CHAPTER SEVEN.
HOW CONGO THE KAFFIR KILLED A LIONESS.
Congo had now become an object of as great interest as in the morning.Greater in fact, for the new danger he was about to undergo--a combatwith an enraged lioness--was accounted still greater than that offording the Gareep, and the interest was in proportion. With eager eyesthe young yagers stood watching him as he prepared himself for theencounter.
He was but a short while in getting ready. He was seen to enter the VanWyk wagon, and in less than three minutes come out again fully armed andequipped. The lioness would not have long to wait for her assailant.
The equipment of the Kaffir must needs be described.
It was simple enough, though odd to a stranger's eye. It was neithermore nor less than the equipment of a Zooloo warrior.
In his right hand he held a bunch of _assegais_,--in all six of them.
What is an "assegai?"
It is a straight lance or spear, though not to be used as one. It issmaller than either of these weapons, shorter and more slender in theshaft, but like them armed with an iron head of arrow shape. In battleit is not retained in the hand, but flung at the enemy, often from aconsiderable distance. It is, in short, a "javelin," or "dart,"--suchas was used in Europe before fire-arms became known, and such as atpresent forms the war weapon of all the savage tribes of SouthernAfrica, but especially those of the Kaffir nations. And well know theyhow to project this dangerous missile. At the distance of a hundredyards they will send it with a force as great, and an aim as unerring,as either bullet or arrow! The assegai is flung by a single arm.
Of these javelins Congo carried six, spanning their slender shafts withhis long muscular fingers.
The assegais were not the oddest part of his equipment. That was aremarkable thing which he bore on his left arm. It was of oval form,full six feet in length by about three in width, concave on the sidetowards his body, and equally convex on the opposite. More than anything else did it resemble a small boat or canoe made of skins stretchedover a framework of wood, and of such materials was it constructed. Itwas, in fact, a shield,--a Zooloo shield--though of somewhat largerdimensions than those used in war. Notwithstanding its great size itwas far from clumsy, but light, tight, and firm,--so much so that arrow,assegai, or bullet, striking it upon the convex side, would have glancedoff as from a plate of steel.
A pair of strong bands fastened inside along the bottom enabled thewearer to move it about at will; and placed upright, with its lower endresting upon the ground, it would have sheltered the body of the tallestman. It sheltered that of Congo, and Congo was no dwarf.
Without another word he walked out, the huge _carapace_ on his left arm,five of the assegais clutched in his left hand, while one that he hadchosen for the first throw he held in his right. This one was graspednear the middle, and carried upon the balance.
No change had taken place in the situation of affairs out upon theplain. In fact, there had not been much time for any. Scarce fiveminutes had elapsed from the time the Kaffir stated his purpose, untilhe went forth to execute it. The lioness was still roaming about,uttering her frightful screams. The hyenas were still there. Themoment the Kaffir was seen approaching, the cowardly hyenas fled with ahowl, and soon disappeared under the bosch.
Far different with the lioness. She seemed to pay no regard to theapproach of the hunter. She neither turned her head, nor looked in thedirection he was coming. Her whole attention was absorbed by the massof bodies upon the plain. She yelled her savage notes as she regardedthem. She was no doubt lamenting the fate of her grim and swarthypartner, that lay dead before her eyes. At all events, she did not seemto notice the hunter, until he had got within twenty paces of the spot!
At that distance the Kaffir halted, rested his huge shield upon theground--still holding it erect--poised the assegai a moment in his righthand, and then sent it whizzing through the air.
It pierced the side of the tawny brute, and hung quivering between herribs. Only for a moment. The fierce animal doubled round upon herself,caught the shaft in her teeth, and broke it off as if it had been astraw!
The blade of the assegai still remained in the flesh, but the lionesswaited no longer. She had now perceived her enemy; and, uttering avengeful scream, she sprang towards him. With one tremendous bound shecleared three-fourths of the space that lay between them, and a secondwould have carried her upon the shoulders of the Kaffir; but the latterwas prepared to receive her, and, as she rose to her second leap, hedisappeared suddenly from the scene! As if by magic he had vanished;and had not the boys been watching his every movement, they would havebeen at a loss to know what had become of him. But they knew that underthat oval convex form, whose edges rested upon the earth, lay Congo theKaffir. There lay he, like a tortoise in its shell, clutching thestraps with all his might, and pressing his carapace firmly against theground!
The lioness was more astonished than the spectators. At the second leapshe pitched right down upon the shield, but the drum-like noise made byher weight, and the hard firm substance encountered by her claws, quitedisconcerted her, and springing aside she stood gazing at the odd objectwith looks of alarm!
She stood but for a moment, and then, uttering a savage growl ofdisappointment, turned tail upon it, and trotted off!
This growl guided Congo. The shield was raised from the ground--only onone side, and but a very little way at first--just enough to enable thehunter to see the stern of the retreating lioness.
Then the Kaffir rose quickly to his feet, and, holding the shield erect,prepared for the casting of a second assegai.
This was quickly thrown and pierced the animal in the flank, where shaftand all remained sticking in the flesh. The lioness turned withredoubled fury, once more charged upon her assailant, and, as before,was met by the hard convex surface of the shield. This time she did notimmediately retreat, but stood menacing the strange object, striking itwith her clawed hoofs, and endeavouring to turn it over.
Now was the moment of peril for Congo. Had the lioness succeeded inmaking a capsize, it would have been all up with him, poor fellow! Buthe knew the danger, and with one hand clutching the leathern straps, andthe other bearing upon the edge of the frame, he was able to hold firmand close,--closer even "than a barnacle to a ship's copper."
After venting her rage in several impotent attempts to break or overturnthe carapace, the lioness at length went growling away towards herformer position.
Her growls, as before, guided the actions of Congo. He was soon uponhis feet, another assegai whistled through the air, and pierced throughthe neck of the lioness.
But, as before, the wound was not fatal, and the animal, now enraged toa frenzy, charged once more upon her assailant. So rapid was heradvance that it was with great difficulty Congo got under cover. Amoment later, and his ruse would have failed, for the claws of the lionrattled upon the shield as it descended.
He succeeded, however, in planting himself firmly, and was once moresafe under the thick buffalo hide. The lioness now howled withdisappointed rage; and after spending some minutes in fruitlessendeavours to upset the shield, she once more desisted. This time,however, instead of going away, the angry brute kept pacing round andround, and at length _lay down within three feet of the spot_. Congowas besieged!
The boys saw at a glance that Congo was a captive. The look of thelioness told them this. Though she was several hundred yards off, theycould see that she wore an air of determination, and was not likely todepart from the spot without having her revenge. There could be noquestion about it,--the Kaffir was in "a scrape."
Should the lioness remain, how was he to get out of it? He could notescape by any means. To raise the shield would be to tempt the fiercebrute upon him. Nothing could be plainer than that. The boys shoutedaloud to warn him of his danger. They feared that he might not be awareof the close proximity of his enemy.
Notwithstanding the danger there was something ludicrous
in thesituation in which the Kaffir was placed; and the young hunters, thoughanxious about the result, could scarce keep from laughter, as theylooked forth upon the plain.
There lay the lioness within three feet of the shield, regarding it withfixed and glaring eyes, and at intervals uttering her savage growls.There lay the oval form, with Congo beneath, motionless and silent. Astrange pair of adversaries, indeed!
Long time the lioness kept her close vigil, scarce moving her body fromits crouching attitude. Her tail only vibrated from side to side, andthe muscles of her jaws quivered with subdued rage. The boys shoutedrepeatedly to warn Congo; though no reply came from the hollow interiorof the carapace. They might have spared their breath. The cunningKaffir knew as well as they the position of his enemy. Her growls, aswell as her loud breathing, kept him admonished of her whereabouts; andhe well understood how to act under the circumstances.
For a full half-hour this singular scene continued; and as the lionessshowed no signs of deserting her post, the young yagers at lengthdetermined upon an attack, or, at all events, a feint that would drawher off.
It was close upon sunset, and should night come down what would becomeof Congo? In the darkness he might be destroyed. He might relax hiswatchfulness,--he might go to sleep, and then his relentless enemy wouldhave the advantage.
Something must be done to release him from his narrow prison,--and atonce.
They had saddled and mounted their horses, and were about to ride forth,when the sharp-eyed Hans noticed that the lioness was much farther offfrom the shield than when he last looked that way. And yet she had notmoved,--at all events, no one had seen her stir--and she was still inthe very same attitude! How then?
"Ha! look yonder! the shield is moving!"
As Hans uttered these words the eyes of all turned suddenly upon thecarapace.
Sure enough, it was moving. Slowly and gradually it seemed to glidealong the ground, like a huge tortoise, though its edges remained closeto the surface. Although impelled by no visible power, all understoodwhat this motion meant,--Congo was the moving power!
The yagers held their bridles firm, and sat watching with breathlessinterest.
In a few minutes more the shield had moved full ten paces from thecrouching lioness. The latter seemed not to notice this change in therelative position of herself and her cunning adversary. If she did, shebeheld it rather with feelings of curiosity or wonder than otherwise.At all events, she kept her post until the curious object had gone awide distance from her.
She might not have suffered it to go much farther; but it was now farenough for her adversary's purpose, for the shield suddenly becameerect, and the Kaffir once more sent his assegai whirring from his hand.
It was the fatal shaft. The lioness chanced to be crouching broadsidetowards the hunter. His aim was true, and the barbed iron piercedthrough her heart. A sharp growl, that was soon stifled,--a shortdespairing struggle, that soon ended, and the mighty brute laymotionless in the dust!
A loud "hurrah!" came from the direction of the camp, and the youngyagers now galloped forth upon the plain, and congratulated Congo uponthe successful result of his perilous conflict.
The group of dead bodies was approached, and there a new surpriseawaited the hunters. The lion was dead, as they had long sinceconjectured,--the sharp horns of the oryx had done the work; but whatastonished all of them was, that the horns that had impaled the body ofthe great lion still remained sticking in his side. The oryx had beenunable to extricate them, and would thus have perished along with hervictim, even had the lioness not arrived to give the fatal blow!
This, both Congo and Swartboy assured the party, was no uncommonoccurrence, and the bodies of the lion and gemsbok are often found uponthe plains locked in this fatal embrace!
The cow gemsbok, yielding the more tender venison, was soon skinned andcut up; and as the delicious steaks spurted over the red coals of theircamp-fire, the young yagers became very merry, and laughed at thesingular incidents of the day.