CHAPTER IX
A LION'S CHARGE
They turned in very early after banking up leaves over the firesunder the biltong strips, to give them a good smoking during thenight, but in the small hours, when the night is at its quietest,the moonlight, shining on Venning's face, woke him. The fires wereglowing bright, altogether too bright for safety, and he rose tocover the glare with some green leaves. He looked at his sleepingcompanions, for all, tired out by disturbed nights, slept on, exceptthe jackal, which had one eye open.
Venning sat awhile looking down upon the dim uncertain shadows thatcame and went, as a fleecy mist-like cloud passed overhead. Beyondthe fitful murmur of the wind there was no sound but the hooting ofa great homed owl somewhere from the woods above. Drawing hisblanket round him, and picking up his gun, he walked to a point onthe right overlooking the bed of the little river, and there he satdown with his back to a rock and his gun over his knees. Scarcelywas he seated when the jackal startled him by its sudden appearanceat his side. He scratched its ears, and it sat close to him, staringfixedly down on the river. Just below there was a stretch of sand inthe bed gleaming white under the moonlight, and Venning watched thiswith the eye of a naturalist, in the hope of seeing some of thegreat forms of animal life. And he had his hope, for severalcreatures crossed the white patch, and each time the jackal was thefirst to see them. The round ears would suddenly prick forward, thesharp nose would twitch, and then Venning would dimly discoversomething down there in the uncertain light. A porcupine he madeout, its quills gleaming and rustling as it went down to the water;then a great wart-pig with curved tusks; and next, after a longinterval, a fine buck with long powerful horns. A water-buck hejudged it to be from the length of its horns, and it stood therelong with its face up-stream, motionless, save for the constanttwitching of the large ears. He rested his elbows on his knees as hesat and aimed at the shoulders, but did not fire, for fear ofalarming the camp; and presently the buck, even as he watched,vanished as softly and silently as it came. Then Venning's eyesclosed, his chin dropped, the gun settled between his knees, and hewas asleep.
He was asleep, and he was awake again so suddenly that he did notknow he had slept until he saw the position of the gun. The jackalplucked at his blanket. He remembered that something had disturbedhim, and he judged that the jackal had done the same thing justbefore. He yawned and patted its head; but, instead of sitting down,it ran a few yards, sniffed the air, whined, came back, glanced longover its shoulder into the riverbed, looked into Venning's face,then ran off in the direction of the camp. As soon as it was goneVenning felt lonely. He stood up, thinking to return to the camp,then sat down again, for he heard the sharp stamp that an antelopemakes when alarmed, and he hoped to see it come into the moonlight.So he settled down to watch again, and drowsiness fell upon hiseyes. He could see the white patch of sand, and as his heavy lidswere lowered and lifted between the drowsy intervals, he becamedimly conscious that there was something on the sand. Yes; there itwas, something grey, short, and thick. A donkey, he told himself.He smiled sleepily. A donkey! It was strange to see the old familiarform out there in the wilderness. He wondered dreamily where it camefrom; then a shadow cast by the moon on a passing cloud blotted outthe river-bed. He rubbed his eyes, and when the cloud had gone therewere two animals--donkeys, unmistakably--one larger than the other,both with their heads turned upwards towards him. Another cloudsailed by, and when it had passed he missed them, and, his curiosityroused, he rubbed his eyes again for a closer scrutiny. Surely thatwas not a bush on the bank? No! it moved. The donkeys were comingtowards him. One of them, the larger, moved forward quickly, thenstopped. Then a chill ran through him, his heart grew weak, hisbreathing grew sharp, and the sweat suddenly started out all overhis face and body. That was no donkey standing there, with its hugehead now sunk almost to the ground, now lifted high, as it tried tomake out what manner of living creature it was crouching there bythe rock above!
Venning felt the hair stir on his head as the two animals stoodgazing at him, and then he knew. The one behind sank to the ground,and with long steps began to creep round to the right. The moonstruck along its side, and showed the tawny hide and the whitishunder-parts of a lioness. The other, then, was a lion! With a sortof gurgling in his throat he turned his eyes to it, and he saw ittrotting up straight for him, its shaggy mane giving to its head andshoulders an enormous size. He felt spell-bound, incapable of movinghand or foot. It was the silence of the ferocious beasts thatparalyzed him. Then the jackal howled behind him, and his bloodrushed through his veins. His tongue no longer clave to the roof ofhis mouth, and when the great beast was within ten yards of him, helet forth a terrific yell and jumped to his feet, with his rifle inhis hands.
The lion stopped suddenly in its charge with a low harsh grunt ofsurprise. Never before in its hunting had it heard such a wilduncanny noise. In one motion it stopped in its charge and swerved tothe right, and as it swerved the boy fired. The lion gave a mightybound, he heard it strike the ground with a heavy thud, and then itseemed to disappear, though he knew it was near from the lowgrowling it set up.
From the camp there came a confused shouting, followed by the soundof a man running.
Venning moistened his lips. "Look out," he shouted, "there is a lionhere."
"Where are you?"
"Here, by this rock."
"Stay there, and keep quite still."
The growling increased, and once more the same paralysis attackedthe boy so that he could scarcely breathe. Then some one stood athis side, and the fear went from him at once.
"He's over there, somewhere; but I can't see him."
"I can. Get round the rock, my boy. He's lying flat with his headbetween his paws, and it's a mercy you did not fire again and drawhis charge."
Venning moved round the rock, and Mr. Hume slowly followed. Hestopped awhile to listen to the incessant growling.
"You've hit him, but not, I think, mortally; anyway, we'll leavehim, if he will leave us. Move on towards the camp quietly--don'trun."
"No, sir," said Venning; but it required an effort not to make abolt for it when he saw the friendly gleam of the fire.
Mr. Hume followed slowly, with his head over his shoulder, towardsthe place where the growling came from. When he reached the fire hegave a great sigh of relief.
"Thank God. Now tell us what happened, my boy;" and he put his handon Venning's arm.
Venning started violently, for just then from the river there came aharsh, growling call; and no sooner had it ceased than the groundshook to a terrific roar.
"The lion answers the lioness," said the chief, calmly.
"Throw a little wood on the fire, Muata. Now, my lad."
Venning told his story, and Compton listened with intenseexcitement; but the hunter treated the whole thing calmly, with setpurpose. He had in his experience seen the effect of a terribleshock, in the complete breakdown of the victim, and, personally, hehad known one man die from the shock to his system caused exactly bythe sudden and unexpected appearance of a lion at night. He keptVenning's thoughts off the mental picture of the charging lion untildawn, when all hands prepared for the hunt.
"If you hit him hard he will be lying near, and I guess it will be adifferent matter meeting him by daylight--eh, my lad?"
Venning looked into the hunter's calm eyes, and felt strong. He wentstraight to the rock against which he had crouched, and pointed tothe deep scars made in the hard ground by the sharp claws as thelion had stopped his charge and wheeled.
Compton measured the distance from the rock to the claw-marks.
"Fifteen feet! By Jove! it was a narrow squeak. I would have yelledlike fits."
"I did yell."
Muata pointed to the ground.
"Blood spoor, eh? You did hit him. Put the jackal on the track,chief," said Mr. Hume.
The jackal took one sniff at the ground, stared sharply around, thenpeered up into his master's face.
"Search," said the chief, in his
own tongue. "Follow the great one,O little friend. The trail is laid; the great one has sought out amoist spot; he lies angry and sore in the shade. Search and find."
The jackal looked intently into the chiefs face, sniffed at theground, ran forward a few yards, stopped, sniffed again with liftedmane at a spot where the grass was pressed down, threw up his headwith eyes half closed, then ran down towards the river, stopping onthe bank to look back.
"That is where he joined his mate. There is the spoor on the sandgoing and returning. That is the round pad of the lion; just noteand compare it with the pads of the lioness over there. Just look,and read the writing."
The two boys looked at the marks in the sand, and followed them downto the moist ground on the edge of the water.
"They entered the river side by side," they said.
"That is plain; but the writing tells another story. See, thisfootprint here is faint--very faint, eh? He did not rest his weighton his left fore-foot. Why, eh?"
"Because the bullet struck the left front leg," they both said.
"They learn the signs, Muata. They will be hunters yet. Tell them ifthe lion be hard hit, chief."
Muata waded into the river, which reached to his armpits at thedeepest, and bent over something on the further shore. Theyundressed, and waded through to him.
"Congela," he said, pointing to the bank. "The great ones came outhere. The great, great one was not sore hurt, for he came rightthrough, using all his feet to swim."
"It will be luck, then, if we find him," said the hunter.
"Bad luck," muttered Compton to Venning, with a grin.
"Forward, little friend!" cried Muata. "Search and find. It is agreat hunt this day. We follow the hunter of all things."
They slipped into their clothes and followed at a trot after thejackal, which ran straight on, its bushy tail held low. It followedthe river down for a mile or so, then stopped, looking back at itsmaster.
Mr. Hume and the chief stood silently inspecting the hard ground,then they walked on a few yards. The same thoughts seemed to come toeach, as the boys judged from their actions; for from the groundtheir eyes ranged over the land, then were turned skywards. Muatapointed a finger at a ringed crow flying with bent head.
"They killed," said Mr. Hume.
"Oh!! They killed."
"You see," said the hunter to the two boys, "the pair crouched here;these circular marks in the sand were made by the swing of thetails. They sighted game. One of them--the lioness, no doubt--workedround to drive the game towards the lion."
"It is a guess," said Compton. "Perhaps the lion stopped because ofhis hurt."
"No; the bleeding has stopped. They not only sighted game, but thelioness drove it from the river-bed towards the lion, and the lionbrought it down."
"Oh, come," said Compton. "How can you tell that?"
"From the spoor"--laconically. "He sprang twice--here, where healighted the first time; and the second spring landed him on to theneck of an antelope powerful enough to struggle on into that thicketof reeds. There the two of them pulled it down."
"And there he is!" shouted Venning.
He pointed to the right of the reeds, and there was a greatyellowish beast walking away at a slow walk, with its head sunk.
"The lioness," said the hunter. "Venning, keep by me, but a littlebehind. Compton, when I whistle, fire into the reeds."
Compton nodded his head, and the two went off, while Muata sat downas a spectator.
Mr. Hume walked steadily up to within fifty paces of the reeds onthe upper side, then whistled. Immediately Compton fired.
The lion was there. He signified his presence by a low growl, but hedid not move. Compton fired again, and this time the reeds shook,and a great shaggy head appeared, with its yellow eyes fixed on theboy. Mr. Hume made a slight noise, and the great head turned at oncein his direction. For a moment the lion exchanged glances, then witha growl he turned into the reeds to reappear further on, goingslowly in the direction of the lioness.
"It is your shot, Godfrey; take him just behind the shoulder."
Venning's heart was thumping against his ribs; but he steadiedhimself for the shot, and fired. The lion sprang forward, snarling,and faced about towards his enemies. Then up went his tail, and witha savage growl he charged straight down to within about thirty feet,when he stood for a moment, as is the way of the charging lion ifhis enemy stands fast. The pause was enough; and before the hugemuscles of the flanks and backs could be set in motion to hurl thegreat body forward, a bullet, crashing into his breast, laid him outhelpless in the throes of death.
"Your first lion, Godfrey."
"But you killed him," said Venning, pulling himself together with agreat effort; for he had been through a very severe ordeal.
"The first hit counts. See here, your bullet last night struck himabove the elbow, just missing the bone, and your second shot hit himlow down in the ribs."
"My word," said Compton, as he came up, his eyes blazing withexcitement, "it was grand to see that charge. Yes, and to see howyou two stood. My heart was in my mouth."
"It's a simple shot," said the hunter. "All you have to do is tokeep perfectly cool and wait for the lion to come to his stand."
"Very easy," muttered Compton, with a grimace, as he looked at thewhite fangs and the cruel-looking claws, finishing off that mightyweapon the lion's forearm, capable of battering in a man's head atone blow.
The chief stood looking from the lion to the hunter. "Ye bebrothers," he said, "ye two; both great men of the hunt; chiefs byyour own right wherever you go."
"When I was young," said Mr. Hume, "I shot lions for the pride ofthe victory; but long since I gave that up, and only when a lionseeks me have I gone out to kill him."
"Ye be brothers," said the chief. "The great one stands alone, forhe is merciful in his strength. The spotted one kills for the loveof killing. He will kill, if the chance comes, many times more thanhe can eat. The warrior will slay of his enemies all his spear canreach. The great one eats and is satisfied. The rest may live tillhe be hungry. I know, for I have met him face to face in the path. Isay to him, '''Inkose' (chief), the path is yours.' I have stoodaside, and the 'inkose' has gone on his way in peace.'
"If you carried a rifle, chief, it might be otherwise. Take theclaws, Venning; we cannot find room for the skin."
The claws were cut off, and they returned to the camp for breakfast.