Binky and the Hyena Trail (Part 1)
THE
SLAVE MARKET – from Ramsden’s
Journal.
The bonhomie evaporated
as our hostess made off to change and she was seen stepping out towards the
village. There was some argument
about what was to be done and why we should be involved and was there any profit
in the venture. Binky quickly took
control dividing the group into two parties; one to guard the hunting lodge and
the other to set off against the slavers.
As soon as he had done this everyone fell under his spell and argument
disappeared. He rapped out some
orders to establish watch fires around the lodge, to call in the villagers and
their cattle to safety and to establish the defensive positions.
The newcomers, after some
differences decided suddenly and unexpectedly to join in.
We all changed quickly out of our dining attire into our worn but
comfortable adventuring clothes, weapons were collected and Binky ordered that
dynamite was to be taken. These
preparations took longer than Binky would have liked but the activity burned off
the after effects of a splendid meal and fine wine and brandy!
Suddenly
three large shapes hurtled from the dark giggling
demoniacally.
Hyenas! Each singled out a
man and in silence our gallant comrades fought with machete and clubbed rifle
until two hyenas lay dead and the third fled into the night to lick its wounds.
Up ahead the campfires
indicated a sizeable force of Arabs.
Our headstrong but undoubtedly courageous hostess had to be almost
physically held back while Piet brought back the natives who had fled.
As soon as he appeared out of the darkness we began crossing in strength.
This held the herd of hippos at a safe distance.
As we were crossing a dishevelled figure ran up to Miss Helen.
It was Peter. He spoke in an
accusatory tone, “You be late, maybe you be too late!
Listen, they play heathen music!
The sale is over! Men must
hurry. Hurry.”
And hurry we did and it
almost was our undoing!
Gerald
came up against the hut and the occupant, a wizened
old
woman berated him and his askaris for disturbing her sleep.
Unknown to us at the time but our every move was being watched from the
hill. The Arabs were waiting in
ambush. We crept forward all
unknowing. Binky whispered, “Fix
bayonets.” A grim smile and crept
across the askaris’ faces and a gleam came into their eyes.
Action! Leading the way, Binky crept forward.
Suddenly figure ran
forward, “It’s a trap!” and a ragged volley crashed out from the hillside. It
was Mahmoud! “Charge!” yelled
Binky and with a roar his askaris followed him at a dead run.
On the left Gerald’s men charged in as well.
Unsettled by the charge the Arab’s second volley went to the winds and
they were fighting for their lives bayonets flashed and stabbed, pistols flamed
and spat. All around screams and
orders split the night. Binky
looked uphill to see yet more Arabs taking up firing positions.
If they formed a disciplined line at this range our force would be cut to
pieces. Without hesitating Binky
charged ahead and with a roar of “DYNAMITE!” he hurled a stick into the fire.
Simultaneously, he was struck by a musket ball, fell and lay still.
There was shattering explosion that lit the hillside for an instant and
hurled several Arabs to the ground.
On the hillside a female voice shrieked, “Binky!”
There were two white females amongst the slaves.
through
the bodyguards to fell a Sheikh with a single thrust of his spear.
Gerald’s askaris rounded up the surviving Arabs while Piet went to
Binky’s aid. But our hero appeared
dead.
At
the river, the shouts and foul language of the wizened old woman had attracted
the attention of a force of bandits
in the pay of the Arabs. They saw
only a few figures near the fire and loosed of a heavy fire.
They were taken completely by surprise by the returned rifle fire.
Helen had concealed several men in the bushes and reeds for just such an
emergency. She was not the tame
Missionary’s daughter that she had first seemed!
Quickly the superior marksmanship of our men told and the bandits’ fire
slowed and then ceased. Later we
found them all dead.
Enraged,
our askaris surged forward like avenging 
Piet and Grunhilda were in the thick of the fighting cutting down Arab slavers as they ran on side by side until she was sorely wounded by scimitar thrust. Piet exacted his revenge smashing Gimmi Daqash, the treasurer, to the ground.
guards
lead the way into the river clubbing and shooting as the crocodiles attacked.
In all this confusion a white man was seen amongst the slaves.
At first he was thought to be one of the slaves breaking free as he cut
the two white women free and looked as if he was assisting them.
The illusion soon evaporated when a huge Arab helped him drive the women
on. He was a cad.
Obviously a Johnny Foreigner!
He forced his way across the river as the crocodiles feasted on the dead
eunuchs. On the bank Binky’s
askaris and Prince Wotmiwori were killing all who stood in their way.
Even the huge Arab fell to the Prince’s spear thrusts.
As the fugitives
scrambled out of the river several shadows appeared to join them.
Were they human or demons?
Our askaris halted as the surviving Arabs and bandits gave up their fight.
All except the bandit leader facing Helen’s rearguard.
Suddenly he ran from
the
rifle fire only to attract the attention of the lone bull elephant.
With a terrifying trumpet, it charged.
It was the famous old bull “Broken Tusk” a particularly angry bull.
His tusks smashed the fleeing, panicked man to the ground where he played
with him a while inflicting wounds with tusk and trunk until tiring of his
screams he silenced the bandit. A
great foot was placed on his chest and weight pressed slowly down.
The man’s screams turned to a gurgle and then silence as the foot pressed
through to the ground.
The slaves were freed. But at some cost to us, Binky was dead.
The akaris collected weapons and, to Dodgy’s delight, found the slavers' money chest. It was decided to get the freed slaves to carry the booty and captured weapons back to the lodge. All this time the healers were at busily at work on Binky and Grunhilda.
All of a sudden Binky’s
eyes opened wide. “What the devil
are you poking my chest for? That
hurts!!” He rolled over to reveal a
battered and bent binocular case that had taken the full impact of the slug.
Further up the hill Grunhilda, was being bandaged.
Her long hair that she had not had time to bind properly had come loose
in the wild charge and whirling melee and had tangled the blade.
The slashing blade was turned just enough inflicting a severe blow with
the side rather than the edge. The
cut was far more painful than dangerous.
We returned to the lodge,
it being useless to try to pick up a trail in the dark.
After a few hours sleep we assembled a safari.
Stores, weapons and ammunition for several days were assembled in the
courtyard while the hunters and a couple of askaris returned to the hill to see
what they could find. Their report
made us realise how lucky we had been!
They had found a few of the Arab servants hiding in the bushes hoping to
flee in the morning. They told of
the main Arab slave caravan heading inland.
This was strange as the markets are normally reached by taking the slaves
to the sea and then on to the trading islands of Marzibar, Zniqabar and
Qarinjibar. They also told of a
strong force of fierce tribesmen who had been ready to charge until the roaring
explosion that hurled blazing branches in all directions had scared them out of
their wits and they fled. “Demons!
Sorcery!” they called as they ran throwing away weapons and shields in their
panic.
The hunters were able to
verify almost all that they said.
There had indeed been a large force of tribesmen hiding behing the flank of the
hill. They brought in a shield made of
wickerwork as proof saying that there were many more.
It was in a style unknown to any in the party, even Wotmiwori had admit
that he had never seen the like before.
Who were these strange men who were so terrified of dynamite?
They also confirmed that, about an hour or so before we reached the hill,
a caravan had headed off south west into the hills.
This caravan had many slaves, guards and some heavily laden porters.
Their tracks showed that they were moving quickly.
Where were they going at such speed and in such an unusual direction?
Of the White Slaver, a
Portuguese half breed (typical of the low life of Morvalistan), and his captives
there was no sign. There were,
however, several sets of tracks of men who joined him on the other side of the
river. They had taken care to try
to try to hide their tracks at first.
Our hunters are excellent and followed the trail for a few miles until
it, too, turned southwest. Again
the evil ones showed a turn of speed that probably corresponded with dawn.
As dawn broke the
following day we were on our way but the quarry had a good start.
Despite advice Binky and Grunhilda refused to be carried in litters as
that would slow us down. Though
both agreed that taking litter bearers along was a wise precaution.
Helen provided porters to carry our stores and equipment but we were
travelling light. We took just
food, water, medicines, ammunition, a very few comforts and some trade goods to
ease our passage. Binky insisted
that we take dynamite and the machine gun.
The hunters and the
villagers brought in 12 rifle muskets and a large quantity of ammunition.
In an ornate box was a beautifully hand written Koran wrapped in gold
embroidered green silk. The gift of a sultan to an honoured servant perhaps?
In another chest was found the accounts book indicating that there were
20 prime slaves, 2 white females and a white male.
The latter had been with the slavers for several weeks and appeared to be
on the staff as it were. Probably
of greatest interest was the locked strongbox that yielded up its contents as
about £200 sterling in Gold, £1,320 in Maria Theresa Thalers and six bags of
gems in various kinds and values.
Probably another £500 - £750 in total.
Quite a fortune! The
personal belongings captured included silks, high quality clothes, daggers,
swords and a splendid pistol. Not
only that Mahmoud’s own pistol was found and returned to him.
Mahmoud joined Gerald’s party as gun bearer.