Chapter 31

Martin rode Thor the next day as he set out with David and Susan to visit N’debi’s new village. They stopped at the camp of the Gurkhas; they had put up tents as 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 where we intend to build and have found a source of building bricks.” Intrigued, they dismounted and followed Rham up to where the crater wall rose up. A large crowed of the Gurkhas and their women were busy around a depression. It reminded David of winemaking photographs he had seen of 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 of 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 of 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, “Tomorrow 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 of 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 of the Gurkhas.

“They’re a wonderful race of people,” David murmured. “They epitomise the words loyalty and honour.”

It took two hours at a fast trot to reach N’debi’s village. As they reined up N’debi emerged from a large beautifully 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 as women brought titbits and water to drink. David handed N’debi a bag of tobacco and a large bag of salt. David explained to him that Martin was leaving to buy the cattle and would return in a few months’ time with them. He explained he had brought back to the Crater some of his warriors from far across the great water to live here with them. N’debi listened to David, “Are these warriors as big as the Matabele?” he asked.

David shook his head, “No one is as big as the Matabele warrior.” N’debi’s face split with pride at David’s comment.

“But it is my wish that you think of these as brothers to you. Because between you, you guard this land for me.”

“I would see these warriors, Bwana.”

David smiled “They are building homes, as you have done. It would be an act of friendship if some of 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 with them as 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 of the crater must act like blotting paper. There has to be millions of gallons of water stored in them,” Martin said. One of the things we must do 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 of 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 of 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 as an aid station and hospital. Paddocks had been erected for the horses and for the cattle when they arrived. Eight of the mares were in foal, as well as six of the Kanda girls and three of N’debi’s women which kept Susan busy.