CHAPTER FORTY TWO.
A QUARREL BETWEEN TWO ENEMIES.
They struck off next day into a wilder portion of the country still, theoxen trekking up close to the foot of the mountains, the intention beingto leave the plains for the present, their attractions beginning tofail, especially as the party had no desire to keep on slaughtering themany varieties of antelope that offered themselves as easy victims totheir rifles.
"Let's have something more exciting and manly, father," exclaimed Dick."Of course we must keep on shooting for the pot, just as a sheep has tobe killed now and then at home. But we don't want to turn butchers."
The General nodded approval, and said that they would now be amongst thelions again, while on the other side of the stretch of rocky country inwhich they were, he was sure that they would find elephant and buffalo.
The elephants had kept so long out of their sight that the boys began todespair of ever coming in sight of one of the monsters; but when theysaid so to the old Zulu warrior, he only laughed, and said, "Wait."
"It seems to me as if they have all been shot," said Jack.
But the General shook his head.
"Plenty of elephants," he said; "only wait."
Pieces of stone had to be used in addition to thorns to make thecattle-kraal where they now halted, for the land was comparativelysterile after the lush vegetation of the plains; but a little valleysupplied ample pasturage for the cattle, and abundant water, and therocky defiles around promised sport of a different kind to any they hadbefore enjoyed.
Hardly had they pulled up at the spot chosen for the temporary camp,before Dick called his brother's attention to a couple of huge birds,sailing round and round upon extended motionless wings over and aboutthe rocky crags and points far above their resting-place.
"Eagles!" cried Jack excitedly.
And as he spoke the boys saw one of the great birds swoop down behind apeak and disappear, rising almost directly after with something dark inits talons, and flying straight off to a shelf of rock far away.
This was new game indeed, and the boys were eager to go off after thegreat birds; but they had to help settle camp-matters first, the rulebeing that at every halt the first thing attempted was to put the placein a state of defence.
When this was done there were the pets to see to--the leopard andgiraffe, both of which had grown perfectly tame, the leopard being asplayful as a kitten, and the giraffe calmly bringing its head down lowenough to have its nose rubbed, while it munched at the handful of freshtender shoots offered as a token of good will.
Then there were the horses to watch and tend, wood to cut, and fire tomake; so that there was plenty of work for all. But "willing hands makelight work," as the saying goes, and they were just congratulatingthemselves upon the successful nature of their arrangements, the littlecamp presenting all they required as a centre from which to start uponhunting expeditions--to wit, good pasturage, abundant water, andsecurity against the attack of lions who might mistake their cattle forthe wild creatures of the plains.
"This place ought to do for a week, boys," said Mr Rogers; "and nowwe'll take our rifles and have a look round to see what game we arelikely to find, and also keep a sharp look out for danger."
"Danger?" said Jack. "What sort?"
"Well, I should say there would be plenty of serpents in amongst thosesun-baked crags up above, probably a lion or two, plenty of eagles,and--ah, it is impossible to say what we may meet with in a place likethis."
"I shall tell Dinny that crocodiles very likely swarm up here, that theycome up out of the river at this season of the year, and lie in waitamongst the rocks."
"I think I would confine myself to the truth, Jack," said his fatherdrily. "Now, are you both loaded? Then come along."
It was a steep climb upwards, far more so than it looked from below, andthey were toiling up over the sunburnt grass towards where the rocksrose up precipitously on either side of the narrow gully, when a word ofwarning from the General arrested them, and the rifles of all were heldready.
For all at once, from behind a mass of rock a couple of hundred yards infront and above them, a large black rhinoceros trotted into view,holding up its head, and displaying its two horns against the grey rockbehind him; and then seeing the hunting-party, it snorted and squealedin a most peculiar pig-like fashion, and began to trot towards them.
"Don't fire unless you have a good chance," cried Mr Rogers; "and mind,everybody must make for the rocks, and climb up for safety."
But there was no need for flight. Hardly had the clumsy-looking monstercommenced its headlong charge, when the precipitous rocks echoed to ahollow roar, and a patch of dry grass seemed to have been suddenlyendowed with life, and to fling itself upon the shoulders of thecharging beast.
No one thought of firing; but the whole party stood there watching thenovel sight, as a huge lion, which might have made one of them itsvictim, fixed its teeth and claws in the neck and shoulders of therhinoceros; and as the furious frightened beast tore on down the defile,dragging the lion with it, the latter seemed to give a spring, and fixedits hind quarters firmly upon the tough pachyderm's back.
"Big lion much hungry," said Coffee quietly. "Nosros' skin very hard."
As he spoke Jack had gone down upon one knee, and sent a bullet afterthe fast-receding pair, the echoes of the rifle report mingling with thehoarse snorting bellow of the rhinoceros.
Dick, roused by his brother's example, also took aim and fired, hisfather following last.
Then the two animals disappeared from view, evidently passing prettynear the waggon, but fortunately missing the little valley where thecattle were grazing.
"Coffee is right," said Mr Rogers; "that lion must have been ravenous,or it would not have attacked such a beast as that. Well, boys, youmust keep a bright look out, for we, shall have to meet the enemy here."
"Hadn't we better go after the rhinoceros?" said Dick.
"What would be the use?" said his father; "the monster is going at atremendous rate. No: let's go higher up amongst the rocks."
They passed several snakes, and found one boa-constrictor, acomparatively small one though, which Coffee and Chicory attacked as itlay basking in the sunshine, its bright brown and yellow markingsglistening in the bright light.
The boys made their arrangements very quickly, and without the slightesthesitation Coffee walked up to the reptile, and as it raised its headmenacingly he struck it down with a blow of his kiri, and a dexterouschop from Chicory's long-bladed assegai took off its head.
What had before seemed a sluggish inert body, now, as in a former case,became instantly endowed with spasmodic life, leaping from the stones,twisting, twining, knotting itself, and then unfolding and reknottingitself in the most extraordinary manner, the grey rocks around beingspattered with the blood from the bleeding neck, while the severed headlay slowly gasping, and biting impotently at a few dry blades of grass.
Dick and Jack seemed as if they would have never tired of watching thereptile, but their father suggested a move onward.
"How long do you think that was, father?" said Dick, as they climbed on,each step bringing them to a more toilsome way.
"Probably a dozen feet, and a good deal thicker than my arm," repliedMr Rogers. "I should like to see one seize its prey, though, and watchthe whole course of its constricting and swallowing the animal it hascaught. And now, boys, I think we will go up as far as the end of thisnarrow pass, and then turn back and close the camp for the evening."
They went to the end, always rising, with the scenery growing wilder andmore grand at every step; and at last Mr Rogers paused.
"Oh, let's go up to the top now," cried Dick eagerly.
"You can, boys; but make haste," said their father.
"The top" was the edge of a ridge some four hundred feet above theirheads, and as Mr Rogers sat down to rest, the boys climbed on, findingthe difficulties of the ascent greater than they had expected; but theykept on, manfully helped by Coffe
e and Chicory, who were always ready topush, to pull, or hold a rifle, and in this way they reached what provedto be quite a narrow edge, with some jagged pinnacles on their right,and a steep slope in front. But what took their attention most was aneagle in full pursuit of a lovely little slender-legged gazelle, whichwas straining every effort as it came up a long narrow defile to escapefrom its terrible enemy.
The gazelle was quite a hundred yards below them to their left as theysaw it first, and they watched its progress with a fascinated interestas it came nearer as if to pass them, with the eagle gliding along overit as it bounded along, and then making dart after dart at it with itstremendous claws.
The eagle looked as huge as the gazelle looked graceful and tiny; andeach moment the boys made sure that it was struck, but the baffled eaglerose again and again for another swoop, till, unable to bear it longer,Dick threw himself upon his face, rested his rifle upon the ridge infront, took a careful aim, fired; and Jack shouted "Hurray!" for as thesmoke rose, and the echoes died away in the distance, the eagle could beseen lying flapping its wings upon the ground, raising a cloud of dustabout it, and the gazelle disappeared round some rocks; while Coffee andChicory, kiri in hand, were sliding down the rocky face of theprecipice, to cross a narrow chasm below, bent upon finishing themonstrous bird's struggles with the kiris they grasped in their hands.
The place they descended was almost dangerous at times, but the two Zuluboys made nothing of it, and were soon approaching the spot where thebird had fallen.
As it saw them approach, it left off flapping its wings, turned itselfupon its back, and struck at them savagely with its powerful talons.
The boys were not daunted though, and making a dash in, Coffee struck atthe bird and missed it, receiving, in return for his intended blow, anugly scratch from the eagle, which was about to bury its beak in his legwhen Chicory's kiri struck it heavily upon the neck, and the fight wasover; the bird's head dropping upon one side, and its powers of doingmischief for ever gone.
Then each seized a wing, and they bore it in triumph to their youngleaders, who in turn helped to carry the majestic bird down to where MrRogers was waiting, ready to take great interest in their prize, butalso eager to hurry them back to the waggon, where they arrived to findall right, and the cattle carefully secured in their kraal.