Part 4 (1/2)
”You have given us a pretty fright, Denis,” said his father. ”What made you take it into your head to start off alone from the camp, without letting any one know where you were going?”
”Faith! for the sake of showing you what I could do,” answered Denis.
”Besides, I just honestly confess that I thought you would have inspanned and come along this way, when I hoped you would not have refused to take me with you.”
”I thought as much, but you've gained nothing by the move,” observed his father. ”You have shown me more clearly than before that you are utterly unfit to go through the fatigues of a hunter's life. You'll just take advantage of the kind offer of our friend here, and go back with him to Maritzburg.”
Poor Denis looked very crestfallen, but said nothing, for he did not feel just then well able to enter into a controversy with any one.
Indeed, he was growing weaker and weaker, and it seemed more than probable that he would be unable to get back to the camp unless he was carried. Little Lionel had picked up his gun, and was staggering ahead with it over his shoulders. He kept his eyes looking about him as if on the watch for something or other. Presently he cried out in Zulu, ”Be on your guard, white chief. See, see! there they come!” and Hendricks caught sight of the lion, followed at a distance by the cubs, stealing down the hill towards the spot where the lioness had been shot. He kept his eye on the animal, to watch its movements. Both he and Maloney had loaded with ball, and they now halted until the lion came within range of their weapons.
The brute moved slowly on, and then suddenly sitting up on its haunches, surveyed them at a distance.
”The lion has no stomach for a fight. We may go on,” said Hendricks.
They walked on supporting Denis, while the boy kept close to their side until they had pa.s.sed the body of the lioness, the lion all the time retaining its position, conscious probably that its duties were to protect its cubs. They went on and on until they got out of sight of the lion, which, when they last saw it, had not moved from its post.
Very frequently, however, Hendricks looked back to ascertain whether the animal was following them. ”After all, they are cowardly brutes,” he observed. ”They will seldom attack a man when they see he is prepared for them, unless hard pressed by hunger. I have never found them otherwise.”
A rhinoceros, a panther, and several deer were seen, but they had no further interruptions to their progress, and at length the camp was reached. They found breakfast ready for them. From the appearance of Denis, who scarcely ate a morsel, it was more than ever evident that he would be unable to accompany his father. It was doubtful indeed whether he would be able to start with Hendricks the following morning, unless room could be found for him in the waggon. In the meantime a bed was made up for him in the shade beneath it, consisting of a blanket and kaross, the latter being a robe composed of jackal skins sewn together.
Hendricks, although anxious to get to Maritzburg, agreed to wait until the following morning, when it was hoped that Denis would be able to sit his horse, and benefit by the fresh air of the early day.
His father was very grateful to their friend for his kindness.
”Don't talk about it,” answered the st.u.r.dy hunter. ”Our oxen will benefit by having another day's rest and good feeding, which neither yours nor mine are likely to obtain for some time to come; for when once I inspan, I shall let nothing stop me until I get to the end of my journey, and you, of course, will have to traverse the barren country I lately pa.s.sed over.”
The young chief, however, showed great impatience at the delay. He evidently feared that his countrymen would discover him and drag him from the protection of the English. He expressed this idea to Hendricks.
”They will have to fight pretty hard to do that, and you must not be slow to defend yourselves,” observed the hunter.
The black chief flourished his a.s.segai with a fierce look. ”Mangaleesu has shown what he can do, and he will not yield while life lasts,” he exclaimed.
”Those who are ready to fight for themselves merit a.s.sistance,” observed the hunter. ”Rest a.s.sured, we will not deliver you up.”
During the hot hours of the day the Kaffir and Hottentot servants lay about in whatever shade could be found, some smoking, others spinning interminable yarns, but the larger number pa.s.sing the time fast asleep, stretched on the ground with a few boughs or pieces of blanket over their heads. Occasionally the Hottentots were roused up to take then turn in watching the cattle, on which, even during the day, it was necessary to keep a bright look-out lest a lion might pounce down upon them, or a black rhinoceros charge into their midst and put them to flight. At length Hendricks called out the hunters, and sent them in search of game. While they took one direction, he himself, with Maloney, accompanied by Umgolo, proceeded higher up the mountain-side, his object being to discover if there was any more practicable route than the one by which the latter had come, as also to ascertain if there were any native kraals in the neighbourhood. The summit of the hill was soon reached.
”It is as I thought,” said Maloney, after they had surveyed the country.
”You'll not find a better road to the east or west, bad as it is; if you make the attempt, you'll very likely get out of the frying-pan into the fire.”
On either side were seen a succession of tree-covered heights, through which no waggon could force its way, unless preceded by a party of pioneers to cut down the trees and bridge the ravines. In the far distance were a few kraals with open s.p.a.ces marking the mealy grounds of the inhabitants, but in other respects the whole country was a perfect wilderness.
As they were descending they caught sight of a graceful animal which at that moment had leapt on a rock not far from them. In colour and appearance it resembled the common roe, but was considerably smaller.
On seeing the strangers, it was on the point of turning to escape, when Hendricks, raising his gun in a moment to his shoulder, fired, and the little klipspringer fell from the projecting rock on which it was standing, down on the smooth side of the hill, where it lay motionless.
The klipspringer is one of the most active of antelopes, differing from others of its species in having small hoofs and somewhat short legs for its size, thus adapting it to its roaming mountainous life, while the hair is so loose in the skin, that even in the short distance the animal just shot had fallen, a considerable part had been knocked off. Umgolo at once shouldered it, and without difficulty carried it off to the camp. Had it been a load of any other description, he would have declined to demean himself by lifting it on his shoulders. On their way back, the hunters shot several da.s.si, or rock rabbits, which thus paid the penalty of their curiosity as they came out of their holes to look at the pa.s.sers-by. Their flesh, although not so highly flavoured, was more likely to prove tender than that of larger game, and they were thus an acceptable addition to the store of meat.
Poor Denis made his appearance at supper-time, somewhat revived by a long sleep. Although he tried to be cheerful, and declared that he was fit for anything, it was still very evident that he would be unable to accompany his father.
Except that there was a continual serenade of hyenas and jackals, with the occasional low mutterings of lions in the distance, the night pa.s.sed quietly by. Before dawn the next morning both camps were astir. After a hurried breakfast the oxen were inspanned, and Denis was placed in the homeward-bound waggon. His father having taken leave of him, and parted from Hendricks with a hearty shake of the hand, the two vehicles commenced their journeys in opposite directions. Mangaleesu and Kalinda walked together close to the waggon, and it had been arranged that should any natives appear, she was to get inside, while the young chief, who had put off the insignia of his rank, and was dressed like one of the other natives, would then, it was hoped, pa.s.s without discovery.
Little Lionel, whose wound was slighter than at first supposed, and who seemed to look upon it as a mere scratch, some times trotted alongside them, and at others clambered up by the side of the driver, to whom he took an especial fancy. Denis frequently called him to sit in the corner at the other end of the waggon, and amused himself by trying to teach him English, which the boy acquired with wonderful rapidity, it being scarcely ever necessary to tell him twice the name of a thing.
”I'm sure the little chap is English,” said Denis to Hendricks, when they outspanned for the night. ”Had his parents been Dutch, he would not have recollected the names of things so uncommonly fast as he does.
When I put my hand to my head, and said head, he immediately repeated the word after me, and when I asked him again ten minutes afterwards he had not forgotten it. When I touched my cap, without telling him the name, he at once said 'cap.' If he goes on at that rate, he'll be able to talk English before we get to Maritzburg, and I shouldn't be surprised if he will then be able to give us a more clear account of himself than he has. .h.i.therto done.”