Presently the poor, starved “Totty” arrived, and throwing himself down, begged for food. A cold shoulder of buck was given to him, which he devoured, holding it in both hands and tearing off great lumps of flesh with his teeth like a wild beast.
When at last he was satisfied, Marais, who had come up with the other Boers, asked him whence he came and what was his news of his master.
“Out of the bush,” he answered, “and my news of the baas is that he is dead. At least, I left him so ill that I suppose he must be dead by now.”
“Why did you leave him if he was ill?” asked Marais.
“Because he told me to, baas, that I might find help, for we were starving, having fired our last bullet.”
“Is he alone, then?”
“Yes, yes, except for the wild beasts and the vultures. A lion ate the other man, his servant, a long while ago.”
“How far is he off?” asked Marais again.
“Oh, baas, about five hours’ journey on horseback on a good road.” (This would be some thirty-five miles.)
Then he told this story: Pereira with his two Hottentot servants, he mounted and they on foot, had traversed about a hundred miles of rough country in safety, when at night a lion killed and carried off one of the Hottentots, and frightened away the horse, which was never seen again. Pereira and Klaus proceeded on foot till they came to a great river, on the banks of which they met some Kaffirs, who appear to have been Zulus on outpost duty. These men demanded their guns and ammunition to take to their king, and, on Pereira refusing to give them up, said that they would kill them both in the morning after they had made him instruct them in the use of the guns by beating him with sticks.