servant had not uttered a cry, and was, I have no doubt,struck dead at once. The horses ceased to struggle by the time I gainedmy tree. At least twenty lions gathered round, and growled andquarrelled over the carcases of the horses. When they had finishedthese, they walked round and round the tree, roaring horridly; some ofthem reared themselves against the trunk, as if they would try to climbit, but the lion is not a tree-climber, and I had not much fear thatthey would make the attempt. I hoped that in the morning they wouldmove off; but they had clearly no intention of doing so, for, as itbecame daylight, they retired a short distance and then either lay downor sat upon their haunches in a semicircle fifty yards distant, watchingme.
"So the whole day passed; I had only the four shots left in my revolver,for my spare ammunition was in the holster of my saddle, and even had Ihad a dozen revolvers I could have done nothing against them. At nightthey again came up to the tree, and in hopes of frightening them off Idescended to the lower branches, and fired my remaining shots at brutesrearing up against it. As I aimed in each case at the eye, and themuzzle of my pistol was within four feet of their heads, the shots werefatal; but the only result was that the lions withdrew for a shortdistance, and renewed their guard round the tree.
"You will wonder perhaps why all this time I did not take to the water;but lions, although, like all the cat tribe, disliking water, will crossrivers by swimming, and they seemed so pertinacious that I feared theymight follow me. Towards morning, however, I determined on risking it,and creeping out to the end of a branch which overhung the river Idropped in. The stream was running strong, and I kept under water,swimming down with it as hard as I possibly could. When I came up Iglanced back at the tree I had quitted. The lions were gathered on thebank, roaring loudly and lashing their tails with every sign ofexcitement, looking at the water where they had seen me disappear. Ihave not the least doubt but that they would have jumped in after me,had I not dived. I took this in at a glance, and then went under again,and so continued diving until I was sure that I was beyond the sight ofthe lions; then I made for the bank as quickly as possible. The riverswarmed with crocodiles, and had it not been for the muddiness of thewater I should probably have been snapped up within a minute or two ofentering it.
"It was with a feeling of deep thankfulness that I crawled out and laydown on a clump of reeds half a mile beyond the spot where the lionswere looking for me. When the sun got high I felt sure that they wouldhave dispersed as usual, and returned to their shelter for the day, andI therefore started on foot, and reached my camp late at night.
"The next day we got in motion, and when, three days later, we arrivedat the kraal from which we had started, I rode over to the tree andrecovered my revolver and saddles. Not even a bone remained of thecarcases of the horses, or of my native attendant."
"That was a very nasty adventure," the colonel said. "Is it a commonthing, caravans being attacked by lions?"
"A very common thing," the trader replied; "indeed in certain parts ofthe country such attacks are constantly made, and the persistency withwhich the lions, in spite of the severe lessons they have received ofthe deadly effect of fire-arms, yet continue to attack caravans is aproof that they must often be greatly oppressed by hunger."
"Which do they seem to prefer," one of the officers asked, "human beingsor cattle?"
"They kill fifty oxen to one human being; but this probably arises fromthe fact that in the lion-country the drivers always sleep round largefires in the centre of the cattle. I think that by preference the lionsattack the horses, because these are more defenceless; the cattlesometimes make a good fight. I have seen them when loose forming acircle with their heads outside, showing such a formidable line of hornsthat the lions have not ventured to attack them. Once or twice I haveseen single oxen when attacked by solitary lions, come out victors inthe assault. As the lion walked round and round, the bullock continuedto face him, and I have then often seen them receive the spring upontheir horns, and hurl the lion wounded and half-stunned yards away.Once I saw both die together--the bullock with one of his horns driveninto the lion's chest, while the latter fixed his teeth in the bullock'sneck, and tore away with his claws at its side, until both fell deadtogether."
"It must be a grand country for sport," one of the officers said.
"It is that!" the trader replied. "I wonder sometimes that gentlemen inEngland, who spend great sums every year in deer-forests andgrouse-moors, do not more often come out for a few months' shootinghere. The voyage is a pleasant one, and although the journey up countryto the interior of course takes some time, the trip would be a novelone, and every comfort could be carried in the waggons; while the sport,when the right country was reached, would be more abundant and variedthan in any other part of the world. Lions may be met, deer of numerouskinds, giraffes, hippopotami, crocodiles, and many other animals, not tomention an occasional gallop after ostriches. The expenses, moreover,would not be greater than the rental and keep of a deer-forest."
"Yes, I am surprised myself that more sportsmen do not come out here.In odd times, too, they could get good fishing."
"Excellent," the trader replied; "some of the rivers literally swarmwith fish."
"When I get back to England," the colonel said, "I must advise some ofmy friends to try it. As you say, there are scores of men who spendtheir thousands a year on deer-forests, grouse-shooting, andhorseracing, and it would be a new sensation for them to come out for afew months' shooting in the interior of Africa. I must not tell themtoo much of the close shaves that you and your friends have had. Aspice of danger adds to the enjoyment, but the adventures that you havegone through go somewhat beyond the point."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
THE BOER INSURRECTION.
The next morning the lads bade farewell to Mr Harvey and the threehunters, and then rode on with the regiment. The day passed as quietlyas the preceding ones had done.
On the 20th the column was marching along a road commanded on both sidesby rising ground. The troops as usual were marching at ease; onecompany was ahead of the line of waggons, two companies marched instraggling order by the side of the long teams, and the fourth companyformed the rearguard.
Suddenly, without the slightest warning, a flash of fire burst from theedge of the rise at either side. Numbers of the men fell, and a sceneof the wildest confusion ensued. Some of the young soldiers ran forshelter underneath the waggons; others hastily loaded and fired in thedirection of their unseen foes.
The colonel and officers strove to steady the men, and to lead them upthe slope to attack the Boers; but so deadly was the fire of the latter,and the men fell in such numbers, that the colonel soon saw thatresistance was hopeless. Many of the officers were killed or wounded bythe first fire, and in five minutes after the first shot was fired 120men were killed or wounded; and as the rest could not be got together tocharge up the slope under the deadly fire of the Boers, the colonel, whowas himself wounded, surrendered with the survivors to the Boers. Twoor three mounted officers only succeeded in getting through.
When the fire opened, Dick and Tom at once threw themselves off theirhorses, and, unslinging their rifles, opened fire. When they saw thebewilderment and confusion, and how fast the men were dropping under thefire of the Boers, Dick said to his friend,--
"It is all up, Tom; it is simply a massacre. We will wait for a minuteor two, and then mount and make a dash for it."
Their horses were both lying down beside them, for the lads had taughtthem to do this at the word of command, as it enabled them often, whenout hunting, to conceal themselves in a slight depression from the sightof an approaching herd of deer. Thus they, as well as their masters,remained untouched by the storm of bullets. The Boers almost concealedfrom view, steadily picked off the men.
"It is of no use, Tom; let us mount and make a bolt for it. They mustsurrender in a few minutes, or not a man will be left alive."
They gave the word to their horses, and these leaped to their feet,
and,as was their habit in the chase, dashed off at full speed the instanttheir masters were in the saddle. Bending low on the necks of theirhorses, the lads rode at the top of their speed. Several bullets camevery close to them, but keeping closely side by side, to lessen the markthey presented to the enemy, they dashed on untouched. Looking round,when they had proceeded some little distance, they saw that four Boershad mounted and were in hot pursuit. Their horses were good ones, incapital condition, and had done easy work for the last few days. TheBoers also were well mounted, and for three or four miles the chasecontinued, the Dutch from time to time firing; but the lads were a goodfour hundred yards ahead, a distance beyond that at which the Boers areaccustomed to shoot, or which their guns will carry with any accuracy.
"We must stop this," Dick said, as they breasted an ascent.