Chapter 331: No Escape
"Reporting, Chief of Staff: In total, we've killed 3,000 of the enemy, taken over 10,000 prisoners—this includes Lobengula and other high-ranking Ndebele—and captured 6,000 firearms."
Luck was on Lobengula's side; though badly wounded, he survived. The East Africans found him unconscious during their post-battle cleanup, and he eventually came to.
Siweite said, "Organize a team to burn the corpses so we don't have an epidemic. Also, bring Lobengula here."
"Yes, Chief of Staff!"
Before long, two East African soldiers carried a stretcher over. On it lay the monarch of the Matabele Kingdom, Lobengula. He might still be alive, but five of his ribs were broken, and with the current level of medicine, his fate remained unknown.
Siweite asked, "You're the Matabele King?"
Lobengula, lying weakly on the stretcher, gazed at this relatively slender young white officer. "Yes, I'm the 'King of Kings' of the Matabele Kingdom," he replied feebly.
He wasn't trying to put on airs. In local practice, a chieftain rules a tribe, and since many tribal leaders submitted to Lobengula, crowning him their overlord, he was indeed the "king above kings."
Siweite didn't care; a moment ago, he was just a subjugated foe, previously even a vassal to East Africa. "Why did you start this revolt?" he asked.
Lobengula gave a faint laugh. "Hahaha, revolt? The Matabele Kingdom and East Africa are two distinct countries. We merely defended ourselves against invaders!"
Siweite chuckled coldly, "So you call it that. From what I hear, your Ndebele arrived on the Matabele Plateau only decades ago from South Africa, enslaving the local Shona."
Lobengula responded dismissively, "They chose to accept the rule of the 'King of Kings.' The gods chose me to resist you pale-skins."
To him, anyone paler than Zulu skin was all the same race—even if Siweite was from the Far East.
Deciding not to correct Lobengula's stubbornness, Siweite went on, "Our East African Kingdom never really interfered with your governance. We even let you keep your army, but you repay us with this. Because of the Ndebele's actions—and yours specifically—many more so-called 'Kings of Kings' like yourself will soon lose their power. All because of you alone—you've changed East African policy on dealing with the natives."
Lobengula muttered, "'King of Kings' can only be one man—me."
Siweite cut him off. "Enough. One more question: Who supplied your guns and powder?"
That question snapped Lobengula out of his daze. His eyes burned in anger. "It was all that scoundrel Wiggins! You must find him!"
In Lobengula's view, his downfall lay entirely at Wiggins's feet. Not only did they sell him worthless guns, they knew the East Africans' weapons were more advanced, yet egged him on to test them.
"Wiggins?" Siweite said.
"Yes—that treacherous Boer!" Lobengula hissed.
Siweite turned to a subordinate. "Find out immediately where this Wiggins has gone."
"Yes, Chief of Staff!"
In short order, East African questioning of the local populace revealed everything about Wiggins and his Boer advisors.
"He's gone?" Siweite asked.
"That's right, sir. According to the proprietor of their lodgings, they left about an hour ago on horseback."
Siweite frowned. "Send out scouts! Don't let them get away."
"Yes, sir!"
…
By then, Wiggins and his group were already galloping out of Bulawayo at top speed, heading west.
"We made it out!" Wiggins breathed in relief.
"Mr. Wiggins," another Boer fretted, "if the East Africans find out about us, they might send pursuit?"
Wiggins smirked. "Doesn't matter. Even if they do, they can't catch us. The Matabele Kingdom is huge. Running into East African troops is unlikely. Besides, we're doubling back to the west—they'll never guess."
He was cunning. Before leaving Bulawayo, he'd pretended to head east so the local Ndebele civilians would send the East Africans in that direction. Only once he was out of sight did he circle west.
Indeed, East African scouts followed the false lead, chasing east. Wiggins and his party were traveling in the opposite direction.
But would it really be so easy?
Unseen by Wiggins and the Boers, a small East African patrol was approaching from the west. They weren't part of the Southern Army but of the Southwest Army in Botswana—very few in number but controlling most of that territory. Periodically, they send out small squads to check for suspicious activity and survey the region.
Why were they in Matabele territory? Simple: The kingdom had no strict border lines, and Lobengula had drained the region's forces for the war with East Africa. West of Bulawayo, there weren't many Ndebele. The climate is drier, eventually becoming the Kalahari Desert.
Finding that western portion strangely empty, the Southwest Army's patrol decided to investigate. They weren't under Siweite's orders, nor did they know about the Ndebele uprising—so small a force was beneath his notice.
Soon, they unexpectedly crossed paths with Wiggins's party.
"Mr. Wiggins, look—that's an East African patrol! Damn, how'd they get here so fast?"
The East African patrol was equally wary, seeing these strangers at a distance. None wore East African uniforms.
"Don't panic," Wiggins said. "They're few, and if we strike first, we can kill them."
The patrol was only seven men, whereas Wiggins had thirteen. He had the advantage.
So Wiggins led his Boers in a charge.
"They're enemies—ready for battle!" The patrol leader instantly sensed danger.
"Draw your sabers. Don't try shooting it out with them," he commanded.
Outnumbered, they had to be careful—one wrong move could mean annihilation. The leader figured shooting accurately on horseback would be tough for the Boers, so by closing in with sabers, they might gain an edge. It was a gamble—who knew how skilled these Boers were at mounted marksmanship?
They found out quickly.
"Damn! These East Africans keep moving sideways—I can't aim!" one of the Boers cursed.
"They're coming!"
"Turn around!"
But it was too late. Just like battling tribal horsemen, the patrol troopers rode in hard, timing their strike during the Boers' attempt to pivot. The East Africans spurred their mounts to a burst of speed, sabers poised.
Wiggins instinctively jerked aside and fell off his horse, only to be captured. The other Boers were either cut down or taken prisoner.
May 28, 1871.
Boer criminal Wiggins was apprehended, leaving East Africa with solid proof that the Boers supported the Ndebele rebellion.
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