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Off to the Wilds, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 3. Preparations For The Journey |
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_ CHAPTER THREE. PREPARATIONS FOR THE JOURNEY "What is it ye're doing?" said Dinny, a day or two before that proposed for the start. Coffee and Chicory looked up from their task, grinned, and then went on sharpening the points of a couple of assegais upon a heavy block of stone, which they had evidently brought from a distance. Their faces glistened with perspiration; their knees were covered with dust; and they were in a wonderful state of excitement. Resuming their work on the instant, they tried to bring the weapons to a keen point. "Kill lion," said Coffee, laconically; and he worked away as if the lion were round the corner waiting to be killed. "Then ye may just as well lave off, ye dirty little naygars; for it's my belafe that you're not going at all." Dinny went off into the house leaving the two boys apparently paralysed. They dropped the assegais, stared at each other, and then lay down and howled in the misery of their disappointment. But this did not last many seconds; for Coffee sprang up and kicked Chicory, who also rose to his feet, and in obedience to a word from his brother they took their assegais and hid them in a tree which formed their armoury--for out of its branches Chicory took the two kiris or clubs; and then the boys ran round to the front, and stood making signs. The brothers had such a keen love of anything in the way of sport that, expecting something new, they ran out and willingly followed the two young blacks out into the grassy plain about a mile from the house, when after posting their young masters behind a bush, Coffee and Chicory whispered to them to watch, and then began to advance cautiously through the grass, kiri in hand, their eyes glistening as they keenly peered from side to side. "What are they going to do?" said Dick. "I don't know. Show us something. I wish we had brought our guns. Look out!" There was a whirring of wings, and the two Zulu boys struck attitudes that would have been models for a sculptor; then as a large bird similar to a partridge rose up, Coffee sent his knobbed club whizzing through the air; another bird rose, and Chicory imitated his brother's act; and the result was, that the cleverly thrown kiris hit the birds, which fell in amongst the long grass, from which they were retrieved by the lads with shouts of triumph--the birds proving to be the coranne, so called from the peculiarity of their cry. "Well done, boys!" cried Jack. "They'll be good eating." "Boss Dick, Boss Jack take Zulu boys, now?" said the kiri-throwers, eagerly. "Why, of course. You know you are going," replied Dick. "Dinny say Zulu boys not going," cried Chicory. "Then Dinny knows nothing about it," said Dick, angrily. "If he don't mind he'll be left behind himself." Coffee sent his kiri spinning up in the air, Chicory followed suit, each catching the weapon again with ease; and then they both dashed off across the plain as if mad, and to the astonishment of the brothers, who took the brace of birds and walked back towards the house, to continue the preparations for the start. For there was so much to do, packing the great long tilted waggon with necessaries, in the shape of tea, sugar, coffee, and chocolate. Barrels of mealies or Indian corn, and wheaten flour, besides. Salt too, had to be taken, and a large store of ammunition; for in addition to boxes well filled with cartridges, they took a keg or two of powder and a quantity of lead. Then there were rolls of brass wire, and a quantity of showy beads--the latter commodities to take the place of money in exchanges with the natives--salt, powder, and lead answering the same purpose. It was a delightful task to the boys, who thoroughly enjoyed the packing, and eagerly asked what every package contained, when they had no opportunity of opening it; while Mr Rogers looked on, smiling at the interest they took. "Here y'are, young gentlemen," said Dinny. "The masther seems to think that you're going to do nothing but suck sweet-stuff all the time you're out." "Why, what's that, Dinny?" cried Dick, who had just brought out a heavy box. "Sure, it's sugar-shticks and candy," said Dinny; and he went off to fetch something else. "Why, so it is, Dick," said Jack. "I say, father, are we to pack this sweet-stuff in the waggon? We don't want it." "Indeed, but we do," said his father, coming up. "Why a handful of sweet-stuff will make friends with a Boer, when everything else fails. Here, put this in the fore box. Perhaps, when I bring this out you'll be glad to get at the sweet-stuff." "What is it, father?" said Dick. Mr Rogers opened the little deal case and turned it out, to begin packing it again. "Here's a bottle of chloroform, and another of castor oil; two bottles of chlorodyne; a pound of Epsom salts; four large boxes of pills; a roll of sticking-plaster; a pot of zinc ointment; and a bottle of quinine and one of rhubarb and magnesia." Jack's countenance was a study. For as his father carefully repacked the little box the lad's face grew into a hideous grimace. He waited till Mr Rogers had finished his enumeration, and then clapping his handkerchief over his mouth, he uttered a loud "Ugh!" and ran and stood a few yards away. "I shan't go," he cried. "Why not?" said Mr Rogers, smiling. "Why the waggon will smell, of nothing but physic. What's the good of taking it, father?" "The good? Well, my boy, there's nothing like being prepared; and we are going far away from doctors, if we wanted their help. We may none of us be unwell, but it is quite likely that we may, either of us, get a touch of fever. Besides, we might meet with an accident; and for my part, as I have a little knowledge of medicine and surgery, I know nothing more painful than to find people sick and to be unable to give them the remedy that would make them well. We shall be sure to find some sick people amongst the natives, and they have a wonderful appreciation of the white man's medicine." "Well, look here," said Jack, "if you'll shut the box up very tightly, I'll consent to come." Mr Rogers smiled, and did shut the little box up very tightly, after which the preparations went on; and it was perfectly wonderful to see what that waggon would hold. There was a moderate case of wines and spirits, also to act as medicines; several dozens of coloured blankets for presents; waterproof sheets. A cask of paraffin oil was swung under the floor, and by it a little cooking-stove, while beside these swung a long box containing spades and shovels, for digging the waggon-wheels out of holes, tools for repairs, wrenches, and jacks and axes, till it seemed as if there would be no end to the stores and material. Then leather slings were nailed up under the tilt for the rifles and guns, so that they might always be ready to hand; for they were going into the land of wild beasts and savage men. Above all, their stores had to be so packed that their positions could be remembered, and they could be obtained when wanted, and yet leave space for blankets to be spread, and the travellers find room to sleep beneath the tilt upon the top. The preparations went on; the black driver who was to manage the oxen busied himself along with the foreloper, whose duty it is to walk with the foremost oxen, in getting their great whips in trim, and in seeing the trek-tow and dissel-boom--as the great trace and pole of the waggon are called--were perfect; and they practised the team as well. Many of the readers may not know that for an expedition like this, where the waggon party expect to be travelling for months, perhaps for a year, through a country where roads are almost unknown, and where the great heavily-laden, but wonderfully strongly-made waggon, has to be dragged over rocks, through swamps, and into and out of rivers, a team of fourteen, sixteen, or, as in this case, even twenty oxen, will be yoked to the great chain or rope called the trek-tow. For some of the poor animals are sure to succumb during the journey; or they may be killed for food, the loss being not so much felt when a superabundant number is taken. With the leading pair of oxen walks the foreloper, whose duty it is to choose the best road, and to avoid stones and marshy places where the wheels would sink in; and the success of an expedition depends a good deal upon having a good foreloper. In this case Mr Rogers had secured a trusty Kaffir, who had been frequently into the interior; but his appearance was against him, for he had lost one eye, from a thrust of a bullock's horn. But Dinny said that the one left was as good as two, for when Dirk looked at you, it seemed to go right through your head and tickle the hair behind. _ |
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