Part 18 (1/2)
Scarcely half an hour passed, that a herd of grotesque gnus, with the heads of bisons and horns of oxen, or of graceful quaggas, swift blesbocs, or light and elegant springbocs, did not pass in sight, in hundreds, or rather in thousands, across the plain Although it was no easy et up with them, still Hendricks was too experienced a hunter to be baffled, and he never failed, when he went out for the purpose, to bring back an ample supply ofscarce The supply which had been brought for the use of the h exhausted, while the holes in which it was expected there would be enough for the animals, were found to be dry
The country they were traversing was level, thinly scattered over with trees and srass; so that cattle and horses were able to obtain food, and such rass afforded, but had had for two days not a drop of water; still, as the only hope of obtaining any was to push forward, they on Hendricks, the Kaffirs and Hottentots, accustomed to privations of all sorts, uttered no coan to suffer greatly frouinea, if I had it, for a thimbleful of water,” exclaimed Denis, ”for I feel as if I could drink the Liffy dry”
Night cath to outspan, when the poor oxen lay down overcoht was impossible, and the whole party sat round their fires in no happy mood
They attempted to take supper, but few could s a particle of food
The fires had been lit to keep off the lions heard roaring in the distance, but soh to cause disquietude to the oxen, which invariably show their dread of the savage brutes A vigilant watch was kept, but the night became very dark, and the fires, which for want of fuel had sunk low, scarcely shed their light far enough to show the oxen lying down a short distance off Most of the party had turned in; but Hendricks himself, with Percy, who had offered to assist hi the first watch
”How soon do you think we shall reach Falls Farm?” asked Percy
”In five or six days, possibly, if we are fortunate enough to find water,” answered Hendricks; ”but I fear that the cattle will becoon If we don't discover any to-morroe must set off to search for it in different directions I propose letting Denis and you explore to the north-west, while I ride ahead with Lionel, and Uo off more to the north-east We shall thus, I hope, fall in before long e so on can in theit”
”We can't fail in that way, I hope, to find water,” observed Percy ”So I suppose that Ihome in the time you speak of”
”Are you tired of the journey?” asked Hendricks
”Oh, no, on the contrary,” answered Percy ”But I thinkanxious at our not appearing so er after the time they expected us; otherwise I should like to accoh the whole of your expedition into the interior I like the lifeplanted down on a farether, except h I am sure I shall be very happy with them”
Just then one of the oxen bellowed loudly
”Get a lantern froon, Percy; we must see what is the ht the lantern, and they advanced towards the spot; but scarcely had they got half a dozen paces, when a rushi+ng, tra sound as of many feet was heard, and three of the oxen dashed into the ca an opposite direction At the saroans reached their ears
”One of the oxen roans are not made by the poor beast They are the sounds produced by the lion as he devours his prey, and I must try to interrupt him,” said Hendricks
As he spoke, he advanced a few paces farther At that ht of an ani by Hendricks fired, and the next instant every one in the ca as the matter
”The matter is, that a lion has killed one of the oxen, and he may destroy several others if we don't stop his career,” answered Hendricks, rapidly reloading
He now led the way to where the oxen had been lying dohile the Hottentots secured the three which had come into camp None of the other oxen were to be seen, except one, which lay erness to overtake them, the men, in spite of the darkness, would have set off in pursuit, had not Hendricks called them back
”It would be useless in the dark, and you would run a great risk of being caught by the lion,” he observed ”You o in search of them; and we may, perchance, find water at the same time, as they will probably head towards it, if they escape from the lion”
This was the most severe disaster which had yet occurred to the travellers; for in that wild district it would be impossible to replace the oxen, should they not be found
Thesumain to go to sleep, for all were suffering greatly froht pay theth dawned The body of the ox killed by the lion was discovered about a hundred yards from the ca evidently been frightened away by the shot Hendricks fired, though whether it ounded or not it was ione supperless to bed, so parched were their throats that they were unable to take any breakfast The horses had been secured to the waggon, or they to a certainty would have gone off with the oxen Most of them, however, were too much knocked up to exert themselves To recover the cattle was of the first importance
Hendricks therefore found it necessary to alter his plan The rest of the party undertaking to go on foot in search of water, he selected the only two horses fit for travelling, and rode aith one of the Hottentots to look for the ed, proceeded in a north-easterly direction It had been decided, as soon as the oxen were recovered, should they be able to travel, that the waggon was to continue on due north, that theyit
Thewas fresh, almost cold, and the air pure; so that had not Denis and Percy, who, accos, were the first to start, been suffering froer also, they would have been able to rass which they plucked as they went on, they sos They kept their eyes about theh here and there shrubs, and even trees of sorew out of the sandy soil, yet no moisture could be discovered Fewer aninus or antelopes bounded across their path, but too far off for a shot