CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
A LONG CHASE, AND A HAPPY TERMINATION THEREOF.
Knowing that unless we advanced with more than ordinary speed we couldnot hope to overtake our friends for several days--a stern chase beingproverbially a long one--we travelled a great part of the night as wellas all day; and on our third day after quitting the scene of the curioushunt described in the last chapter, we descried the fugitives descendingthe river about a quarter of a mile ahead of us.
Unhappily we made a stupid mistake at this time. Instead of waitinguntil we were near enough to be recognised, we shouted to our friendsthe moment we saw their canoe. I cannot say that we knew them to be ourfriends, but we had every reason to suppose so. The result of our shoutwas that they supposed us to be enemies, and paddled away as if fortheir lives. It was in vain that we tried to show by signs that we werenot enemies.
"Yell!" cried Peterkin, turning to Makarooroo, who sat close behind him.
Our guide opened his huge mouth, and gave utterance to a yell that mightwell have struck terror into the heart of Mars himself.
"Stop! stay!" cried Peterkin hastily. "I didn't mean a war-yell; Imeant a yell of--of _peace_."
"Me no hab a yell ob peace," said Makarooroo, with a look of perplexity.
"I should not suppose you had," observed Jack, with a quiet laugh, as hedipped his paddle more energetically than ever into the stream.--"Thefact is, Peterkin, that we shall have to go in for a long chase. Thereis no doubt about it. I see that there are at least four men in theircanoe, and if one of them is Mbango, as we have reason to believe, astout and expert arm guides them. But ho! give way! `never venture,never win.'"
With that we all plied our paddles with our utmost might. The chasesoon became very exciting. Ere long it became evident that the crews ofthe two canoes were pretty equally matched, for we did not, apparently,diminish the distance between us by a single inch during the nexthalf-hour.
"What if it turns out not to be Mbango and his party after all?"suggested Peterkin, who wielded his light paddle with admirable effect.
Jack, who sat in the bow, replied that in that case we should have tomake the best apology and explanation we could to the niggers, andconsole ourselves with the consciousness of having done our best.
For some time the rapid dip of our paddles and the rush of our canoethrough the water were the only sounds that were heard. Then Peterkinspoke again. He could never keep silence for any great length of time.
"I say, Jack, we'll never do it. If we had only another man, or even aboy." (Peterkin glanced at Njamie's little son, who lay sound asleep atthe bottom of the boat.) "No, he won't do; we might as well ask amosquito to help us."
"I say, lads, isn't one of the crew of that canoe a woman?" said Jack,looking over his shoulder, but not ceasing for an instant to ply hispaddle.
"Can't tell," answered Peterkin.--"What say you, Mak?"
"Ye-is, massa," replied the guide, with some hesitation. "Me tink datam be one ooman's arm what wag de paddil. Oh! yis, me sartin sure now,dat am a ooman."
"That being the case," observed Jack, in a tone of satisfaction, "thechase won't last much longer, for a woman's muscles can't hold out longat such a pace. Ho! give way once more."
In less than five minutes the truth of Jack's remark became apparent,for we began rapidly to overhaul the fugitives. This result acted witha double effect: while it inspirited us to additional exertion, itdepressed those whom we were pursuing, and so rendered them less capablethan before of contending with us. There was evidently a good deal ofexcitement and gesticulation among them. Suddenly the man in the sternlaid down his paddle, and stooping down seized a gun, with which,turning round, he took deliberate aim at us.
"That's rather awkward," observed Jack, in a cool, quiet way, as if theawkwardness of the case had no reference whatever to him personally.
We did not, however, check our advance. The man fired, and the ballcame skipping over the water and passed us at a distance of about twoyards.
"Hum! I expected as much," observed Jack. "When a bad shot points abad gun at you, your best plan is to stand still and take your chance.In such a case the chance is not a bad one. Hollo! the rascal seemsabout to try it again. I say, boys, we must stop this."
We had now gained so much on the fugitives that we had reason to hopethat we might by signs enable them to understand that we were notenemies. We had to make the attempt rather abruptly, for as Jackuttered his last remark, the man in the stern of the canoe we werechasing, having reloaded his gun, turned round to aim at us again. Atthe same time the rest of the crew suddenly ceased to paddle, in orderto enable their comrade to take a steady aim. It was evident that theyrested all their hopes upon that shot disabling one of our number, andso enabling them to escape. Seeing this, Makarooroo in desperationseized his rifle and levelled it.
"No, no," said Peterkin, hastily holding up his hand. "Give me yourrifle, Mak; and yours, Ralph. Now then, stop paddling for a moment;I'll try an experiment."
So saying, he sprang to his feet, and grasping a rifle in each hand,held them high above his head, intending thus to show that we werewell-armed, but that we did not intend to use our weapons.
The device was happily successful: the man in the other canoe loweredthe gun with which he was in the act of taking aim at us.
"Now, boys, paddle slowly towards the bank," cried Peterkin, laying downthe rifles quickly and standing erect again with his empty handsextended in the air, to confirm the fugitives in regard to our goodintentions. They understood the sign, and also turned toward the bank,where in a few minutes both parties landed, at the distance of about twohundred yards from each other.
"Mak, you had better advance alone," said Jack. "If it is Mbango andhis friends, they will know you at once. Don't carry your rifle; youwon't need it."
"Nay, Jack," I interposed; "you do not act with your usual caution.Should it chance not to be Mbango, it were well that Mak should have hisrifle and a companion to support him."
"O most sapient Ralph," said Peterkin, "don't you know that Jack and Ihave nothing to do but sit down on this bank, each with a double-barrelin his hand, and if anything like foul play should be attempted, four ofthe enemy should infallibly bite the dust at the same time? But you'dbetter go with Mak, since you're so careful of him. We will engage todefend you both.--Hollo, Puggy! take the line of our canoe here andfasten it to yonder bush."
The latter part of this remark was addressed to Njamie's little boy,whose name we had never learned, and who had been called Puggy byPeterkin--not, let me remark, in anything approaching to a contemptuousspirit. He evidently meant it as a title of endearment. We had tacitlyaccepted it, and so had the lad, who for some time past had answered tothe name of Puggy, in utter ignorance, of course, as to itssignification.
Mak and I now advanced unarmed towards the negroes, and in a few secondswe mutually recognised each other. I was overjoyed to observe thewell-known face of Okandaga, who no sooner recognised her lover than sheuttered a joyful shout and ran towards him. I at the same time advancedto Mbango, and grasping his hand shook it warmly; but that good-heartedchief was not satisfied with such a tame expression of good will.Seizing me by the shoulders, he put forward his great flat nose andrubbed mine heartily therewith. My first impulse was to draw back, butfortunately my better judgment came to my aid in time, and prevented mefrom running the risk of hurting the feelings of our black friend. AndI had at that time lived long enough to know that there is nothing thatsinks so bitterly into the human heart as the repulse, however slightly,of a voluntary demonstration of affection. I had made up my mind thatif the dirtiest negro in all Africa should offer to rub noses with me, Iwould shut my eyes and submit.
I observed among the crew of Mbango's canoe a female figure whoinstantly attracted my attention and awakened my sympathy. She wasseated on a rock, paying no attention whatever to the events that wereoccurring so near to her, and which, for aught she could tell, m
ight beto her matter of life or death. Her hands hung idly by her side; herbody was bowed forward; her head drooped on her breast; and her wholeappearance indicated a depth of woe such as I have never before seenequalled.
I pointed to her and looked at Mbango in surprise. He looked first atthe woman and then at me, and shook his head mournfully; but beingunable to speak to me, or I to him, of course I could not gather muchfrom his looks.
I was about to turn to our guide, when the woman raised her head alittle, so that her face was exposed. I at once recognised the featuresof Njamie, Mbango's favourite wife, and I was now at no loss to divinethe cause of her grief.
Starting up in haste, I ran away back at full speed towards the spotwhere our canoe lay. Jack and Peterkin, seeing how matters stood, wereby that time advancing to meet us, and the little boy followed. Ipassed them without uttering a word, seized the boy by the wrist, anddragged him somewhat violently towards the place where his mother sat.
"Hollo, Ralph," shouted Peterkin as I passed, "see that you don't damagemy Puggy, else you'll have to--"
I heard no more. The next instant I stood beside Njamie, and placed herboy before her. I have never in my life witnessed such a mingling ofintense eagerness, surprise, and joy, as was expressed by the poor womanwhen her eyes fell on the face of her child. For one moment she gazedat him, and the expressions I have referred to flitted, or ratherflashed, across her dusky countenance; then giving utterance to apiercing shriek, she sprang forward and clasped her son to her bosom.
I would not have missed that sight for the world. I know not very wellwhat my thoughts were at the time, but the memory of that scene hasoften since, in my musings, filled me with inexpressible gladness; andin pondering the subject, I have felt that the witnessing of thatmeeting has given additional force to the line in Scripture wherein theword "love" alone is deemed sufficiently comprehensive to describe thewhole character of the Almighty.
Here, on the one hand, I beheld unutterable, indescribable woe; on theother hand, unutterable, inconceivable joy--both, I should suppose, intheir extremest degree, and both resulting from pure and simple _love_.I pondered this much at the time; I have pondered it often since. It isa subject of study which I recommend to all who chance to read thispage.