African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 342: Revised: Chapter 22 - Unable to Escape

”Report to the Chief of Staff, a total of three thousand enemy killed, over ten thousand prisoners, including senior Ndebele leaders such as Lobengula, and six thousand firearms seized.”

Lobengula was quite lucky, severely wounded but not dead, awoke as the East African troops were clearing the battlefield.

Sivert: ”Quickly organize manpower, take these bodies for cremation to prevent plague. Also, bring Lobengula over.”

”Yes, Chief of Staff!”

Soon, two East African soldiers carried a stretcher to Sivert, where the monarch of the Matebel Kingdom—Lobengula—lay.

Though not dead, Lobengula had five broken ribs, and considering current medical conditions, his fate was uncertain.

Sivert: ”Are you the King of the Matebel Kingdom?”

Lobengula lay on the stretcher, looking at the weak young white man, replied feebly: ”Yes, I am the ’King of Kings’ of the Matebel Kingdom.”

It’s not that Lobengula was putting on airs; a tribal king is essentially a chief, and many chiefs submitted to Lobengula, accepting his rule. Therefore, was he not the ’King of Kings’!

Sivert didn’t care about this; no matter how powerful, he was a defeated general, previously even a vassal state of East Africa. Sivert continued, ”Why did you start this rebellion?”

Lobengula chuckled lightly: ”Hahaha, rebellion? The Matebel Kingdom and East Africa are naturally two countries; we are merely defending against invaders normally!”

Sivert: ”Haha, you’re really putting gold on your face. To my knowledge, you Ndebele people invaded the Matebel Plateau from South Africa decades ago, enslaving the local Shona Tribe.”

Lobengula disdainfully said: ”They are willing to accept the rule of the great ’King of Kings.’ I am chosen by the Celestial God to resist you whites.”

Sivert was not Caucasian, but from the Far East, but in Lobengula’s eyes, they were the same; as long as they were whiter than the Zulu people, they were all whites.

Sivert no longer tried to correct Lobengula’s stubbornness, he said: ”Our East African Kingdom actually hasn’t overly interfered with your administration and even allowed you to retain your military. This situation resulted in today’s outcome because of actions by you Ndebele people. Many like you, claiming to be ’King of Kings,’ will lose their power next due to your actions, affecting East African Kingdom’s policy towards natives.”

Lobengula: ”’King of Kings’ can only be one, and that is the great Lobengula!”

Sivert interrupted: ”Alright, now I want to ask you a question: who provided your firearms and gunpowder?”

Sivert’s question suddenly awakened Lobengula.

He replied with red eyes: ”Blame that Wiggins scoundrel, you must catch him!”

To Lobengula, his downfall was entirely caused by Wiggins. They sold him a pile of ”scrap metal,” knowing East Africans’ weapons were more advanced, yet incited him to probe East African Kingdom.

Sivert: ”Wiggins!”

Lobengula: ”Indeed, it’s all his fault, that despicable Boer.”

Sivert instructed his subordinates: ”Hurry and investigate, where is this Wiggins?”

”Yes, Chief of Staff!”

Soon, under interrogation by the East African army, Wiggins and the Boer Advisory Group he led surfaced.

Sivert: ”He escaped?”

”Yes, Chief of Staff, the innkeeper said they left an hour ago, escaping on horseback.”

Sivert: ”Send our scouts to pursue; don’t let them go easily.”

”Yes!”

...

At this time, Wiggins and his group were galloping away, having escaped Bulawayo, heading swiftly westward.

”Finally escaped!” Wiggins emotionally declared.

”Mr. Wiggins, if the East Africans know of our existence, will they send someone to pursue us?”

Wiggins: ”What are you afraid of? Even if East Africans are aware, they can’t catch up with us. Matebel Kingdom is so vast; our chance of encountering East African troops is very small. Besides, we’ve acted contrary, East Africans wouldn’t expect us to go west.”

Wiggins was smart, intentionally heading east briefly before leaving Bulawayo, then rounding west after exiting Ndebele civilians’ sight.

East Africa indeed fell for it, chasing east based on Ndebele civilian tips, completely diverging from Wiggins’s group.

However, will it really be so!

In a place unseen by Wiggins’s group, a small East African patrol team was heading in their direction.

This force wasn’t part of the Southern Road Army, but Southwest Army active within Botswana. Though few in number, they governed most of Botswana’s land, regularly dispatching patrol teams to check for suspicious forces within the territory and tasked with surveying Botswana.

The reason for their presence in Matebel Kingdom was purely accidental; Matebel Kingdom lacked explicit borders, and Lobengula had nearly depleted western forces for confronting East Africa.

In reality, there weren’t many Ndebele people west of Bulawayo, as the western climate was relatively dry, approaching the Kalahari Desert further west.

With Ndebele people reinforcing Bulawayo, the west became a vacuum area, naturally raising the Southwest Army’s patrol team’s alertness, hence coming to investigate this anomaly.

Southwest Army and Southern Road Army weren’t in the same system, so they were unaware of the Ndebele rebellion. They hadn’t received orders from Sivert; being small in number, Sivert had no intention to deploy the Southwest Army.

Soon, the patrol team encountered Wiggins and his group.

”Mr. Wiggins! Look, those are East African pursuers, how are they faster than us!”

In the distance, the Southwest Army patrol team also remained vigilant of Wiggins’s group since their attire clearly wasn’t their own.

Wiggins: ”Don’t be afraid. They are few; let’s strike first and eliminate them.”

Being a patrol team, there were only seven in number, while Wiggins’s group had thirteen, with the advantage on their side.

Thus, Wiggins, along with Boer instructors, charged toward the patrol team.

”Yes, enemy spotted! Prepare for battle!”

Seeing Wiggins’s group accelerating suddenly, the patrol team captain instantly realized their malevolent intent.

”Draw sabers, don’t shoot at the enemy.” The patrol team captain ordered.

With the enemy outnumbering his, vigilance was crucial; a single mistake could lead to total annihilation, making decisions vital. The patrol team captain noted how accuracy drastically drops shooting from horseback. If opponents haven’t practiced military training frequently, hitting from horseback would prove challenging. Hence, close combat with swords seemed more advantageous.

This carried a gamble aspect; no one knew Wiggins and company’s rider shooting skills. Yet, the outcome was quickly revealed.

”Damn, these East Africans are maneuvering left and right, they’re impossible to aim at.”

”They’re closed in!”

”Turn back!”

Unfortunately, it was too late; just like dealing with natives, the East African patrol rode forth, easily catching up during Wiggins’s group’s retreat attempt.

Vigorously kicked the horse’s belly, spurs accelerated the military horses instantly, raised sabers, and slashed at the parallel enemies.

Instinctively dodging, Wiggins fell from his horse, then captured, while other Boers were either killed or seized.

May 28, 1871.

Boer criminal Wiggins was captured, East Africa seized concrete evidence of Boer support for Ndebele rebellion.