Dead Man's Land
by George Manville Fenn · English · Gutenberg #23922 · 600,433 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: Dead Man's Land
Author: George Manville Fenn
Illustrator: Stanley L. Wood
Release date: December 19, 2007 [eBook #23922]
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23922
Credits: Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEAD MAN'S LAND ***
Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
Dead Man's Land, by George Manville Fenn.
________________________________________________________________________
The heroes consist of two teenaged boys, cousins, the father of one of
them, and a family tutor. They decide to leave dear old England for a
while, and pay a visit to Africa. Here all sorts of adventures befall
them, some pleasurable, but many of them not so. There is one
particularly awkward moment when one of the boys is pounced on by a
lion. However, they get out of that one. As always with Fenn's books,
there are numerous tight situations, many of which appear to have no
solution, but they do get out of them, perhaps with the loss of one of
their bullocks.
But by the end of the tale they are only too happy to get back to
England and home.
________________________________________________________________________
DEAD MAN'S LAND, BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN.
CHAPTER ONE.
JUST BEFORE DINNER.
Mark jumped up.
"You there, father! I did not hear you come in."
Doctor Robertson, tutor, half rose from his seat by the glowing library
fire.
"No, my boy, and I did not hear you come in."
"Why, uncle, you have been sitting there listening!" cried Dean.
"To be sure I have. How could I help it, sir? I came in tired, and
thought I would have a nap in my own chair till it was time to change
for dinner, and you woke me up out of a pleasant dream which somehow
shaped itself into climbing with an ice axe and nearly losing it. It
was some time before I could make out whether I was really awake or
dreaming still, and I lay listening and getting more and more interested
in what the doctor described to you two stupid boys."
"Oh, father, you shouldn't have listened!" said Mark.
"What, sir!" cried Sir James Roche hotly. "And pray why shouldn't I
have listened?"
"Because--because--"
"Because--because! Well, go on, sir."
"Well, Dr Robertson said something to us boys one day about what he
called eavesdropping."
"Tut, tut, sir!" cried the boy's father irascibly. "You dare to tell me
I was eavesdropping, when you three come in from your walk, and plump
yourselves down at the end of the room and go on talking till you wake
me up? How could I help being interested and sitting back listening to
the doctor's travels? Don't I pay him to teach you boys a lot of his
knowledge, and if by accident I hear some of what he says, haven't I a
right to it?"
"And you have heard all I have said, sir?" said the doctor, speaking as
if he were moved.
"Yes, my dear sir, everything when once I was well awake, and very fine
it was. Why, Mark--Dean--didn't I suggest that I should like to hear
some more?"
"Yes, uncle, you did," said Dean; "but--"
"What, sir? Are you siding with Mark, and going to accuse your uncle of
being an eavesdropper?"
"No, uncle, but--"
"Hang your buts, you impudent young dog! But--but--"
"You said hang buts, uncle."
"Bah! Pooh! Well, really, doctor, I suppose I ought to have spoken
when I woke up, and put you all on your guard in case you might have--
Here, what does the old proverb say? `Listeners never hear any good of
themselves.' Of course you might have said--you, Mark, boy, I mean--
said that I was a stingy old fellow and didn't allow you enough pocket
money."
"Well, I don't think you do, father," cried Mark; "but I shouldn't have
said so."
"Good boy! But I do allow you, sir, twice as much as my father used to
allow me when I was your age. And then Dean might have followed it up
by talking about my temper."
"I shouldn't, uncle."
"Ah, I don't know, sir. I am what Mrs Blinks calls a bit trying when
my gout's bad. And then I might have heard the doctor say--oh, no, he
would say nothing but what would come from a gentleman."
"Thank you, sir," said the doctor, as he stood erect now, and his words
were followed by a low sigh as if of satisfaction.
"Yes, I ought to have spoken, boys," continued the baronet, "but you
mustn't set it down as being dishonourable. Why, you ought to have
heard me chuckling softly as I lay back there in the darkness,
listening. Why, Robertson, this isn't flattery; you have a most
astounding memory, and I must compliment you upon the way in which you
retain things and then give them out again so that they seem to be
life-like and real. And so you have always had a great desire to be a
traveller?"
"Always, sir," said the doctor gravely.
"Hah! And fate has so arranged it that you were to be a student
instead, and doomed you to pass your existence drumming learning into
the brains of a couple of the stupidest, wooden-headed boys I know."
"Oh, I say, dad, only one! I am sharp enough; you said so yourself; and
poor old Dozey can't help being such a sleepy-headed fellow."
"Eh? What's that?" cried Sir James. "You will show him whether you are
sleepy-headed when you get up into your room!"
"Then he shouldn't say such things, uncle."
"Ha, ha!" laughed Sir James. "But really, my dear Robertson, you have
taken me quite by surprise. You would like to travel?"
"I must confess I should, Sir James; but pray don't give me the credit
of being discontented with my lot. The three years that I have passed
at the manor, gladdened as they have been by your consideration and
perfect trust, have been happy ones to me."
"Oh, tut, nonsense, my dear sir! When you came here I laid down the law
to myself that for the first month I would lie low, as the Yankees call
it, and see what sort of a fellow you were; and at the end of that time
I was perfectly satisfied with my good fortune in obtaining your
services. I said to myself, `The doctor's a high-class University man,
and he can turn those two boys into English gentlemen--manly gentlemen--
far better than I can. He will have a terribly hard job to lick the
young cubs and shape them properly, so don't interfere.' And I haven't,
have I, doctor? No--no, don't say anything. I know what it would be,
so hold your tongue. I will say, though, here in the darkness so as to
spare the boys, doctor, that I think it's a pity that besides the
metaphorical licking that the old bears are said to use to shape their
cubs, I did not begin by giving you the power to give them now and then
what schoolboys call `the real' licking."
"You don't, father," said Mark, laughing merrily. "You have always said
that boys can be well brought up without blows."
"Hear, hear," said the doctor softly.
"But I am afraid it was very weak of me," said Sir James. "A good
thrashing, sir, now and then, would have made you less impudent."
"You mean Dean, father," said the boy mischievously.
"No, I do not, sir."
"Hear, hear! Hooray!" shouted Dean.
"But I believe," continued Sir James, "that it would have woke him up a
bit, for he's nearly as bad as the Fat Boy in Pickwick."
"Oh, what a shame!" cried the boy.
"And one word more," continued Sir James, speaking earnestly now. "Do
you know, Robertson, this is very odd?"
"What is, sir?" said the doctor, for Sir James had ceased speaking.
"Why, that several times lately I have sat there in that chair thinking
about these two fellows and their education, and that though I don't
believe in what people call the Grand Tour, it would be a fine thing for
them if they were to travel and see a bit of the world. I mean real
travelling, into out-of-the-way places where they could shoot, and hunt,
and fish, and collect. I don't mean to go murdering about, seeing how
many poor animals they could slaughter, and calling it sport, but to go
out into the wilds getting their livings by their guns or rifles, and
learning at the same time the wonders of animated nature, and seeing
generally what there is to be found in life. Of course I know that you
could impart all this to the boys by means of books of travel, but how
would it be if you were to pick out some interesting country and teach
them by genuine travel? Much better than nailing you down to a table
with a pile of books. Why, doctor--boys--Bah! Bless my heart! There's
the dinner-bell! No dressing to-day. Come along. We must talk more of
this another time."
CHAPTER TWO.
HOW MARK ROCHE GAINED THE DAY.
The idea of travelling was not allowed to cool. A few days passed,
during which the project was discussed, and one morning during breakfast
the baronet broke out with, "I don't want to get rid of you boys, but I
lie awake of a night now, thinking of you going on such an expedition
with the doctor, then growl and grumble at myself with envy."
"Then you really mean us to go, father?"
"Mean it, yes. But it comes hard that you two should have father and
uncle who is ready to lay down the money--the bank notes to pay for it
all, and here am I going to be left at home longing for letters that can
only possibly come at very long intervals."
"Oh, father, but we shall write regularly," cried Mark.
"Of course!" said Sir James sarcastically. "Sit down at the end of a
day's tramp, when you are tired out, at a comfortable library table,
with a light of a shaded lamp, and write me a good long letter?
Rubbish, sir! You will neither of you be in the humour for writing
right away there in some forest."
"Oh, of course, uncle," cried Dean, "we shan't have a chance to sit down
at a table to write, but we shall take each of us a writing case."
"Humph! Will you? I doubt it, boy; and even if you did you wouldn't be
able to get at it when you were in the humour to write; and then if you
did scrawl something with a pencil on a scrap of paper, where would you
post your letter? In some hollow tree, or tuck it in a bladder and send
it floating down a river with a direction scratched on a tin label?
Bah! The doctor will take you right away into some wilds, and I shall
get no letter for months, and months, and months."
"Oh, father," said Mark sadly, "I never thought of that! It would be
hard, dad; and it seems selfish. It's all over. I shan't go."
"Oh!" said Sir James, trying to frown very severely, and forcing a very
peculiar husky cough. "Dear, dear, how tiresome!" he cried. "Haven't
got a lozenge in your pocket, have you, Dean?"
"No, uncle. Shall I get you a glass of water?"
"No, sir," almost shouted his uncle. "You know I hate cold water.
Dear, dear! Barking like this, just as if something has gone the wrong
way!" And the baronet pulled out a big silk handkerchief and began
blowing his nose violently. "Ah, that's better now. Can't be cold
coming on. Ah, much better now."
Then next moment he had clapped his hand smartly down on Mark's
shoulder, and the doctor noticed that he kept it there, while there was
an artificial ring in his voice as he continued, "Oh, you won't go, sir,
won't you?"
"No, father," cried the boy firmly, and he gave his prisoned shoulder a
hitch as if to free himself from the pressure, which immediately grew
tighter.
"Oh, that's it, is it, sir? Now that I have made up my mind to it and
am going to start you all off with a first class equipment, you tell me
you are going to play the disobedient young dog, and plump out in a most
insolent way--you heard him doctor?--that you won't go!"
"Oh, I must say on his behalf, Sir James," cried the doctor, "that he
did not strike me as being insolent."
"Then you could not have been listening, sir, attentively," retorted Sir
James. "I look upon it as disobedient and undutiful and--and cowardly."
"Oh, father! cowardly!" cried Mark, making another unsuccessful attempt
to set his shoulder free. "How could it be cowardly?"
"Why, sir, if there's any selfishness in it you want to shuffle it off
your shoulders on to mine."
"Oh, no, father; don't say that."
"But I have said it, sir," cried Sir James.
"But he doesn't mean it, Mark," cried Dean.
"What, sir! What! What! What's that, sir? How dare you!" thundered
Sir James. "Are you going to be insolent and disobedient too?"
"Excuse me, Sir James," said the doctor. "Let me say a few words."
"No, sir," cried Sir James fiercely, "not one word! This is my affair.
I never interfere with you over your teaching of my boys."
"I beg your pardon, Sir James."
"No, don't," cried the baronet. "I beg yours. I am very much put out,
doctor--very angry--very angry indeed. I always am when I am opposed in
anything which I consider to be right. I oughtn't to have spoken to you
as I did, so pray leave this to me or I may forget myself and say words
to you, my good old friend, for which I shall be sorry afterwards."
The doctor bowed his head.
"I say, uncle," cried Dean.
"Well, sir, and pray what do you say?" snapped out Sir James.
"I was only going to say don't be cross with us, uncle."
"I am not cross, sir--cross, indeed!--only angry and hurt at this
opposition. Well, sir, what were you going to say?"
"Only, nunkey--"
"Nunkey, sir! Bah!" That bah! was a regular bark. "You know how I
hate that silly, childish word."
"That you don't," thought the boy. "You know you always like it when
you are not out of temper."
"Well, there, sir; go on."
"I was going to say, uncle, that I know how it can all be managed."
"Yes, sir, of course! Like all stupid people you want to put your spoke
in the wheel and stir everything up and make the mess worse than it was
before.--I say, doctor,"--and there was a peculiar twinkle in Sir
James's eye--"that's what you would call a mixed metaphor, isn't it?"
"Well, Sir James," said the doctor, smiling, "it does sound something
like it."
"Sound!" said Sir James, who was cooling fast. "It would look very much
like it in print. Now, Dean, fire away. How were you going to put it
right?"
"You come too, uncle."
"Come too!" cried the boy's uncle, growing fierce again. "How can I
come too, sir? Why, sir, I should want a Sam Weller, like poor old
Pickwick at Dingley Dell, when he could not go to the partridge
shooting. Do you think I want to go in a wheelbarrow with someone to
push me, in a country where there are no roads? Bah! Pish! Tush!
Rrrrr-r-r-rubbish! Here, doctor, did you ever hear such a piece of
lunacy in your life?"
"Well, I don't know, Sir James. Lunacy?"
"Yes, sir; lunacy. Now, look here, doctor, don't you begin apologising
for these boys and taking their part, because if you do, sir, we are no
longer friends."
"Well, Sir James, it has always been an understood thing between us that
I was to be quite independent and have liberty to express my opinion in
matters connected with you and your boys."
"There, I knew it! You are going over to their side!" raged out Sir
James. "And I know how it will be: I shall be so upset that I shall
have a fearful fit of the gout after this, and be obliged to have in
that doctor with his wretched mixtures for the next fortnight. Well,
sir, I must listen to you, I suppose."
"Yes, Sir James, I think you had better," said the doctor, smiling; and
he glanced at Mark.
"Well, go on, then," cried Sir James.
"Oh, I say, father, don't," cried Mark sharply.
"Don't what, sir?" pretty well roared his father.
"I don't mind a nip or two, but you did give it to me then. It was like
a vice."
"Pooh, boy, pooh! You are not a baby, are you?"
"No, father, but--" began Mark, wriggling his shoulder.
"Hold your tongue, sir, and don't interrupt the doctor. Now, doctor,
what were you going to say?"
"I was going to say, Sir James, that I fully believe that a fit of the
gout must be very painful--"
"Oh, you think so, do you?"
"Yes, Sir James, and I think also that you are not troubled with many.
Of course we are not going to imitate Mr Pickwick, and a wheelbarrow is
quite out of the question."
"Now, look here, sir," cried Sir James angrily--but somehow there was a
want of reality in his tones--"don't you begin to suggest
impossibilities. I think I know what you are aiming at."
"I should not be surprised, sir, if you do. Now, of course if we went
on this expedition, or expeditions, we should be going through forests
often nearly impassable; but I think I have read--"
"Oh, yes, I know," said Sir James shortly, and the boys watched the
doctor with eager eyes, and as they caught his he gave to each a keen
encouraging look; "you have read everything--a deal too much, I think,"
he grumbled, almost inaudibly.
"--that," continued the doctor, making believe that he had not heard the
baronet's tetchy words, "great use is made of the blacks in Africa and
India, who are quite accustomed to using a litter for the sportsmen in
hunting expeditions, for the benefit of their employers."
Sir James set his son's shoulder free by giving him a fierce thrust, and
his own hand too, so as to bring down his doubled fist upon the library
table.
"Look here, sir," he roared, "do you for a moment think that I would
consent to be carried stretched out on a couple of poles raised shoulder
high by a pack of niggers? Because if you do--"
"And sometimes," continued the doctor calmly, "the sure-footed ponies of
a country are very much used by travellers and hunting parties, for it
is necessary that the sportsman or naturalist should not be over
fatigued and should keep his nerves steady, as at times his life or that
of his companions may rest upon the ability to be true in his aim at
some dangerous beast about to charge and strike him down."
"Humph! Yes. That's quite true, boys. A man can't shoot straight when
he's pumped out with too much exertion. I have missed horribly
sometimes after a long day's tramp seeing nothing worth shooting at; and
then just at the end the birds have risen, or a hare has started up and
given me an easy chance, and then got away. There, go on, doctor, and
don't let me check you with my chatter."
"Oh, I have not much more to say, sir," was the reply.
"Not much more to say!" cried Sir James, in a disappointed tone.
"There, go on, sir; go on. The boys are very anxious to hear you--
there, I won't be a sham--so am I too."
"Well, to be brief, sir--" began the doctor.
"But I don't want you to be brief," cried Sir James, thumping the table
again, but this time more softly, and no coffee sprang out into the
saucers.
"Oh, do go on; do go on!" said Mark's lips inaudibly, and Dean sat
swinging himself softly to and fro as he rubbed his hands over his
knees.
"Well, Sir James," continued the doctor, "I must say that it seems to me
perfectly feasible for you to make up your mind to be one of the party."
"An old man like me, sir?" cried Sir James.
"I beg your pardon, sir; you are not an old man. I believe I number as
many years as you, and saving for a slight indisposition now and then
you certainly enjoy robust health."
"Oh, no, no, no, no!" cried Sir James. "That's adulation, sir, and I
won't have it."
"'Tisn't father; is it, Dean?"
"Not a bit of it," was the reply. "The doctor never flatters."
"Will you boys be quiet?" shouted Sir James, and Mark clapped his hand
over his cousin's lips, receiving a similar compliment from Dean in
return, while Sir James threw himself back in his chair, frowned
severely as he stared straight out of the wide open window, and then
twitched himself about, changing his position again and again as if his
seat were not comfortable.
A strange silence had fallen on the group, and it was as if three of the
four individuals present were suffering from a desire to turn a
questioning look upon their companions, but dared not for fear of
interrupting Sir James in the deep thoughts which were evidently playing
about in his brain and filling his frank, florid, John-Bull-like
countenance with wrinkles.
During the space of perhaps two minutes the silence deepened, till all
at once from somewhere in the stableyard there was a loud, whack, whack,
whack, whack as of wings beating together, and then sharp and clear,
defiant and victorious, as if a battle had been won--_Cock-a-doodle-do_!
"Hah!" ejaculated Sir James, starting upright in his chair, as if
awakened out of a dream, and turning towards the doctor as if to speak,
but only to check himself again. "Oh, absurd!" he quite shouted. "No,
no, no, no; impossible; impossible! It could not be. No, no, doctor.
You set me thinking and asking myself questions about why not, and all
that sort of rubbish. Why, sir, for the first time since our
acquaintance began, you have been playing the tempter, and nearly won,
what with your litters and palanquins and ponies. No, sir; it's
impossible."
"I say, Mark," said Dean, in a loud whisper, "didn't uncle once say that
there was hardly such a word as impossible for a man or boy with a
will?"
"Silence, sir!" cried Sir James angrily.
"I say, dad," said Mark, closing up to his father's chair and leaning
upon his shoulder, "I said I wouldn't go unless you did."
"Yes, sir," cried his father fiercely, "and if you dare to let me hear
you utter such insubordinate words again I'll--"
The boy leaned over to look him full in the eyes, and gazed at him
firmly, and the others saw him move his lips in a slow, deliberate way
as if he were saying something emphatically; and then he drew himself up
and seemed to intensify his gaze.
"Well, baby," cried Sir James, "what do you mean by those dumb motions?
Speak out."
Mark shook his head and tightened his lips, compressing them into a long
line across the bottom of his face, the curve disappearing and a couple
of dot-like dimples forming at either end.
"What do you mean by that, sir?" cried Sir James. "Tell me what you
mean?"
The boy shook his head once more, and then the line disappeared, the
curves came back, and he silently shaped the words as before.
"Do you want to aggravate me, sir? Such foolery! Speak out, sir, at
once."
Mark drew back, walked sharply across the room and half opened the door,
before turning to face his father again, the others gazing at him in
wonder.
"What's come to him, doctor?" cried Sir James. "Here, Mark, I command
you, sir: speak out!"
"If you don't come with us, father," said the boy, slowly and
deliberately--"oh, Dean, I am sorry for you--there will be no
expedition, for I won't go."
There was a moment or two's silence, and then Sir James raged out,
"Well, of all the daring--here, doctor, is this the result of your moral
teaching of my boys? Now, sir, frankly, what am I to do in a case like
this?"
The doctor was silent for a moment or two. Then after drawing a deep
breath he turned to Sir James.
"You want my advice, sir, as frankly as I can give it, between man and
man?"
"Of course I do, sir," snapped out Sir James.
"Well, sir, my advice is this. Dismiss us now."
"What for--to conspire against me?"
"No, sir," said the doctor, rising; "to give you time to calmly and
dispassionately weigh this matter over--I even go so far as to say, to
sleep on it."
"No, I can decide now. You don't want me with you."
It is a curious fact, but three voices at the same moment gave vent to
the same ejaculation, which blended together and formed one big round
"O!"
"I should be an encumbrance upon you."
"You would be a great help and counsel to me, Sir James, and of course
take all the responsibility off my shoulders."
"Humph! Yes. Well, that's true," said Sir James. "But you, Dean--now,
sir, be honest--I want the simple truth."
"I always do tell the truth, uncle," said the boy, rather surlily; "at
least, I always try to."
"Then let's have it out now, sir, without a shadow of a doubt. Let
there be no trying. Wouldn't you rather that I stayed at home?"
"No, uncle," came sharply, and almost before the question was uttered.
"Now you, Mark," cried Sir James.
There was silence again for what seemed a minute, but probably was not
half.
"Well, sir, I'm waiting."
There was another pause, and then as the baronet jerked himself forward
in his chair, gazing at his son fiercely as if to drag a reply from his
lips, the boy seemed to swallow something, and, as Dean afterwards said
to his cousin when talking the matter over, "I could see it go down your
throat just as if you were a big bull calf gulping down the cud."
"I can't help it, father; something seems to make me say it: I won't go
unless you come too."
Sir James sank back in his chair, fixing his eyes first upon the doctor,
then upon Dean, and lastly upon his son, and it was quite a minute now
before he opened his lips to emit a long pent up breath. Then he said,
"I must give in, doctor; I'm beaten."
"And you will come too, father?" cried Mark, and his utterance was full
of joyous excitement.
"Yes, my boy; I'll come."
CHAPTER THREE.
FITS OF TEMPER.
"Don't go to sleep, Dozey."
"Who's going to sleep?"
"Your eyes were nearly shut."
"Well, who's to keep them open in this glaring sun?" cried Dean, half
angrily.
"Well, don't jump down a fellow's throat."
"It's enough to make one. I just put my eyes half to, because there's
no shade, and you begin at me directly because once or twice I wouldn't
keep awake to listen to your prosing about something or another after we
had gone to bed, and I did not want to hear."
"I beg pardon," cried Mark, with mock politeness.
"Don't!" cried Dean pettishly. "Now then, what was it you wanted to
say?"
"Well, I was going to say, what do you think of it now we have got
here?"
"Not much; and if it's going to be all like this I shall soon be wishing
we had stayed at home."
"Same here. I say, what a lot of gammon they do write in books! I
always thought Africa was quite a grand country; very hot--"
"Oh, it's hot enough," said Dean sharply. "Yes, it's hot enough to make
everyone seem lazy. Look at those black fellows there, fast asleep in
the sun with their mouths open and the flies buzzing about. But I say,
I don't think much of these soldiers. What little under-sized fellows!"
"Haven't done growing, perhaps," said Dean.
"Oh, yes; they are old 'uns. But they do look like sunburnt boys. But
I say, I expected something very different from this. What stuff people
do write in books! I mean to say it's too bad."
"Yes; just over a month since we started from Southampton, and here we
are dropped in this miserable place along with all our luggage and
boxes, and been caged up in that hotel. Do you know what I felt when I
first looked ashore?"
"No, but I know what I did--as if I should have liked to tell uncle that
we had better stop aboard the steamer, for I was sure we had made a
mistake and come to the wrong place."
"No, no, I say, play fair; that's what I felt," said Mark.
"You felt? You couldn't, because that's what I felt."
"Well, I could, for I did feel it exactly. I say, though; where are Bob
and Pretty Dance?"
"Pretty Dance," said Dean dreamily. "Yes, we have been in a pretty
dance, and no mistake. I don't know where they are. Wandering about
somewhere having a look at what shipping there is, for there isn't much
to see in the town."
"I say, I hope those two fellows are keeping an eye on the cases. It
would be a nice job if someone opened our luggage and got at the guns."
"Oh, the landlord said that would be all right. Phew! It is hot!
Here, let's go and talk to the doctor."
"No, don't disturb him; he's lying down and having a nap. Let's go and
talk to uncle."
"He's gone to lie down and have a nap too."
"Bother! I thought as soon as we got ashore it was all going to be
interesting and beautiful, and that we should be having glorious
adventures. I don't know how we are going to get through it."
"Get through what?"
"Those three days before we can start up the country."
"Oh, there they are," said Dean sharply.
"Who?"
"Our two keepers."
"Let's go and talk to them, then. Poor old Bacon. If it's going to be
like this Bob will be frizzled."
"Well, don't walk so fast. I say, it must be hot."
"Why?"
"Because I feel as if I had got too many clothes on."
"Ah, it will be hotter than this; but it's the only thing that makes me
think we are in a foreign country. Here, who's this? Why, it's that
sailor again."
"Yes," said Dean. "What does he want? He was following us about all
day yesterday when we were trying to look at the town."
"What does he want? Coppers, of course. He's a beggar."
"Well, he doesn't look like one. No, that isn't it. He's got a boat
somewhere, and wants to take us up the river for a row. Shall we go?"
"No; it's too hot. Think we could buy an umbrella somewhere?"
"What for? It looks as if it had not rained here for a twelvemonth."
"Keep the sun off."
"Oh, I see. Come along, then, till we get to those stores, and we can
buy one there, I daresay; but I shan't walk with you if you put it up.
Bother you and your umbrella! Are you afraid you'll melt?"
"I am melting."
As Dean spoke very surlily, "that sailor," as Mark called him, a little
stumpy fellow who looked as though he should have been plump and rosy,
but who was ghastly pale instead, sauntered up slowly, looking very hard
at Mark, and opened his lips as if to say something, but closed them
again as if with an effort.
He was dressed in a sailor's canvas frock and loose trousers, both of
which articles of attire were old and shabby but scrupulously clean,
while his hat, a very old straw, showed an ugly rent which its owner had
apparently tried to hide by means of the silken band just above its
brim. But the band had slipped upwards so that a good-sized patch of
crisp, curly, black hair had escaped and thrust its way out into the
sun.
As the man came abreast, he opened his lips and closed them twice before
passing on, and in the sultry stillness of the sleepy place they heard
him give a faint sigh.
"Doesn't look much like a beggar," said Dean. "He's had a fever, or
something."
"Well, I shouldn't like to have a fever here," said Mark. "I don't mean
to be ill. If I am it's because I have come to a place where there's
nothing to do and nothing to see. Oh, I am disappointed! Here he comes
back again. He must be a beggar, and he's ashamed to ask us to give him
something. No, it can't be that. For foreign beggars are not ashamed
to beg. I shall ask him if he has been ill."
"No, don't. He mightn't like it," said Dean.
"Then he will have to dislike it."
"Don't talk so loud," whispered Dean, for the sailor passed close to
them again, looking from one to the other wistfully.
"Poor beggar!" said Mark, as the man passed on. "I am sure he is a
beggar, and he's too stupid and drowsy to beg."
"'Tisn't that," said Dean. "He wants a job."
"Well, that means he wants money. _Hola_!"
The man stopped and looked round eagerly, and the boys could see that
his lips were quivering as he made a movement with his hand as if in
salute.
"_Dinheiro_," continued Mark, slapping his pocket.
"Ah, gentlemen, then you are English?"
"Rather!" said Mark. "Are you hard up in this sleepy place?"
"Yes, sir--no, sir," cried the man hastily.
"What is it, then? Do you want a job?" And Mark drew out a shilling.
"Yes, sir; badly, sir."
"Well, have you got a boat?"
"No, sir; I wish I had. No, sir; thank you, sir. I did not mean that;"
and the man thrust his hands deeply into his pockets, while Mark thrust
his out of sight as well, shilling and all, and somehow his cheeks felt
a little hotter than before, as he felt that he had made a mistake.
"I thought you wanted to take us for a row."
"Oh no, sir."
"Then what are you doing here in this out-of-the-way place?"
"Ask him where his ship is," whispered Dean.
"Yes, that's it. Do you belong to some ship in the harbour?"
"No, sir. She sailed away three months ago. I was too bad to go away
with her. Fever, gentlemen."
"Oh, that's bad," said Mark. "Sick in a strange place."
"Oh, I haven't got anything to grumble at, sir. The consul's been very
good to me; but I am as weak as a rat, sir, and--and--"
The poor fellow's voice during the last few words had trailed off, and
ended in silence, while the two boys looked at him sympathetically and
felt very uncomfortable.
"I shall be better directly, gentlemen," he said at last, with quite a
gasp; and then with an effort he went on, "I beg pardon, but I heard of
you. Someone told me about a party of English gentlemen going up the
country towards the mountains where a fellow could shake off the fever.
I can't get on, gentlemen--so weak. Better directly."
"All right," said Mark. "Take your time."
"Thank you, sir. I thought you were going away. It ain't catching,
sir."
"Nobody thought it was," said Mark. "Here, let's walk on down towards
the waterside."
"Thank you, sir. There, I can get on now. I heard about you gentlemen,
and I thought I would make bold enough to ask you to take me with you.
Sailor, sir," he continued, turning to Dean. "Turn my hand to anything,
sir. Make myself useful. Consul said that a turn up in the mountains
would put me right in no time. Make me strong to get a ship again. I
arn't begging, sir. Look here, gentlemen," and he pulled one of his
hands out of his pocket half full of silver.
"I say, Dean," said Mark, "what are we to do?"
Dean shook his head helplessly. "We can't take him: we've got two men
already."
"I say, look here," said Mark; "I can't do as I like, but I will ask my
father, and I daresay he will pay your passage home to England."
"Thank you, sir," said the man, with a sigh, and he shook his head
sadly, "but I don't think I should live to get there."
"Oh, don't talk like that!" cried Dean, and he looked so appealingly at
the man that the poor fellow smiled.
"All right, sir, I won't. They say drowning men catch at straws. I'm
kind of drowning like, and when I hears as you gentlemen were going up
the country, something seemed to say to me, try 'em, mate; it can't do
no harm. And when I see you two young gents I tried to speak, but
somehow I couldn't, and now I have--well, I have asked you, and you
can't, and I might have made sure of it before."
"But you see--" began Dean.
"Yes, sir, I understand," said the man. "Thank you all the same, and
good luck to you both."
He turned quickly and walked feebly away, the two boys watching him,
both feeling that they must call him back; but somehow no words came.
"Oh, Dean," cried Mark, at last, "how I do hate this place! Just as if
it wasn't miserable and disappointing enough before! If that poor
fellow were not so bad I feel as if I should like to kick him for coming
and telling us about how ill he had been. Just as if it was our fault!
It is enough to make one turn ill oneself. Here, let's go in out of
this broiling heat or you will be going and catching sunstroke just out
of spite."
"Likely!" said Dean bitterly.
"Now, don't you turn disagreeable. I know what you are thinking."
"What?" cried Dean, in surprise.
"You are thinking that I might ask father to go to the expense of taking
that poor fellow up the country. Why, he'd think I was mad."
"I'd take him if I had got the money," said Dean.
"So would I if I had got the money," retorted Mark, "but I haven't. Oh,
there are our two chaps again," cried the boy eagerly, as if glad to get
away from the unpleasant subject. "They can see us, and are coming."
The two gamekeepers came strolling up, and Dance saluted them with,
"Nice day, gentlemen! Pity we arn't got some of it at home. Shouldn't
want no coke for the old vinery."
"No," said Mark shortly. "Well, what do you think of an African port?"
"Don't think nothing on it, sir. Do you, mate?"
"Think it's a fine place to get away from," replied his companion
grinning uncomfortably. "Say, Mr Mark, don't you wish you was at
home?"
"Oh, don't talk nonsense!" cried Mark angrily. "What's the use of
saying things like that? We wanted to come, and we have come."
"But we are not going to stop here long, are we, Mr Mark, sir?"
"No, not long. Certainly not a week."
"That's a comfort, sir, because Peter Dance and me have been thinking
that we should like to go and ask the gov'nor if he would send us back."
"Then you ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" snapped out Dean, upon
whom the scorching sun seemed to have the effect of taking the skin off
his temper.
"Well, I don't know about Bob here, sir, but I do feel that I was a fool
for wanting to come," said the keeper.
"Then you would both go," cried Mark angrily, "and leave us in the lurch
just because you don't like this place?"
"Well, I put it to you, Mr Mark, sir," said Bob, "speaking as
gamekeepers, we thought we was coming out here to a beautiful country
where it was going to be shooting all day long. And just look about
you! Don't it look as if it was the last place that was ever made?"
"I don't know," said Mark shortly, "but I didn't expect that you two
would have played the sneak as soon as there was a little trouble."
"Who's a-going to, Mr Mark, sir?" said Bob gruffly. "You asked us how
we liked Africa, and we only as good as said we didn't like it a tiny
bit. We arn't a-going to play the sneak; are we, Peter?"
"Not us," grunted Dance. "I shouldn't like to go and tell Sir James
that; should you, Bob?"
"No-o!"
"Come along, Dean," said Mark, turning from the men; and the boys walked
away. "Let's get indoors. I don't know what's come to me; I feel as if
I could quarrel with everybody. Let's go in and see if father's awake
yet."
"Why, you can't quarrel with him," said Dean, staring in wonder at his
cousin.
"Well, who said I could, stupid? Do you want to make me quarrel with
you?"
"Yes, if you like. I feel as if a nice row would do me good. I'm
miserable. It's been a wretched voyage, bad weather all the time, and
uncle cross, and the doctor wishing--I could see he was--nearly all the
time, that he had never said a word about travelling; and now after
longing to get to land we have been set down here."
"Well," said Mark, "you are a nice fellow to try and cheer one up! I
had just said a word or two about how wretched I was and how I felt, and
then you begin quarrelling."
CHAPTER FOUR.
ALL IN TO BEGIN.
The first words which saluted the boys were from Sir James:
"Why don't you start your sun helmets?"
"Not unpacked, father. You said--"
"Oh, never mind what I said, boy, but get them out as soon as you can; a
straw hat, as the doctor has just been saying, is no protection here; is
it, doctor?"
"Certainly not, sir; but we shall not feel the heat so much as soon as
we leave here, for the country rises."
"Pretty country!" said Sir James sarcastically. "But you boys, who was
that rough looking sailor you picked up with?"
"We didn't pick up with him, father," said Mark sourly.
"What, sir! Don't tell me that! I distinctly saw you with him out of
the window."
"He picked up with us, father--" began Mark; and then he caught the
doctor's eye and changed his lone, saying hastily, "He was a poor fellow
in distress, father."
Here Mark stopped short, for he had returned to the hotel with the full
intention of pleading the poor invalid's cause, and he felt that he had
commenced by speaking in a way that must increase his father's
irritation, for Sir James had been quite upset by the heat of the place
and the discomforts of the miserable hotel to which he had been directed
when on board the liner as being the best in the port.
He literally glared at his son, and Mark shrank and turned to look at
the doctor.
Sir James waited till he saw his son lower his eyes, when he too turned
to the doctor and looked at him fiercely, the two men exchanging a long
questioning glance.
It was a painful silence, but there was virtue in it, for when it was
broken it was by Sir James, who said after drawing a deep breath, "See
if you can open that window a little farther, Mark. This place feels
like an oven."
Mark sprang to his feet and drew the window a little forward, and then
pushed it outward again, but only back in its former place.
"Hah! That's better, my boy," said his father, quite cheerfully. "Why,
doctor, what a blessing a bucketful of ice would be here--if it wasn't
lukewarm, Dean, eh?"
The boy addressed tried to laugh at his uncle's joke, but the production
sounded hollow, and the silence recommenced, the doctor cudgelling his
brains the while for something to say that should thoroughly change the
conversation; but he cudgelled in vain.
At last, though, to his great relief, feeling as he did at the time that
all the responsibility of the unpleasant voyage rested on his shoulders,
Sir James cleared his throat as he sat back in a wicker chair mopping
his forehead, and said quietly, "A beggar, Mark?"
"No, father," cried Mark eagerly jumping at the chance of saying
something to divert his father's smouldering anger; "a poor English
sailor."
"Well, the same thing, my boy, and I hope you relieved him--that is, if
he was genuine."
"Oh, he was genuine enough, father," cried Mark, and his words almost
tumbled over one another as he related something of the poor fellow's
plight.
"Tut, tut, tut, tut!" ejaculated Sir James. "Very sad. Very hard for a
man to be ill away from home. It would be a charity, doctor, if you saw
the poor fellow in the morning to see if you could do anything for him."
"My dear Sir James, you forget that I am not a professional medico. Of
course I am willing enough, and will see the poor fellow, but I gather
from what Mark here says that he has passed through all the stages of a
jungle fever caught in some part of the Malay Peninsula, that he has
been left here by the captain of his ship, and as far as my knowledge
goes, the only thing I could recommend would be a sea voyage--say home."
"He said he didn't believe he'd live to reach home," cried Dean quickly.
"Or," continued the doctor, "a journey inland right up into the cool
country away from this tropic malarial port."
"Ah!" cried Mark excitedly. "That's what he said, father, and he came
to us to--"
Mark stopped short, gazing hard at his father, for a sudden shrinking as
to how Sir James would take his words made him for the time being mute.
"Well, my boy, what did he say? Why don't you go on?"
"I didn't like to, father," faltered the boy.
"Why not, sir?"
"Because--because--"
"Well, because--because?"
"Because, father, I was afraid that you would think it so unreasonable."
"Humph! How much do you want, then, eh? I am afraid your distressed
sailor is a bit of a beggar after all."
"Oh, no, father," cried Mark excitedly, and he had quite recovered his
confidence now. "The poor fellow spoke as if he were appealing for his
life."
"Was all this genuine, Mark, or the cunning of a practised mendicant--
stop--what do you say, Dean?"
"Oh, uncle, I am sure it was genuine."
"Humph! Yes," said Sir James. "You are like what your mother was,
boy--easily moved. Sounds bad, doctor. What do you say?"
"Let us first hear the whole of Mark's story, sir," replied the doctor.
"Right. Phew! I don't think it's quite so hot as it was. Now, Mark,
what more have you to say?"
The boy addressed was strung up now, and he spoke out firmly and
quickly.
"He said, father, that he had heard we were going up the country and to
the mountains to where it would be life to him; that he was a sailor, a
handy man; that he should get better quickly, and would work and put his
hand to anything, if we--if we--you, I mean, father--would take him with
you--us, I mean--and--those are not quite the words he said, but that's
what he meant, and I--I--"
The boy glanced in his father's lowering face and stopped short.
"And you--" began Sir James, and Mark's heart sank, for he felt that his
appeal was vain.
In fact, his words sank almost to a whisper as he went on, "I said I'd
ask you, father, if you would take him."
"Bah!" burst out Sir James angrily. "Unreasonable! Absurd!
Impossible! Do you mean to tell me that you wish me to saddle myself
upon this disastrous journey with a sick man, perhaps a dying man? Why,
boy, have you lost your senses? Do you mean to tell me that you would
like to take him with us when we are already provided--even supposing
that he was going to get better--provided, I say, with two excellent
servants, strong, healthy, and ready to help us through our troubles?
Answer me, sir. Don't sit staring at me in that idiotic way. Now then,
tell me--you first, Dean; you were in this hobble with your cousin.
Would you like to take him?"
"Yes, uncle," said Dean quietly.
"Pooh! That's your mother speaking, boy. Now you, Mark, if you are not
afraid to speak, as you said just now. Would you really like to take
him?"
"Yes, father; and I am sure if you saw the poor fellow you would feel
the same."
"Well," cried Sir James excitedly, "of all the--the--Here, doctor, I
have come, and I suppose I am to submit to--pooh!--there--it's this hot
weather--let's get away as soon as we can, doctor, and--here, I feel
sure that the boys have encountered some cunning impostor," and Sir
James stopped short, and wiped his forehead before continuing, "Here, I
say, Robertson, what about charity and one's fellow-creatures? And
don't we read somewhere about helping a lame dog over a stile?"
"Yes, Sir James," said the doctor, very quietly.
"To be sure, and I am quite certain that this heat makes me feel
horribly irritable. These boys take it all as coolly as--what do they
say?--as cucumbers. Nothing affects them."
The two lads stared at each other as they recalled their walk, and burst
into a half hysterical laugh.
"Why, uncle," cried Dean, "Mark's been horrid all day, and I haven't
been a bit better."
"I am glad to hear it, boy. Then there's some excuse for me. Well,
doctor, I suppose you had better go and see this fellow. I will trust
to your common sense. Here, stop. You boys, has this fellow anybody
here who will give him a character?"
"Yes," they exclaimed together; "the British Consul."
"Humph! Come, that sounds respectable. Well, I don't mean to stir out
till we start up country. I'd go to-night if I could. And I leave it
to you to see into this matter. It wouldn't be Christian-like, would
it, not to lend the poor fellow a hand. There, as I said before, I
trust to you, _carte blanche_, in that sort of thing to do what you
think best."
"Thank you, Sir James," said the doctor gravely.
"Oh, you thoroughly approve of what I have said, then?"
"Thoroughly, sir, and I feel very proud of our boys."
And so it came to pass that Daniel Mann--after the doctor had seen him
and had had an interview with the British Consul--was prescribed for
with the news that he would be taken upon the expedition. Thanks to
this intelligence, he looked at the end of two days quite a different
man, even after hearing from the two keepers the anything but cheering
words that they thought the governor must be mad.
Two days later the party, bag and baggage, were on their way up country
to the extreme point, the rail head, so to speak, of civilisation--the
spot where the advance guard of British troops kept back the black wave
of savagedom, and where waggons and bullocks were to be purchased and
the career of wild adventure was to begin.
CHAPTER FIVE.
DAN'S DOUBTS.
It had been a long slow journey, but every day as they ascended, the
weather, though hot, was tempered by crisp breezes which the doctor
declared to be a joy to breathe.
"Health, boys," he said. "Why, can't you feel that you are growing and
enjoying life? If you want any proof of the healthiness of the country,
look at that sailor."
"Yes; isn't it wonderful!" cried Mark.
"Yes," said Dean; "uncle was talking about it only this morning. He
asked me if I didn't see how his colour was altering."
"Oh, that's only the sun," said Mark.
"Think so?" said the doctor, smiling. "I think it's more than that."
"But it was getting out of that nasty damp oven of a port," said Mark.
"I felt horrible there, and as if I should be ill if we stopped."
"So did I," added Dean; "and didn't it make--" The boy paused for a
moment as if hesitating.
"Well, didn't it make what?"
"--Mark disagreeable," said the boy, with a merry, mischievous look.
"Oh, come, I like that!" cried Mark. "Why, you must have noticed,
doctor. Dean was nearly always half asleep, and when he was awake he
did nothing but find fault."
A short time after, when the boys were alone, Mark suddenly turned
sharply upon his cousin with, "I say, why did you stop short when we
were talking to the doctor?"
Dean turned rather red.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"What do I mean? You know."
"I know?"
"Yes; you were going to say that father was dreadfully cross all the
time. Come, confess."
"Well," said Dean hesitating, "I am afraid I did think something of the
kind."
"Afraid! Why, you did, you beggar, and then packed it all on to my
shoulders. Hullo, here comes Mann--man--handy man--Daniel Mann--Dan
Mann. What a rum name! Hasn't been very handy yet, though."
"I say, don't! You will have him hear what you say."
"I don't care. Let him! I wasn't saying any harm about him, poor chap.
He's coming to us--wants to say something, I suppose."
The conversation was taking place just outside the so-called hotel,
though the boys had dubbed it the tin tabernacle--a rough, hastily-built
house that had been fitted up by an enterprising trader, where the party
found temporary accommodation.
"Well, Daniel? Feel better?"
"Dan, please, sir. My mates never put any `yel' at the end of my name."
"That isn't the end," said Mark sharply. "That's the middle. Well, do
you feel better?"
"Feel better, sir?" said the man, whose miserably pallid face was
overspread for the moment by a warm glow, while the tears of gratitude
stood in his eyes. "Why, every morning since we came up I have seemed
to be coming to life again."
"Well, don't cry about it," said Mark shortly.
"Oh, that's nothing, sir," said the man, using the back of both fists to
brush away the signs of his emotion. "That's only being so weak, sir.
Don't you take any notice of that. You see, I have been going backwards
and getting quite like a kid again. And oh, gentlemen, it was a lucky
day for me when I run against you two."
"Stop!" cried Mark angrily. "This is the third time you have begun
talking to us like this, and we won't stand it; will we, Dean?"
"No, that we won't," cried his cousin. "Here, Daniel--Dan, I mean--"
"Thank you, sir. That's better."
"You wait a bit. I had not finished," continued Mark. "If ever you say
another word to us, whether we are together or whether we are alone,
about being grateful, and that sort of thing, I shall say you are a
canting humbug--at least, my cousin will; I shouldn't like to be so
harsh."
Dean dug his elbow into his cousin's ribs at this.
"And we don't want to think that of you," continued Mark. "I say,
though, you do look a lot better."
"I am, sir," said the man, smiling. "And now we have got up here, sir,
I want you to ask Sir James and the doctor to set me to work."
"Why, you are too weak yet."
"Weak, sir? Not so weak as that. 'Sides, doing a bit of hauling or
something of that kind will help to get me in sailing trim once more.
Why, arter all these long weeks lying by and feeling that I should never
be a man again--why, the very sound of doing something sets one
longing."
"Well, you go on getting better."
"Better, sir! I am better," cried the man sharply. "I know I don't
look thin and like a fellow on the sick list, but the time I overhauled
you down there at the port I felt like a walking shadder."
"Ah, that's the doctor's physic," said Dean.
"Physic, sir? Why, he never give me none--nothing but some white
stuff--ten drips as he let drop carefully out of a little bottle. No,
sir, it warn't that, but getting up here where one could breathe, and
now instead of lying awake in the dark with the mysture running off
one's face in drops, I just put my head down of a night feeling the cold
air blowing over one, and the next minute I am fast asleep."
"Yes, one can sleep here," said Mark, "sound as a top."
"Yes, sir; same here, sir. Oh, I shall be all right in a day or two,
sir, if I can get to work. I don't hold with hanging about with them
two men of yourn looking at me as if I warn't worth my salt."
"Do they?" said Mark sharply.
"Well, perhaps it arn't that, sir, but that's what I feel."
"But look here," cried Mark; "aren't they civil to you? Because we are
not going to stand that; are we, Dean?"
"Certainly not."
"Beg pardon, sir; please don't you go a-thinking that I'm a-finding
fault."
"You look here," said Mark. "If they--"
"Oh, I beg your pardon, sir," said the man. "You see, it's like this;
you picked me up, quite a stranger, and it's quite nat'ral that they
shouldn't like a chap on the sick list stuck along with them all at
once."
"It's no business of theirs," said Mark shortly. "They have come out
here with us to do their duty; and just now it's their duty to do what's
right by you, and if my father or the doctor knew that--what?"
"Well, sir, I daresay I'm wrong, but I've got it into my head that one
of them feels a bit jealous like that I'm going to step into his shoes
and that he'll be dismissed his ship."
"Pshaw!" ejaculated Mark angrily. "He has no right to think anything of
the kind. You three have got to work together and be like messmates, as
you sailors call it."
"That's right, sir; messmates is the word; but--" The man stopped.
"Well, out with it," said Mark. "What were you going to say?"
"Well, sir," said the man, hesitating, and he turned now to look half
appealingly at Dean, "you see, sir, I am a bit weak still in the head."
"Of course you are! Then go on getting strong."
"Thankye, sir; that's what I am doing," said the man; "but I can't help
every now and then thinking that all this 'ere is too good to be true,
and that as soon as Sir James and the doctor thinks that I'm all right
again they will say, `There, my lad, you are about fit to shift for
yourself, and you can go.'"
"Oh, I see," said Mark sarcastically.
"Yes, sir, that's it," said the man, with a sigh.
"Now, let's see," said Mark, and he gave his cousin a peculiar look; "I
suppose, fairly speaking, it will take about a month before you are
quite right again."
"Bless your heart, sir, not it! Fortnight, more likely; I should say
about a week."
"Well, I hope that in a month's time--for that's what I'll give you; eh,
Dean?"
"Oh, quite," said his cousin decisively.
"Well, I will put it at three weeks," said Mark, "and by that time I
hope we shall be a couple of hundred miles farther up the country, with
the ponies and the waggons and the teams of oxen all with us in
travelling trim, right away in the wild country, where there's no
settlement--not a house--nothing but here and there one of the blacks'
camps--kraals, as they call them; eh, Dean?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Well, then, at the end of that time--oh, I shall make it a month--"
The man drew a deep breath.
"And then my father will have a quiet chat with the doctor and take his
opinion. He always goes by Dr Robertson's opinion, doesn't he, Dean?"
"Always," said his cousin.
"And then he'll what slang people call sack you. You sailors don't say
sack, do you?"
"No, sir," said the man sadly. "When I was in the Royal Navy we used to
call it being paid off."
"Well, it doesn't matter," said Mark. "Then of course when we are
hundreds of miles from everywhere my father will pay you off."
"Oh, no, sir," said the man earnestly, "I don't expect no pay."
"Never mind what you expect. My father, I say, will tell you to be off
and shift for yourself and get back to that moist oven of a port the
best way you can. Won't he, Dean?"
Dean caught his cousin's eye, and said decisively, "Yes, of course.
That's just like uncle;" and by means of an effort he kept his face
straight, looking, as Mark afterwards told him, like a badly carved
piece of solid mahogany.
"Yes, sir," said the man sadly; "and I daresay I shall be able to steer
my way right enough, and for all his kindness I shall be very thankful,
and--"
"Yah!" shouted Mark. "Didn't I tell you that if ever you spoke again
like that I'd--I'd--"
"I beg your pardon, sir."
"This chap's very weak still in his head, Dean, or else he would not
dare to think that an English gentleman would behave like a cad. There,
man Dan--no, I mean Dan Mann--just make up your mind that you are in for
this trip with all its troubles and hard work."
"Do you mean it, sir?" cried the man, and he looked from one to the
other.
"Mean it? Why, of course we do. So never say anything about it again.
Ah, here come father and the doctor. Would you like to ask them if what
we say is true?"
"Not now, sir," said the man. "I am a bit weak still, more shaky than I
thought."
The poor fellow's voice sounded very husky during the last few words,
and he hurried away, watched by the boys.
"I say, Dean, he's better," said Mark. "He could not walk like that a
fortnight ago. Do you know, I begin to like that chap. He's rather
comic looking, but he is such a regular sailor."
"Yes," said Dean, "with quite a sailor's frank boyish sort of way."
"Like you, eh?" said Mark.
"Get out! Don't chaff. Present company always excepted. I wasn't
thinking about you. But I say, didn't he take it all in as innocent as
could be about uncle setting him adrift out in the wilds?"
"Yes.--Well, father, how many bullocks have you bought?"
"Forty-eight, my boy. Fine ones."
"Forty-eight!" cried the boys, in a breath. "Twenty-four in a span."
"Precious long span, uncle," said Dean, laughing, as he stretched from
thumb tip to little finger measuring along his arm.
"Yes, rather," said the doctor. "They are long spans; but we are
obliged to provide against loss. Like to come and see them, boys?"
"Of course!" they cried, in a breath.
CHAPTER SIX.
HOW TO HANDLE A WHIP.
Sir James turned back with the doctor, and soon after the boys were
intently examining the drove of nearly fifty beautiful, sleek, well-bred
oxen in their kraal, where they were in charge of their drivers, one a
big, bluff, manly-looking fellow, well bronzed by the sun, and with
Englishman stamped upon every feature, forming a striking contrast to
his companion, a flat-nosed, half-bred Hottentot, who grinned at them
stupidly.
"We just want another look round, my lad," said the doctor.
"All right, sir," said the big driver, endorsing his appearance by his
speech; and taking the lead, he showed the little party and expatiated
upon the qualities of the leading and pole oxen, upon how sleek and well
they looked, and gave to each its name, while the Hottentot driver, who
confined himself to Dutch, helped to call up bullock after bullock, all
of which answered sluggishly to their names.
Then the boys were made acquainted with the novelties, to them, of
dissel-boom, trek-tow, and yokes.
"But I say," cried Mark, "you don't call that a whip, do you?" And he
pointed to one that might have been used in Brobdingnag.
"Yes, sir; that's the whip," said the Englishman, laughing. "You see,
one wants a long one to touch up an ox who may be the leader twelve
bullocks' lengths away from where you are sitting on the box."
"Let's try," said Mark.
The man smiled as he took down and handed the gigantic thong.
"Mind what you are doing, sir," he said. "A waggon whip is rather an
awkward thing, until you are used to it; but when you are you know it is
a nice, neat, handy little tool. You see, it's a two-handed weapon."
"That's plain enough," said Dean, laughing. "Let's have a try after
you, Mark."
"Yes," said his cousin, giving the whip a wave round, its heavy lash
whistling through the air.
"Here, stop!" cried Sir James angrily. "What do you think you are
doing? Salmon fishing? It's a good thing, doctor, that there's no hook
at the end."
"Oh, I'm very sorry, father," said the boy, colouring.
"Very sorry, indeed! Why, you nearly cut my ear off. Here, doctor, we
had better go."
"No, no, don't go, father. I won't try any more;" and Mark hastily
handed the great whip back to the driver.
"Here, but I want to try," said Dean.
"Well, you are not going to try now," said his uncle, half irritably.
"You will have plenty of chances, both of you, when you have got a field
to yourselves. You will be scaring the bullocks."
"All right, sir," said the big fellow, replacing the whip by the great
tilted waggon. "I'll teach you how to handle it when we get out on the
veldt. Like me to show you, perhaps, now?"
"No, no," said Sir James; "not while we are here."
"It's quite safe, sir," said the man good-humouredly. "I could give a
flip to any one of the bullocks you like to point out without the thong
coming near anybody."
"Oh, let him, please, father."
"Very well," said Sir James, rather grumpily. "Shall we stand farther
off?"
"Oh, no, sir," replied the man.
"Let's pick out that one with the white nose," whispered Dean. "I don't
believe he can hit it;" and he pointed to one fat beast that was
standing almost alone blinking its eyes and ruminating over its cud.
"Yes; hit that one," said Mark.
The man seemed to give the long whip an easy wave in the air, and the
point of the lash alighted on the bullock's smooth neck, making the
animal start and toss its head; and then in response to a command which
sounded like _Barrk_, it slowly sidled close up to the nearest of its
fellows, and then went on chewing the cud again.
"Ay, ay, Jacob!" shouted the driver, and he uttered a few words in a
patois that was probably a composition of Dutch and Hottentot, which
made the little yellow flat-nosed driver come shambling up, grinning, to
take the big whip pitched to him and go off to a distance of some
five-and-twenty yards, where, after uttering a few incomprehensible
cries which had the effect of making such of the bullocks as were
crouching in the sand rise slowly to their feet and sidle up together,
the strange looking driver gave the whip a wave or two where he stood,
and began to crack it, at every _whish_ producing what sounded like a
series of rifle shots, watching the English driver the while until he
was told to desist.
"Bravo!" cried Mark, and Dean clapped his hands.
"I say, can you crack a whip like that?" cried Dean.
"Oh, yes, sir. Teach you too, if you like."
"Well, I do like," said the boy; "but when uncle isn't here."
When the interiors of the two great tilted waggons that were close at
hand had been examined with some curiosity, as they were to be
storehouses and dwelling-places combined, the little party went off in
another direction, Mark eagerly enquiring what was to be their
destination now.
"Oh, I was going to show you the little cobs the doctor has bought--
ponies, I suppose I ought to call them."
"What, has he got them already?" cried Mark.
"Oh, yes; it has been very short work," said the doctor. "The officer
who has charge of the little garrison here introduced me to a dealer,
and I think we have been very fortunate to meet a gentleman who was well
acquainted with the ways of the settlers here, for he has given me some
very good hints, and in addition promised to have a guide found who was
hanging about the camp and is now waiting here after being up the
country with a hunting party who left for Beira about a fortnight ago.
He is one of the Illakas, Sir James," continued the doctor, "and it
seems that he has been expelled from his tribe for being friendly to the
English."
"Quite a savage, then," said Sir James.
"Oh, yes; I suppose he is a pure-blooded black, and knows the country
well. Let me see, we must turn down in this direction, I think. Yes--
pass that corrugated iron shed-like house--to be sure, that's it--and
there's the man the ponies belong to."
He nodded in the direction of a little keen-looking man who appeared
rather mushroom-like, thanks to the well-worn, broad-leafed felt hat he
wore. He was leaning over a rough enclosure in which four ponies were
browsing, and keenly watching the approaching party as he smoked.
As soon as he realised that they were coming in his direction he took
his pipe from his mouth, tapped the ashes out upon a post, took off his
hat and stuck the short pipe in the band.
"Come to have a look at the ponies, gentlemen?" he said.
"Yes," said Sir James; "I want my son and nephew to have a look at them
and try them."
"I see," said the man, scanning the boys attentively. "My man isn't
here. Like them saddled and bridled?"
Sir James looked at the two boys, as the man continued, "Can the young
gentlemen ride?"
He glanced at the doctor as he spoke.
"Yes," said the latter quietly; "after our fashion in England. Well
broken horses. But they can't ride wild beasts."
"Well, no, captain; nobody expects that; but I shall have to keep you
waiting a bit while I have my man found, and send him to borrow a saddle
and bridle. I have only got two, and one of the officers from up at the
barracks and his friend have got them for the day. I have plenty of
halters, and I can clap a rug on one of the ponies. What do you say to
that, young gentlemen?"
"I'd rather have one without the rug," said Mark, "if they are quiet."
"Quiet as lambs, sir, as long as you don't play any larks with them."
"Oh, we shan't play any tricks," said Mark.
"That's right, sir. Out here we like to treat a pony well. They are
scarce, and worth their money. I am afraid, sir," continued the man,
turning to the doctor, "that I did not charge enough for them."
"But you don't want to draw back from your bargain?" said the doctor
sternly. "I paid you the price you asked."
"Yes, sir. The captain up yonder brought you to me as English friends,
and him and his officers are good customers to me. No, I am not going
to ask more. Only I will go as far as this: if you bring them back to
me sound and in a fair condition I will take them again at the price.
Here, one of you," he shouted to a group of idlers who had sauntered up
to the fence of the enclosure, "go to the house and ask the missis to
give you a couple of halters and a horse rug. My chap, Browne, has gone
to meet the officers."
One of the men sauntered off quietly, leaving the party of strangers to
walk across the kraal, the boys keenly examining the little browsing
animals.
"Well, doctor," said Sir James, "I must say I admire your choice. They
are beautiful little creatures, and I hope that they have no vice."
"Vice! Not they, sir," said their late owner, as the ponies upon being
approached lifted their heads to stare at the visitors for a few moments
and then go on browsing at the low-growing bushes that formed their
feed. "This don't look like vice, does it, sir?" said the man,
thrusting his hand into his pocket and drawing it out full of maize.
One of the ponies raised its head, stretched out its neck in the
direction of the extended hand, and trotted up.
"These mealies are rather a hard bite for them, sir, but this lot are
very fond of a taste, and I let them have one now and then; but of
course you will always have a few sacks handy.--Now, young gentlemen,
try this one," and he poured some of the golden grain into Mark's hand.
"You too, sir," he continued, and he brought out some more to trickle
into Dean's.
There was no doubt so far in the tameness of the two ponies, which fed
quietly enough from the boys' hands and submitted to being handled,
patted and held by their thick forelocks or manes.
By this time the dealer's messenger had returned with a couple of
halters.
"Missis can't find a horse rug," said the man surlily.
"Never mind; we can do without, I daresay. But just be on the lookout,
and if you see my Browne send him to me. Now then, gentlemen, like to
try barebacked?"
"Yes," said Mark; and as soon as a halter had been thrown over one of
the ponies' heads the dealer handed the end to him.
"Oh, come," he said, "not the first time you have been on a pony;" for
Mark held up one leg, which the man took in his hand and gave him a
hoist; and the boy making a spring at the same time dropped on the
pony's glossy back, but like vaulting ambition overleaped himself and
rolled over on the other side, startling the pony into making off. But
the dealer made a snatch at the halter, just in time, and it stopped
short, snorting.
"Hurt, my boy?" cried Sir James, anxiously.
"No, father; only vexed," said the boy, dusting the sand from his
flannels. "Now then," he continued, to the dealer, "you hoisted me too
hard."
"Going to have another try?"
"Why, of course," cried the boy angrily. "Think I was frightened by a
thing like that?"
"You'll do; you'll do," said the dealer, with a little chuckle. "Now
then; it was half my fault, and half yours."
The next moment Mark was in his seat, holding his mount with a tight
hand as it began to paw up the sand, eager to start.
"Wait for me," cried Dean, for the dealer was clapping the halter on
another of the ponies, whose back Dean reached without mishap; and then
as if thoroughly accustomed to run together, the attractive looking
little pair moved off at an easy canter, closely followed by the other
two, and going soon after at a quiet hand gallop twice round the large
kraal, and stopping short close up to the dealer at the end of their
career.
The boys jumped down, and the two unmounted ponies waited patiently
while the halters were shifted and the performance repeated.
"Well, gentlemen, are you satisfied?" said the man, patting the ponies'
necks as he spoke.
"Yes, quite," said Sir James. "What do you say, doctor?"
"I should say more than satisfied, only I am afraid that they won't be
up to our weight."
"Don't you make any mistake, sir. These little fellows can do more than
you expect--that is, if you treat them well. You won't ride them till
they founder, I'll be bound. Just you take care that they have enough,
and you will find that they will do all you want. You would like me to
keep them till you start, I suppose?"
"Certainly," said the doctor; and soon after the little party returned
to their inn, the boys talking eagerly about their new acquaintance.
"But I say, father," said Mark, "why, what a party we are going to be--
five men, our four selves, four ponies, and all those oxen. Let's see;
that's all, isn't it?"
"No," said Sir. James; "you forget the guide."
"Black, isn't he, uncle?"
"Yes; I suppose he's a regular Kaffir, a sort of Zulu. What did the
captain say he was, doctor?"
"An Illaka, he called him, I believe, something of the same sort of
black, as the Matabeles. But you have forgotten two more."
"Two more, sir?" said Dean. "No, we have counted them all."
"What about the two black forelopers?"
"Why, what are they?" cried Mark.
"The two blacks who go in front of the foremost bullocks."
"Oh," said Mark. "I say, we are beginning to grow."
"Yes," said Sir James; "we are getting to be a pretty good hunting
party. What with ourselves, men and cattle, we shall have a good many
mouths to feed."
"But you don't want to go back, father?"
"I did, thoroughly," replied Sir James, "when we were down at that
dreadful port."
"But not now, uncle," cried Dean.
"Certainly not, my boy. I am as eager to go forward as you boys, and I
believe the doctor too. I think we are going to have a most delightful
trip. But I say, this doesn't look to me a very good specimen of the
health of the country;" and he nodded his head in the direction of a
very tall, extremely thin, bilious-looking individual who passed them,
and whom they saw make his way right up to the dealer's house.
"Talk about moustachios," cried Mark. "Why, they look like those of a
china figure in a tea-shop. I wonder what he calls himself."
"And this one too," said Dean, for they met a fine-looking, well built
black with well-cut features, nose almost aquiline, and a haughty look
of disdain in his frowning eyes, as, spear over shoulder, he stalked by
the English party, not even deigning to turn to glance back.
"I should think he's a chief," said Mark; "a sort of king in his way."
"Doesn't cost him much a year for his clothes," said Dean, laughing, for
the big fellow's costume was the simplest of the simple.
"Ah, not much," said Sir James, looking after the man; "one of Nature's
noblemen, who looks as if he had never done a stroke of work in his
life. I wonder whether he would ever dare to make use of that spear."
"I don't think there's any doubt about it, sir," said the doctor, "if he
were offended; and if we meet men like that we shall have to be friends,
for that's an ugly looking weapon that he carries over his shoulder with
such a jaunty air."
"What are you thinking about, doctor?"
"I was thinking about the full-blooded black that the captain yonder
promised to get us for our guide, and I was wondering whether that was
likely to be he."
The doctor's words made the rest turn to gaze after the fine-looking,
lithe and active black, who stalked on, haughty of mien, without even
seeming to give a thought to the English intruders upon his soil.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
`MAK' IS SENT IN.
The barracks of Illakaree did not form an attractive object in the
lovely landscape surrounded by hills, in and out amongst which the
Reptile River ran, for a building hastily raised of corrugated iron
never was and never will be beautiful.
"I say ugly," said Mark to his cousin, "but all the same I should like
to be inside one when there was a bad hailstorm. My word, what a shindy
there would be with the big stones--lumps of ice, I suppose, they would
be in a place like this--hammering down upon the zinc roof."
"The soldiers look cheery enough."
"And healthy," said the doctor.
"Thoroughly," said Sir James. "It is a pity they cannot make
arrangements down at the port to give their men a holiday up here."
They were close up to the captain's quarters, and he, catching sight of
the party, came out hastily to shake hands.
"Well," he said, in a light cheery way, "what can I do for you? How are
you getting on?"
"Excellently," said the doctor, "thanks to you. We have secured the
ponies, two waggons, and two span of oxen with their drivers."
"That's right. Have you got your forelopers too."
"Not yet, but I suppose there will be no difficulty about them."
"Not the slightest. We generally have one or two black fellows eager to
get a job with someone going up country. I will undertake to find them.
The oxen are all right, for I have seen them. You couldn't have had a
better lot, and you are quite right too over the ponies. Now, is there
anything else I can do?"
Before the doctor could speak, the frank, good looking young captain
turned to the boys.
"Nice lucky pair of young dogs you are--going on a natural history and
hunting trip like this! What wouldn't I give to come with you!"
"Well, come, then," said Sir James. "I should be delighted to
strengthen our party with such a companion. You know a good deal about
the country, don't you?"
"Well--yes. I have had two or three little excursions in the direction
you are going through the great forests and away on to where the old
stones are said to be, Dr Robertson," continued the speaker, turning to
that visitor.
"But I understood you to say that you had never seen them."
"No; I had to turn back, for my leave had nearly expired, and I came
away with the belief that there were no ruins, and that those who had
reported about them had seen nothing but some of the castle-like kopjes
that look sometimes at a distance like built fortresses of huge granite
stones. Still I have heard on the other hand that there are such ruins,
and that after their fashion the black tribes keep it a secret and look
upon the spot as a sort of Mecca--a sacred place which it is dangerous
to approach and which they will not allow the white man to come near for
fear he should be hurt, and from fear on their own part of the old
bogeys which haunt the ruins. I don't answer for this. It may be all
talk, and if I had time there is nothing I should like to do better than
to prove it."
"Then you think there is risk in going there."
"No," said the captain, "I really do not. If there were I don't think
that the guide would be so ready to undertake his task."
"But the ruins may exist," said the doctor; and the boys listened with
their ears wide open or well on the gape for news.
"Certainly; there is plenty of room," said the captain, laughing; "and
the black fellow I told you about, as far as I can make out from his
jumble of the Ulaka language and broken English, declares that he has
seen them--big stone kraals, he calls them."
"Well, why can't you come with us to see?" said the doctor. "It is
bound to be very interesting."
"Awfully," said the captain, "and there must be plenty of good sport out
there. I'll vouch for that."
"What shall we get?" asked Mark eagerly.
"Lions," said the captain, smiling--"plenty of them. Do you like lion
shooting?"
"How can I?" said Mark testily. "How could I? I never shot anything
bigger than a pheasant in my life. You are laughing at me."
"Oh, no," said the captain, patting him on the shoulder; "and I daresay
next time we meet you will have bagged one or more, and have the skins
to show me. Then you will get leopards, which by all means shoot, for
they are very mischievous. You will find plenty of hippos in the river,
and crocs too. That's why they call it Reptile River; and if you go on
far enough, as you ought to if you have plenty of time, you may get a
shot or two at giraffes. Ah, and as I say if you go on far enough you
may run against okapis."
"O--what, sir?" cried the boys eagerly.
"Oh, a curious new animal that they are reporting. They say it looks
half way between a giraffe and a zebra, and it's found in the great
central forests. Ah, boys, you have got a fine time before you, and as
I said before, I envy you both."
"Then why not think better of Sir James's invitation?" said the doctor.
"I am sure you would be able to assist us wonderfully. Say you will
come."
"Can't," said the captain firmly. "Duty. The people about here are
very peaceable now, but they may break out at any time; and suppose
there was an _emeute_ amongst these blacks while I was away shooting. I
thank you, Sir James, most heartily, but it is impossible. You will
have a capital guide, though, who will show you the way far better than
I could."
"Yes, the guide," said Mark hastily. "That's why we have come up this
morning."
"Well, you couldn't have come at a better time," said the officer. "He
has been far away, for some reason best known to himself, but he marched
into camp last evening, looking as if he were monarch of all he
surveyed."
"Then that's the man we saw!" cried Dean excitedly.
"Tall, black, fine-looking fellow, well built, and a savage chief every
inch of him?"
"Yes," said Mark eagerly; "and hardly any clothes."
"That's the man. There, I will send one of my men to fetch him here;"
and stepping to the window he called to the sentry on duty to pass the
word for someone to hunt out Mak and bring him there.
"Mak!" said the doctor, laughing. "What, have you got Scotch blacks
here?"
"Oh, no. We call him Mak because he is like one of the Makalaka.
Properly he belongs to a great tribe called the Ulakas, who used at one
time to occupy the kopjes about here. I suppose that is why this place
has come to be known as Illakaree."
Only a few minutes later the tall, stately-looking black of the
preceding evening was seen crossing the barrack enclosure, carrying his
spear over his shoulder and looking down with a sort of contempt at the
young bugler by his side, to which the boy retorted by looking up as
contemptuously at the stalwart black, thinking of him as a naked nigger.
"Now I don't wish to interfere," said the captain. "I only want to be
of service to you gentlemen out in this wild place, if I can. It is no
presumption to say, I suppose, that you can't understand the Illaka
dialect?"
"Certainly not," said the doctor. "I daresay I could get on if the man
addressed me in ancient Greek."
"Which he will not do," said the captain, laughing. "He will say very
little, and what he does say will consist of the most curious jumble of
English that ever man gave utterance to. So will you trust me to make
terms with him as to what he is to do and what he is to be paid? I
purpose offering him the same terms as were given to him by his last
employers. He wants very little--and no current coin. A good knife or
two and some brass rings will satisfy him. And as to his work that he
is to do for you, I tell you frankly that he will not do a stroke, but
he will tramp with you upon hunting expeditions till he will tire you
out; he will be as keen-scented as a dog, a splendid tracker of every
kind of wild beast, and if needs be he will fight for you bravely to the
death."
"Well, you couldn't give him a better character," said the doctor, "for
our purpose. But what bad qualities have you to put against this?"
"Oh, he is a very wolf at eating."
"Well, it's only fair that he should be," said Mark, "if he hunts for
and finds the meat."
"I quite agree with you," said the captain. "Then let me see; I did
tell you that he won't do a stroke of work. He is too great a swell--
for he really is a chief, and was beaten by a stronger party and had to
retreat for his life."
"But I say," said Mark, "how are we going to get on with him if he is
going to carry on in that stuck-up, haughty way?"
"Oh, that's nothing," said the captain, laughing. "He puts that on when
he comes into camp, to show his contempt for my men. A few of the larky
spirits teased him a bit some time ago, and he wouldn't stand it. But I
have seen a good deal of him, and he likes me because I wigged the men
and gave them to understand before him that I would have none of that
nonsense. Why, when he is away out in the forest or veldt with a
hunting party--and people treat him well--he is like a merry boy, a
regular child of nature. But treat him with contempt, and it raises his
bile directly. We are too fond of treating these natives as niggers,
but some of them are fine fellows, and as brave as lions--Pooh!
Nonsense! As brave as men can be. Yes," he continued, as an orderly
appeared, "send in Mak."
The fine-looking black stepped in, to stand in dignified silence,
looking keenly round at the party, while the captain spoke to him in
broken English which sounded somewhat like that of a weak old nurse
prattling to a child, and in answer to which the black responded with
the single word, "Good."
"There," said the captain, "I have explained everything to him,
gentlemen, and his word `Good' means that he will serve you faithfully,
and show you plenty of game, to find which he will take you to the
mineral forest where the trees are so high that it is nearly always
twilight, and after that guide you on to the great city where the old
people lived, and show you the mighty stones with which they built.
That's all, gentlemen. Metaphorically signed and sealed and witnessed
by your humble servant, Frank Lawton, of Her Majesty's 200th Light
Infantry."
"Thank you," said the doctor. "I never knew there was so much in the
one word good before."
Mark glanced at the black, who had been listening intently to the
doctor, and catching the boy's movement he fixed him with his eyes so
that they two were for some moments apparently trying to read each
other's thoughts.
"Well, you look all right," said the boy to himself, and his frank, open
countenance expanded into a pleasant smile.
At this the haughty face before him changed suddenly, as if so much
natural sunshine had flashed out, and stepping up to the boy he turned
his spear upside down so that the point of the keen, leaf-like blade
rested on the plain boarded floor of the captain's room, and bending
forward he laid the back of his right hand upon Mark's breast.
"Baas," he said, in a deep musical voice; and then moving slowly and
with dignity he passed round to each, to repeat the action and the word,
his eyes beaming upon everyone in turn, and then finishing off by
uttering once more the one word, "Good."
He then glanced at the captain and asked him some question, to which the
captain nodded.
The next minute he had glided bare-footed and silent out of the room,
while as the party watched they saw him march haughtily past the window
and away across the barrack yard.
"There, gentlemen, that's settled, then," said the captain.
"Settled?" said Sir James. "But I ought to give him what the country
people call a fastening penny, ought I not?"
"Oh, no, nothing of the kind."
"But about finding him when we want to start? For I want to get away
from here as soon as possible."
"You will not have to find him," said the captain, laughing. "He will
find you. You may see him hanging about, or you may not. But you may
depend upon one thing, that from henceforth he will be like your shadow.
Oh, but one word," the captain added. "Your men seem quiet,
respectable fellows, but it might be advisable for you to say a few
words to them about their treatment of your guide. You know what I
mean--about their looking upon him as a nigger. I don't think you need
speak to Buck Denham, the big bullock driver, nor to the Hottentot.
There."
Sir James and the doctor offered plenty of words of thanks, at which the
captain laughed.
"My dear sirs," he said, "not a word more. Put yourselves in my place
and suppose I came up country as you did. Wouldn't you have been as
pleased as I and our mess are to meet a brother Englishman so far away
from home? So not a word more but these: If ever I can serve you in any
way, here I am, and you know my name. There, boys, we will see you off
when you start, and fire a salute, just as if we had had a visit from
the Prince."
CHAPTER EIGHT.
MARK'S FIRST WATCH.
"Now, look here," said Sir James, "we have talked all this matter over
quite enough, and it is high time that we started in a business-like
way, so as to avoid all confusion."
"Hear, hear," said the boys together, and Sir James went on.
"First of all, I am nobody."
"Oh! Oh, I say, father!" cried Mark laughing.
"You hold your tongue, and don't interrupt. I repeat that I am nobody,
only a visitor who looks on and joins in the sport when I feel so
disposed, and one whom you and your men must take care of."
"But we must have a captain, sir, to give all orders."
"Of course," said Sir James. "I constitute you captain; you, Mark,
first lieutenant; Dean, second lieutenant."
"But, Sir James--"
"Dr Robertson, I have planned all this, and I presume that I have a
right to do as I please."
"Certainly, sir," said the doctor.
"And perhaps I may think it right to interfere when things are going on
not to satisfy me."
"Of course, sir;" and the boys looked at one another.
"Well," continued Sir James, "we have arrived at this pitch, that we are
quite independent of the inn. I have paid everybody, and for the last
two nights we have been practising camping out, and are going to sleep
again to-night in our waggons as we intend to do during our campaign.
You, Robertson, have reported to me that everything is properly packed,
the waggons loaded with our stores. You have trained our men to occupy
their places; we make this waggon our tent or fort to sleep in or sleep
under, according to the weather; in short, there is nothing to prevent
our starting to-morrow morning."
"So soon, father?" said Mark.
"So soon, sir! Yes. Haven't we been busy here for a fortnight, making
our preparations? And a very busy time it has been. I consider that we
have finished our stay here with bidding good-bye to the officers and
thanking them. You saw how I stopped back at the barracks this evening.
Do you know what it was for, doctor?"
"No, sir."
"To tell Captain Lawton that I would rather not have any nonsense and
procession or firing of farewell salute, and that I had made up my mind
that we would start early to-morrow morning."
"Then we really are to go to-morrow, father?"
"Of course."
"But, uncle," protested Dean, "there are several more things that might
be useful and that I should like to get."
"Of course there are, sir," said his uncle shortly, "and so there would
be if we stopped about here for another month. Now, no more words. You
have got your marching orders, captain--I mean, doctor; and you will go
round with your officers and see the blacks, the two drivers, and our
own three men, so that there may be no excuse for their not being
ready."
"Exactly so, Sir James. I am very glad that we have come to this
climax."
"So am I," said Sir James. "Eh? What's that, Mark?" for the boy was
whispering to his cousin. "What's that you are saying?"
"Oh, I was only talking to Dean, father," said the boy, rather
confusedly, and his face turned scarlet, lit up as it was by the
swinging lantern beneath which he was seated.
"Yes, sir; I saw you were; and you were protesting against my orders for
what I presume you call this hurried start."
"That I am sure I was not, father. I was only joking to Dean."
"And what was the joke, sir? You, Dean, what did he say?"
"I don't like to tell you, uncle."
"I insist that you tell me at once, sir," said Sir James angrily.
The boy gave a deprecating look at his cousin, and then went on
hesitatingly, "Mark said that it was comic--"
"Well, sir? Go on."
Dean coughed to clear his voice.
"He said it was comic that you had just made us all officers and then
ended by taking it all out of the doctor's hands and playing captain
yourself."
"Humph! Well," grunted Sir James, "it does sound a little odd. But
this was the final instructions as I was making resignation. But stop a
minute. I had just made the reservation that I should interfere if I
thought proper. Now I have done. Give your final orders, captain; and
then if it was my case I should say, lights out and let's all have a
good rest till daylight to-morrow morning. By the way, whose turn is it
to take the watch to-night, doctor?"
"Yours, Sir James, and I relieve you two hours after midnight."
"And to-morrow night?"
"Mark first watch, Dean the second."
"Next night?"
"Not settled yet."
"Good; and I think it was a very excellent arrangement of yours, doctor,
to begin as we did on the first night of our moving into camp."
That night seemed all too short, and Mark could hardly believe that it
was close on daylight when the doctor roused him to see the
fierce-looking black, spear-armed, dimly showing by the light of the
lantern the former carried, while Dean would not believe it at all, but
treated it as part of a dream, and turned over, fast asleep again.
"Oh, I say," cried Mark, "did you ever see such an old dozey, doctor?"
"Catch hold of one arm," said the doctor. "I'll take the other. Here,
Mak, take hold."
He handed the lantern to the black, who took it and stood looking on
while the sleeper was regularly set upon his legs, to stand staring in
alarm at the glistening eyes and the white grinning ivory of the man's
teeth.
"Oh," he cried, in a half startled tone, "I thought--it can't be
morning!"
"Can't it?" said Mark, laughing. "Let go, doctor, I think he's awake
now."
"Awake! Of course I am. But I say, is breakfast ready?"
"No, Dean," replied the doctor, "and will not be till we are a couple of
hours on our track."
The bustle attending starting had already begun; the waggon drivers were
busy with the oxen, the keepers were saddling up two of the ponies, the
sailor was proving his right to be called a handy man, and stowing the
necessaries of the night in the fore and aft chests of the second
waggon, and in an almost incredible space of time everything was ready
for the start, and the order was given by the doctor.
Then came the cracking of the whips and the lowing of a couple of uneasy
bullocks; there was a strain on the long trek-tow, and the great
lumbering waggons moved off into the early dawn, the ponies being led,
for the heads of the expedition all agreed that it would be pleasanter
to walk till after sunrise through the crisp, cool air and not let their
blood stagnate by riding behind the slow, sluggish pacing of the oxen.
At the end of two hours there was a halt for breakfast at a spot
selected by the black Illaka, and he looked on while Dan started a fire
with a small supply of wood. Dance fetched water from a little stream
that ran gurgling by the place, which was evidently in regular use for
camping. Bob, after picketing the ponies so that they could browse,
went off and brought back more wood, and there with everything looking
bright and picturesque in the morning sun, so well had the doctor
arranged matters that Mark declared that only one thing was wanting to
have made it the most delicious breakfast they had ever had in their
lives.
"Why, what did you want, boy?" said Sir James.
"We ought to have shot some birds of some kind, father, to have cooked."
"Oh, never mind the birds. We will have them for dinner," said Sir
James merrily.
"If we shoot them," said the doctor. "Here, Dan, give me another mug of
coffee, and then look thoroughly well after yourself."
Only about an hour was spent before a fresh start was made, and then the
journey was resumed in the most orderly way and kept on till noon, when
water was reached at a curve of the little river along which the track
led through a dense grove of umbrageous trees. Here there was ample
pasture for the cattle, which fed and rested in the shade for a good
three hours in the hottest part of the day, while an abundant meal was
prepared, after which a deliberate start was made by the well refreshed
party.
Then followed a long, slow bullock march till quite early evening, and
again the black led them to a beautiful woodland patch at a place where
the river whose banks they were following showed a good shallow
crossing, another display of traces proving that it was a customary
halting-place on the way to some kraal.
Here the great creaking waggons were drawn up, a fire was made and the
men busied themselves looking after the cattle and the ponies, a capital
meal was prepared, but without any addition being made by rifle or gun;
and just at dark, by the light of the twinkling lanterns, preparations
began for passing the night.
"I say, Mark, you have to keep the watch," said Dean. "Don't you feel
proud?"
"Not a bit," said Mark. "Our black chap seems to be doing that. Look
at him parading up and down there with his spear over his shoulder just
as if he was the grand boss of it all and we were his men."
Just then he strode up to where the boys were talking.
"Lions?" said Mark, in a questioning tone.
The man smiled pleasantly, and the boy repeated his question; but it was
plain that the black did not understand.
"Oomph! Oomph! Oomph!" growled Mark, in as near an imitation of the
monarch of the forest's roar as he could contrive after a couple of
visits to the Zoo; but it had no effect whatever on their surroundings
till the black, who now fully grasped his meaning, crouched down and
uttered a startling, barking roar which made two or three of the nearest
bullocks start up and stare in their direction.
"Here, you, sir, stop that!" shouted Buck Denham, the driver of their
waggon, the first being in charge of the Hottentot.
The black turned to him, smiling, and nodded, before meeting the boys'
eyes again and shaking his head.
Just then the doctor approached, to ask the reason of their guide's
imitation.
"Oh," he said, on being informed, "don't encourage him in anything of
that sort again, or we shall have a stampede of the ponies and bullocks.
Well, Mark, recollect that it's your first watch to-night."
"Oh, I shan't forget," was the reply. "But you don't think we have come
out far enough yet to meet with dangerous wild beasts, do you?"
"Oh, indeed, but I do," replied the doctor. "We have left the last post
of civilisation behind, and we may come upon danger at any time. Of
course you will mount guard with one of the double rifles charged with
bullet, and if there really is any suggestion of danger you will fire,
so as to give the alarm. We shall come to your help directly."
"Oh, yes, I understand," said Mark confidently, and he passed the
intervening time before he received his orders going round their little
camp with his cousin, watching the final preparations made by the
drivers and forelopers, a couple of ordinary thick-lipped blacks, and
then having a chat with the two keepers about what a change it was from
the park and grounds of the old manor.
As the time approached, Mark, in spite of his assumed cheerfulness,
could not master a slight feeling of discomfort. It was evidently going
to be a cool, dark night. The very sound of it was startling to the
lad--the announcement that he was to keep the full watch over their
little camp of two waggons in a country where lions were common, and on
one of the banks of the river which might very well be haunted by
hippopotami and loathsome crocodiles.
The captain had spoken of its being called Reptile River, and of course
that was what it meant. The very thought of it was alarming. He had
read enough to know that hippopotami came out to feed by night, crushing
up the succulent weeds and softer canes, grinding all up in their huge
portmanteau-like jaws, while it was a well known fact that the ponderous
beasts would rush at and trample down anyone who came in their way.
All that was bad enough, but nothing to compare for horror with the
thought of a huge lizard or newt-shaped creature lying in wait ready to
seize upon human being or ordinary animal, and drag its prey down into
some hole beneath the bank, ready to be devoured at the monster's
leisure.
Mark tried very hard to chase away such thoughts, but they kept coming
on, right up to the time when he finished his supper and met the
doctor's eyes.
"Ready, Mark?" he said.
"Yes, sir," said the boy firmly.
"That's right," said his father. "Keep a sharp look out, my boy. We
are all trusting you to take care of us for the next few hours.
Good-night."
"Good-night, father."
The boy shouldered the double rifle and followed the doctor.
"I should keep moving, Mark, my boy," said the latter. "It will occupy
your attention and make the time seem to pass more quickly. It will
keep you warm too, for it's sure to be very chilly later on. Stop here
a minute or two. I just want to go to the forward waggon and say a word
or two to the men. I will join you again directly."
Mark drew himself up stiffly as the doctor walked away, and then his
heart seemed to give a bound, for there was a faint rustle just in
front, and the boy brought his piece down to the present and made the
locks click. "It's only me, sir," said a familiar voice. "You, Dan!"
cried the boy, pressing one hand on the region of his heart, which was
beating fast.
"Yes, sir; just me. You need not shoot. I have been waiting till the
doctor had gone. I thought as it was rather a new job for a youngster
like you, I'd come and ask you whether you would like me to come and
keep the watch with you. You see, it's all fresh to you, but it's the
sort of thing I have been brought up to aboard ship."
"It is very good of you," said Mark, warming up at the man's
thoughtfulness, "but you had better go and lie down and go to sleep."
"I don't want to go to sleep, sir."
"But you will lose your night's rest."
"Not me, sir. I shall just shut one eye in the morning and let that
have a snooze for a couple of hours while I get on with my work or keep
on tramp. Then when that one's rested I can make him open and let the
other have a snooze."
"No, no, it won't do," said Mark firmly, much as he would have liked to
have the man's company. "It's my duty to take the watch, and I must
take it."
"Mean it, sir?"
"Certainly," replied Mark. "I wouldn't have it thought that--there, go
away; the doctor's coming back."
The sailor slipped away, and the doctor rejoined the boy, and pointed
out a beat for him which should take him right round the waggons and the
two spans of oxen.
"There," he said, "you know what you have got to do--to fire if there is
any cause for anxiety."
"And I suppose I had better not go too near the river?"
"Oh, I don't know," said the doctor. "It's a mere stream just about
here, though I daresay it's pretty big after rain. Good-night. You
will wake up your cousin at about two. Good-night."
"Good-night," replied Mark, and he felt that his words must have sounded
short to the doctor and full of annoyance, for somehow he thought that
it was not fair for him to go away and leave such a boy as he was; and
besides, it seemed unkind after he had made such a plain allusion to the
river, for the doctor to treat it so lightly. Of course he knew that it
was only a little river, a mere stream; but then it was big lower down,
and what was to prevent any dangerous beast or reptile from crawling up
to lie in wait for anyone that was near?
"Never mind," muttered the boy, "I suppose it's natural to feel a bit
nervous; but I am not going to show the white feather."
He stood still, listening and trying to make out the doctor's step, but
he could not hear a sound.
It was very dark, not a star showing, for a faint mist hung above the
trees, and for a long time the only thing he heard was a stamp that
sounded startling until he made up his mind that it must have been a
fidgety movement on the part of one of the ponies, and shouldering his
rifle, he stepped out slowly so as to pass right round the little camp.
But even that was difficult, for it was not until he was close upon the
waggons that he could make them out, and as he went on the big bullocks
were only represented to him by what seemed to be so many clumps of bush
or heaps of soil.
He walked as slowly as he could so as to make his rounds take up as much
time as possible, and as he came to the end of each traverse he tried to
think out how many minutes it must have taken. This slow march was
completed four times, and then he came to the conclusion that about an
hour of his watch must have passed away, but only to alter his mind
after a little thought and mentally see more clearly, that it could not
be a quarter or even an eighth of what he realised now was going to be a
very long and dreary watch.
"Well, it's no use to be impatient," he thought. "It's no worse for me
than it will be for all the rest. One doesn't like it, but then the
pleasure of the travelling and what we shall see right up in the hilly
part where the great kopjes rise must make up for a bit of trouble."
He moved on again slowly, keeping a sharp look out in the direction of
the stream and feeling convinced that he had heard a splash.
Then as he listened intently he was just about to come to the conclusion
that it was fancy, when there was another, this time a regular heavy,
wallowing sound. What it was he could not tell, but he felt sure that
it must be some huge beast making its way through the shallow water and
mud.
Mark's next thought was that the brute, whatever it might be, had left
the river and was now stealing slowly towards him.
"Can't be a hippo," he thought, "or I should hear him crashing through
the reeds and bushes. No, it must be one of those loathsome great efts,
the scaly slimy brutes, crawling softly;" and at the very thought of it
he pressed thumb and finger upon cock and trigger of his piece twice
over so as to prepare for action without the premonitory click that
accompanied the setting of each lock.
It was hard work to keep from turning sharply and running, but the boy
set his teeth and mastered the desire. But he held his piece in front
with two fingers on the triggers ready to fire, when all at once from a
short distance behind him, and right in the direction in which he would
have run, there came a deep, elongated puff as of some big animal, and
he felt that his first idea was right, and that one of the huge hippos
had caused the wallowing sound in leaving the stream and then made its
way right behind him so as to cut him off from his friends.
"The doctor might well tell me to load with ball," he said. "Why, a
shot gun would not have sent the pellets through the monster's hide."
There was a repetition of the heavy breath, apparently much nearer,
which set the boy's heart thumping rapidly within his chest, and then
the heavy beating began to subside as rapidly as it had commenced, for
he said to himself, "Oh, you cowardly fool! Why, I am standing close to
the bullocks;" and he stepped boldly out in the direction from which the
heavy breathing had come, and began to speak softly to the great sleek
animals, a couple of them responding with what sounded like so many
sighs.
Mark's tramp around the camp became a little faster now as he stepped
out and began musing about how easy it was to frighten one's self by
imagining all sorts of horrors hidden by the darkness.
"Why, the doctor's right," he said; "I don't believe that there's
anything one might mind in the little river, and of course, if there
were lions near, the ponies and the bullocks would know it before I
should. There, who's afraid of its being dark? Not I."
And walking and pausing by turns, the boy kept his watch, working hard
to convince himself that he ought to be very proud of the confidence
placed in him.
"There's something so real about it," he thought. "It's quite grand
marching round and round here with a loaded double-barrelled rifle over
my shoulder. I wonder how old Dean will feel. I'll be bound to say
he'll be just as squirmy as I was. He won't go to sleep the first time
he's on the watch."
The hours seemed to pass very slowly, though it was at their usual rate,
and at last to his great satisfaction not only could he feel sure that
half of his watch must have passed, but that it was growing lighter.
It could not be the approach of dawn, for he could see a few stars
peeping out here and there, and he realised that this was caused by the
lifting of the mist under the influence of a light breeze that felt
almost chilly.
Mark was standing some little distance from the second waggon where the
ponies were picketed, when all at once his heart set up its heavy
beating again, for coming in his direction along the edge of the patch
of forest he could plainly see a big, dark animal creeping cautiously
towards where the ponies were tethered.
Mark watched it for a few moments, till he felt that it must have passed
behind the trunk of one of the larger trees, and then it was gone.
"Could it be a lion?" he thought. "No, it had not the big, shaggy head.
But it might have been a lioness, or perhaps some big leopard. Ah!" he
panted, "there it is again! It's after the ponies. It must be!" and
calling to mind that he had cocked his rifle, he covered the dimly-seen
animal, which was coming very slowly nearer, and he could make out that
it had moved on a few feet and then stopped, as if crouching down
waiting to make a spring.
"What did the doctor say?" thought Mark. "I was not to fire unless
there was real necessity. There must be real necessity here, for that
beast is creeping closer and closer so as to be within easy distance for
its spring."
The boy hesitated no longer, but raising his rifle to his shoulder he
covered the object that was advancing, and was about to draw trigger
when he realised the fact that he was aiming at what seemed to be a
bush, while the lioness, or whatever it was, had disappeared.
Mark stared in wonder, for he could not understand how it was that an
object which had seemed so clear in the transparent darkness had
disappeared so easily, and he was staring almost wildly in the direction
where he had seen it last when there was a faint, rustling sound a
little to his left, convincing him that the nocturnal marauder had
passed a pensile bough of a tree that must be sweeping the ground, and
must be close upon the ponies, one of which uttered a low, tremulous,
whinnying sound, and gazing sharply in the direction Mark saw as he drew
trigger the big animal assuming a rampant position in springing upon the
pony.
The silence of the night was broken by a roar, and Mark felt that a
cloud was interposed between himself and the camp visitant which hurled
him violently to the ground.
CHAPTER NINE.
"SEEN ANY MORE LIONS?"
Feeling half stunned, Mark rolled over and over, holding on to his piece
the while, and struggled to his feet from amongst the bushes in which he
had involuntarily sought refuge. His movements took him through a low,
clinging cloud of the smoke of gunpowder, and he heard the rustling of
trampled bushes as what he assumed to be his assailant dashed away. And
now he grasped the fact that his shot had thoroughly roused the whole
camp. The ponies were plunging and dragging at their raw hide lariats,
and the oxen were upon their feet, alarmed in the darkness and about to
break away; but Buck Denham, the English driver, and the Hottentot were
yelling at them, and the black forelopers were adding their shrill cry
as they aided in trying to pacify the beasts.
In the midst of the noise and confusion Mark heard his name loudly
uttered, followed by the words, "Where are you, my lad? Speak up!"
"Here--here," he panted.
"Oh, that's right."
"Not hurt, are you?" cried the doctor, as he grasped him by one arm, and
he awoke to the fact that his breathless father had seized him by the
other.
"Speak, my boy," he cried. "Why don't you speak? Where are you hurt?"
"I don't quite know, father? Not much; but it sprang right at me and
knocked me back amongst the bushes as it tore away."
"What tore away?" cried the doctor. "What did you fire at?"
"I am not quite sure," replied the boy excitedly, "but I think it was a
lion. I saw it creeping up towards the ponies, and as it reared up to
spring upon them I fired."
"Yes," said his father sharply, "and then?"
"I think I must have wounded it, for I heard it dashing away amongst the
bushes."
"Well done, boy," cried his father, patting him on the shoulder. "But
you are sure you are not hurt much?"
"Oh, yes, I am not hurt much, father," said the boy quietly. "The beast
struck me on the shoulder and knocked me right backwards."
"Then he will be clawed, doctor. Let's get him into the waggon, and
have a light."
"Yes, by all means. Who's there?" cried the doctor, in the darkness and
confusion.
"Ay, ay, sir! Me, sir. Off for a lantern," cried the little sailor.
"Here we are sir," cried Bob Bacon. "Me, sir, and Peter Dance."
"That's right, my lads. Take hold of Mr Mark and carry him into the
waggon."
"Oh, Mark," cried another voice, "don't say you are hurt!"
"Well, but I am, old chap," said Mark coolly. "No, I say, don't do
that. Don't be frightened, father, I can walk."
"Are you sure, boy?" said the doctor, who had handed the rifle with
which he had come out armed to the keeper; and as he spoke he passed his
hands over Mark's shoulders, fully expecting to feel the moisture of
blood oozing through his clothes.
"Oh!" shouted the boy, and Sir James winced, uttering a low hissing
sound the while.
"It's got him there," said the doctor, between his teeth.
"Yes, it pricks," said the boy. "It was only when you touched it."
At that moment a light appeared from the direction of the first waggon,
and the big bullock driver joined the party, ready to open his lantern
and cast its rays upon the excited little throng, one of the first faces
seen being that of the black guide, who, spear in hand, seemed to become
one of the most animated, as he stood with his eyes flashing and his
white teeth bared.
"Ahoy! Light's here, sir!" shouted the sailor.
"Bring it here," cried the doctor, and the rays of a second lantern came
dancing through the darkness to help light up the scene.
"Now, my boy," said the doctor, "do you feel faint?"
"No," said Mark sturdily.
"I only want to see how much you are hurt."
"It's getting better now," said the boy cheerfully. "It only aches."
"But I must see where--" began the doctor, only to be checked by a shout
from Mark.
"I say, don't! You are hurting me again. It's a big thorn, and you
pressed it farther in."
"Is it the beast's claw?" whispered Sir James.
"It can't be," replied the doctor. "It's right on the back of his
shoulder where I placed my hand--yes, here it is."
"Oh!" ejaculated Mark again, for the doctor thrust his hand inside the
door of one of the lanterns, to display a great thorn about two inches
long.
"Ah, there's lots more here, sir," cried Bob Bacon. "Mr Mark must have
been knocked right into these bushes."
"Why, Mark," continued the doctor, "hold up your hands. They are all
covered with blood. Scratches. I don't find anything else the matter
with you."
"No," said Mark; "I don't think there is. I say, don't make such a fuss
about it. It makes one look so stupid. I say, father, I'm very sorry I
fired."
"Sorry!" said his father warmly. "Thank heaven, my boy, you are hurt no
worse. The brute, whatever it was, must have been tremendously strong,
and struck you down in its leap."
"Well, it did come at me with a good bang, father, just the same moment
that I fired. Here, who's got my gun?"
"Gun," said a voice, and the Illaka reached over to thrust it into the
boy's hand.
"Oh, thank you," said Mark. "Mustn't lose that. Here, you catch hold,
Dean. Then you think I did right in firing, father?"
"Why, of course, my boy."
"Here, that will do, doctor. I think I am all right."
"Well, really, my boy, I am beginning to think so too. But I will keep
watch the rest of the night with one of the men. You had better go and
lie down now."
"Oh, no," said Mark. "It's my watch, and I am going to finish it."
"And I will come and finish it with you, my boy," said his father.
"But he has finished it," said the doctor, who had hastily pulled out
his watch. "Two o'clock!"
"Then it's my turn," said Dean quickly.
"But I can't let you undertake that task now," said Sir James.
"Let me come, sir, along with Mr Dean, sir," cried the sailor.
"No," said Sir James. "Thank you all the same, my man, I have my rifle
ready loaded. What has become of yours, Mark?"
"I have got it, uncle," cried Dean. "Give me your pouch and the
cartridges, Mark. I want to load."
"But where's your piece, Dean?" said Sir James.
"Mine, uncle--mine? I came out in such a hurry that I forgot all about
it."
"Bah! Well, here's Mark's pouch. Take it and load."
"Yes, uncle," replied the boy hastily. "Why, Mark, I only heard one
shot. Did you fire both barrels?"
"Eh? I don't know. Perhaps I did."
"Well," said the doctor, a few minutes later, as he stood with Sir James
and Dean, "I don't think that there is any occasion to be uneasy about
Mark. He can't be injured, or he wouldn't be so calm. The animals seem
to be settling down again, and that's a sure sign that there is nothing
near to alarm them. What I wonder at is that we heard no sign from the
bullocks--"
"Or from the ponies," said Sir James.
"--Before Mark fired."
"Then I suppose," said Sir James, "that we may all go and lie down till
you rouse us up again, doctor."
"Which I certainly shall if there is any cause."
The alarm had not proved serious enough to interfere with the sleep of
the camp, with one exception, and Mark formed that exception, for during
the second watch either Dean or Mark's father went to the waggon as
quietly as possible to look after the injured lad, and oddly enough had
the same report to give, that Mark was sleeping easily and well, while
as soon as each visit had been paid the boy turned over, exclaiming,
"Bother! Anyone would think the lion had half eaten me. I wish they
would not make such a fuss."
The last time, when Dean was coming off duty, it was to find his
cousin's eyes wide open.
"Oh, you are awake now," he cried. "How are you?"
"Oh, all right. Seen any more lions?"
"No; it's been quite still all the rest of the night."
"Father all right?"
"Yes; he will be here directly. I say, Mark, let's look where you were
hurt before he comes."
But this was not achieved, Sir James darkening the opening of the waggon
tilt just as the neck of his son's shirt was thrown open, to display a
big blackening bruise upon the boy's right shoulder, and further
examination revealed a small hole where a thorn had penetrated, and some
scratches upon the boy's hands.
"Are those claw marks?" said Dean excitedly.
"Pooh! Nonsense!" said a voice which made all look up, to see the
doctor climbing into the waggon.
He too examined the injuries, and exclaimed, "You are sure you saw some
animal about to attack the ponies?"
"Yes, certain," said Mark.
"And you fired at it?"
"Well, yes," said Mark; "you heard me, and came."
"Exactly," said the doctor drily; "but are you sure that the beast,
whatever it was, sprang at you?"
"I saw it rear up as I fired," replied Mark, "and I felt a tremendous
blow on the shoulder. Yes: here's the bruise."
"Yes, my boy," said the doctor quietly, "but that is just such a bruise
as would have been made if you had pulled both triggers of a heavy rifle
at once."
"Well," said Mark quietly, "I have been lying awake almost ever since,
and that's just what I've been fancying. Do you think it was that,
doctor?"
"I feel sure of it, Mark; and what's more, I have been all round the
camp with the Illaka and the two keepers, and even in the moistest place
we can find, there isn't the sign of a lion's spoor."
"Well, that's queer," said Mark, scratching his head. "I don't
understand it. Now I want some breakfast, and I am going to get up."
CHAPTER TEN.
SHAM.
The doctor suggested that after such a broken night it would be as well
to have an early breakfast before they started.
"Yes, capital," cried Mark. "I feel that that is just what I want to
put me right."
"See to it at once, then, Dan," said the doctor. "Tell some of the men
to get you some wood, and I will talk to the bullock drivers. Oh, there
are the two keepers. They will help you to get wood and fetch water.
Mind they get it from a clear part of the river."
"Ay, ay, sir!" said the sailor.
"How wonderfully well that poor fellow begins to look," said the doctor.
"Yes," replied Sir James, laughing; "and he thoroughly deserves the name
of the Handy Mann. He is never happy unless he is doing something--
regularly valeting me and the boys. What do you say to a walk round
while they are preparing breakfast?"
"I am willing," replied the doctor, "and we will take Denham and his men
as we go."
They started off, and before they reached the two long spans of oxen
where they had been turned to graze, Buck Denham's voice was heard
storming at somebody.
"Quarrel, seemingly, captain," said Sir James, smiling.
"Or a fit of bad temper," said the doctor, "because the big fellow's
night, was disturbed. Here, what's the matter, Denham?" he continued,
as they reached the shady pasture where the sleek bullocks were knee
deep in rich grass, evidently laying in a store for emergencies when
fodder might be scarce. "Don't say that any of the cattle have
strayed?"
"Strayed, sir? Not they! They are all right--eight-and-forty of them.
I counted them over twice to make sure, after the night's scare. My
bullocks are all right. I only wish I could trust my men as well as I
can them."
"What has happened, then?"
"You ask him, sir," replied Denham, pointing to the miserable looking
little Hottentot--"a pretty sort of a half-bred animal! Look at him
squatting there grinning like one of them there dog-nosed baboons."
"Don't insult the man," said the doctor sharply. "What has he done?"
"Man, sir! I don't call him a man," said Buck Denham. "Got nothing to
do but a bit of driving now and then and to give a shout at his span,
and naturally I trusted him as I was keeping my eye on the oxen to keep
his on the two forelopers. I let him do it because he understands their
lingo better than I do."
"Well?" said the doctor. "What then?"
"What then, sir? Here are we just two days out from the town, and he's
lost one of them already."
"Lost? Nonsense!"
"Well, where is he, then, sir? He has gone."
"Gone?"
"Yes, sir. Sniffed at his job, I suppose, and gone off. I saw him safe
enough last night; this morning he is nowhere. My foreloper he was, and
now we shall have to stop here three or four days, perhaps a week, while
I go back and hunt up another; and I can tell you, sir, they are
precious scarce."
"That's vexatious," said the doctor. "Don't be put out, Denham, I think
I see how it is. The poor fellow was no doubt scared by the alarm of
the lion in the night, and very likely we shall see him come creeping in
before it is time to start."
"Oh, thank you, sir," said the big fellow. "I am very glad you take it
so easy. Some gen'lemen would be ready to jump down a poor man's throat
for half this."
"Indeed!" said the doctor, smiling. "Well, I don't think you will find
Sir James and me so unreasonable as to bully a good servant for an
unavoidable mishap."
"Thank you, sir," said the big fellow, smiling. "That's done me good.
I was afraid to meet you this morning, and I hope you are right, because
we must have two of us to each waggon, and I don't suppose either of
your servants would like to be asked to do such nigger's work. Hadn't I
better start back at once and get another? It would save time if I took
one of them ponies."
Sir James winced as he looked at the big fellow's proportions, and
glanced uneasily at the doctor, who said, smiling, "No, we will wait to
see if the man turns up, and if not our two boys shall mount the ponies
and canter back to the station with a note to Captain Lawton asking him
to help us to a fresh foreloper."
The man chuckled heartily.
"Why do you laugh?" said the doctor. "Do you think the captain cannot
be trusted?"
"Oh, him, sir," replied the man. "Cap'n Lawton's a regular gen'leman.
He'd do anything to serve a fellow-countryman. I was grinning, sir,
because you thought I should be too much for the pony. Well, I am a big
'un, out and outer; but I growed so. You are quite right, sir, it would
be rather hard on one of the brave little beasts, and I hope that black
'un will show up again, but I'm afraid of it. That lion last night
scared him, but he'd be more scared to come and face you gen'lemen
again."
Meanwhile, Mark had proposed that they should go to look at the spot
where he stood to fire at his disturber. This was agreed to, and as
they had to pass Dan Mann, Mark put in a word or two about hurrying on
the breakfast, and told him to be sure to frizzle the bacon well.
"Ay, ay, sir!" cried the little fellow, beaming upon them; and they went
on, looked at the ground by daylight, and saw no trace of footprints,
only finding the spot where the unpleasant thorn bush had been crushed
by Mark's fall.
"Yes," said the boy, giving a bit of a writhe and rubbing his back
softly, "that's where I went down, sure enough, and I believe I have got
another thorn in there now. My word, how stiff my shoulder is! I
shan't be in a hurry to fire two barrels of a rifle together again.
Yes, I stood just there when I fired, just as the beast had reared
himself up--itself, I suppose I ought to say, for I don't know whether
it was a cock or a hen--but hallo, where are the ponies?"
"Oh, Peter and Bob have taken them down to water, I suppose," said Dean.
"That they haven't. There they are, over yonder."
"Well, then, Buck Denham must have driven them over there with the
bullocks to have a feed before we start."
"Let's ask Dan. Here, cooky, where are the ponies?"
"Dunno, sir. They were gone when I came to see to the fire. I expect
Denham has taken them along with the bullocks."
"Come on, Dean. Let's go and see how the little fellows look."
The boys hurried amongst the trees to where Denham, the Hottentot and
the foreloper were watching the grazing cattle, with the Illaka seated
upon a fallen tree nursing his spear and looking on, while in the
distance, each with his gun over his arm, they could see Sir James and
the doctor, evidently making a circuit of the camp.
"Ponies, gen'lemen?" said the big fellow. "No, I ain't seen them; I
have been so busy over my bullocks. Somebody must have taken them down
to the riverside to get a good feed a-piece of that strong reedy grass
that they are so fond of. You will find them down there."
"Come along," cried Mark, and the two boys hurried off in the direction
of the river, threading their way amongst the trees till they caught
sight of the running water sparkling in the rays of the morning sun.
"There they are," cried Mark, "munching away and regularly enjoying
themselves. Oh, you beauties! But hallo! Who's that chap watching
them?" and he drew his cousin's attention to a tall, thin, peculiar
looking fellow who was standing close to the water's edge watching the
ponies as if to keep them from going farther along the stream.
The man turned his head as he heard the boys approach, and then looked
back at the ponies and drove one a short distance nearer the camp.
"Hullo, you!" cried Mark sharply. "What are you doing here?"
The man shrugged his shoulders, and made a comprehensive sign which
included the four little animals.
"Yes, I see that," said Mark, "but what do you want here?"
The man shook his head sadly, and the boys saw that he was very yellow,
as if dried in the sun, and had a particularly thin and peculiar face,
with two long, pendant, yellowish moustachios which reached far beneath
his chin. His beard was closely clipped, and they noted that he held a
pair of small scissors, and as he drew back one of his twisted
moustachios, he was occupied the while carefully snipping off the
greyish stubble that just showed slightly upon his chin.
"But how did you come here?" asked Mark.
"Walked," said the man sadly.
"When?"
"Last--night," sighed the stranger, uttering the first word in quite a
high-pitched tone, the second sounding almost like a groan.
He was very shabbily dressed--just an old flannel shirt and a pair of
fustian trousers, while his head was covered by one of the regular,
broad-brimmed, flop felt hats so common amongst Englishmen for
protection from the sun.
"Well, you are a cheerful looking gentleman," thought Mark, and he had
hard work on meeting his cousin's eye to keep from bursting into a fit
of laughter. Then a sudden thought struck him.
"When did you say you came here?"
"Last--night?"
"What time?"
"No watch," said the man. "Quite dark."
"But what did you come for?"
The man pointed to the ponies, and Mark gazed at his cousin and
whispered, "I say, I think I have seen this fellow before."
"Hanging about that dealer's yard?"
"Yes."
"I am sure I did," whispered Dean, as the man turned from them to check
the wandering of another of the ponies.
"Dean," said Mark, "I have got an idea."
"Let's have it."
"That chap has come to steal our ponies."
"Bother!" cried Dean contemptuously. "When did you say you came?"
"Last--night," said the man.
"Here, I say, you, sir," cried Mark. "Did you say you came here last
night to look after our ponies?"
"Yes," said the man, and they saw that he was working with his left hand
now, snipping at the stubbly beard with the scissors, while with the
other he held his moustache back to keep it from being cut.
"Look here," said Mark; "was it you who came close up to me in the dark
when I was on the watch?"
"Yes," said the man sadly. "Thought you was asleep."
"It was lucky for you that I did not shoot you."
"Yes," said the man dismally, as he slowly took off his hat and poked
one long thin finger through a hole that the boys had not previously
noticed, shook his head at it sadly, put his hat on again, and went on
snipping as before.
"There, Dean! Now, then, was it a false alarm?"
"Well, no; but I should never have taken this chap for a lion," replied
his cousin. "Here, I say, you, sir, why do you speak as if you were
sorry that my cousin did not hit you?"
"Wasn't," said the man, mournfully snipping away.
"Well, what do you want?"
"Breakfast," said the man. "Had none since you come away."
"That's cool," said Mark, as he looked at the man suspiciously. "Oh,
here come Buck Denham and Dan. They have smelt that something's wrong
about the ponies. Here," he continued, turning to the two fresh
arrivals, "what are you two laughing at?"
"At 'im, sir," whispered Dan, as the oddity moved away after a pony.
"Yes, he's rather a rum 'un to look at, gen'lemen," said Buck, in the
same low tone. "I have seen him before. Sort of hang-about as has to
do with him as sold you those ponies. I think he's a bit touched in his
head--dotty, you know."
"That's what I think too, gentlemen," whispered Dan. "I have been to
'Stralia--Sydney, you know, where chaps go out shepherding and don't see
anything but the woolly ones sometimes for three months together, and I
have heard as some of them quite goes off their heads, miserable and
lonely like, for they have nobody to talk to but the sheep."
"But this isn't Australia," said Mark.
"And this fellow hasn't been with sheep," added Dean, "but ponies."
"No, sir," said Dan; "but horses do just as well."
"That they wouldn't," cried Mark. "A man who had horses with him could
make companions of them."
"Yes," cried Dean, "and have a good long ride every now and then."
"To be sure," added Mark. "A man who had a horse or a dog for companion
could not go off his head. Look at Robinson Crusoe; he was jolly enough
with a poll parrot."
"Oh, yes, sir; but then a poll parrot could talk."
"Yes, but he had to teach it first," said Dean.
"Yes, sir," said Dan, "but you couldn't teach a sheep. Why, if you had
one of them for years you would never get anything out of him but Baa!"
"Bah, then, to what you are saying," cried Mark. "Here, I say, you,
sir," he cried, looking in an amused way at their visitor, who had
finished his clipping, pocketed his scissors, and had taken hold of his
moustachios as if they were reins and stroked them down with a twist,
looking dolefully at those about him the while; "I'll answer for it that
we give you some breakfast, and then you had better be off."
The man shook his head.
"Eh? What do you mean by that?" said Mark.
The man shook his head again and took out his scissors as if about to
begin clipping once more, but bethought himself and put them back.
Dan chuckled as if he thought it was very good fun, and Buck bent down
and whispered something in the little fellow's ear.
"Here, what's that?" cried Mark sharply.
"He means he's going to stop to dinner, sir."
It was said quite in a whisper, but the man proved that he was keen
enough of ear.
"That's so," he said mournfully, as if the dinner would be a punishment.
"What, you mean to stay to dinner?"
The man nodded, paused for a few moments, and then with a heavy sigh--
"Yes."
"Well, you are a cucumber," said Mark, "upon my word!"
"Not in season," said the man.
"Cheek!" said Dean laughing.
The man looked up sharply.
"Bacon," he said sadly; and there was an explosion of laughter.
"Bob isn't here; but you are a queer fellow," said Mark.
"Yes," said the man; and he looked from one to the other, and sighed
again.
"Here, I say," continued Mark, "where does it hurt you?"
"Hurt me?" replied the man.
"Yes. Inside? Are you in pain?"
The man shook his head.
"My way," he said, and he sighed again.
"Well, don't talk like that."
"Eh? No," said the man; and he reached out his hand to pass it over the
muzzle of one of the ponies that had raised its head from where it had
been cropping the green shoots of a dwarf shrub.
"The ponies seem to be very good friends with you."
"Yes, sir," said Buck; "they follow him like dogs."
"Know me," said the man sadly.
"Well, you needn't cry about it," said Dean.
"Oh, that's it," cried Mark; "I see. Poor chap! He came to see them
again, to say good-bye."
The man shook his head.
"No," he said; "going with them."
"Oh, are you?" cried Mark. "I am glad you told me. But somebody else
will have a word or two about that."
"Who?" said the man.
"Why, my father."
"But he bought the ponies," said the man.
"Yes," cried Mark, "but he didn't buy you."
"No," said the man. "Same thing. I belong to them."
"I say, Dozey," cried Mark, "you are wide awake enough now: did you ever
hear anything like this before."
"Never," was the prompt reply.
"Ponies no good without me," said the man.
"Why?" cried the boys, in a breath.
"Won't stop with you. Run back to the town to look for me," he said,
speaking with some animation now.
"Nonsense!" cried Mark. "We will picket them."
The man laughed, and then as Mark tried to frown him down with a very
severe look, he put his hand in his pocket, took out his scissors again,
and put them back after a snip, and then looked round at his four
companions in turn.
"See here," he said, thrusting two of his fingers into his mouth as he
turned sharply away and started off, going swiftly over the ground and
leaping almost like an antelope over every bush that came in his way,
while he gave vent to a shrill whistle, which he modulated from time to
time.
At the first note the ponies raised their heads from where they were
cropping the sedge, and at the second, one of the sturdy little fellows
uttered a shrill neigh, while at the third note, which turned into a
trill, the little animals dashed off at a canter, scattering the sandy
earth behind them as they tore after the utterer of the cheery sounds.
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
MAKING A FORELOPER.
Dean's jaw fell, and he stood staring after the strange visitor with so
vacant an expression of countenance that in spite of his annoyance Mark
burst into a hearty laugh.
"What are you grinning at?" cried Dean angrily.
"Your phiz. Why, whatever does that fellow call himself?"
"A horse stealer!" cried Dean excitedly. "That's what he meant by
coming last night."
"Yes," cried Mark. "Come on and fetch them back."
"All right, sir," said Buck; "but how? You'd want a rifle to fetch him
down."
"Hullo! What does this mean?" cried Sir James, as he joined them, with
the doctor. "Why are the ponies being driven away?"
"That fellow!" cried Mark wildly. "A thief, father!"
"To be sure," said Sir James. "But this is a trick. We have been
imposed upon."
"Yes, father. This is the chap that crawled up in the dark, and I took
for a lion. He's a horse stealer."
"Well, the law will soon set that right."
"Yes," said the doctor, "but it means a long tramp back to the town."
"Say, Dan, old chap, this 'ere's a rum game," whispered Buck. "What do
you think of it?"
"Think I should like to get hold of that long-legged 'un. I'd make him
sing to a different tune instead of giving us another specimen of his
whistlin'."
By this time the ponies were far down the track, headed by their strange
visitor, whom the boys had fully expected from moment to moment to see
leap upon one of his companion's backs.
"Well," said Mark, "this is getting up for a refresher before
breakfast!"
"Yes, sir," said Buck. "It's about spoilt mine. Why didn't you bring
him down last night, Mr Mark? I am sure he desarved it."
"No, he didn't," cried the lad addressed. "Look at that! I say,
father, hooray! He's come back."
The boy was quite right, for it was plain enough now, distant as the
objects were, to see in the clear bright morning their nocturnal visitor
describe a curve upon the open country side and, slackening his pace,
begin trotting back, the little drove of ponies dropping from their
canter into a steady trot, coming nearer and nearer till their leader
brought them to where the party had camped for the night; and here they
drew up short and began to crop the tender green shoots again, while the
strange visitor, who did not seem in the slightest degree out of breath,
drew his long pendent moustachios through his hands.
"Well, sir," said Sir James sharply, "pray, what does this mean?"
"Mean?" said the man sadly. "Ponies--know me."
"So it seems," said Sir James; "but I've bought them."
"Yes," said the man, in his most melancholy tone.
"Well, what were you going to say by way of explanation?"
"Nothing."
"Well, what do you want?"
"Breakfast."
"That's what he said before," cried Dean.
"Hungry," said the man, quite reproachfully.
The doctor laughed, and the rest joined in chorus, Dan beginning to
stamp about in the exuberance of his delight.
"Beg pardon, gentleman," he said, checking himself suddenly, "but he do
set me off."
"But the worst of it is, my man," said the doctor, "that this is
resolving itself into no laughing matter."
"No, sir," said Buck respectfully. "There's more cry about him than
laugh."
"Yes," said Mark sharply. "If you had been here and heard him talk it
would have sounded to you as if he had come for help because he was
ill."
"Well, whatever is done," said Sir James, "we must give the poor fellow
some breakfast, and follow it up with a few shillings, or we shall be
having him putting a stop to our expedition."
"Mind he doesn't hear what you say, father," whispered Mark.
"To be sure," said the doctor. "We mustn't let him realise what a power
he has in his hands."
"In his fingers, I think," said Mark.
"And it seems to me," said Sir James, "that he already knows it. Here,
what about breakfast? We will talk about it over our morning meal."
They did, with the result that their party was afterwards increased by
one who had already proved how he could manage the fresh purchases. And
if further inducement were needed it was afforded by Mark, who suddenly
exclaimed, "I've got it, doctor!"
"Got what?"
"This fellow can manage ponies splendidly."
"Well, we know that," said the doctor drily.
"Yes," continued Mark; "but why couldn't a man who can manage dumb
animals like that be quite at home with bullocks?"
"Good boy," said Sir James. "There is something in that. You mean, for
him to take the place of the bullock leader--fore--what you call him."
"Loper, father."
"Yes. Is there any connection between loper and leaper, doctor?"
continued Sir James.
"I cannot say on the instant. It wants thinking out, sir. Antelope--
loper--leaper."
"Well, never mind that," said Sir James. "But if he can manage the
bullocks too that is an additional reason why he should stay."
"But he is such a dismal, unhappy sort of fellow," protested Mark.
"Yes, boy, but he can be very useful to us though not very ornamental,"
said the doctor.
"No, sir," said Dean, "I believe that the oxen would take fright at
him."
"Use is second nature, Dean," said Mark.
"What do you think little Dan said about him just now?" said Dean.
"Can't say, of course," said his uncle. "What did he say?"
"That he was all shadow and flam."
"Yes," cried Mark; "and Buck Denham compared him to a human skeleton on
stilts. I don't like him; but I suppose we shall get used to him in
time."
"Tut, tut, tut!" ejaculated Sir James. "Don't trifle, boys; this is a
serious matter. Here, Mark, go and tell Buck Denham that I want to
speak to him."
The man came up, looking very serious, and shaking his head.
"Very sorry, sir," he said, before Sir James could speak, "but I have
just been having it over with that other little black, and he tells me
that his mate came to him after the scare about the lion, and said he
would not go any further, and went off at once."
"Oh," said Sir James. "Well, this is your business, doctor. I said I
wouldn't interfere. You are captain. You had better tell Denham what
we have been talking about."
"Yes. Look here, my man; we have come to the conclusion that this
fellow would be very useful with the ponies."
"Yes, sir?"
"And I want to ask you whether you think he could take the foreloper's
place as well?"
"Well, sir," said the man, with a grim smile, "he doesn't look much like
one, certainly, and I don't believe he knows anything about it."
"But couldn't you train him?"
"Oh, yes, I could train him, sir. I don't think the beasts would take
to him all at once, but it seems to me the queshtun is would he do it?"
"I shall make that the condition as to his staying," said the doctor
firmly.
CHAPTER TWELVE.
IN MID-VELDT.
"I know what I shall do," said Dean, as they prepared for their morning
start, during which he had been thoughtfully watching the helpful way in
which their new attendant loaded the ponies, over which he seemed to
have the most perfect command.
"Well, what shall you do?" said his cousin.
"Learn that whistle, and manage the ponies myself."
"Humph!" grunted Mark. "That will be no good as long as that dreary
fellow is near them."
"I say," said Dean, as he and his cousin were tramping along in the
rear, gazing eagerly about to the right and left of the track,
thoroughly enjoying the beauty of the scenery, and looking out the while
for something that might be a pleasant addition to their next meal.
"Well, what do you say? That you don't see any game?"
"No," said Dean. "I want you to look at black Mak."
"Well, what of him? I think he's as dingy black a nigger as ever I saw.
Not a bit like those flat-nosed woolly-headed fellows that we used to
see at home."
"I don't mean that."
"What do you mean, then?" said Mark impatiently.
"That he seems so sour and surly, as different as can be from what he
was yesterday. We didn't do anything to give him offence. Let's see;
what did we do yesterday and the day before to hurt his feelings?"
"I don't know," said Mark. "I did nothing. What did you do?"
"Nothing," replied Dean. "He was as jolly and smiling as could be till
last night; and see how he helped about the scare. Now, I tell you what
I think."
"Oh, I wish you wouldn't think so much," cried Mark. "It makes you seem
so slow and sleepy! Well, what do you think?"
"I think he is jealous of the new man."
"Right. He doesn't like the look of him--thinks he's a bad colour,
neither black nor white. You are right, Dean. I saw him scowling at
him, now you mention it. Well, we shall have to look out and tell Buck
Denham that there must be no quarrelling. If they don't agree he must
take them both by the scruff and knock their heads together."
"Oh, but that will all blow over," said Dean, "I daresay. There's
nothing for them to disagree over, because this Brown will have his own
work to do."
"And black Mak has nothing to do but look on," put in Mark, laughing.
"You forget one thing," said Dean; "he has to carry his spear."
"Yes, spear," said Mark eagerly; "and that sets one thinking. That
spear is precious sharp."
"How do you know?"
"He showed it to me, and seemed as proud of it as could be."
"Well, what then?"
"Why, it would be very nasty if they quarrelled and came to a fight.
What chance would Mr Staches have, only armed with a small pair of
scissors?"
The days wore on, one strongly resembling another, and though the black
guide stalked about like a superintendent and was rather given to scowl
at the forelopers, he every now and then unbent from his savage dignity,
and was always the best of friends with the boys. In fact, upon
occasions when he was marching along with them beside the bullocks, or
by them when they were mounted on a couple of ponies, he would even
unbend so far as to allow one of them to carry his spear, evidently as a
great favour and a mark of honour.
"Treats it," said Mark merrily, "as if it were his sceptre."
But there was no suggestion of quarrelling, and the man was seen at his
best and full of smiles when, as the bullocks plodded sluggishly along,
hunting excursions were made off to the right or left of the trail--a
trail which the party formed for themselves, for the old ones soon died
out--the new one being formed as to direction by their guide himself.
He selected the most open country, and pointed out with his spear some
distant object for which Buck Denham was to make, and when it was
reached in the evening it was invariably found to be a spot where there
was a good supply of water and food for the cattle.
So far from there being any quarrelling on the side of Brown--Dunn
Brown, as to their great amusement he told the boys was his full name,
Dunn from his mother, and Brown from his father--the long, thin,
peculiar looking fellow settled down as calmly as if he had been in Sir
James's service half his life.
He was a kind and careful tender of the ponies, and after a few displays
of awkwardness which Buck Denham corrected in the most friendly way, he
was soon quite at home with the bullocks.
"Why, the great lumbering, fat, stupid brutes are beginning quite to
know him, gentlemen, and I should not be at all surprised if one of
these days we find him whistling to them and making them come to him
like the ponies."
As the party journeyed on day after day farther and farther from
civilisation, the expedition was all that could be desired. Game was
plentiful and the two keepers were quite in their element, so that the
larder was well stocked, and they took care that there was plenty of
sport for the two lads whenever the waggons' course was marked down and
the little party, trusting to the drivers to make their way to the given
point, struck off in a different direction so as to make a _detour_ and
meet at their appointed centre before night.
The ponies enabled their riders to get many a shot at the several
varieties of antelope--boks, as they were generally called--while as
game was so abundantly plentiful, the boys were asked by the doctor what
they would seek for that day when they would sometimes decide on
devoting one barrel of their double guns to small shot, the other in
case of danger being loaded with a bullet. Then they would make the
Illaka understand what they required, and he would lead them to where
there was abundance of a large kind of partridge, or francolin, which
was delicious eating; or take them to some place at the edge of the
forest where he knew from experience that the harsh, metallic-voiced,
speckled guinea-fowl would be coming home to roost.
This would always be when the supply of the larder was very low, and
then, with the two keepers to load, a heavy bag would invariably be
made, and a pretty good odour of burning feathers pervade the camp.
Camp was formed one night with all the precautions made such as were
customary in the part of the world through which they were travelling,
so as to carefully secure the draught animals and the ponies, for
however peaceful and free from danger the country might seem, the black
always marched about shouldering his spear and watching that this was
done, while after noting how careful the man was, the doctor gave him a
few words of praise and left these precautions to him, while these
safeguards always included the collecting of a supply of wood sufficient
to keep up a good blazing fire till morning.
"I suppose this is all right," said Mark, who was extra tired and had
several times yawned widely after partaking of an ample supper, "but all
these days we have been travelling farther and farther into the depth of
the country we haven't seen a single big beast, let alone a lion."
"Only the one you shot at, Mark," said his cousin.
"You don't seem as if you could forget about my mistake, Dean," said
Mark peevishly. "Here, I think I shall lie down and go to sleep."
"And forget all about its being your turn to take first watch?" said the
doctor, smiling.
"What, again?" cried the boy peevishly, "Oh, how soon the nights do come
round! Well, I don't have to go on duty for hours yet, so I shall have
my nap first. But I say, doctor, I thought that we should always be
seeing lions and elephants and giraffes, besides rhinoceroses, which
would come charging at the waggons whenever they saw them."
"I daresay you did," said the doctor quietly.
"And here we haven't seen one--nothing but those little--well, some of
them were big--bucks."
"Why, we saw a drove of zebras the other day."
"Yes, we did see them," replied Mark. "But I wanted to have a shot at
an elephant or a giraffe."
"Yes; I suppose you expected to find South Africa a sort of
over-abundant Zoological Gardens."
"No, I didn't," said Mark; "but I did expect that as soon as we began
burning fires to keep off the wild beasts, there would be some to keep
off."
"Patience, my dear boy; patience. We have only come a little way into
the country as yet."
"A little way!" cried Mark. "Why, you forget, doctor, how many weary
days we have been tramping since we left the soldiers' station."
"Oh, no, I do not, my dear boy. It is a very little way compared with
the vastness of this great solid continent. We have not seen a lion
yet, but that does not show that we may not have been passing through
open country where they are abundant; and very likely if we had omitted
to start this blazing fire to-night we might have had a visit from
several."
"I vote, then," cried Mark, whose sleepy fit seemed to have passed over,
"that we put the fire out with a few buckets of water and then sit up
and watch."
"No," said Sir James drowsily; "I forbid it. You are not going to allow
that, doctor?"
"Certainly not, sir; and even if I felt so disposed the black would not
allow it. You must be patient, Mark. I dare say we shall meet with
more wild beasts than we care for before long, and wild men too."
"I am ready," said Mark, rather bumptiously; "but I am disappointed, all
the same."
"Yes," said the doctor, "no doubt you are; but you must curb your
impatience till we reach the part of the country where the lions are. I
thought you were going to have your nap."
"No," said Mark; "Dean and I are going to have a chat with the men.
Dance says he wouldn't have believed there could have been so many `come
backs' in all the world--I say, what's that?" he cried. "That wasn't a
lion?"
"No," said the doctor, for a long, low, dismal and penetrating howl had
gone out upon the night.
"What is it, then? There it goes again."
"I form my own idea of what it is," said the doctor. "You two can go
and tell the men to throw some more wood on the fire."
He had hardly spoken when the low and doleful howl rang out again from
the distance, and the fire blazed up under the influence of an armful of
dead boughs which the Hottentot and the black foreloper had just thrown
on, the clear, bright flame showing out the big, heavy figure of Buck
Denham and lighting up his face as he turned round to tell the men to
bring up more wood for the night supply.
The boys sprang up from where they were seated, and hurried round to the
other side of the blazing heap where their men had gathered together to
sit and have their evening smoke.
"Hear that howling?" cried Mark. "You, Pete--Bob--"
"Yes, sir; we couldn't help it," said the latter. "I was asking Buck
Denham what it was, thinking it was one of them great tom cats; but he
says it's only a hy-he--something."
"Hyhaena, my lad--hyhaena."
"Yes, that's it. Well, it made noise enough for t'other, didn't it?"
"Made noise enough for t'other!" growled the driver. "You wait till you
hear the real thing, and you won't ask questions again like that."
Dance took his pipe out of his mouth and opened his eyes, for he too had
grown drowsy in the warmth of the fire, after his long day's tramp.
"I 'eerd it too, and thought it must be a big howl a-howling. You have
got howls out here, haven't you, mate?"
"Oh, yes; plenty. But that's what I said."
The big driver having noted that the men had brought up a plentiful
supply of wood sufficient to keep up the beast-scaring beacon, subsided
heavily in the full light of the fire and began to fill his pipe.
"Now you two," he said to the Hottentot and the foreloper, "just take a
quiet walk round the bullocks, and then you can come back and smoke your
pipe of peace."
The Hottentot's voice sounded very unpleasant and very clicky as he
replied sharply, and though it was almost unintelligible Mark made out
from it and the driver's answers that Dunn Brown was already performing
that duty.
"Oh," said Buck, "then you needn't go. That will be all right. Well,
Illaka, aren't you coming to sit down?" For the boys suddenly noticed
the black shadowy figure of the guide glide into the firelight, his
appearance being emphasised by a flash where the flame played upon the
polished leaf-shaped blade of his spear.
The man nodded, shook his head, and disappeared again.
"What sort of fish do you think there are out in the river here?" asked
Bob Bacon.
"I don't know their names," said Buck Denham quietly, as he went on
filling his pipe very slowly; and the two boys sat down one on either
side, pricking up their ears at the words "river" and "fish."
The big driver leaned forward, drew out an incandescent piece of wood
and quite ceremoniously held it to the bowl of his pipe.
"I don't think you will find any trout," he said, "like you have at
home, but there's plenty of fish there, I should say, just as there is
lower down near Illakaree, and up here I should reckon there's plenty to
fish for."
"Ah!" cried Mark eagerly, as he glanced round at the picturesque group
seated in the full blaze of the fire, while the reflections played upon
the dark edge of the forest, piercing the great overhanging branches
from among which a few startled birds dashed out, winged their way round
the circle of light and disappeared again.
"Look, Dean; isn't it beautiful now!"
"Thought you wanted to go to sleep," said his cousin.
"Not I! I leave that to you."
"Yes," continued the big driver, repeating his words, "and I should say
there's plenty up here to fish for."
"I say, Buck, are there so many blacks about here, then?"
"Sometimes, sir."
"And do they go fishing?"
"No, sir; they may do, but I don't know as I ever saw a black go
fishing. You've been to 'Stralia, Dan; do the black fellows out there
fish much?"
"Much?" said Dan, showing his white teeth. "Yes, and hunt and knock the
big kangaroos over with their nulla-nullas and boomerangs. Wittles are
precious scarce there, and they have had a hard time of it to get enough
grub, and I suppose that's why they pick holes in the softy wood trees
to get the big fat grubs out of them."
"Ugh! Horrid!" said Dean.
"No, sir," said Dean, smiling. "It don't sound nice, but I know a
little about cooking, and when them 'Stralian grubs are nicely cooked
over the fire they are not to be sneezed at. There's another thing too
that's very nice eating, baked or roasted, and that's a locus', and I
shouldn't wonder if you could find them out here, for they come in
clouds up in the north and eat everything they find."
"Well, don't cook any for us, Dan," said Mark.
"There's no need, sir, with such a good supply of venison, as you gents
call it, and game birds."
"But I should like you to try your hand with the frying-pan and some
fish."
"You catch the fish, Mr Mark, sir, and leave it to me, and I'll promise
to fry it to rights, egged and crumbed and all."
"What!" cried Dean.
"Well, no, that arn't right, sir. Allers speak the truth, Dan, my boy,
my grandmother used to say; and I will if I can. I could clean and
scale and egg the fish to rights. We can get plenty of them comebacks'
eggs, but the crumbing of them would rather bother me, and I should have
to do it with mealie flour."
There was a short silence as the men sat smoking, and then Mark broke
out with, "We will have a try for some fish; but who is it does the
fishing up here, then, Buck?"
The big driver chuckled, and his eyes twinkled in the firelight.
"The whoppers, sir."
"The whoppers!"
"Yes, sir; the crocs. I daresay if you went down by the river and
listened just at daybreak you would hear them at it, flapping the river
with their tails to stun the fish."
"But that wouldn't stun the fish," cried Dean. "Oh, come, I say, what a
traveller's tale!" And Mark laughed as if agreeing with his cousin.
"Well, it may be a traveller's tale, sir, but if you was there you'd see
the fish come to the top upside down, I mean, white side up'ards, and
the crocs shovelling them down as fast as you like. That's all I know
about it."
"But is that true, Buck?"
"Yes, sir; true enough, for I have seen it. I wouldn't tell you a tale
like that without letting you know it was a bam-bam afterwards."
"Ah, well, I'll believe you, Buck. Ugh! Listen! What's that? Did you
ever hear anything so horrible in your life! Somebody's being killed.
There it is again! There!"
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
"DON'T WAKE THE WRONG MAN."
"What are you laughing at, Buck?"
"You, sir," cried the man. "You'll get more used to our noises in
time."
"Then it's that horrible brute of a hyaena again. What a doleful howl!
Sounds just as if it was crying after its mother."
"But that isn't it, sir. He's howling after his supper."
A short time after Mark caught sight of the doctor approaching, grasped
the sign he gave him, sprang up, and went to the waggon for his rifle,
which he carefully loaded, and then began his solitary watch, which
seemed less wearisome on this occasion as he paraded to and fro and
round and round in the silence of the sleeping camp. Every now and then
he heard some startling sound, and ever and anon he listened to the
hyaena's wail, turning at times into what sounded like a mocking laugh.
Now and again too there was a cracked trumpet-like cry from the river,
but neither was this startling, as he had learned to know it as the call
of some night-hunting stork or crane.
Once or twice his finger went to the trigger of his piece involuntarily,
for it seemed to him that the loathsome animal that had hung about the
camp was creeping closer in search of food; but the fire just then
sprang up as the result of more fuel being thrown upon it, scaring away
the foul beast, for after a few words with the Hottentot and the
foreloper before they went back to their shelter beneath the leading
waggon, he heard the hyaena no more.
The next event that enlivened the wearisome watch was a visit from the
doctor, to whom the lad made his report, which was followed by a short
chat.
"You won't be sorry to be relieved, Mark, my boy," he said. "You
remember, of course, that Peter Dance is to relieve you, so don't wake
the wrong man."
"I shan't make any mistake," replied Mark confidently; and then he was
alone once more, taking a turn or two about the camp, listening to the
night cries again, and enjoying the confidence given to him by the
knowledge that there was nothing in them that he need fear.
For the most part he kept to one particular spot, where he could stand
and listen, at the same time keeping his eyes fixed upon the glowing
fire, comforted as it were by its social, friendly look as of a
companion which he could trust to ward off danger; and when he felt
disposed he could walk up to it near enough to let its light fall upon
the strong silver hunting watch whose case flew open at the pressure
upon the spring, perhaps not so often as might have happened under the
circumstances.
Somehow a sleeper accustomed to a certain duty is ruled by some natural
impulse to awaken almost to a minute if in the habit of rising to
perform that task, and here Mark roused himself from a train of dreamy
thought to make another journey towards the fire and bend down to look
at his watch.
"Hurrah!" he said to himself. "Ten minutes to two. Just time to throw
on some wood, and rouse up old Peter."
He stood to listen for a minute or two, and then caught up one of the
rough armfuls of wood laid ready for the purpose, threw it on the fire,
and then hurried to the men's waggon and roused the keeper.
"Who is it? You, Mr Mark, sir?"
"Yes. Jump up."
"Where did you hear 'em?" said the man. "In the long coppice, or down
by the ten acres?"
"Hear whom?" said Mark.
"Oh, I beg your pardon, sir. I was dreaming that I was at home and that
you had come to tell me that you had heard poachers. All right, sir,"
said the man, creeping into the shadow after getting his rifle. "You've
got the fire going, then?"
"Yes, but you had better throw on another armful soon."
"Oh, yes, sir; all right. All been quiet?"
"Yes, except that howling brute; but I haven't heard him for the last
hour. You are quite awake, aren't you?"
"Awake, sir? Oh, yes," said the man, shouldering his piece and walking
beside his young master to the other waggon.
"Good-night," said Mark. "I can hardly keep my eyes open now."
"Same here," muttered the man, as Mark climbed to his resting-place, so
heavily assailed by sleep that he was hardly conscious of his words.
Then all was silent but for the heavy breathing of the sleepers and an
occasional stamp from one of the picketed ponies.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
A PRETTY DANCE.
It was not a feather-bed; there was neither bolster nor pillow; and a
single blanket laid across three sacks of Indian corn did not counteract
the hard nubbly feeling. But a couple more blankets drawn over the lad
right up to his chin thoroughly kept off the crisp coolness of the air
on the high plateau of a country where the sun was broiling by day.
Youth, health, exercise and an open-air life did the rest to make that
sleeping place a perfect Elysium.
Add to the above a long watch in the darkness, and it is not surprising
that as Mark Roche stretched out his legs to the fullest extent as he
lay upon his back, he uttered a low, long, soft "Hah-h-h!" and the next
instant was fast asleep.
How long that lasted he could not tell, but he half awoke; better still,
one may say he only one quarter awoke bodily; mentally he was so to
speak soaked, saturated with sleep, and his waking was only into a kind
of confusion out of which he could not rouse himself.
All he knew was that something was dreadfully wrong--when--how--where--
he could not make out.
There was a great noise going on, and the darkness was something
horrible. This seemed to last for a long time--seemed only, and he
began to struggle as if a heavy body was lying on him and pressing him
down.
It was like some terrible nightmare, and as he struggled against it he
threw out his arms, half fancying that he was fighting to save himself
from being suffocated in a flood that was not liquid but solid and hard.
Then one hand came in contact with something soft, which he realised to
be a human face, and then just a faint ray of understanding flashed
through his muddled brain and he knew where he was, and that the face
must be his cousin's.
Then the mental darkness closed in again and he was as confused as ever.
The noise went on, and he could not tell what it was till after a short
interval another ray of light dawned upon him and he caught at and shook
his companion, who was sharing the sacks, and sleeping so hard that
Mark's attempts to rouse him were in vain.
And then speech came, and the boy found himself muttering aloud, though
it seemed to be somebody else talking. But now the power to put that
and that together to some extent grew stronger.
"Oh, Dean, how you do sleep!" came from somewhere. "Here, wake up!"
And he grew a little better, for he felt that his lips were touching his
cousin's warm ear, while now it was another voice that said drowsily,
"What's the matter?"
"Ah! that's better," the other voice ejaculated, and he heard it
plainly, though it was partially smothered by the awful confusion of
strange sounds that came as it were from a distance. "Oh, how dark!"
And he knew now that it was his own voice, for he was rapidly shaking
off the strange feeling of mental torpidity.
"Father! Dr Robertson! Are you there?"
His words came back to him as if his face was covered with something
thick, while he fully grasped the idea now that the noise that smote his
ears was somewhere far away.
"I don't know what's the matter," he muttered. "Am I ill? It can't be
a dream. Here, Dean, wake up!"
"What's the matter?" came again drowsily.
"I want you to listen."
"Bother! Will in the morning."
"Oh, how can you be so stupid!"
Mark was rapidly recovering now.
_Snore_!
"Will you wake up?" And this was accompanied by a shake.
"Be quiet! Want me to hit you on the nose?"
"Yes, and I want you to shake me. I'm--I'm--oh, I don't know how I
feel--yes, I do," added the boy, as the power of thinking and acting now
grew stronger. "Dean!"
"Oh, bother!" cried his cousin. "Now then, what is it?" And in the
darkness Mark felt his hand shaken off, and from the movement knew that
his cousin had risen up into a sitting position sharply and banged
himself down again, the noise he made being followed instantly by a loud
snore.
"Dean!" cried Mark again, renewing his attack, and this time giving the
sleeper a violent shake, which roused him again.
"Now then, what is it?"
"Listen! Do you hear that dreadful noise?"
"No-o!" came sleepily. "What is it?"
The question was asked through two folds of blanket, and naturally
sounded woolly.
"Lions, I think."
"Tell them to lie down."
"Oh, don't be such a fool!"
"Nogoinabe. Wha' time is it? Goo' night."
"Dozey! Oh, you sleepy old dormouse! I am sure there is something
dreadful going on. We are in danger."
"Lem dange. Here, tell the doctor. Don' wake uncle, nor me."
"Oh, dear, what shall I do!" said Mark, half aloud. "Oh, my head! My
head! This must be--yes, I remember; I am in the waggon--here, Dean!
Dean!" And he began shaking his cousin again.
"Don't! Don't!" And there was the sound of the boy's bare feet
kicking, and a snatch made as if to draw back the blankets that had been
sent flying. "Oh, I will serve you out for--here, what do you want?"
"You to wake up. Can't you see how dark it is?"
"Dark?"
"Yes; quite black."
Dean was wide awake now.
"Yes, everything's as black as black."
"Well, did you expect it to be white?"
"Can't you hear that dreadful noise?"
"Yes. What is it? Oh, I am so sleepy! Uncle snoring."
"There it is again!" cried Mark wildly.
"Well, I don't care," cried Dean angrily, and he dragged his blankets
over his head. "Hullo! I say! There's something the matter;" and the
boy now rose to his knees. "Here, where are the guns?"
"I don't know. Yes, I do," cried Mark, feeling about. "I have got
one--yes--here's yours. Let's get to the door."
"No, stop. Listen!" and Dean caught his cousin by the arm. "It's a
lion. I'm sure of it."
"So am I," cried Mark--"a dozen of them. Oh, Dean, Dean! Hark at the
poor bullocks! They are pulling them down, and they'll be killing those
ponies. Here, let go."
"What are you going to do?"
"Going outside to shoot."
"No, no; don't do that, or we shall have them springing in here."
"But--"
"There, you needn't go now. There's somebody else shooting." For a
couple of reports came from somewhere in the direction of where the fire
kept burning, and then another, followed by a confused noise of
bellowing oxen, trampling feet, and the deep-toned, barking roar of a
lion, which dominated everything else.
"Here, Mark," cried Dean in a hoarse whisper, clinging to his cousin now
tightly, "we are attacked by lions."
"Seems like it," was the reply. "Where are father and the doctor?"
"I don't know. I would say let's shout, only it would be like asking
the savage animals to come."
"But we must do something. Are you loaded?" And as Mark spoke there
was the sound of his raising the cocks of his piece.
"No. My hand shakes so. That's better. I could hardly do it. I say,
don't you feel frightened, Mark?"
"Horribly. But look sharp. Are you ready? Let's jump out together,
and then fire."
"All right. Ready now. I wish I didn't feel in such a shiver. Here,
I'm ready. Perhaps it will scare the brutes."
"Hope so," said Mark, as he drew aside the folds of the tilt and
crouched by the waggon chest ready to spring. "Hooray! There's
somebody shouting. Now then; take hold of my hand. Let's jump
together."
There was a double thud, as the boys sprang out into the darkness.
"Now then--ready?"
"Yes," cried Dean, firmly now, as soon as he had made his desperate
plunge into danger.
"Fire!"
_Bang! Bang_!
"Again!" cried Mark, and directly after there was the repetition of the
reports and the rustling sound of replacing the empty cartridges.
"Hi, there!" came in a voice from out of the darkness, sounding distant.
"Is that you boys?"
"Yes, doctor," cried Mark. "Where's father?"
"Here, my boy. Where's your cousin?"
"I'm here, uncle."
"Good. But you two fellows ought to have stopped in the waggon."
Directly after Sir James and the doctor joined them, and a couple more
shots came from a distance, in the direction where the thundering beat
of hoofs was beginning to die away, and then shots again, followed by a
hideous snarling and roaring, as if very near at hand several lions were
quarrelling like angry cats over their prey.
"Ahoy, there!" shouted the doctor.
"Ahoy!" came from two places in the distance.
"Rally here," cried the doctor, as loud as he could shout. "Up here by
the waggon!"
This was followed by the beating of feet upon the thick grass, and all
the time the trampling of oxen grew more distant, while the savage
snarling went on and was punctuated in the darkness every now and then
by a deep-toned bark.
"This way," cried the doctor. "Come on!"
The boys' hearts beat hard at this, for the doctor's words were answered
by a chorus of snarls from what Mark judged now to be a portion of the
forest not many yards away; and involuntarily the boys raised their
rifles to their shoulders as they glanced to right and left, trying to
make out through the darkness whether the way was clear for a shot.
"Hadn't we better fire again, father?"
"No," said the doctor sharply, from close at hand. "The men are
rallying, and we may hit somebody."
"Yes," said Sir James quickly.
"And besides," continued the doctor, "if we fire at where that snarling
comes from it will be answered by a rush. The brutes can see in this
horrid darkness."
"What are they doing?" asked Dean.
"They have pulled down a bullock, boys, and they are quarrelling over
it. Can't you hear? Oh, this darkness!" cried the speaker, and he
gave--so the sound indicated--a stamp of one foot.
"Is the boss there?" cried a gruff voice.
"Yes, this way, Denham," said the doctor. "Mind the lions."
"Oh, I hear them, sir. Anyone hurt?"
"I hope not," replied the doctor, as the man came nearer, rustling
through the grass. "Where are your men?"
_Oomph! Oomph! Oomph_! came in a deep-toned roar, followed by a chorus
of snarls.
"Old 'uns and young 'uns," said Denham, subduing his voice a little.
"They don't like our being so near. I expect my chaps have shinned up
the trees somewhere. That's what they would do, gentlemen; and old
Brown has used those long legs of his to put him miles away by this
time."
"But have you heard anything of my two men?" asked Sir James--"Dance and
Bacon?"
"I've 'eard them letting go with their rifles, sir."
"And what about Dan?"
"Oh, I haven't heard anything of him, sir."
"Ahoy!" came in the little sailor's well known voice, from somewhere in
the darkness.
"Ahoy!" cried the boys together.
_Roo--oomph_! _Roo--oomph_! _Roo--oomph_! issued from the spot that
had now grown familiar.
"Steady, gentlemen--steady! All cats have got the savage on strong when
they are at work at their grub. Wait a bit. Let's get the others
together, and then we'll give the brutes a volley as near as we can."
"Cooey! Cooey!" came out of the darkness.
"This way! Here!" shouted Buck Denham.
_Roo--oomph_! _Roo--oomph_! _Roo--oomph_! came now, with a fiercer
roar than ever, which roused the lion's companions to utter a furious
burst of snarls.
"Cooey! Cooey!" came again.
"All right, mate," said the big driver, in a low voice. "You must find
your own way now. That last bit of tongue meant, look out for squalls."
"Anybody hurt?" came in a well known voice now from close at hand, and
Dan hurried up.
"I think not, Dan," whispered Mark, and then he stretched out his hand
and felt for the little sailor. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, sir. I fired off all my cartridges."
"Here's someone else coming, gentlemen," said Denham, in a low, deep
tone. "They are your two lads, I think."
"Yes," cried Dean eagerly. "Nobody else would have cried cooey, unless
it was little Dan."
"Yes, I might, but I didn't to-night; I have been too busy."
"That you, Peter. Where's Bob Bacon?"
"Me, Mr Mark, sir?" said the latter. "Here I am, as large as life. We
have been at it pretty warm. But I want it to grow light, to see if we
can retrieve any of the game."
"Yah! Ain't 'it anything," growled Buck Denham.
"But where's Peter? I heard two cooeys," said Mark.
"Yes; that was me, sir. I ain't seen him."
"Well, now then, gentlemen," said Buck Denham; "all loaded?"
"'Cept me," said Dan.
"Take these. Here are some cartridges," said Sir James.
"Now then--ready?" said Denham, quite loudly, and there was another
burst of roars and snarls. "Thank ye," said Denham; "that's just let us
know where abouts to fire. Now, all of you let them have it, as near as
you can guess; and fire low. I'd kneel down. I'll just give them a
rouse up with a shout. That will make them roar again. Then you,
doctor, give the word, and let 'em have it."
"Right," said the doctor.
"Ready, my lads?" whispered Buck.
There was a low murmur of assent, and the driver put one hand to his
cheek. "Hullo, there, you!"
_Er_--_rr_--_oomph_! came in a roar, followed by a snarl; and this time
there was a sharp crackling of bushes, as one of the savage beasts made
a bound towards them.
It was all guess work, but the volley fired at the advancing brute was
followed by a roar from several feline throats and a struggling plunge
and trampling amidst the undergrowth, with a fiercer snarling than ever.
"Load again quickly," said the doctor, "and stand firm, my lads."
"Ay, we've got to," added Denham. "I was in hopes that those shots
would have scared them; but one of them has got it pretty warm." For
the violent kicking and tearing amidst the bushes went on, supplemented
by the snarling and growling of the hidden beasts.
"How long is it to morning?" asked the doctor in a whisper.
"Good two hours, I should say, sir."
"Then we had better retreat to the waggons before the savage brutes take
courage and come on at us."
"They won't attack, sir, as long as they have got that bullock there,
unless we go near. Now, if we had only got a light we could rouse up
that fire--hullo!"
For all at once, as if the man's words had been heard, there was a soft
crackling amidst the embers where the fire should have been blazing, and
faintly illuminated by a glow from the earth, the watchers caught sight
of the face of the Illaka, looking strange and ruddy, while as the black
stirred up the ashes with the haft of his spear there was enough life in
them to emit a bluish golden flame which caught the twigs he threw on.
The light cast upon him increased, and in a few minutes he had augmented
the fire by throwing on armfuls of wood, till there was a fierce blaze
which lit up the edge of the forest and made the waggons and their tilts
show up as if of gold.
"Well done, Mak!" cried Denham. "That will do more than all our
shooting. More wood--all you can."
The black understood him, and as snarl after snarl came from out of the
forest the dry wood blazed up and the growling grew less and less.
"They're a-sneaking off, sir," said the big driver, "and I think you
might give them another shot or two to hurry them."
"All together," said the doctor sharply. "Ready! Fire!"
The flashes from the mouths of the rifles looked slight in the glow of
the flames, and the reports rang out loudly, to be followed by a fierce
yell and a snarling roar, as, feeling awestricken by what was taking
place, the boys pictured to themselves amidst the low growth the huge
lion tearing about in its rage and pain.
"I'd keep quiet, gentlemen," whispered Buck. "One of us has hit
another, and if he made out where we were he might charge."
The man ceased speaking as the tearing and raging about of the wounded
beasts went on, but evidently growing more distant, till their snapping
and snarling were almost drowned by the fierce, loud crackling of the
burning fire.
"It's crawling away," whispered Mark excitedly.
"Yes, sir. He's got it," replied the driver; "but I would keep quiet,
or we may bring him back to pay us."
For some minutes no one spoke, while the fire was freshly fed by the
black, who looked almost diabolical as he danced about it in a strange
way, ending by approaching the group, who crouched behind some bushes,
which would have made but a frail breastwork had one of the lions
charged.
A quarter of an hour must have elapsed before anyone spoke again, and
during that time the crackling of the burning wood, which now lit up a
wide circle, was the only sound that was heard.
"Do you think we may move now, Denham?" said the doctor. "Or would you
fire a few more charges?"
"I don't want to waste powder and shot, sir, and I think they are all
gone. Here, Mak, my lad, lions gone?"
The black made no reply, but came cautiously close up and listened.
"Come," he said, and in obedience to his brief command Buck, the doctor,
and Bob Bacon ranged themselves with presented rifles on either side,
and, not to be outdone, the two boys ran forward to join the advancing
party as well.
The spot where the feline marauders had been busy over their prey was
not above sixty yards from the last waggon, and as the little party
advanced, gaining confidence from the silence that reigned, and reducing
the distance to about half, gazing searchingly the while at what looked
like a breastwork of leaves lit up by the fire, the silence seemed to be
awful, and as if moved by one impulse all stopped short at the end of
another ten yards.
"Must be gone, I think, gentlemen," whispered Buck; "but be ready to
fire, for they are treacherous beasts, and one may be lying there badly
wounded but with life enough in him to do mischief after all."
"Hadn't we better wait till daylight?" whispered the doctor.
"It will mean so long, sir," said the driver, rather gruffly. "I think
we might risk it now, Mak," he cried, and he added a few words in the
black's dialect. "He's willing, gentlemen," said the driver quietly.
"Let's all go on again."
Then slowly and cautiously the little line advanced, till all at once
the black stopped, holding his spear point low and the haft pressed into
the ground, for there was a savage roar, and a huge lion, which looked
golden, made a tremendous bound right out into the light.
Dean uttered a cry, and the brute couched, snarling fiercely, with the
boy lying beneath the monster's outstretched paws.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
WHO WATCHED THE FIRE?
"Back, Mark! Back, boy!" cried Sir James wildly. "No, no; don't
shoot," he continued.
The words were unnecessary, for the advancing men, stunned as it were by
the catastrophe, stood fast, rifle to shoulder, not daring to draw
trigger for fear of injuring the lion's prisoner; but as if deaf to his
father's command, Mark continued to advance on one side, the black on
the other, till they were close up to the great furious beast, whose
eyes were glowing like the fire reflected in them, while its horrent
mane stood up as if every hair were a separate wire of gold.
The savage brute, as if contented with having captured its prey, couched
there perfectly still, glaring at its approaching enemies as if waiting
before making its next spring, and then, exactly together, from one side
the black plunged the keen blade of his long spear into its shoulder,
while from the other Mark, thrusting forward his rifle, drew trigger not
a yard away, sending a bullet right into the monster's skull.
There was a hoarse yell, a sharp crack, the lion threw itself over
backward, rolled over twice, slowly stretching itself out with extended
paws tearing at the earth, and then lay still.
"Dean!" cried Mark, dropping on one knee. "Oh, don't say you are hurt!"
The boy slowly rose to his knees, staring confusedly at his cousin,
while the doctor dashed forward in company with Sir James to examine the
boy's injuries.
"Dean, my boy," cried Sir James, "pray, pray speak!" And he caught at
the boy's arms.
Dean heard him and turned to look at him in a curious, half dazed way,
but in spite of appeal after appeal he made no reply, but began to draw
his handkerchief from his breast and to wipe his face, which was covered
with blood and foam from the lion's lips. Then giving a strange, half
hysterical cry, he exclaimed, "Oh, uncle, it was horrid--horrid!"
"But where were you hurt?" cried Mark excitedly, adding half angrily,
"Why don't you speak?"
The boy looked at him wonderingly, as if too much confused to reply;
then uttering a long-drawn sigh he said quietly, "Hurt? No, I don't
think so. I say, Mark, do go and fetch my boots."
"Oh, Dean, my boy," cried Sir James, half angrily, "you made us think
you were half killed!"
"Did I, uncle?" said the boy quietly. "I couldn't help it."
"Help it, no," cried Sir James. "And you, Mark, how dared you do such a
rash thing?"
"I don't know, father. I was horribly frightened all the time, but I
felt I must; and," he added quickly, "I say, I killed the lion--didn't
I, doctor?"
"Yes, and we must have that skin. Ah, take care, Mak!"
For the black was advancing towards the dangerous enemy, and he looked
back at the doctor, laughed, showing his glistening teeth, and then
seizing the broken haft of his spear, he planted one bare foot upon the
creature's shoulder, gave a tug or two, and drew it away, to stand
looking dolefully at the two pieces of the weapon, which he held
together as if to see whether it was possible to mend them again.
"Now, doctor," said Sir James, as the two boys stood together,
whispering, "we must run no more of these horrible risks. It is quite
likely that another of the furious beasts may be lying not far away.
What do you say, Denham?"
"Yes, sir; there's another one of them, I expect--dead or alive--not far
off, and perhaps we had better wait till daylight. Suppose we go right
up to the fire, for nothing will follow us there."
"The fire!" said the doctor sharply. "How was it we were surprised like
this? You should have made it up, Mark. It was your duty to do so at
the end of your watch."
"I did, sir," protested Mark, in a injured tone, "and told Peter Dance
to keep it well up when I left him."
"Dance!--Ah, yes, Dance," cried the doctor. "Where is he? Has anyone
see him?"
There was no reply, but eyes were turned in all directions, as if it
were possible that he might be lying there.
"Poor fellow!" said Sir James sadly. "Something must have happened to
him. Here, someone, hail. He may be lying wounded, and looking to us
for help."
"Cooey! Cooey! Cooey!" cried Bob Bacon, and then "Cooey!" again, while
in dread of fresh calamity all listened for the reply that did not come.
"Oh," cried Mark at last, "a lion must have leaped upon him and pulled
him down while he was going his rounds."
"Not likely, sir," said Buck Denham, "with the ponies and all them
bullocks about."
"Then where can he be?" cried Mark. "Don't you think a lion may have
leaped upon him when he was making up the fire?"
"Might, sir," said the man, "but lions are not likely to go near a fire.
I want the day to break, so that we may follow the spoor. What I am
hoping is that Peter may have been scared, and will turn up as soon as
it is day and he feels safe."
"That's what we all hope," said Mark, speaking for the rest.
"Yes, sir; but the worst of it is that when you want the sun to rise it
takes such a long time before it will."
"Yes," said the doctor, who had been silently listening for a few
minutes; "let's call the roll, and learn the extent of our losses."
"Oh, I can pretty well tell you that, sir," said Denham: "the four
ponies, and eight-and-forty of my draught oxen."
"No, no, man!" said the doctor. "Not so bad as that?"
"Well, not quite, sir, for I hope we may pick up some of them here and
there;" and he gave Mark, who was close at hand, a nudge with his elbow.
As the man ceased speaking the doctor began his roll call, as he termed
it: four men did not answer to their names.
"This is bad--very bad," said the doctor, in a pained voice. "I should
be loth to think that Dance neglected his duty in keeping up the fire,
and rendered us exposed to this attack of lions."
"Well, sir, it do seem rather hard to lay it on to a man who may have
got it badly, but I am afraid he let that fire out, for first thing
after I come, when I looked torst where it should have been all was
black as black."
"Oh, tut, tut, tut!" ejaculated Sir James.
"Then there's that man Brown."
"He lay down to sleep close beside me, sir. I don't feel much fear
about him."
"And the Hottentot?"
"Well, he was lying just behind Dunn Brown, and my black close to him.
They'll turn up, sir, soon as it is daylight. I'm most skeart about
Keeper Dance. You see, he's quite new to the country, sir.--Hah-h-h!"
continued the man, drawing a deep breath. "That's better! Here's this
morning coming, and welcome as the flowers of May, as the country folks
say in old England. Here, Dan, my lad, we have had a bad night of it,
but we shall want some breakfast all the same. What do you say to
putting the billy on to boil?"
"Ay, ay, mate!" cried the man addressed; and he made for the end of the
nearest waggon to fetch a bucket and the great tin kettle, while the
Illaka joined him on the instant.
"Breakfast!" said Mark, with a look of disgust. "After such a night as
this?"
"Well, sir, it's not to be sneezed at," said the big driver
good-humouredly, "and we shall work all the better at following up the
spoor after a good mug or two of tea. Say, Mr Dean, sir, don't you
feel as if a drop would do you good?"
"Yes; but what a horrid night!"
"Oh, not so very bad, sir. You will soon get used to lions."
"But the poor bullocks?" said Mark.
"Ah, that is a bit of a loss, sir, but it's only nature. Bullocks is
animals as was made to be eaten, and the lions are always on the look
out for their share. Well, gentlemen, I am ready. It's getting broad
daylight now. We are all loaded up. What do you say to a start?"
"No," said the doctor; "no one shall stir until the sun is well up."
"All right, sir; you are boss; but I am getting a bit anxious to make a
start. No bullocks, no more trekking, for a waggon ain't much use stuck
here under the trees."
Meanwhile Mak had been with Dan to fill the water vessels from the
stream, an affluent of the now big river by which they were camped. Mak
had helped to draw together the glowing embers, and had then gone off
again unnoticed, till all at once he was heard to utter a peculiar cry
and come rushing towards them at full speed, as if pursued by one of the
savage beasts that had attacked them in the dark hours of the night.
"Hi--hi--hi--hi!" he yelled, as he came swiftly threading his way
amongst the trees, waving his hands, each armed with a half of the
broken spear, and pointing with them now and then in the direction from
which he had come.
Rifles were held ready, and all stood waiting for the next onslaught,
till the black rushed, wildly gesticulating, into their midst.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
ANYBODY KILLED?
"Hello, mate! What's wrong with you? Don't say as you have found Dunn
Brown?" cried Buck.
"Pete, Pete, Peter!" said the black, in a high state of excitement, and
he pointed with his broken spear in the opposite direction to that which
the lions seemed to have taken.
"Peter Dance!" said Sir James excitedly.
"Oh, poor old Dance!" said Mark, in a low, hoarse voice.
"Not dead! Not dead!" cried Dean.
The black shook his head violently, pointed again with his spear, and
then bending down began to slap his right leg.
"Oh, that's it, is it?" said Buck. "I thought he had come to say,
gentleman, as he had found all that the lions had left of him."
"Well," said the doctor, "what does he mean?"
"Something wrong with his leg, sir, and I hope one of the great cats
ain't mauled him, because their bites are likely to go bad."
"Here, show us where he is," cried Mark excitedly; and closely followed
by Dean he caught the black by the arm and pointed.
That was enough. Mak pointed and smiled, and the whole party followed
him at the double, Buck Denham grunting now and then as he ran, and
pointing out where the undoubted footprints of a lion were plainly
marked where the ground was soft.
It was quite a quarter of a mile from the waggons, and in the midst of
some dense undergrowth, that their guide stopped short and stood
pointing in a way that showed there was no danger in the approach, when
Mark whispered, with his heart sinking, "Oh, Dean, I'm afraid he's badly
hurt!"
But at the same moment Bob Bacon sprang in amongst the bushes, trampling
them down, side by side with the black.
"Where are you, mate?" cried Bacon, in a hoarse voice.
"Here, lad, here!" And then with a deep groan the poor fellow of whom
they were in search said reproachfully, "Thought you were going to leave
me here to die."
"Not likely," said Mark angrily. "Where are you hurt?"
"That you, Mr Mark?" groaned the keeper. "Oh, all over, and I'm afraid
my leg's broke."
"Let me come," said the doctor. "Knives here: cut back some of these
thorns. Now then, try to bear it, my lad," he continued, as he knelt
beside the injured man, who was half invisible amongst the thick growth.
"Oh!" groaned the keeper.
"There, I will not hurt you more than I can help, but I must find where
you are injured."
"Oh!" groaned the man again.
"Come, your leg's not broken. Yes, no doubt it hurts you, but it's only
a sprain. Keep up your spirits. You are not going to die this time."
"But I am hurt all over, sir. The bullocks trampled me: came all in a
rush."
"But how came you here, mate?" asked Dan, pausing from his busy task of
slashing away at the undergrowth with the big sheath knife which he used
for skinning and cutting up.
"I dunno, mate. It all seems like a dream."
"Like a dream?" said Mark, as he recalled his own awakening.
"Yes, Mr Mark, sir. I was sitting on the watch there with my rifle
across my knees, wondering how long it would be before daybreak, when
all at once there was a big lion as had come up without a sound, looking
straight at me."
"Could you see him, mate?" asked Buck.
"Only his eyes."
"Why didn't you fire?"
"Fire? Oh, I was too much skeart. I'll tell the truth about it. I was
so frightened that I jumped up and ran, not knowing where I was going,
for ever so far, and then I found by the trampling and bellowing that it
was right into the way of the bullocks. Then before I knew where I was
they knocked me down and the whole drove had gone over me, and when I
got my senses again I crawled on here in the dark, and I suppose I
swoonded away. That's all I know. Am I very bad, doctor?"
"A man can't be trampled on by a drove of bullocks without being a good
deal hurt," said the doctor. "We must carry him somehow to the waggons,
or better still bring one of them past here. What do you think, Denham?
Do you think you could inspan some of the bullocks and drag one of the
waggons here?"
"Oh, yes, sir, I daresay we can get together enough for that. I'll go
back and see."
"Yes, do, my man," said Sir James. "I will stay with the doctor, and
with your help, Bacon, we will see what we can do."
"That's right, sir," said Buck Denham. "Perhaps you two young gents
wouldn't mind coming with me?"
"I--" began Mark, and he stopped short, for the man gave him a peculiar
look. "Yes, Buck, I'll come," he said, "and Dean will come too."
They started off, and the big driver said, loudly enough for those they
were leaving to hear, "Thank you, gentlemen; I daresay you two will be
able to help me a bit."
They started off together on the back trail, Buck Denham pointing out
how they had trampled down the herbage, brushing off the dew and here
and there breaking down twigs.
"Ah!" he suddenly exclaimed. "Here's poor old Peter's trail. See that?
He must have crawled along here. But I don't see the spoor of any of
my beasts--yes, I do," he cried, a few yards farther. "They went along
here in a drove. Then we had better turn off and follow them up. I
don't suppose they will have gone so very far. Say, Mr Mark, sir; do
you know why I wanted you two to come with me?"
"To help find the bullocks," said Dean sharply.
The man chuckled as he trotted on along the marks made by the animals.
"No," he said. "It's all plain enough. I didn't want any help. Why,
you two could find them if you went far enough. I wanted to get summut
off my mind."
"Something off your mind?" said Mark.
"Yes, sir; I don't like to speak out and get another fellow into
trouble, but I felt as you two ought to know, and then you could talk it
over between yourselves and settle whether you ought to tell the boss."
"Tell my father?" said Mark.
"Yes, sir, or the doctor; and perhaps he will think the poor fellow's
got it bad enough without facing more trouble."
"What do you mean, Buck?" cried Dean.
"What I was going to say," said Mark.
"Well, gen'lemen, only this; we oughtn't to have had a surprise like
that. It was Peter Dance's watch, warn't it?"
"Yes," cried Mark excitedly, as strange thoughts began to hurry through
his brain.
"Well, sir, he as good as said as he was sitting down with his shooter
across his knees."
"Yes, yes," cried Dean.
"Well, sir, why didn't he shoot?"
"He was too much startled," said Dean. "Poor fellow! I should have
been quite as scared, with a lion creeping right up to me like that."
"I suppose so, sir. But I don't quite believe that tale. I never 'eerd
of a lion creeping up to look at a man who was sitting by a fire."
"No," said Mark, in a whisper, as if to himself, and he trotted on the
newly made trampled trail of the oxen.
"Why should you doubt it?" said Dean sharply. "I have known Peter Dance
ever since I was a quite a little fellow. He can be very disagreeable
sometimes, but I never found him out in a lie."
"No, sir?" said Buck. "Well, I think you have found him out now."
"What do you mean?" cried Dean. "Here, Mark, why don't you say
something?"
"Because I'm listening," said his cousin drily. "Tell him what you
think, Buck."
"Yes, sir; I will, sir. Well, I think--bah! I am sure--that there was
no fire."
"What!" cried Dean angrily.
"Gone to sleep, sir, and let it out."
"How do you know that?" cried Dean, indignant in his defence of his
uncle's old servant.
"How do I know that, sir? How come the lions to crawl up and stampede
my bullocks? Where was the fire when we all jumped up and began
shooting? Why, there was only just enough ashes for old Mak to stir up
and get to blaze again after he had thrown on some twigs."
"Oh, but--" began Dean hotly.
"Hold your tongue, Dean," said Mark. "Buck Denham's right. He must be.
I believe Peter did go to sleep, and woke up to find the fire out and
the lions at the poor ponies and bullocks."
"Oh!" cried Dean excitedly. "Why, if he did that, neglecting his duty--
going to sleep--"
Just then he caught his cousin's eyes looking at him in a peculiar way,
and he stopped short.
"Drop it," said Mark, and he was going to add, "Dozey;" but he made his
meaning look do instead.
"There, gen'lemen," said Buck, "I shan't say no more about it, and I
don't believe the poor chap will ever do it again. There, I feel better
now, Mr Mark. It's off my mind; but I did feel wild. Why, some of us
might have been mauled by the lions; and there's my poor beasts: two of
them's killed for sartain, and lying yonder half eaten. Oh, and there's
the ponies!"
"And we don't know yet," said Mark, "what may have happened to your two
men and Brown."
"Oh, they will be all right, sir."
"I don't know," said Mark. "But there, poor Peter is badly hurt, and we
will think about whether we should tell my father and the doctor, or
have it out with him ourselves, when he's better. I'll make him
confess."
"There, what did I tell you, gentlemen?" cried the big driver. "Whoop!
Whoop! Whoop! Ahoy!"
"Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! Ahoy! Ahoy!" came from not far away.
"There's two of them, gen'lemen."
"Where?" cried Dean eagerly.
"Oh, not far off, sir. Didn't you hear them shouting? There, you can
hear now, surely. I heard them. There!" That to which he drew
attention was the low bellowing of oxen being driven in their direction.
"Why, they are coming this way," cried Mark. "Yes, sir. That's Hot Tot
and the little black. They've found the bullocks."
"Some of them," suggested Dean.
"All on 'em, sir, as is left alive. They'd hang together when they
bolted.--Hullo! Here's Mak come after us;" and the boys turned eagerly,
to find the big black had been following their trail, showing his teeth
joyously as he pointed with his broken spear and uttered a low bellowing
like a bullock.
"Oh, I am glad," cried Mark. "Now if we could only find the ponies--"
Mak thrust two fingers into his mouth and whistled loudly, in perfect
imitation of Dunn Brown, sending forth the call, which was instantly
answered from the distance.
"Hark at that!" cried Mark. "Why, that must be Dunn! Here, Mak."
The boy thrust his fingers between his lips, withdrew them, and cried,
"Whistle! Whistle!"
The black smiled and nodded, and sent forth the piercing call again.
There was an answer from much nearer. "Oh, I wonder how many he has
found!" In less than a minute the boy's wondering ceased, for he caught
sight of their tall thin follower running swiftly through the low brush,
with all four ponies cantering after him, to pull up in a group as the
man stopped short close to where the keeper and the two lads were
waiting.
"Not hurt, Dunn?" cried Mark joyously.
"No," said the man sadly. "Anybody killed?"
"No. Don't cry about it," cried Mark.
"But Peter Dance is hurt," said Dean sharply.
"Oh," said the man, almost piteously, and then shook his head, looking
from one to the other mournfully. "Let the fire out."
Big Buck Denham bent down to slap his thighs and burst into a roar of
laughter.
"Oh, don't laugh, Buck," cried Mark. "Think of your poor bullocks."
"Yes," said Dunn, in no way discomposed by the man's laughter; "two
killed."
"Well, arn't that enough to make a fellow laugh?" said Buck. "Only two
pulled down. Might have been worse. You have seen them, then?"
"Yes; they followed the ponies. Just came by."
"That's all right, then. Come and help, Dunn. I want to inspan and
take one of the waggons to fetch Peter Dance."
"Ah!" said Dunn, and he shook his head. "Let the fire out."
"Well, don't go howling about it and get the poor fellow into trouble."
"No?" sighed Buck's amateur foreloper.
"No!" thundered Buck. "And there's worse disasters at sea. Bad jobs
turn out trumps sometimes, young gen'lemen. Two bullocks pulled down,
and when we have got Peter Dance back to camp, gentlemen, I daresay you
would like to come along of me to have a look at the dead lions.
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