The Tides Of War Pt. 07

On his way back to the house, he saw a mounted Gurkha riding slowly around the herd of horses keeping watch.

Patar was on the stoop, "I hope you don't mind Sahib but I asked the Gurkhas to keep a watch over the horses"

"Thank you Patar, I should have thought of it. But one thing from now on I'm David not Sahib and its Susan not Memsahib, we are all friends and equals here now."

Patar's face showed his pleasure "Very well David, goodnight."

He lay at the side off Susan looking up at the ceiling "our first night in our new home, do you have any regrets darling" She turned to look at him "no none, I'm with the man I love, in paradise," and then she kissed him.

Chapter 32

Martin rode Thor the next day has he set out with David and Susan to visit N'debi's village. They stopped at the camp off the Gurkhas, they had put up tents has temporary shelters. Nike Rham came over and saluted him.

"Morning Rham, are you all settling in."

Rham smiled "Yes thank you sahib, we have started to clear the ground were we intend to build, and have found a source off building bricks."

Intrigued, they dismounted and followed Rham up to where the crater wall rose up.

A large crowed off the Gurkhas and their women were busy around a depression.

It reminded David off winemaking photographs he had seen off women trampling the grapes in a vat.

Two Gurkhas had their legs bare were trampling in what looked like clay, but every so often others would empty a bucket full off what looked like dirty grey ash into the depression.

Then after a good trample they would fill buckets with the mixture and hand them to others. Who then poured it out into a wooden mould that was divided up into four sections, a woman was prodding the mixture with a stick to ensure all the air was out of it before adding more until it was level with the top off the mould.

At another mould two Gurkhas gently lifted it off leaving four perfectly formed bricks. David picked one up from hundreds that had already been made; it was firm enough he thought.

Martin chuckled "My god they've got a brick factory going, that's volcanic ash they're adding, a perfect binder, making them much stronger than clay bricks."

Rham smiled at the complement, "to morrow we start building the first home, but we need timber for the roofs sahib."

"I'm going in to Nairobi tomorrow Rham to buy furniture" Susan said, "if some off your men came with me, we could get what you need, not only timber but also the things you will need in the home."

Rham beamed at Susan's suggestion, "I will talk to the women and have a list prepared"

"Don't worry about expense Rham, I shall pay" David added.

Once back in their saddles Martin commented on the ingenuity off the Gurkhas.

"They're a wonderful race off people" David murmured, "They epitomise the words loyalty and honour"

It took two hours at a fast trot to reach N'debi's village.

Has the reined up N'debi emerged from a large beautiful made beehive hut.

"I see you bwana" he said a smile on his face.

"I see you N'debi" David retorted.

They dismounted and gathered around the fire, has women, brought tit bits and water to drink. David handed N'debi a bag off tobacco and a large bag off salt.

David explained to him that Martin was leaving to buy the cattle and would return in a few months' time with them. He told him he had brought back to the Crater some off his warriors from far across the great water, to live here with them.

N'debi listened to David, "Are these warriors has big has the Matabele" he asked.

David shook his head,

"No one is has big has the Matabele warrior". N'debi's face split with pride at David's comment.

"But it is my wish that you think off these has brothers to you. Because between you, you guard this land for me"

"I would see these warriors bwana."

David smiled "They are building homes, has you have done. It would be an act off friendship if some off your people helped them."

"If they are friends of the bwana, then they are our friends too."

Susan had joined the women and children and was busy chatting to them, has N'debi showed with pride what they had done. They already had fields planted with corn and other vegetables.

"This is a good land for growing things bwana" he murmured.

"What you cannot eat you can barter with us and the others" David replied.

On the ride back to the house David remarked on the drainage channels that ran from the rock walls out into the crater.

"I thought we would have to run them from the lake, but the entire wall here is seeping with water. The hills at the back off the crater must act like bloating paper. There has to be millions of gallons of water stored in them" Martin said, "one of the things we must do is to is to fence off sections for grazing. It will stop the animals wondering too far, and preserve the pasture. If we use the left side off the stream for cattle, and the right side for horses, it should create a balance.

"Yes, we still have a lot of work to do" David agreed.

"Have you thought off a name for it yet?" Susan asked, David shook his head, "Then how about Khana Crater then"

"That's perfect darling" he said.

After two months of hard work things were beginning to take shape in the Crater.

The Gurkhas had built their homes, helped by N'debi's people, they had also built a place for Susan and Martin to house their equipment with an annex that doubled has an aid station and hospital.

Paddocks had been erected for the horses and for the cattle when they arrived. Eight off the mares were in fowl, has well has six off the Kana girls and three off N'debi's women, which kept Susan busy.

Ali and Hanga had agreed that whilst Ali was in charge of cooking Hanga ran the house. They had their own quarters behind the house where they lived with Patar.

Zeus was growing fast now and ran at the side off Sulkie when David rode her.

They had bought a wagon and four mules for their frequent trips into Nairobi to pick up mail and provisions.

Patar had become fast friends with the man, a Mr Wilson who ran the livery stable.

It was from him he learnt how he salted a horse. He then began a program off salting the Crater horses.

At first David was concerned at the state the horse were in when infected, but under Patar's care in keeping the horse isolated in its own stall they recovered.

Of particular concern was when Kahn and Sulkie were exposed to the disease, but they recovered much to his relief. Patar said he would wait until Zeus was a year old before exposing him. It normally took a few weeks before the horses were fully fit again, but with the mild temperature and abundant forage, the horses were soon trotting around the paddock once more.

They received a telegram from Martin saying they were leaving Southampton and should dock in Mombasa in 27 days' time.

David left with four off the Gurkhas and the wagon and two spare horses. They left the wagon along with their horses and mules with Mr Wilson while they travelled by train to Mombasa. There he made arrangements to have the cattle transported to Nairobi.

David was on the quayside when the ship docked. Martin and Jill were amongst the first passengers to disembark. After greeting the newlyweds Martin was anxious to be on hand has the cattle were unloaded.

They were herded into a pen with the bulls into it's their own. "We'll need to keep them here for a few days to get over the voyage" Martin warned.

David looked at the Hereford bull, it was enormous with short legs but with a muscular body it's colouring similar to Kahn, where has the Jersey bull was smaller but off a similar colour to Zeus.

In the hotel Martin said that they had, had a quite voyage and that the cattle had not been too perturbed by it.

Jill had disappeared to do some shopping, when she found out from David that Susan wore trousers at the Crater and for riding.

"I picked up your guns and ammunition, there in a packing case." Martin told him, "how are things at the Crater?" he wanted to know.

David chuckled and brought him up to date with the developments.

The Gurkhas helped to get the cattle into the boxcars off the train, whilst David supervised the loading off the crates and luggage.

Jill's face was pressed against the window off the train has it ran through the country side, "It's so big and brown" she whispered. Martin laughed, "Its big and green were we are going darling"

They were surprised to see N'debi waiting at the station with six off his men, when the train came to a stop.

"Jambo bwana, we came to help with the cattle, your warriors are good with horses, but the Matabele are better with cattle" he said, has Martin laughed.

N'debi had set off with his men herding the cattle while N'debi himself walked along side off the Hereford bull.

They loaded the wagon and then saddled the horses and set off to catch them.

It took over four days to reach the crater; at the entrance the entire tribe were waiting to see the cattle. The Hereford herd was marshalled up the right hand side off the crater, has the smaller Jersey herd went up the left hand side.

"Do you know how to milk a cow David?" Jill asked with an impish smile.

That night they had a barbeque to celebrate the arrival, ever one was there, the Gurkhas and their wives, and N'debi and his tribe. One off the Gurkhas had shot two large Eland males, and Ali was busy roasting steak.

David and Martin were drinking whiskey, watching proceedings when he noticed Susan and Jill drinking.

She saw his look and chuckled "its sherry, I told Martin to bring back a few cases"

David looked at the Jersey's grazing and sighed "Well it's down to nature now" he murmured to Martin.

"This time next year you'll have fifty cattle out there, and double that the following year" Martin replied.

To be continued