Part 19 (1/2)
”I feel quite strong,” I said. ”Pray do not send the boys away unless they wish to go.”
However, the doctor was inexorable. While we were speaking, Chico had stolen back to his corner. Presently I saw Leo eyeing him, and hiding his face for fear of laughing.
Chico by degrees made his way up to the bottle, and slily unhooking it, put the spout to his lips and began tugging away with might and main.
Presently casting it from him, with a loud chattering he rushed back to his corner spluttering and spitting vehemently. Leo now gave way to his laughter, in which all the party joined. Even Kate could not resist laughing, nor could I, though my merriment was somewhat faint, I suspect. Chico looked indignantly at us, as if he did not at all like being made fun of.
”I told you,” said David, holding up his finger, ”if you would drink from that bottle you would repent it.”
He now took the bottle, and offered the contents to Leo and Natty, which they naturally refusing, he emptied it, and washed it out thoroughly.
”It is quite clean now for Master Koodoo,” he observed.
”Now, boys, take off your new pet, and try how quickly, by gentle treatment, you can tame it.”
”I must ask Chickango and Igubo to get me one,” exclaimed Bella. ”I should like to have a beautiful creature like that for a pet, and I am sure I could soon make it love me.”
”That must depend on whether one happens to jump into a pit,” said Leo.
”That was the way this one was caught. The mother managed to scramble out, but was shot while attempting to help her young one.”
”Yes, and it seemed very cruel to kill the creature at such a moment. I should not like to have done it,” observed Natty.
”That I am sure of,” whispered Bella. ”Natty would never wish to hurt any creature.”
The boys now led off the little koodoo. Stanley soon afterwards arrived, followed by Jack, with some beautiful birds and several rock-rabbits which they had shot. They congratulated me warmly on being so much better. I caught sight also of Timbo, Igubo, and his two sons.
”What has become of Chickango?” I asked, afraid, from not seeing him, that some accident had happened.
”The faithful fellow has gone to Walfish Bay with Senhor Silva,” said Stanley. ”We attempted in vain to find a native who would carry our message, and at last our Portuguese friend, though knowing the fearful risks he will run, undertook the journey, when Chickango insisted on accompanying him.”
”Well, Mr Crawford, I am main glad you are getting well again,”
exclaimed Jack, when the rest of the party had retired. ”I would have given my right hand for your sake, and often when I thought you were going to slip your cable, I was ready to burst out a-crying; but, as Timbo says, G.o.d is very merciful, and now I hope you will come round pretty quickly, since you have weathered the worst point, where, so to speak, there were most rocks and shallows, and are now in smooth water.”
I saw Timbo watching at a distance, and as soon as Jack had gone, he too came up.
”Oh, Ma.s.sa Crawford, it do my heart good to see your eye bright again, and colour come back to de cheek. Me now no fear. You soon all right.
I pray G.o.d night and day dat you get well, dat I do, and I go on praying still, for G.o.d hear de prayer of de black fellow, just as he hear de white man. Oh, Ma.s.sa Crawford, it a great t'ing to be able to pray. If I no do dat I t'ink my heart sink down to the bottom of de river where de crocodiles crawl about; but when I pray it rise up just like a bird wid de big wings, and fly up, up, up into de blue sky.”
I thanked Timbo warmly for his regard, but still more for the prayers he had offered up; and I felt as sure as he did that they had not been disregarded. My father's exhortation, I am glad to say, often came back to my mind. It was very delightful lying there in the shade, with the beautiful landscape and its countless numbers of inhabitants, and listening to Kate reading the Bible, in which we often came to pa.s.sages, some peculiarly applicable to our position--so it appeared to me--others describing the wonders of G.o.d's works which we saw displayed before us, and his love and mercy to man.
In a few days I had so much recovered that my friends insisted on carrying me down to take an excursion on the lake. The day was cool, for a fresh breeze played over the water. Leo and Natty begged to have the pleasure of paddling me.
”And we will go too, shall we not?” cried Bella to her sister. I was glad to find that Kate consented.
”And I must go to look after you,” said David, ”and Timbo will stay at home to take care of the house.”
”Very well, if I go as captain,” said Jack; ”but I cannot let you go and run your noses into the mouth of a hippopotamus or alligator, either of which, I have a notion, you would be likely to do.”
Stanley and the two black boys had gone off in the _Giraffe_, as he wished to shoot. I wished to walk down, but found, on attempting it, that I could not; indeed, I had become so thin that I was no great weight for my friends to carry. As soon as we had taken our places in the canoe, we shoved off. I was able to sit up and enjoy the scenery.
To the west rose the lofty hills on the side of which our village was placed, for so I think I must call it, while on the left were woods with fine trees, and here and there a break through which the broad prairie could be seen extending as far as the eye could reach towards the south.
We got glimpses of numerous animals moving in and about the woods, and some scampering over the plain. It was already late in the day when we embarked. As the weather was fine and the lake perfectly calm, we paddled down the centre to enjoy the greater purity of the air, away from the banks. The trip was so enjoyable that we were tempted to go further, perhaps, than was prudent. At length, unwillingly, David begged Jack to turn the canoe's head homewards. As we were paddling along, we caught sight of Stanley's canoe entering a creek out of the lake.
”Oh, see, see!” cried Bella, ”what thousands of animals! I never saw so many collected together.”