Part 11 (1/2)
”I never thought of them,” said Jack.
”Nor I,” said Peterkin.
Makarooroo groaned.
”Well,” said I, ”if you will allow me to suggest, I would recommend that we should, towards the close of the day, send them on ahead of us, and bid them encamp at a certain place, saying that we shall spend the night in hunting, and return to them in the morning.”
”The very thing,” said Jack. ”Now, comrades, to rest. I will occupy myself until I fall asleep in maturing my plans and thinking out the details. Do you the same, and if anything should occur to you let us consult over it in the morning.”
We were all glad to agree to this, being wearied more perhaps by excitement than want of rest; so bidding each other good-night, we lay down side by side to meditate, and for my part to dream of the difficult and dangerous work that awaited us on the morrow.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
WE CIRc.u.mVENT THE NATIVES.
We arose on the following morning with the dawn of day, and began to make preparation for our departure.
To our satisfaction we found the king quite willing that we should go; so embarking our goods in one of the native canoes, we ordered our negroes to embark, and commenced our journey amid the firing of guns and the good wishes of the natives. I must confess that I felt some probings of conscience at the thought of the double part we were compelled to play; but the recollection of the horrid fate that awaited the poor negro girl put to flight such feelings, and induced a longing for the time of action to arrive.
I have more than once referred to our goods. Perhaps it may be as well to explain that, when we first landed on the African coast, we made inquiries of those who were best acquainted with the nature and requirements of the country we were about to explore, as to what goods we ought to purchase of the traders, in order to be in a position to pay our way as we went along; for we could not, of course, expect the savages to feed us and lodge us and help us on our way for nothing.
After mature consideration, we provided ourselves with a supply of such things as were most necessary and suitable--such as tobacco, powder, and shot, and ball, a few trade-guns, several pieces of brightly-coloured cloth, packages of beads (some white enamelled, others of coloured gla.s.s), coffee and tea, knives, scissors, rings, and a variety of other knick-knacks. These, with a little brandy to be used medicinally, our blankets and camp cooking utensils, formed a heavy load for ten men; but, of course, as we advanced, the load was lightened by the consumption of our provisions and the giving away of goods. The additions which I made, however, in the shape of stuffed specimens, began in the course of time to more than counterbalance this advantage.
Being resolved to impress the natives with a respect for our physical powers, we made a point of each carrying a pretty heavy load on our journeys--excepting, of course, when we went out a-hunting. But to return.
Our crew worked willingly and well, so that ere night closed in upon us we were a considerable distance away from the village. As the sun set we landed, and ordering our men to advance in the canoe to a certain bend in the river, and there encamp and await our return, we landed and went off into the woods as if to search for game.
”Now, Makarooroo, quick march, and don't draw rein till we reach the cave,” said Jack when we were out of sight of the canoe.
Our guide obeyed in silence, and for the next two hours we travelled through the woods at a sort of half trot that must have carried us over the ground at the rate of five miles in hour. The pace was indeed tremendous, and I now reaped the benefit of those long pedestrian excursions which for years past I had been taking, with scientific ends in view, over the fields and hills of my native land. Jack and Peterkin seemed both to be made of iron, and incapable of suffering from fatigue.
But I have no doubt that the exciting and hazardous nature of the expedition on which we had embarked had much to do with our powers of endurance.
After running and doubling, gliding and leaping through the dense woods, as I have said, for two hours, we arrived at a broken, rocky piece of ground, over which we pa.s.sed, and eventually came upon a thick jungle that concealed a vast cliff almost entirely from view. The cracking of the bushes as we approached showed that we had disturbed the slumbers of more than one of the wild beasts that inhabited the spot. Here Makarooroo paused, and although it was intensely dark I could observe that he was trembling violently.
”Come, Mak,” said I in a whisper, ”surely you, who have received a Christian education, do not really believe that devils inhabit this spot?”
”Me don know, ma.s.sa. Eber since me was be a pikaniny me 'fraid-- horrobably 'fraid ob dat cave.”
”Come, come,” said Jack impatiently; ”we have no time for fears of any kind this night. Think of Okandaga, Mak, and be a man.”
This was sufficient. The guide pushed boldly forward, and led us to the mouth of a large cavern, at which he halted and pointed to the gloomy interior.
”You have the matches, Peterkin; quick, strike a light. It is getting late,” said Jack.
In another moment a light was struck, and with it we kindled three goodly-sized torches with which we had provided ourselves. Holding these high over our heads, we entered the cavern--Jack first, Peterkin second, I next, and the terrified negro in rear.
We had scarcely entered, and were peering upwards at the black vault overhead, when an indescribable rus.h.i.+ng sound filled the air of the cavern, and caused the flame of our torches to flicker with such violence that we could not see any object distinctly. We all came to a sudden pause, and I confess that at that moment a feeling of superst.i.tious dread chilled the blood in my veins. Before we could discover the cause of this strange effect, several large black objects pa.s.sed through the air near our heads with a peculiar m.u.f.fled noise.
Next instant the three torches were extinguished.
Unable to command himself any longer, the negro uttered a cry of terror and turned to fly; but Jack, whose wits seemed always prepared for any emergency, had foreseen the probability of this, and springing quickly after him, threw his arms round his neck and effectually prevented his running away.