Part 10 (1/2)

”That's not true,” cried Mr Brook; ”excuse me, my dear, for so flat a contradiction, but I have seen Gertie frequently overcome by things,--by Junkie's obstinacy for instance, which I verily believe to be an insurmountable difficulty, and I've seen her thoroughly overcome, night after night, by sleep.--Isn't that true, la.s.s?”

”I suppose it is, father, since you say so, but of course I cannot tell.”

”Sleep!” continued Brook, with a laugh, ”why, would you believe it, Mr Skyd, I went into what we call the nursery-tent one morning last week, to try to stop the howling of my little boy, and I found him lying with his open mouth close to Gertie's cheek, pouring the flood of his wrath straight into her ear, and she sound asleep all the time! My nurse, Mrs Scholtz, told me she had been as sound as that all night, despite several heavy squalls, and notwithstanding a chorus of hyenas and jackals outside that might almost have awakened the dead.--By the way, that reminds me: just as I was talking with nurse that morning we heard a most unearthly shriek at some distance off. It was not the least like the cry of any wild animal I have yet heard, and for the first time since our arrival the idea of Kafirs flashed into my mind. Did any of you gentlemen happen to hear it?”

The brothers looked at each other, and at their friend Dobson, and then unitedly turned their eyes on George Dally, who--performing the combined duties of cook and waiter, at a fire on the ground, not fifteen feet to leeward of the dinner-party--could hear every word of the conversation.

”Why, yes,” said John Skyd, ”we did hear it, and so did your man Dally.

We had thought--”

”The truth is, sir,” said George, advancing with a miniature pitchfork or ”tormentor” in his hand; ”pardon my interrupting you, sir,--I did hear the screech, but as I couldn't say exactly for certain, you know, that it was a Kafir, not havin' seen one, I thought it best not to alarm you, sir, an' so said nothing about it.”

”You looked as if you had seen one,” observed Frank Dobson, drawing down the corners of his mouth with his peculiar smile.

”Did I, sir!” said George, with a simple look; ”very likely I did, for I'm timersome by nature an' easily frightened.”

”You did not act with your wonted wisdom, George, in concealing this,”

said Edwin Brook gravely.

”I'm afraid I didn't sir,” returned George meekly.

”In future, be sure to let me know every symptom of danger you may discover, no matter how trifling,” said Brook.

”Yes, sir.”

”It was a very tremendous yell, wasn't it, Dally?” asked John Skyd slily, as the waiter-cook was turning to resume his duties at the fire.

”Wery, sir.”

”And alarmed us all dreadfully, didn't it?”

”Oh! dreadfully, sir--'specially me; though I must in dooty say that you four gentleman was as bold as bra.s.s. It quite relieved me when I saw your tall figurs standin' at the mouth o' your cavern, an' the muzzles o' your four double-guns--that's eight shots--with your glaring eyes an'

pale cheeks behind them!”

”Ha!” exclaimed John Skyd, with a grim smile--”but after all it might only have been the shriek of a baboon.”

”I think not, sir,” replied George, with a smile of intelligence.

”Perhaps then it was the cry of a zebra or quagga,” returned John Skyd, ”or a South African a.s.s of some sort.”

”Wery likely, sir,” retorted George. ”I shouldn't wonder if it was-- which is wery consolin' to my feelin's, for I'd sooner be terrified out o' my wits by a.s.ses of any kind than fall in with these long-legged savages that dwell in caves.”

With an appearance of great humility George returned to his work at the fire.

It was either owing to a sort of righteous retribution, or a touch of that fortune which favours the brave, that George Dally was in reality the first, of this particular party of settlers, to encounter the black and naked inhabitant of South Africa in his native jungle. It was on this wise.

George was fond of sport, when not detained at home by the claims of duty. But these claims were so constant that he found it impossible to indulge his taste, save, as he was wont to say, ”in the early morn and late at eve.”

One morning about daybreak, shouldering his gun and buckling on his hunting-knife, he marched into the jungle in quest of an antelope.