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Updated: June 8, 2025
I however must, at all events, remain here some days, for I have lost two horses on the journey, and my faithful follower, Vermack, has been so severely injured by a lion, narrowly escaping with his life, that he is at present utterly unable to travel, though he declares he shall be as soon as I am prepared to start.
"There's no time to be lost, sir," he said to his father. "We must get into the fort and haul up the drawbridge, or we shall have a number of those fellows upon us." Captain Broderick, seeing the importance of this advice, called out to Vermack and the Kaffir, to drive up the horses. The whole party then hurried on as fast as they could move towards the farm.
He will understand what is meant if I fire a musket." "By all means," said Captain Broderick. "Fire a second if they do not attend to the first signal." Percy fired as he proposed. Directly afterwards Rupert and Vermack were seen, accompanied by two of the herdsmen, who were flourishing their whips and leaping from side to side to urge on the still lagging animals.
At last, Captain Broderick resolved to send out a couple of trusty men in the direction it was supposed Hendricks would come. One of these, Conrad Vermack by name, whose chief characteristic was his intense hatred of the Zulus, had at one time possessed a farm of his own, but it had been destroyed by the savages while he was absent on a hunting expedition.
The garrison were beginning to get worn out with watching, although they had to make no great exertions in other respects. "I suppose we shall have another night's useless watching," observed Crawford; "I don't believe that the Zulus will venture to attack the fort." "Don't trust to that belief, Mr Crawford," said Vermack.
"What would be the use of immortalising our names if we were all to be killed?" "I don't mean that we should be killed," said Percy. "My idea is that we should drive them back defeated and discomfited. I confess that I should like to have old Vermack and a few of our other men to follow up the enemy. Depend upon it, they would give a good account of all they caught sight of.
They appeared not to be aware of their danger until the bullets came flying about their ears, when turning tail they ran off as fast as they had before been going in an opposite direction, and Vermack drove his panting steeds up to the drawbridge. They were quickly over, bringing in a considerable load of grass. Captain Broderick descended to thank Crawford for the service he had rendered.
"We will see to that," answered Vermack with a grin, as he tapped the lock of his rifle. The other men, in various tones, responded to the same effect.
They made their way over the drawbridge to the spot where the boat was concealed, and pulled across to the opposite bank, towards which the horsemen came galloping at full speed. "Why, there's our friend Crawford," cried Denis, "and there are Umgolo, old Vermack, and Matyana. They'll bring us news, I hope, of Hendricks and Lionel."
Denis had bestowed Raff as a parting gift on Percy, who had taken the dog up with him. For some time Raff lay perfectly still, but at length he rose from his recumbent position, and began to move away to the right side of the fort. Percy observing this followed him, and on his way he found Vermack going in the same direction.
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