CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
AN INTERFERENCE WITH WASHING, AND THE RESULT.
"Oh," cried Jack, "we both missed, and he has drawn the poor thing in."
"I don't believe I missed," said Dick. "No: look, Jack!"
For at that moment they saw a movement amongst the undergrowth behindwhere the antelope had been kneeling; and the poor beast, with bleedingnostrils and starting eyes, staggered down to the water's edge, drankwith avidity, and then bounded back as another or the same crocodilehalf leaped out of the water to catch it.
But the antelope, weak and exhausted though it was, escaped, and boundedaway into the dense reeds, while Jack as he coolly reloaded hisrifle-barrel said,--
"Nice place this, Dicky. Let's take our clothes off and have a bathe."
"Ugh!" shuddered Dick. "The monsters!"
"What have you shot, boys?" said Mr Rogers, hurrying up. "I was afraidit was an accident, the two rifles went off like one."
They told him, and being eager to see if there was any trace of thecrocodile, they went round the shores of the little lake to the otherside of the point, for the river wound so that the incident took placeon their own bank; but for a few minutes they could see nothing butmuddy water.
"I'm afraid you did not kill him, boys," said Mr Rogers.
"But we frightened him off," cried Jack; "and that's something."
"Chicory find him; look!" cried the boy, pointing where he stood.
They went to his side, and there sure enough, with its light underpartsshowing, lay a great crocodile, its tail moving feebly to and fro, and,most satisfactory sight of all to the boys, a couple of threads of bloodrising slowly from the monster's head through the clear water.
"Hah!"
It was Chicory who shouted, and as he did so he struck back his youngmasters. For his quick eyes had seen what looked like a dark shadow inthe river; and his effort was just in time, for a huge crocodile threwitself half out of the water, disappearing again with a sullen plunge asit missed its prey.
"I think that will do for to-day, boys," said Mr Rogers. "Let's getback to the waggon. For my part I feel disposed to spend the rest ofour time shooting crocodiles, so as to try and rid the country of a fewof the pests."
"Only all we could kill would be as nothing, would they, father?" saidDick.
"No, they would hardly count," replied Mr Rogers; and they made thebest of their way back to the waggon, only too glad of the meal Dinnyhad ready for them, roast and boiled.
Chicory turned a rough kind of somersault as he caught sight of hisbrother sitting up and doing that which was dear to Chicory's ownheart--eating; and as there was a good share of food beside Coffee, thetired brother made no scruple about going to join him and help him eat.
It was wonderful what that boy could eat when he was thoroughly hungry.Dinny would stare at him, rub his ears, and screw up his face with alook of disgust, while the very dogs seemed envious of his powers.Rough'un would wait patiently for some time bearing it all apparently ashe abided his own time; but when he saw Chicory keep steadily on hebegan to bark furiously, as if such behaviour were not to be borne.
"Shure, Masther Dick, it's my honest belafe," said Dinny, "that if youput down enough mate before them two Sooloo boys they'd kape on aitingtill they got to be hungry again."
In spite of the heat of the weather, the performances of Dick and Jackupon strong venison essence and roast gazelle were enough to startle anyhousekeeper of small income and an anxiety about the state of thebutcher's bill. But of course the outdoor life and constant exertionproduced a tremendous appetite; and as Mr Rogers noted the change inDick, whose palate had to be tempted only a short time back, he feltthankful to see the difference.
Dinny had outdone himself that day in the matter of cookery; and ahearty meal having been eaten, the boys spent half-an-hour with theirpets, the leopard being so far particularly docile, and their horseswhinnying with satisfaction as soon as they heard their masters' steps.Then there were the cattle to look at, all of which were sleek and well;and lastly, the various specimens to arrange before going to rest.
The sun was getting low by this time, and the stillness of the wilds wasonly broken by the twittering of a little flock of birds in the adjacenttrees, when Dinny came running from the river-side--
"Hoi, sor! bring the roifles, an' ye plaze. Here's Pater beingswallowed down by one of thim great crocodivils!"
"Quick, boys!" cried Mr Rogers; but there was no need to speak, for therifles had been already seized, and away the little party ran, towardsthe river.
The water was not visible till they were close upon it, on account ofthe conformation of the land; but when they did come in sight, the scenewas so curious that they halted with cocked pieces, gazing down from therocks at black Peter the driver.
Peter being a particularly cleanly man had taken a pair of his linendrawers down to the stream to wash, with Dinny sitting on the edge ofthe rock smoking his pipe, and looking-on. All had gone well till Peterwas beating the garment about in the water for a final rinse, whensuddenly the jaws of a huge crocodile were protruded from the surface,not a yard away.
As might have been expected, Peter dropped his drawers, and darted back,while the crocodile remained staring at him, and Dinny rushed offshouting for help.
They learned afterwards that what they had now seen had been repeatedseveral times. For just as they paused, Peter was creeping cautiouslyforward towards where his drawers lay upon the sand, stooping withoutstretched hand to seize them, when there was the slightestdisturbance possible in the water, and the head of a monstrous crocodileappeared.
Back darted Peter, and the head of the crocodile sank slowly beneath thewater, when, unaware that help was at hand, Peter waited a minute ortwo, and then once more stole gently and on tiptoe towards hismuch-coveted garb.
This time his hand was almost upon it when out came the crocodile'shead, and Peter nimbly darted back, but only to come on again as quietlyas possible, apparently quite ignorant of the fact that it was by theeye that the reptile distinguished his coming, and not by ear.
Twice more was this watched, when Mr Rogers, feeling alarmed lest thedriver should be too venturesome, whispered to his sons to shoot.
"No, father," whispered back Dick; "we want to see you shoot this one."
Mr Rogers hesitated a moment, and then lying down upon his chest herested the barrel of his rifle on the edge of the rock where it wentperpendicularly down to the little strand, and waited for the nextappearance of the dangerous monster.
He had not long to wait, for Peter seemed to be determined this time tomake sure of his garment, and cautiously stealing forward he had almosttouched it, when out came the crocodile's head once more, and as Peterdarted back it remained stationary, its hideous eyes watching the blackdriver, when Mr Rogers' rifle spoke out, and Peter fell upon his back,yelling for help; while the stream, that had quietly rippled over wherethe crocodile lay, was suddenly beaten by the monster's struggles into atempest of foam.
"Are ye kilt, Pater, ma black bouchal?" cried Dinny piteously, as heleaped down to the aid of his fellow-servant.
"Mind the crocodile, Dinny," shouted Dick maliciously.
"Oh! murther!" roared Dinny; and he scrambled up the rock again, and satthere panting, as the boys roared with laughter. "Ah, and it's moightyfunny, I've no doubt, Masther Dick, sor, but how would you fale yourselfif one of the great crocodivils had got hold of ye?"
"Very bad, Dinny," said Dick. "There, go and help Peter; he isn't hurt,only frightened."
"Thought boss shot me," said Peter, making a rush, and then triumphantlywaving his drawers over his head, before withdrawing to a place ofsafety, where he could watch with the others the dying struggles of thecrocodile, which grew weaker and weaker, and then ceased; and the streamflowed calmly on, sweeping away the mud and sand, and revealing the bodyof the monster, apparently quite dead, at the bottom of the shallowwater.
Generally speaking these reptiles get awa
y into the depths of therivers, or into some deep hole beneath the banks, but this one hadapparently been hit so badly that it had not had time to get away, andthe sight of the monster so excited the boys, that they begged hard tohave it dragged out on to the strand.
"But it is of no use, and its musky odour will be very offensive," saidMr Rogers.
"But we want to see it, father--to measure it, and see how long it is,and how big round."
"Very well," said Mr Rogers, "then you shall. Peter, get one of theoxen and a rope, and we'll drag the brute ashore. Dinny, go and ask theGeneral to come."
The Zulu chief, and Peter with his ox, arrived at about the same time,when no sooner did the former hear what was wanted than he made a bigloop, waded into the water, and slipped the noose over the monster'shead.
This noose was pulled tight, the rope attached to the yoke of the ox,the word given, and the crocodile drawn not only out of the water on tothe strand, but through an opening in the rock and on to the firm groundabove.
Here the General proceeded to unfasten the rope, Mr Rogers curiouslyexamining the mark made by his bullet just behind the creature's eye,when, to the astonishment of all present, the reptile made a tremendoussnap with its awful jaws, and as the General darted aside, the creaturebegan to thrash the air with its tail, sweeping it from side to side,and snapping its jaws as it began to move off towards the edge of thelittle cliff.
Both Dick and Jack stood there paralysed for a few moments, for they hadbelieved the reptile dead; but Dick soon recovered, and as the crocodilewas slowly progressing, snapping its jaws menacingly as it went, the boywent close up and fired at its eye.
There was a terrible convulsion; then the monster levelled shrubs andherbage in all directions, after which it suddenly seemed to succumb,when getting Peter to help him, the Zulu thrust one of the reptile'slegs beneath it, got hold of the other, and the crocodile was hauledover upon its back, and the keen knife of the Zulu cut its head nearlyoff, and ripped it open from end to end.
"He'll never get over this," said Jack. "I dare say this wretch haskilled hundreds of innocent creatures in its day, and I'm glad it'sdone."
They were not disturbed by lions that night, but the mosquitoes andsand-flies made up for it, tormenting them so that morning was gladlyhailed, and Jack and Dick went off with a measuring tape to get thelength and girth of the great reptile as a trophy.
"I say eighteen feet long," said Jack decidedly, as they walked along.
"Do you remember what father said about the travellers' measurements?"said Dick drily. "No, Jack, he is not eighteen feet long, nor sixteen.I should say fifteen feet."
"But I read that they grow to twenty-five and thirty feet long," saidJack.
"Perhaps they do," replied Dick, "but our one hadn't time to grow solong, and--hallo!"
"Hallo!" said Jack.
"Hallo!" said Dick again.
"Father must have had it dragged back into the stream, so let's go back.Pah! how busy the vultures have been."
They had evidently been gorging themselves upon the crocodile's vitalssince daybreak, and a perfect flock of them flew sluggishly away as theboys made sure that the reptile was not where it had been left, and thenwent back to ask their father about the monster.
"No," he said, "I have not had the creature touched. I'll go with you.Here, General."
The Zulu strode up, and Chicory followed; and thus strengthened theywent back to the place where the crocodile had been left, and theGeneral pointed out the exact spot where it had lain. Then bendingdown, he pointed with his finger to certain marks leading to the edge ofthe little cliff, and then showed that it was evident that the crocodilehad struggled to the edge, and fallen over some six feet on to the sandand stones below.
"But he couldn't have gone down there," cried Dick. "Father shot himdead, and then I did."
"Was that you speaking, my boy, or Dinny?" said Mr Rogers, smiling.
"Ah, but you know what I mean, father," cried the boy; and then they alllooked down on to the strand, but not without keeping a watchful eyeupon the water.
Here the General showed the impression made by the crocodile in thesand, and also the marks of its claws and tail as it crawled into theriver, and then they all stared at each other.
"Why, it must have come to life again," said Jack.
"No kill some crocodiles," said the Zulu solemnly; and then, after alittle more examination of the spot, Mr Rogers turned back towards thecamp, Dick and Jack remembering that it was breakfast-time, and feelingquite ready for another hearty meal.
"But could the crocodile come to life again, father?" asked Jack.
"Certainly not, my boy. It could not have been killed; and horrible asits injuries were, it seems to have had life enough to enable it tocrawl back into the river, where probably it now lies dead at the bottomamongst the mud."