CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
"OOMPH! OOMPH! OOMPH!"
"Are you much hurt, Dick?" cried Jack anxiously, as he knelt on one kneeby his brother.
"No, I think not," panted Dick, opening his eyes. "I came over allgiddy, and couldn't sit my horse. Did he throw me?"
"No: you fell."
"But where are the buffaloes?"
"Yonder they go," replied Jack. "Don't you hear the dogs? There, leanon me, and let's walk in to the camp."
"Oh, no," cried Dick. "I'm better now."
"No, no; don't try to mount."
"Yes, I shall," was the reply. "I was overdone from being weak; but I'mbetter now, and I'm going with you to bring in the buffalo we shot."
"Oh no, Dick, don't try," cried his brother anxiously.
But Dick would not be persuaded, and, mounting his horse, he rode withhis brother up to the waggon, gave the necessary instructions to Peterand Dirk, and in a few moments those sable gentlemen were leading asmall ox-team over the plain to where the General and his boys werebusily dressing the fallen bull; and by the time Mr Rogers reached thewaggon, the choicest parts of the buffalo were there, the remainderhaving been left for the vultures and wild creatures of the plain.
They trekked on for some miles that evening, and soon after sundownhalted by the side of a wood, whose edges were composed of dense thorns,and here, at the General's suggestion, all set to work, after the waggonhad been drawn up in a suitable position, to cut down the bushes so asto make a square patch, with the dense thorns on three sides and thewaggon on the fourth, the lower part of the waggon being fortified withthe bushes that were cut down.
The object was to form a sound enclosure, which was duly strengthened,so as to protect the horses and bullocks from the wild beasts thathaunted the neighbourhood.
It was very hard work, and Dinny grumbled terribly, till Dick saidquietly to his brother, in Dinny's hearing,--
"I wonder that Dinny don't work harder. The General says this partswarms with lions; and they'll be down upon us before we've done if hedon't make haste."
Dinny seemed to be turned for the moment into stone, at the bare mentionof the word lion; but directly after he was toiling away with feverishhaste, and in quite a state of excitement, bullying Coffee and Chicoryfor not bringing in more dead wood for the fire.
By dint of all working hard, however, a satisfactory place wascontrived, into which, after a good long feed, and a hearty drink offresh water from a bubbling stream, the bullocks and horses were shut,the horses having a division of their own, where they would be safe fromthe horns of their friends as well as the teeth and claws of theirenemies. Then the blazing fire in front of the waggon was utilised forcooking purposes, and buffalo steaks and thick rich soup from Dinny'sbig pot soon restored the losses felt by the little party in theirarduous evening toil.
The waggon was on the very edge of the forest, and a couple of treesstood out on either side, spreading their branches over it as shelter,while the ruddy fire that was being steadily fed to get it into a goodglow, with a bright blaze free from the blinding smoke emitted byburning wood, seemed to turn the waggon and trees into gold.
"I'll take the first watch, my boys," said Mr Rogers, who, after theirhearty supper, had read his sons a lecture about the necessity for carein hunting, "for," said he, "but for the dogs your lives would certainlyhave been sacrificed."
"Yes, father, we'll be more careful; but how is it the dogs have notcome back?"
"They overtook and pulled down one of the buffaloes," said Mr Rogers."They will glut themselves, and, after a long sleep, take up our trailand follow us. I dare say they'll be here to-morrow."
The boys, who were fagged out, gladly crept into the waggon, the lastthing they saw being Dinny putting some pieces of buffalo flesh and halfa pail of water in the big pot, so as to let it stew by the fire allnight. Then they drew up the canvas curtains of their tent-bed as theycalled it, leaving Mr Rogers and Peter to keep up the fire, and to callthem in four hours' time, the boys having begged that they might keepone of the watches together.
They were fast asleep directly, and in five minutes' time--so Jackdeclared--Mr Rogers aroused them to relieve guard.
"Come, boys," he said, "be quick. Do you know how long you've beenasleep?"
"Five minutes," said Jack, sleepily.
"Nearly five hours, sir."
"Then they weren't good measure," grumbled Jack.
"There's plenty of wood, Dick," said Mr Rogers, "and I'd keep up a goodblazing fire. I have not heard a sound; but if you are alarmed, a pieceof blazing wood thrown in the direction is better than firing at random;but keep your rifles ready."
These words drove drowsy sleep from the boys' eyelids, and clamberingout of the waggon, the fresh cold night air finished the task.
They saw Mr Rogers climb into the waggon and their black followerscrawl under it; then taking the rifles, they saw to there being a ballcartridge in each, and big slugs in the shot barrel; and after throwingon a few sticks to make the fire blaze, they walked slowly up and down.
"How dark and strange the forest looks, Jack," said Dick, "I say, I'mnot ashamed to say that it does make one feel timid."
"It makes two feel timid," said Jack, sturdily. "Look at the darkshadows the fire throws. Why it almost looks as if there were all sortsof horrible creatures watching us. If I didn't feel that father hadbeen sitting here watching, and wasn't afraid I'd give it up."
"Perhaps he did feel afraid," said Dick.
"Not he," said Jack sturdily. "If he had felt afraid, he wouldn't havelet us watch here."
"Oh, yes, he would," said Dick thoughtfully. "Father wants us to growup manly and strong, and ready to laugh at what would alarm some lads.Hark! what's that?"
He caught his brother's arm, for just then, apparently from beneaththeir feet, they heard a peculiar noise.
"Oomph! oomph! oomph!" a peculiar, vibrating, shuddering, deep-tonedcry, which seemed to make the air, and the very earth beneath them,vibrate.
There was no mistaking it. Over and over again they had heard Coffeeand Chicory imitate the cry; but how pitiful their attempts seemed now,as compared to the noise heard there in the solemnity of the silentnight! "Oomph! oomph! oomph!" a peculiar grunting, shuddering roar,which made a perfect commotion in the strongly-made cattle-kraal orenclosure, the oxen running about in their dread, and the horseswhinnying and stamping upon the hard ground.
"How close is it!" whispered Jack, stretching out his hand to get holdof his rifle.
"I don't know. It seems sometimes just by this patch of bushes, andsometimes ever so far away. Hark! there's another."
"Yes, and another."
"Or is it all made by one lion?" said Dick.
"I don't know," replied Jack, in an awe-stricken whisper.
"Shall we call father, and tell him there are lions about?"
"No," said Dick sturdily. "He'd laugh at us for cowards. We've got toget used to lions, Jack; and it's our own doing--we wanted to come."
"Yes, but I didn't know they'd come so close," replied Jack. "Hark atthat!"
There was a deep-toned quivering roar, apparently from the other side ofthe fire, and Dick felt his heart beat rapidly as he threw a handful ofsmall twigs upon the fire to make it blaze up.
"Let's go and talk to the horses," he said. "Yes; that's right," forJack had also added an armful of dry wood to the fire, which now blazedup merrily.
They went to the thorny hedge which protected the horses, and on makingtheir way through to where they were haltered to a pole, carried on thewaggon for the purpose, they found the poor creatures trembling, andwith dripping flanks, while when they spoke to them they rubbed theirnoses against their masters' hands, and whinnied with pleasure, as ifcomforted by the presence of the boys.
"What's that, Dick?" cried Jack excitedly, for there was a crashingnoise as if something had leaped at the hedge.
The answer came in the panic of the bullocks and the dread of
thehorses; and, without hesitating, Jack lowered his piece in the directionof the sound, to fire both barrels rapidly one after the other.
There was a savage roar for response, and a rush as of some creaturebounding through the bushes. Then all was silent.
"I wonder whether I hit him," said Jack, proceeding to throw out theempty cartridges and reload.
"Is anything wrong? Shall I come?" shouted Mr Rogers, from within thewaggon.
"No, father," replied Dick steadily. "You needn't come. We only firedat a lion."
But as they reached the fire again, a tall dark figure crawled to theirside, and nodded to them gravely.
"Plenty of lion here. I stop and help you."
It was the General, and glad enough the boys were of his company.
Almost before they had seated themselves they heard a sound on theright, and taking a burning stick from the fire the General whirled itin the direction, the wood blazing up in its rapid passage through theair, and falling amongst some dry grass, which it set on fire, to burnfor a few moments vividly, and then leave the surroundings apparentlydarker than before.
As the burning brand fell in the forest there was an angry snarl, andthese snarls were repeated again and again as from time to time theGeneral skilfully threw the wood wherever his quick ears told him therewas one of the lurking beasts.
"Is there more than one lion?" said Dick, in a whisper at last.
"Three, four, five," said the General. "They want horse or bullock.Hist! look! see!"
He pointed to a dark patch at the edge of the forest, where, upon Dickdirecting his eyes, he could see nothing; but the next moment there wasthe reflection of the fire to be seen in a couple of glaring orbs.
"Can you shoot him?" said the General.
"Let me by, Dick. My hand's steady," whispered Jack. "I think I couldhit him."
"Go on," was the whispered reply.
To fire it was necessary for Jack to take aim across the Zulu, wholeaned forward so that the barrel of Jack's rifle rested upon hisshoulders; while, kneeling, the boy took along and careful aim, rightbetween the two glowing orbs, and drew trigger. There was the sharpreport, a furious roar, a rush, the falling of some heavy body, and thescattering of the fire-brands. Then all was silent; and they rapidlycollected the scattered embers to make the fire blaze up again; for thelions, far from being scared by the noise of the shot, renewed theirawe-inspiring "Oomph! oomph!" on all sides; and the fear of the cattlewas such that they threatened to break out of the kraal.
Again Mr Rogers roused himself, and asked if there was any need for himto come. But Dick replied steadily that there was not--feeling as hedid pretty confident, in spite of his dread, that they could keep thelions at bay.
The fire blazed up so brightly, that the boys glanced anxiously at thesupply of wood, thinking of the hours they had yet to pass beforedaylight, and what would be the consequences if the fire went out.
One thing was very certain, and that was that a large fire would benecessary now every night. And though the boys felt a strange kind oftremor as they felt the risks they were incurring, there was so muchromantic excitement in the life they were leading, that they would nothave given it up on any consideration.
The lions roared and prowled about them during the remainder of thenight, sometimes coming very close, sometimes retreating, for the firewas very bright. And then came the two boys, Coffee and Chicory, withPeter the driver, to relieve them, just as day was breaking, and theyoung travellers gladly went back into the waggon for a sleep.