Chapter 6: The raiders

When we reached the carcasses all the villagers stood back, even though I indicated that it was for them.

"Why don't they take the meat?" I asked Jane.

"The meat belongs to the hunter who had killed it, unless it was a combined hunt," she replied.

"Tell them that it was a gift from us to the village."

She seemed to take a long time to explain what I had said, but eventually after much talk back and forward. They all bowed to me, took the deer and made their way back to the village.

"My people think you are a god," she managed to convey.

"Why?"

"You called up the thunder god to kill the deer."

"You told them I hope that I am no god."

"They not believe, for you killed further than any man can throw a spear."

"I also tell them of how you killed the three men of the east, the men who had killed my man and children."

The conversation didn't go as above as it was a mixture of hand and facial expressions, but that was the gist of the conversation. I was sure that they were still a bit doubtful but at least for the time being are taking it a she said it was.

On returning to the village there definitely was a different attitude towards me, than the time I went to kill the deer. Now they openly greeted us and bowed. I feel that Jane's status had somehow risen, well beyond any other member in the village.

We returned to Jane's fathers house and she her father, brothers and members of their family sat on their haunches and had a right family get-together. I could tell that she was explaining everything what had happened and about the clothes etc. When she drew the knife and showed her brothers they were so surprised, how light it was and that it could cut things so easily.

There was a turnip near where she sat so to demonstrate she brought the knife down in one slash cut it in two. The sign of amazement and envy on their faces was plain.

As she was showing them the sharpening stone the small figure of Mother Earth fell out on to her bag and out of its wrapping. On seeing this all the women jumped back and the eyes popped on the men. It would appear that what Jane told me earlier was true, that only men carried the figure of Mother Earth. But she told them that I had given it to her as a sign that I was equal to any man. I doubt if they would have accepted this if I hadn't been present, but they just weren't sure about me and didn't want to test me. I think the incident of the deer had a lot to do with it.

We were invited to stay for a meal and to spend the night in the house, but I said to Jane we will stay for the meal but will sleep in the woods. I took four small packets of salt and gave them to the brothers wives. Jane had explained the value of the salt previously, so I didn't want to give them too much and the amount I gave was about a teaspoonful in each packet. They couldn't fathom out the packets, until Jane explained it to them and what was in it. This was a wonderful gift and then thanked me so much. You didn't need to know the language, to see the joy I had given, through such a small gift on my part but a rich one for them.

The food was as good as Jane produces, but when we put the food into our mess tins and started eating it with our metal utensils once again we were stared at with wonder. After the meal we bade our farewells until the morrow, we left the village and made for the woods, to find a spot to spend the night.

There was a slight rise to the woods to the North-West and it was in this direction that we went. No paths could be seen, but under a large tree there was a grassy depression, which would provide a windbreak and an unobstructed view of the whole clearing, but invisible from anyone in the clearing. This was an ideal observation point.

I got out the sleeping-bag. This was going to be a real get up close night, as both of us were to sleep in the one sleeping-bag. Jane had never slept in one and was intrigued with the whole exercise. It was dark now as the moon had not risen, but we were soon cuddled up so very close. In a one-person sleeping-bag, there was really more room than I thought, but Jane was a small person and by the way she was cuddled up to me spoon fashion we took up little space.

I had had my arms around holding her lovely breasts and at the same time pulling her closer to me. As I said before I really love this woman and would be lost without her.

Just before dawn we got out of the sleeping-bag, cleaned our teeth and were waiting for some water to boil to make a brew (tea). It was then we spotted some rafts crossing the river from the other side. About a dozen men were creeping up on the village. Jane became frantic "That's a raiding party looking for women."

I grabbed the rifle and got myself set up for a little target practice. I wasn't going to have these raiders abducting the relatives of Jane.

It was easy to tell who the leader was; he was standing up waving his arms about. He was directing the other men into positions along the bank of the river, ready to attack the homes that were nearest to the river. The range was about 250yards and just in the range of the Styx. So I left the shell in the chamber released the safety catch and aimed squarely on his chest. He never stood a chance, his backbone and internal organs sprayed the man who was behind him. I loaded and changed my aim all at the same time and took him out with a similar shot. One man had stood up and turned to look at his leader, I shot him in the back of the head and his face exploded. I reloaded, dropped my aim to the top of the head of the man who was near him and shot this man through the top of his head.

This demonstration of slaughter upset the others in the party. They could see no enemy or anything that could have caused this killing. They just got to their feet and prepared to return to their rafts.

All the shooting had woken up the villagers, who rushed out of their homes with waving spears, saw the attackers and set upon them. None of the attackers were able to get to their rafts and the lot of them was quickly dispatched.

Since all the attackers were killed, we took our time finished our tea, packed our packs and quietly walked back to the village.

We were greeted like conquerors when we entered the village. By this time they had discovered the four bodies I had killed and knew right away who had done the killing.

Never before had Jane's people been able to repel any of these raiders in the past. They had to spend most of their time just hunting and gathering and only just able to maintain themselves. Whereas the raiders collected slaves, made them do all the work, while they concentrated in arms skills and raiding throughout the land.

The death of so large a number will make them think there must be another tribe as skilled in warfare and raiding as they. The death though of now fifteen of there tribe will seriously affect the morale of the tribe.

Again on examining the bodies, they all carried the little bag with the small statuette of Mother Earth in it. The villagers quickly seized them from the men that they had killed and distributed them to the hunters who did not own one. I took the four from the bodies I killed and put them in my pocket.

As everyone was saying how lucky he or she was to have escaped the raid, a man was seen running from the direction we had come the previous day. Since it was obvious the villagers were familiar with the runner they ran to meet him.

Seemingly, the previous day his small village had been raided. The raiders had killed two men and taken their wives, as well as the runner's wife as hostages. The raiders were heading west and the raiding party had been fourteen strong. So assuming the twelve killed had been members of the same raiding party. That means two men had been left to guard the prisoners and no doubt were waiting somewhere to link up with the others.