An Essay on Tides
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The Tides Of War Pt. 10 free porn video
Chapter 37
The Crater settled into a routine, the months passed into years. Susan gave birth to a son christened Guy Ramage.
Martin and Jill had a daughter the same year, Barbara.
Sulkie and Tana had foals, and Zeus was trained to the saddle.
By the start of 1899 there were over 260 horses and foals out in the crater, and over 300 cattle and calves.
People from the surrounding area would come to buy horses or cattle, mainly the Jersey’s for their own dairy needs.
Susan had started a school, where her son and Barbara along with the children off the Gurkhas and Matabele came to be educated. Jill and Martin helped out by taking some off the lessons.
But whilst everything in the Crater prospered out in the world, there were rumblings of war.
The gold that had been discovered at Whittwaterrand, in the Transvaal, and diamonds at Kimberly, resulting in a gold and diamond rush into the Boer held lands.
President Paul Kruger, tried to stem the tide off foreigners now entering his country by imposing conditions and taxes.
The situation had reached a state where there were more foreigners than Boers living in the Transvaal.
The British Government had been content to let the Boers of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, look after themselves after the disaster of the 91 war. But the discovery of gold and diamonds in such large quantities changed their views.
In the bars of Nairobi views differed, dependant on whether you were a native white off East Africa or a newly arrived farmer from England.
Stanley summed it up when an argument had flared up in the bar one day.
‘I know the Boers, I’ve lived with them, and fought with them in the Zulu wars. Their farmers and ranchers, they don’t want their country ripped up by get rich quick merchants, and then leave when it’s all gone.
Their all God fearing men, who will defend their land with the last drop of their blood, has all you farmers would do, if someone tried to take your lands.
‘So you agree with them’ someone in the crowd yelled.
Stanley looked sadly at them.
‘I left England when I was 17 years old. My parents had 9 children, 5 died before they were four years old, and my parents died of cholera from polluted water. So I ran away, and landed up here. But although I’m English by birth, I’m White African by choice, this land has been good to me and my family. So yes, I would defend my way of life. All I will say is, if England is so good why are you here?’
His comments left the bar in silence.
Later David asked Stanley if he thought there would be a war.
Stanley nodded ‘The bankers can smell money, they’ll push the Boers into it. They tried once before in 91 and got a bloody nose, which they seem to have forgotten. But they won’t be up against spears this time, as they have had in other colonial wars. And the poor bloody British soldier won’t know what’s hit him. It won’t be fought like the Crimea or Waterloo.
But by men who know every inch off the land their fighting over, each man a marksman and expert rider. Oh the British will win, but thousands will die before hand.’
David rode back to the crater deep in thought.
That night sat out on the stoop with Martin and Jill he talked about what had been said.
Martin puffed on his pipe before replying ‘Six years ago I had never thought off Africa has such. But now I regard it has my home, for me and my family’
The girls nodded, Susan looked at David ‘would you go to fight?’
He sat still, thinking before replying, ‘If I was still a serving soldier I’d go because I was ordered too. Has an officer I never thought beyond the next order. But Kana taught me to think beyond orders, to view the bigger picture.
The politics that create, the orders.
Britain is a greedy bully, the Empire is founded on greed. It would be understandable if that greed benefited the nation has a whole, but sadly it doesn’t.
Eight tenths off the wealth off the country is controlled by less than two tenths of the population. You only have to see the poverty off the working classes in the inner cities to realise that. So to answer you darling, I would not fight for a bully.’
The other three looked at him and nodded in agreement.
They heard the news at the start off November. Kruger had declared war with Britain, news slowly filtered up to East Africa,
The Boers off the Transvaal and the Orange Free State had successfully besieged Mafeking, Ladysmith, and Kimberly.
A relief column under General Sir Redvres Henry Buller had been dispatched to break the besieged towns.
‘It will all be over now’ one of the farmers said in the bar.
He was sat with Stanley and John another professional hunter.
‘But for who?’ Stanley murmured.
Martin brought the newspapers he had bought in Nairobi, the English ones were a month old, but he also had papers published in Capetown.
They presented grim reading.
A number of battles had been fought, the Boers winning most of them it seemed, although the papers were careful not to say has much. Rather that the Army had made strategic withdrawals, but the casualty figures presented a different story. Over 3000 men had lost their lives or wounded. Lord Roberts had replaced Buller, and fresh troops were being sent from England.
In the bar in Nairobi the talk was all about the war.
One off the railway porters was telling of a story he had heard in Mombasa from a seaman from one off the ships.
‘They brought the wounded on to the ship to take them home’ he explained, ‘The seaman said the soldiers were angry at the Officers. It seemed there had been a number of blunders. In one battle outside off Kimberly the General had ordered the men to move forward in column during the night. Most of them were from the Scottish Regiments. The troops stumbled into wire that alerted the Boers. They opened fire at 400 yards from trenches dug into the base off the hill. They had Mauser rifles he said, over 700 were cut down in less than five minutes.
The survivors were trapped out in the open for over nine hours being picked off. In the end a lot of them just ran.
At another battle at Colenso, they did the same thing again trying to cross the river. Buller was in charge. The men marched has if they were on parade. The horse artillery dismounted on one side off the river. The Boers let them set up the guns, then opened fire from the other side off the river at less than 500 yards, with those Mauser rifles they didn’t miss, the seaman had said. Most off the artillerymen were killed or wounded, Buller sent more men to try to bring back the guns. That’s when Lord Robert’s son was killed. They lost fourteen guns to the Boers that day, along with over 1500 men killed or wounded.
Then at Spion Kopp, the army moved to take a hill at night, they advanced in mist, when they got to the top they tried to dig in, but the ground was too stony and all they could do was create a shallow hole about eighteen inches deep.
But when the sun came up they realised they wasn’t at the top at all, and the Boers were looking down on them. It was a massacre one off the wounded told the seaman. If you moved you were dead, most off those killed were shot through the head.’
David was sat at a table with Stanley, John and Ray listening, after the railway man had finished talking,
Stanley shrugged his shoulders, ‘The Army is learning off a new way off fighting, or at least it should do.’
‘You’ve fought with them Stanley, what are they like?’ Ray asked.
‘I rode with a commando, during the Zulu war. A commando is raised from local communities, comprising off men between the ages off fifteen and sixty. They elect their own officers.
Each man brings his own rifle and horse. These men are trained from the age off ten to fire a
nd ride a horse.
The boys are sent out to hunt at an early age, they learn how to use the country for concealment, to shoot knowing that the first shot must kill or scare away the game. By the time they are fifteen they are all crack shots and able to live off the land.
Most know nothing off Waterloo or the Crimea and the set pieces used by the army.
They have an ability to look a piece of land and know instinctively how best to defend or attack from it. Something the British High Command has yet to learn.’
‘I’ve heard Kruger bought not only Mauser rifles but Krupp field guns and Nothenfelt quick firers, all modern weapons,’ Ray added.
‘There’ll need them, in the days ahead’ David murmured.
‘Why do you say that David?’ Stanley asked.
‘The British public will scream for vengeance, they won’t care about them invading the country now. They’ll only care that British soldiers have died. The Government will flood South Africa with troops now.’
Chapter 38
The war dragged on into its second year, the besieged towns were liberated at a high cost of life. The war developed into hit and run by the Boers up against nearly 200,000 British and Dominion soldiers.
A knock on effect off the war was beef prices rocketed, and David was sending thirty head off cattle every three weeks to Mombasa for shipment down to Cape Town.
By the end of the second year, the British changed their tactics to that off the Boers, using mounted infantry and cavalry. Horses were needed, the ones sent out from England suffered by not being allowed to acclimatise to the African weather or fell fowl off AHD. Thousands died within a few short weeks.
Then one afternoon, a cart bearing a British Major and a civilian drew up at David’s house. David was standing on the stoop watching them has the portly Major climbed from the cart. He waited until they stood at the bottom off the steps leading up to the house. The Major brushed the dust from his uniform before addressing David.
‘Good day Sir, I’m Major Bambridge of Her Majesty’s Procurement division, and I’m here to buy your horses.’
David smiled, ‘Good day Major, I’m Colonel Ramage retired, and just how many horses do you need?’
The Major’s face flushed at the mention of David’s rank, he puffed out his chest before continuing, ‘Colonel, I’m entrusted to pay £30 a head for all your horses.’
There were over 300 horses grazing out in the pasture, many with foals.
David smiled sweetly.
‘There not all for sale Major, but I can let you have 100 at £100 each, and I will select them.’
The Majors face went red, ‘That’s extortionate,’ he growled, ‘These horses are needed for Her Majesties Army fighting the Boers.’
‘Major that is the price, take it or leave it. There all have been salted and the ones I select are broken to the saddle. You won’t find better horses, and that’s why the price is £100.’
The Major looked daggers at David ‘You would make a profit whist your fellow countrymen are dying for you,’ he shouted.
David’s face went white, ‘Major that is a fair price, which if you knew your job you would know. Has for my fellow countrymen dyeing for me. I would say rather they are dyeing due to the incompetence off their officers and the greed off Her Majesties Government, I wish you a good day Sir,’ he said turning on his heel and entered the house slamming the door behind him.
He watched from the window has they climbed back on the cart and drove back down the track.
Three days later the civilian returned, David met him on the stoop again. The man dismounted from the cart and approached the steps.
‘Colonel Ramage, I’m here to apologise for Major Bambridge outburst the other day. You have to forgive him he is newly arrived from England and assumer’s everyone is in agreement with this war. Never the less we do need those horses and I will pay your price for them, on condition you will deliver them to the marshalling yards in Nairobi.’
‘I’m sorry Sir’ David replied, ‘but I don’t know your name.’
‘Forgive me I’m being remiss, the name is Jackson, Lionel Jackson, and I’m a senior representative off the Imperial East African Company.’
David smiled ‘Well Mr Jackson perhaps you would care to take refreshment whilst we discuss payment.’
Mr Jackson settled into the cane chair and took a sip off an excellent malt scotch. On the cane table between them laid a cheque for £10,000.
‘All the horses will be between four and five years old, they have, as I said on your last visit, all have been salted and broken to the saddle.’ David informed him.
Jackson nodded his head, but his eyes were looking down over the Crater.
‘This really is magnificent land you own Colonel ideal for raising livestock,’ he murmured.
David nodded agreeing, ‘its only problem is it’s off the beaten track somewhat.’
‘Some, would think that an advantage,’ Jackson replied.
David nodded ‘The main problem is news, it’s always a month behind.’
‘We get regular updates in the Mombasa office, regarding the war. Roberts has brought Kitchener into it now.
He’s adopting Boer tactics, hence the reason for the horses. But he’s proving to be quite ruthless in his treatment off the Boer civilian population. Farms owned by active Boers in the field are being put to the torch, their fields salted and the wells poisoned and their animals slaughtered. But the most distressing aspect off his strategy is the rounding up off the women and children, the old and infirmed, and putting them into detention camps.’
‘All off which means the Boer commandoes are still a force to be reckoned with’ David replied.
‘It’s creating rumbling in Parliament back home. The treatment off a Christensen people in this manner, is not seen has being cricket, by a number of senior politicians.
But the main concern is the cost off the war, it’s now running into millions.’
David sighed ‘They want this war over quick, which means it will get more ruthless and dirty. Something foreign powers like Germany and Russia will be quick to condemn. Britain will be held up on the world stage has a tyrant.’
Jackson nodded his head ‘That’s already happening I’m afraid.’
David watched has Mr Jackson’s cart descended down to the entrance, before turning and entering the house. Without Susan and the children it seemed empty, she along with Martin and Jill and their children had left for England two months earlier, Martin’s father Jack had died, and Martin was mentioned in the will.
Patar came into the room, ‘I saw the man who came with the British Major leaving’ he murmured.
David nodded, ‘he’s bought a hundred head, off 4 and 5 year olds broken to the saddle. I’ll leave it to you to select them’ he murmured.
Patar smiled ‘No problem David, I’ll start at once, I need to separate the mares in foal, and at the last count we had sixty three.’
‘Stanley Owen wants a stallion for his son Brian’s birthday, sort him out a good one please Patar’ David replied, has Patar left.
David felt restless and slightly bored, the crater practically ran its self, in that the Gurkhas saw to the welfare off the horses, whilst the Matabele looked after the cattle. The wives off the Gurkhas saw to the dairy herd, and two had become assistants to Susan in the aid centre.
He smiled remembering them, they copied Susan in wearing trousers, and in fact the rest of them had adopted western dress too. It was rare to see them now in saris.
He stopped and took out the .275 from the gun cabinet, and a handful off cartridges from the drawer.
Outside he told Hanga to saddle Kahn, Kahn was getting on in age now, but always ready for a ride with David.
David told Hanga to prepare his saddlebags for two or three days ‘I’m going to hunt for the pot Hanga, I’ll go and see if N’debi is free. Have it ready for when I get ba
ck’
He rode slowly looking out down the Crater, three or four Gurkhas along with Patar were rounding up some off the horses, some off the children standing on the paddocks watching them.
Others were helping their mothers with washing or playing, some waved has he went past, and he waved back.
He stopped Kahn and gazed at the cattle herds, areas had been fenced off with wire to prevent the herds spreading too far, and also keep the different herds separated.
There was no mistaking the Hereford herd, they grazed alongside the Herefords crossed with the Maasi herd. Beyond them the Maasi herd belonging to the Matabele herd grazed, but with each herd two or three young Matabele boys kept watch.
At last he came to the Krall, smoke rose from fires has the women went about their chores. Some he could see were working in the fields tending the crops.
He found N’debi sat outside his hut in the Kraal on a low three-legged stool, looking at two very young children playing in front of him.
‘I see you bwana’ he growled has David approached him.
‘I see you N’debi, I have an itch to hunt for gazelles, do you have a warrior who is skilled in tracking I could borrow.’
N’debi rose to his feet. He is still the biggest man in the Crater, David thought.
‘If the bwana has such an itch then we must scratch it for him,’ he growled.
David kept his face straight has he replied ‘I did not mean for the mighty chief off the Matabele to track for him. For I see he has other important duties looking after the children.’
N’debi glared at him, has the dart stuck home. He entered the hut, returning with his shield, assegai and knobkerrie club.
David drew out two cheroots, he lit one, handing the other to N’debi.
Whose face lit up with a smile off pleasure?
Hanga had his saddlebags and bedroll ready along with the pack mule, when they returned to the house. Two hours later they passed through the gates out into the veldt.
Chapter 39
That night they camped by a hedge of ‘wait a minute’ thorn bushes tethering Kahn and the mule by it.
Has N’debi roasted meat David sat on his bedroll his back against his saddle, looking contently up at the night sky, ablaze with stars?
‘It does a man good to get away from the Crater at times,’ he murmured.
N’debi chuckled from across the fire, ‘the bwana is a warrior, who misses the battle.’
David thought before replying, ‘I don’t miss killing men N’debi, it’s just I’ve always been busy in my life. But now there is very little for me to do.’
N’debi smiled, ‘Some would welcome being able to say that bwana.’
They spent a night at the Maasi village, David gave the chief a bag off salt has they sat around the council fire.
He leant from him that the slavers had not troubled the area for years since the battle at the river. David put that down to the increased naval presence along the coast due to the war.
They left the next day moving back towards the Crater.
They had ignored game that they passed, until they got closer to the crater. Not wishing for it to spoil if it was carried for more than a day in the hot African sun.
N’debi spotted the small herd off Eland near the hills leading to the Crater. David dismounted drawing the .275 from the rifle holster. The two off them stooped low in the tall dry grass, has they began to move slowly towards the herd.
They stopped 300 yards from it, and David brought up the rifle to his shoulder, it fitted like an extension off his body. He took a breath, has he concentrated on a young Eland male, and then gently squeezed the trigger.
The young buck fell, dead before it hit the ground, has the herd scattered.
He and N’debi stood up, ‘Good shot bwana’ N’debi murmured going forward towards the kill.
David sheathed the rifle before mounting Kahn, and then guiding the mule, rode towards the shade off an acacia tree, whilst N’debi skinned and cut up the dead Eland sixty feet away.
He had started to swing his leg over the saddle when he heard the snarl, and was knocked completely from it, has a heavy weight hit him.
He felt teeth sinking into his shoulder and claws ripping into his back and then heard the bone break in his leg has he struck the ground.
Nanette
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