous figures was McFrazer, who, throwing aside his usual stolidity, was dancing a Scottish reel with Tenpenny Nail as his awkward but none the less enthusiastic partner.

For the next quarter of an hour Colonel Narfield's words and actions were a trifle confused, while Colin and Tiny were simply overwhelmed with demonstrations of exuberant joy.

"Where's our Van der Wyck?" inquired Colin, at length.

He was missing. So was the old farmer. They were discovered sitting in the wagon, grasping each other's hands.

"My nephew Piet," announced Van der Wyck senior. "I thought he was killed in the war."

"And this is my Uncle Piet," exclaimed the younger Van der Wyck. "I had a letter from Mafeking, while I was serving with Deventer's Column, telling me that he had died. A double blunder. Anyway, it's all right all round now. And Uncle Piet can vouch for it that I'm not Jan Groute," he added with a chuckle.

"No need," rejoined Colonel Narfield. "We know now who Jan Groute is and where he is. But come along. Supper is ready and places laid for you three. How did I know? I didn't. For any further information ask Tenpenny Nail."

* * * * *

Six months later Colin Sinclair and Tiny Desmond embarked at Dar-es-Salaam for Cape Town, _en route_ for England.

"It hasn't been at all a bad stunt," observed Colin, as the African shore faded in the tropical mists.

"We're taking back more than we brought," said Tiny. "It was lucky we struck that big vein before we left Kilembonga."

"Yes," admitted Colin. "Financially we've done very well, but, old man, you've found something better than gold."

"What's that?" asked Tiny.

"Health," replied his chum. "That's the thing that counts all the world over."

THE END

MADE AND PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY PURNELL AND SONS, PAULTON (SOMERSET) AND LONDON

[Transcriber's notes

Some punctuation errors have been corrected without note.

In places the paper version uses italic text. It will be marked with underscores: _italic text_

This book contains a number of misprints. The following misprints have been corrected:

[discursing the music] -> [discoursing the music]

[He fired two in quick] -> [He fired two shots in quick] {The illustration that accompanies this text fragment, shows the correct text}

[for the brink of the precipe.] -> [for the brink of the precipice.]

["'Praps there's a lion] -> ["P'raps there's a lion]

[A few, throwing spears, flew towards them.] -> [A few throwing spears flew towards them.]

[exclaimed Colonel Darfield in] -> [exclaimed Colonel Narfield in]

[robber was Jan Groute'] -> [robber was Jan Groute"]

[Then he pointed with his knob-kerrie] -> [Then he pointed with his knobkerrie] [knobkerrie] appears three times in the text and the former just once and is therefore corrected.

[practically a horizontial position.] -> [practically a horizontal position.]

[extensive fastness] -> [extensive vastness]

[These preparations made the six men] -> [These preparations made, the six men]

Worth mentioning, but not corrected, are:

[Allemachtag] and [Allemachte]: two forms of Afrikaanse words that probably stem from the Dutch word "Allemachtig".

[wilde-beeste] and [wildebeeste]: also Afrikaanse words. Both forms appear only once in this book. Which one is correct is unclear, therefore both are retained.

]