Part 9 (1/2)
They had now arrived at the bottoht of the stars they selected a spot for their encampment Whether they were near to any Caffre kraals or not it was i of oxen
Having collected all the cattle, they forons, and passed ropes from the one to the other; the horses and sheep were driven within the square, and the oxen were, as usual, tied up to the sides of the wagons
It should here be observed, that the oxen were turned out to graze early in the , yoked in the afternoon, and they traveled then as far as they could after nightfall, to avoid the extreme heat of the day, the continual visits of the Carries, and the risk of losing the cattle if they were allowed to be loose and fed during the night
On the night we have been referring to, a hted, to keep off the elephants and other wild animals
The hyenas and wolves were very nu hold of some of the sheep; but as yet there had not been seen or heard a lion, although an occasional track had been pointed out by the Hottentots
When the Hottentots had finished their labor, our travelers had to wait till the fires were lighted and a sheep killed before they could have their suppers cooked by Mahoum, the baboon, had been released fro the Fish River, and as usual, when they sat down, ca in close to her er in every dish, and steal all she could, sometimes rather to their annoyance
Our little Bushayety, and was one of thelittle fellows that could be met with
He could not make himself understood except to one or two of the Hottentots; but he was all pantons, to talk to Mr Swinton and his companions He endeavored to assist Mahomed as much as he could, and appeared to have attached himself to him, for he kept no company with the Hottentots He was not h, and with lih well estures and manners completely so; he was quite as active and full of fun The watch had been set as soon as the fires were lighted; and close to where Alexander and the others were seated, Big Ada raised doubts in the uard, with his gun in his hand O, and they nodded and slish
The boy, who had already picked up a few sentences, answered in the sa Adans, and nodding his head; at last he bent down, putting his ar it like an elephant's trunk, walking with the measured steps of that animal, so as fully to make them Understand that he intended to portray an elephant
Having so done, he went up behind Big Adaave a shriek so exactly like that which the elephant had given an hour before, that the Hottentot started up, dropped his round, in order that the supposed aniht pass by him unperceived
The other Hottentots had been equally startled, and had seized theirin every direction for the approach of the anihter which proceeded fro to apprehend, and that little O very foolish; he had just before been telling his companions howhis hopes that they soon should have an elephant-hunt
”Well,” observed Swinton, after the laugh was over, ”it proves that Adaer”
”Yes,” replied the Major; ”and it also proves that our opinion of him was just, and that with him the best part of valor is discretion”
”The most wonderful escape from an elephant which we have on record here,” observed Swinton, ”is that of Lieutenant Moodie; did you ever hear of it? I had it from his own lips”
”I never did, at all events,” said Alexander; ”and if the Major has, he will listen very patiently, to oblige me”
”I have never heard the precise particulars, and shall therefore be as glad to be a listener as Wilin Lieutenant Moodie was out elephant-hunting with a party of officers and soldiers, when one day he was told that a large troop of elephants was close at hand, and that several of the men were out, and in pursuit of theun, and went off in the direction where he heard the firing
”He had forced his way through a jungle, and had just co out, in English and Dutch, 'Take care, Mr Moodie, take care,' As they called out, he heard the crackling of branches broken by the elephants as they were bursting through the wood, and then treht Ile, not two hundred yards froround, he knew that if he fired and did not kill, he could have no chance; so he hastily retreated, hoping that the ani back, however, he perceived, to his dis on him; he therefore resolved to reserve his fire till the last ain them before the elephants could come up with him But he was still at least fifty paces from the rocks, when he found that the elephants ithin half that distance of hie animal, and three smaller,--all in a row, as if deter so tremendously that he was quite stunned with the noise”
”That's what I call a very pretty position,” observed the Major ”Go on, Swinton; the affair is beco a little nervous”
”As his only chance, Lieutenant Moodie turned round, and leveled his gun at the largest elephant; but unfortunately the poas da it frorazed the side of the elephant's head The anie upon him He fell; whether struck down by the elephant's trunk he can not say The elephant then thrust at him as he lay, with his tusk; fortunately it had but one, and round within an inch of Mr Moodie's body
”The aniht him up with its trunk by his middle, and dashed him down between his fore-feet to tread him to death Once it pressed so heavily on his chest, that all his bones bent under the weight, but so in a state of alarht upon him; for Mr Moodie had never lost his recollection, and kept twisting his body and his li a direct tread upon him While he was in this state of distress, another officer and a Hottentot hunter came up to his assistance, and fired several shots at the animal, which was severely wounded, and the other three took to their heels At last the one which had possession of Mr Moodie turned round, and giving hiot up, picked up his gun, and staggered away as fast as his aching bones would permit him He met his brother, who had just been informed by one of the Hottentots, who had seen him under the elephant, that he was killed”
”Well, that was an escape,” observed Wilmot
”What made it more remarkable was, that he had hardly time to explain to his brother his miraculous preservation, before he witnessed the death of one of the hunters, a soldier, who had attracted the notice of a large le The fierce aniht hiht where Mr Moodie and his brother were standing, carried the poor fellow for so upon him until he was quite dead, left the body for a short time The elephant then returned, as if to make sure of its destruction; for it kneeled down on the body, and kneaded it with his fore-legs; then, rising, it seized it again with its trunk, carried it to the edge of the jungle, and hurled it into the bushes”