Part 17 (2/2)
”No; it was my shot did it,” cried Leo.
”It was mine,” exclaimed Natty; ”I am sure.”
”You both had the honour,” exclaimed Stanley, as he knelt over the monster's head. ”Here are two shot holes, and either would have killed him.”
As may be supposed, the boys' triumph was very great. Chickango, however, was better pleased with the giraffe.
”Here meat enough for one week,” he exclaimed, as he began to cut away into the giraffe's flesh.
As we had no prejudice in taking an animal killed immediately before our eyes, though we might have objected to it had we found it dead, we all a.s.sisted Chickango in cutting up the animal, each of us taking as much as we could possibly carry.
”You stay here,” he said. ”Take care no oder lion come. I go call oders;” and loading himself with twice as much as we could have attempted to carry, he hurried back to the camp.
The rest of the party soon arrived; and we had now an ample supply of food for several days, if it would keep so long. Not delaying to kill any birds, as the rest of the party were waiting for their dinner, we hurried back to the camp. We found that Timbo had not been idle, and had caught several fish, which were of good size, and p.r.o.nounced wholesome. We found Igubo's sons--the eldest of whom was called Mango and the other Paulo--creeping along the banks at a little distance down the river.
”They are after something,” observed Jack, ”for they have been making a couple of harpoons; and they seem to know pretty well what they are about.”
Presently we saw a creature which at a distance looked like a young crocodile leap off the sh.o.r.e into the water. Mango's harpoon was rapidly darted at it; and he was now seen hauling up the creature, which was struggling to escape. He and his brother soon despatched it with blows on the head, and, leaving it on the bank, crept on a little further. Presently another creature was harpooned in the same way by Paulo; and they now came back looking highly pleased, and dragging the reptiles after them. They were about three feet long, with a high ridge running along their backs, and with hideous heads.
”Bery good eat,” exclaimed Chickango when he saw the little monsters.
”What!” cried out Leo; ”you do not mean to say you would eat those hideous creatures?”
”I suspect we shall have no objection to do so,” said David. ”They are varanians, a species of water-lizard, very similar to the iguanas of the New World, which are considered great delicacies. Ugly as they look, they are perfectly harmless.”
The fires were already lighted, and without loss of time young Mango and Paulo set to work to skin their prizes. Chickango stewed a portion of them in our big pan. The flesh looked remarkably white and nice. First I took a piece; David followed; then Leo put in his wooden fork.
”Why, it is capital!” he exclaimed. ”Kate, you must have some. Bella, I am sure you will like it.”
In fact, in a short time we were all partaking of the varaniad meat, which we preferred to that of the giraffe. We had a dessert of great variety, if not to be compared to some of our English fruits; but we were very thankful to get such nice and wholesome food. The fruits, indeed, were particularly cooling and pleasant to the palate.
Chickango, who had disappeared, soon came back with a quant.i.ty of honey, which he had taken from the hollows in the trees we had seen on our shooting expedition. It was, as may be supposed, a welcome addition to our repast.
We were still seated at our meal, when a low rumbling noise reached our ears. It continued for some time, and looking out towards the east, whence it appeared to come, we saw dark clouds collecting. Presently vivid flashes of lightning darted forth, and reiterated roars came pealing through the air. ”We must get shelter up immediately,” cried Senhor Silva, ”or the young ladies will be wet through; and our goods may suffer too.” The canoes had been well secured to trunks of trees, though not unladen. We immediately got out the axes, and commenced cutting down the smaller saplings and straight branches of trees as rapidly as we could. These we placed on the side of the bank, covering our rude hut over with large leaves and heavy boughs on the top, which we secured by rattans to prevent their being blown away. Everything that could be injured by rain was immediately brought up, leaving room for the young ladies and poor Igubo in the centre.
”Oh, we can perch ourselves on the top of the baggage,” cried Leo.
”There will be room then for all hands inside.”
While we were working away the clouds came rus.h.i.+ng on over the sky, the flashes of lightning becoming every instant more vivid and frequent. I had hitherto seen nothing like it on sh.o.r.e. The most vivid flashes of forked lightning darted from the clouds, apparently playing round the summits of the taller trees, and then descending, went zigzagging along over the ground. Others were seen traversing the river in all directions. It was a grand but terrific scene. The blacks looked alarmed, and poor Chico chattered as if he would shake his teeth out, and clung to Jack's neck for protection. The thunder roared and rattled louder and louder, till we could scarcely hear each other speak; while sometimes the whole atmosphere seemed filled with flame. Presently huge drops began to fall. They came thicker and thicker, till they splashed down upon the river, throwing up miniature waterspouts all over it. The roar of the splas.h.i.+ng and pattering was quite deafening. The wind, too, howled through the trees, which threatened to come down upon our heads, though we had placed our hut as far from them as possible. In a few minutes the water, which had been perfectly clear, became thick and muddy, and branches of trees and logs of wood were seen floating down the stream.
”We should be thankful that we are safe on land,” said David. ”Will this last long, Senhor Silva?”
”Sometimes such storms are over in half an hour,” was the answer; ”but they may last for a couple of days. Should this do so, we may congratulate ourselves on having the canoes to escape in, for the river may speedily swell, and cover the very spot where we are sitting.”
This was not satisfactory news; at the same time, it was better to know of the probability of such an occurrence, that we might be prepared for it. The river was rising--that was evident--and now flowed down in waves which would have been almost sufficient to swamp our canoes; while torrents of water came rus.h.i.+ng down the banks, and threatening every instant to sweep away our hut. Happily we had formed it on a little elevation on the bank, so that the stream turned on either side, and the risk was therefore lessened. Fiercer and fiercer raged the storm. The waters increased rapidly. It seemed as if the very clouds were emptying themselves upon the earth.
”I hope we are not going to have another deluge,” exclaimed Leo.
”Of course not,” answered Natty. ”Don't you know that one is never to occur again? To be sure, this river may overflow its banks, but we have our canoes to get away in if it does.”
I was afraid little Bella would be alarmed, but she kept gazing up at her sister, and seeing her countenance calm and tranquil, sat contented by her side, without speaking, however. In spite of the rain, I every now and then put my head out to ascertain that the canoes were safe; for as the waters rushed down, I was afraid lest the stumps to which they were fastened might be carried away. So thick was the rain that we could scarcely see across to the other side. Suddenly, as if by word of command, it ceased; and though the thunder continued to rattle towards the west, and flashes still issued from the clouds in the east, all quickly became serene. The sun burst forth again upon our heads, and the leaves of the trees and shrubs glittered for a few minutes as if covered with diamonds, though the sun rapidly dried up the moisture.
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