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Off to the Wilds, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 32. Warm Work In The Wilds |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY TWO. WARM WORK IN THE WILDS "It was all through taking you, Dinny, that father had such bad sport, I know," said Dick. "Shure the ongratitude of the human being is wonderful," said Dinny, addressing nobody. "Here, I save his parint's life by keeping him from going any farther and getting himself dhrowned." "Ah, well, Dinny, you're not going to be drowned any more," said Dick; "father has decided to go on with the waggon to-morrow." "Back home?" cried Dinny, slapping the shrunken leg of his trousers. "No: farther away; after elephant and rhinoceros." "Bad luck to the illiphant and rhinoceros!" cried Dinny. "But anyhow, we shall be on dhry land." The king was disappointed at the party going so soon; but a present of a bottle of sweets, and some ammunition, brought smiles into his face-- smiles that grew broader as he heard that they would stop if possible at the town as they came back. They started at sunrise, so as to get a good trek over before the heat of the day should commence, and with oxen well rested and in excellent condition they got over the ground pretty swiftly for an oxen-team. The horses too were fresh, and so full of excitement and fun that the dogs were taken, after the particular mountain to which they intended to make had been marked down; and the boys had a good canter, Coffee and Chicory thoroughly enjoying the excitement, and keeping up with the two cobs with the greatest ease. The mountain was reached in due time, a midday halt indulged in, and after a good long rest they continued their journey, so as to get well beyond reach of Moseti's town, and away from the interruptions that might have resulted in their being too near the king. But the General had no intention of going far after the fine promise he had seen for game; and two days' march away from the town he proposed that they should halt, and make a good strong kraal for the horses in the place he selected. It was admirably adapted for the purpose, there being an abundance of thorns, with a steep rocky escarpment to act as the back of the kraal. Besides this, there was a spring of beautifully clear water gushing from amongst the rocks, which rose right up here into mountains. The General's advice had always proved so good that the halt was called, and quite a fortification of thorns made, large enough to protect the cattle. The fire was started again, and as much care taken as if they had been in an enemy's country. And so they soon found that they were, though their enemies were not near. The very first night at the new camp they were visited by lions, which were audacious enough, in spite of the fire, to pretty well frighten the oxen into a stampede; but they were ultimately calmed down; while the poor horses suffered so that they were haltered up to the side of the waggon, with their heads so near the tilt that they could hear their masters' voices; and this had the effect of calming them, when the lions were most daring. Snakes too proved to be more plentiful here than they had been found since they left the glen at the head of the valley, where Jack had his imaginary bite. They were principally the puff-adder, which would come out from among the stones to get within reach of the fire, where it would lie and bask, quite regardless of the presence of the people; and several of these creatures had to pay dearly for their temerity. The day after they had settled here they found another unpleasant neighbour, in the shape of a boa, this being the third of these large serpents they had met with in their journey. The General saw the creature up in the mountain amongst the stones, about a quarter of a mile from the camp, and came back to announce his discovery. There was magic to the boys in the word snake, and catching up their guns, they followed the Zulu up the rocks--quite a stiff climb in the hot sunshine--and there upon a little sandy plain lay the monster, knotted together, apparently asleep. They had been afraid to bring the dogs lest one of them should be crushed by the great boa, and now, as it lay so passive, they had to attempt some plan for rousing it so as to make it raise its head for a shot; and on being warned of what was wanted, the General offered to go up and rouse the creature with the handle of his assegai. But this Mr Rogers would not permit, bidding the Zulu throw stones at the reptile. This the General did, the second he pitched being so well-aimed that it struck the serpent right amongst its thickest folds, when, in an instant, the creature was all in motion, with its scales glittering in the sun, and its head raised in angry menace, though it did not seem to see who had disturbed it, and ended by striking fiercely at the offending stone. It would have been easy enough to have shot the creature now, but every one was so much interested in watching its actions that they forebore, though their guns were presented, ready to fire at the slightest indication of danger. The serpent writhed, and turned itself over and over, and seemed too angry to settle itself down again to rest: but at the end of a few minutes the warmth of the sun, and the sand upon which it was gliding about, were so pleasant, that it coiled itself up once more, laying its head over two or three of the coils in the centre, and then appeared to be settling down once more to sleep. Another stone from the General threw it into violent agitation once more; the body writhed about upon the sand, the tail lashed it, the broad head rose up with a loud angry hiss, and began to undulate and menace the party; and when the General took a step or two forward, as if to strike it, the serpent made darts, as if measuring the distance before trying to throw round him a coil of its muscular body. So menacing did the creature grow at last that Mr Rogers gave the word, and there was a rapid double shot, the reptile falling to Dick's gun, and lying shot through the head, and writhing upon the sand. This serpent measured just over twenty feet in length, and its girth was enormous; so thick and heavy was it that the amount of muscular power in its body must have been tremendous. So rapid and graceful was every motion, and so full of strength was it even now, with its head shattered, and when it might reasonably have been looked upon as dead, that it was dangerous to approach within reach of its coils, Dick having a very narrow escape. They worked hard now collecting the lovely birds that abounded in the forest, and the gloriously tinted beetles and butterflies, Coffee and Chicory having by this time grown invaluable as collectors. Then there was the regular hunting to do for supplying the needs of the camps, and this generally fell to the lot of Dick and Jack, both of whom were wondrous expert on horseback, as they had grown to be with a rifle. "But mind," Mr Rogers had said, "no wanton slaughter. Kill as many dangerous creatures as you meet, but only shoot the innocent game as we need it for food." The boys kept to their word, and many a tempting shot was given up, because they felt that it was not necessary, the larder being stocked. Game was abundant here, but though they could have shot eland, koodoo, blesbok, gemsbok, quagga, hartebeeste, zebra, and gnu, they had not seen elephant or giraffe, and these latter were in the boys' minds continually. "Well," said Mr Rogers, "I'll take the glass and have a ride out with you to-day. Perhaps we may have better luck. We must have a skin or two of the giraffe to take back." "And we haven't seen a buffalo yet, father," cried Jack. "Isn't game scarce?" "Go and look at the footprints by the pool, my boy, and answer that question for yourself," said Mr Rogers, smiling. But Jack did not go. He knew that he had asked a foolish question, so he passed it off. The day was wonderfully hot, and quietly as they went, they felt scorched, while Pompey and Caesar, who were taken as a treat, ran with their tongues lolling out, and stopped to drink at every pool they passed. The route chosen was a different one this day, leading over a wide undulating plain covered with an enormous thickness of rough herbage, and dotted here and there with bushes. It was just the place to expect to find a lion--offering the beast abundant chances for concealment; but after being out four hours, they had seen nothing but antelopes, at which they did not care to fire, since it would only have been to add a fresh skin to their collection, and glut some of the vultures flying slowly overhead. The glass was used again and again in vain, and at last, so as to cover a wider view, Mr Rogers rode away about a mile to the left, bidding his sons mind the land-marks so as to be able to reach the waggon again. Dick and Jack did not separate, and after a glance round to see if they could make out any game, they resigned themselves to their fate, and rode gently along. "I'm hotter and more tired than I have ever been since we came out," cried Jack. "So am I," said Dick. "Let's sling our guns over our shoulders. Oh, isn't it hot." "If we sling our rifles we shall come upon a lion, or something big." "Well, let us. I'm too hot to shoot, and he'd be too hot to attack. What does that little bird keep flying to us for, and then going away?" "Got a nest somewhere here, and afraid we shall take its young." "Perhaps so," said Dick lazily. "No, it isn't. I know what it is," he cried excitedly, forgetting the heat and his idle languor. "Well, what is it?" said Jack. "I know. It's a bird." "It's the honey-guide," cried Dick, watching the twittering little thing as it flew to him and then back, trying hard to draw their attention, and to get them to follow it. "I don't believe it would take us to any honey if we went after it." "Well, let's try," said Dick. "Where's father?" "Oh, right over there: a mile away. You can just see him." "Well, we'll follow the bird," cried Dick. "I should like some honey. It would be quite a treat." "Come along, then," said Jack. "I'll do anything if it isn't too much trouble. Come along. What's old Pomp found?" They turned their horses, and were about to ride after the honey-guide, when Pompey suddenly began baying furiously at a clump of very high ferns and bushes, and Caesar went and joined him. "Get your gun ready, Jack," said Dick excitedly. "It's a lion." "Not it," replied Dick, "or those dogs wouldn't face it as they do. They've only found a lizard. Here, here, here, Pomp, Caesar, Pomp. Hey, dogs, then! Look out, Jack! Gallop?" Dick fired a random shot at something that charged at them from out of the high grass. The next instant their horses had swerved round and were galloping away over the rough surface as hard as they could go. They had been grumbling at not being able to find any large game. Now they had found some with a vengeance, for a monstrous rhinoceros had been disturbed by the dogs, and with all its angry passions roused it was charging down upon the young horsemen as hard as it could go. It seemed incredible that so great and clumsy an animal could gallop so fast; but gallop it did, at a tremendous rate, paying no more heed to the bitings and yelpings of the dogs than if they had been flies. But, tossing its curious snout, armed with two horns, high in the air, it uttered a loud, angry, snorting noise as it thundered along threatening to overtake the horses at every stride. The dogs behaved very well, but they might as well have snapped at the trunk of a tree as at that horny hide, and at last in despair they contented themselves with galloping on by the animal's side. To shoot was impossible; to avoid the creature, just as impossible; and so the boys used their whips more than once to try and get their cobs faster over the ground. It went against the grain to use a whip to the sleek sides of the cobs, but the rhinoceros was gaining upon them, and to be overtaken meant to be trampled to death. "Come along, Jack; use your whip again," cried Dick. "We can't shoot." "Shall we separate?" said Jack back from his horse, as they tore over the grass. "No, no; let's keep together." "Very well, then; but where shall we go? Which way shall we turn? Shall we try for that wood in front?" "No, no, no," cried Dick. "We should not be able to get through, but that beast would go past bushes as if they were paper. That's a thorn wood, too." "Where's father, I wonder?" cried Jack. Dick looked over his shoulder. "There he comes, full gallop. He sees what a mess we are in." "But he can't help us," cried Jack. "Sit close, Dick, old fellow; and look out for holes in front, whatever you do." Away they went in their mad gallop, longing for the rhinoceros to give up his hunt of the hunters, but the huge beast came thundering along in the most persistent way, close at their heels, but now, to the delight of the boys, not gaining upon them. The only thing they had to fear then was a slip or a stumble, or that in its pertinacious hunt the rhinoceros would tire their horses down. "He's gaining on us now," cried Dick suddenly. "Jack, we must separate, and let him run after one while the other fires at him." "You couldn't do it, Dick. No, no, let's keep together, and we shall beat him yet." "But we mustn't take him down to the camp. Oh, thank goodness, at last." "No, no, don't say that, Dick," cried Jack, in agony, as the rhinoceros suddenly stopped, whisked round, and went straight back upon its trail. "Let's hunt him now, for he's going straight for father. Don't you see?" "Yes," said Dick; and turning their trembling half-blown cobs, they galloped after the rhinoceros in turn. _ |
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