Part 16 (1/2)

”Man, it's no' that bad,” observed Black, with emphasis. ”Depend on't-- though I mak' nae pretence to the gift o' prophecy--he'll come oot as a bard yet--the bard o' Glen Lynden maybe, or Sooth Afriky.--Hech, sirs!”

added Sandy, pointing with a look of surprise to a tree, many of the pendent branches of which had peculiar round-shaped birds'-nests attached to them, ”what's goin' on there, think 'ee?”

The tree to which the Scot directed attention overhung the stream, and down one of its branches a snake was seen twining itself with caution.

It evidently meant to rob one of the nests, for the little owner, with some of its companions, was shrieking and fluttering round the would-be robber. This kind of bird has been gifted with special wisdom to guard its home from snakes. It forms the entrance to its pendent nest at the bottom instead of the top, and hangs the nest itself at the extreme point of the finest twigs, so that the snake is compelled to wriggle downwards perpendicularly, and at last has to extend part of its body past the nest, in order to be able to turn its head upwards into the hole. Great, unquestionably, is a snake's capacity to hold on by its tail, but this holding on as it were to next-to-nothing is usually too much for it. While the explorers were watching, the snake turned its head upwards for the final dive into the nest, but its coils slipped, and it fell into the water amid triumphant shrieks from the little birds. Nothing daunted, however, the snake swam ash.o.r.e and made another attempt--with the same result. Again it made the trial; a third time it failed, and then, in evident disgust, went off to attack some easier prey.

While Considine and his companions were thus out in search of good localities on which to plant future homesteads, the greater part of the settlers were engaged, at a spot which they had named Clifton, in erecting temporary huts of the wattle-and-dab order. Mr Pringle himself, with a bold fellow named Rennie, remained to guard the camp, as they had reason to fear a surprise from Bushmen marauders, known at that time to be roaming the neighbourhood. More than once the sentinels were tempted to fire into a band of baboons, whom they not unnaturally mistook for Bushmen!

Other parties were sent out to cut wood and reeds, which they had to carry into camp, sometimes two or three miles, on their shoulders, while some were despatched into the kloofs to hunt, provisions having by that time grown scarce. Not being a sportsman himself, and not feeling sure of the power of his men, who were at that time unaccustomed to the gun, Mr Pringle wisely sent two of the party to the nearest station--about forty miles distant--to inquire about a supply of provisions and a few horses, which were expected from the Government-farm of Somerset.

The first hunting party sent out was not a select one, the people generally being too eager about examining and determining their immediate locations to care about sport. It consisted of young Rivers and Jerry Goldboy. The former was appointed, or rather allowed, to go, more because of his sporting enthusiasm than because of any evidence he had yet given of his powers, and the latter merely because he desired to go. For the same reason he was permitted to arm himself with his blunderbuss. Rivers carried a heavy double-barrelled fowling-piece. He was a stout active impulsive young fellow, with the look of a capable Nimrod.

”You'd have been better with a fowling-piece, or even a Dutch roer,”

said Rivers, casting a doubtful look at the blunderbuss as they entered the jungle and began to ascend one of the nearest subsidiary glens or kloofs.

”Well now, sir,” said Jerry respectfully, ”I don't agree with you. A man who goes a-shootin' with a fowlin'-piece or a Dutch gun must 'ave some sort o' capacity for shootin'--mustn't 'e, sir?”

”Well, I suppose he must.”

”W'ereas,” continued Jerry, ”a man who goes a-shootin' with a blunderbuss don't require no such qualification--that's w'ere it is, sir.”

”D'you mean to say that you can't shoot?” asked Rivers, with a look of surprise.

”No more, sir,” replied Jerry with emphasis, ”than the weatherc.o.c.k of a Dutch Reformed Church. Of course I know 'ow to load--powder first, ball or shot arterwards; it's usually gravel with me, that bein', so to speak, 'andy and cheap. An' I knows w'ich end o' the piece to putt to my shoulder, likewise 'ow to pull the trigger, but of more than that I'm hinnocent as the babe unborn. Ah! you may laugh, sir, but after all I'm a pretty sure shot. Indeed I seldom miss, because I putt in such a 'eavy charge, and the 'buss scatters so fearfully that it's all but impossible to miss--unless you fairly turn your back on the game and fires in the opposite direction.”

”You're a pleasant hunting companion!” said Rivers. ”Do you know the importance of always keeping the muzzle of your gun _away_ from the unfortunate fellow you chance to be shooting with?”

”Ho, yes, sir. The dangerous natur' of my weapon is so great that I've adopted the plan of always walking, as you see, with what the milingtary call `shouldered arms,' which endangers nothin' but the sky--includin'

the planetory system--except w'en I 'appens to fall, w'en, of course, it's every man lookout for hisself. But there's one consolation for you, sir,--my blunderbuss don't go off easy. It takes two pulls of the trigger, mostly, to bring fire out o' the flint, and as I often forget to prime--there's a third safeguard in that, so to speak.”

Further converse was interrupted by the sudden bursting of a duiker, or large antelope, from a thicket close beside them. Both sportsmen levelled their pieces, but, the jungle there being dense, the animal vanished before either could fire. With the eager haste of tyros, however, they ran stumbling after it until they came to an open stretch of ground which led them to the edge of a small plain. Here they simultaneously discovered that no duiker was to be seen, though they observed a troop of quaggas far out of range, and a hartebeest in the distance. The former, observing them, kicked up their heels, and dashed away into the mountains. The latter, a handsome creature, the size of an average pony and fleet as a stag, bounded into the jungle.

”No use going after these,” said Rivers, with a wistful gaze.

”No, sir,--none w'atever.”

”Better keep to the jungle and be ready next time,” said the young sportsman. ”We mustn't talk, Jerry.”

”No, sir; mum's the word. But 'ow if we should meet with a lion?”

”Shoot it of course. But there is no such luck in store for us.”

After this the hunters proceeded with greater caution. As they kept in the thick bush, they frequently startled animals, which they heard leaping up and bursting through the underwood, but seldom got a glimpse, and never a shot.

”Tantalising, ain't it, sir?”

”Hus.h.!.+”

They issued on another open s.p.a.ce at this point, and, seeing a thick bed of sedges near the margin of a stream, proceeded towards it, separating from each other a few yards in order to cover the ground.

There was a sudden and violent shaking in the sedges on their approach, as if some large animal had been aroused from sleep, but the tall reeds prevented its being seen.