Diamond Dyke

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

  BLACK SHADOWS.

  "What has been the matter, young un?" piped Emson feebly. "I say, don'tlook like that. Have I had a fall from my horse? I can't lift myhand."

  Dyke told him at last as he clung to that hand, and Emson's face grewmore and more troubled.

  "Don't," he whispered excitedly--"don't stop. You--you may catch--thefever--too."

  "What!" cried Dyke, with a forced laugh, "me catch the fever! Well, whocares? I don't. Bother! Who's going to catch it, old chap? Why, Ishould have caught it a hundred times before now."

  "You--you've been--nursing me?"

  "I've been here, but it hasn't been much of nursing," cried Dyke,laughing in a half-choking way, as his breast swelled with joy. "I'vefed you with a spoon and washed your face. Oh Joe, old man, you've beenjust like a big, stupid old baby."

  "And have I been ill long?"

  "Yes, ever so long. I was a terrible while before I got back, becausethe little river out yonder was flooded, and when I did come, I--I--I--oh Joe, old chap, I do feel so happy once more."

  It was a wise addition to his speech, for Dyke never looked much moremiserable in his life; but there was enough in his aspect to make Emsonsmile faintly, and then close his eyes.

  That brought back Dyke to the responsibilities of his position, and hesprang up.

  "Here! I've been letting you talk too much while you're so weak," hecried excitedly.

  Emson's lips parted to speak, but his brother laid a hand upon them.

  "No," he said, "you mustn't: you'll have to get stronger first; and I'vegot to feed you up, old chap."

  Just at that moment a dark shadow crossed the doorway, and Tanta Sal'sblack face appeared looking in.

  "Baas no go die," she said. "Jack tief. Baas Joe go get well. Look!"

  She held out a rough basket, in which were half-a-dozen new-laid eggs.

  "Jack find eggs," said Tanta. "Do so."

  She took one egg, gave it a tap, deftly broke the shell in two halves,let the white run out, and swallowed the yolk like an oyster.

  "Here, hold hard!" cried Dyke angrily. "You mustn't do that."

  "No. Tant mussen. Jack find eggs, do so. Jack tief."

  "Well, I'm glad I know where the eggs went," said Dyke, taking theremainder. "I thought our hens ought to lay some. But why didn't youtell us before?"

  "Jack say killum," replied the woman. "Baas Joe hungry?"

  "Not yet; I'll see to him," said Dyke, dismissing the woman, and heturned now to his brother with a strange dread creeping over him, forEmson lay back with his eyes closed, looking utterly exhausted, and asif the awakening from the long stage of delirium were only theflickering of the light of life in its socket. But by degrees Dykerealised that it was the fever that had burned out, and Emson had onlyfallen asleep--a restfully, calm sleep, from which he did not awakentill toward evening, when Dyke shivered with apprehension of theterrible attack that would come on about that time.

  But there was no attack, and after talking feebly in a whisper, theinvalid partook of a little food, then lay watching the glow in thewest, and soon went off to sleep again as calmly as an infant. "It'sall right," cried Dyke excitedly; "all I ought to do now is to keep onfeeding him up with good, strengthening things, given a little at atime. I believe I was cut out for a doctor after all."

  He stood watching the sleeper for a few minutes, thinking of howperfectly helpless the strong man had become, and then a thoughtoccurred to him. In an hour's time the guinea-fowl would be coming toroost in the trees beyond the kopje, and a couple of these stewed downby Tanta Sal would make a delicious kind of broth, the very thing forthe sick man. Going out, he called to the Kaffir woman, and sent her towatch over Emson; while, gun in hand, he prepared to start for thekopje, so as to get into a good hiding-place before the guinea-fowl camehome to roost.

  His first act was to whistle for Duke, but the dog did not appear, andthis set the lad wondering, for he remembered now that he had not seenit for hours.

  But he was too intent upon the task he had in hand to think more of thedog just then, and hurried on past the kopje, and into the patch offorest growth which nourished consequent upon the springs which trickledfrom the granite blocks that sheltered the spring and fertilised a fewdozen acres of land, before sinking right down among the sand and dyingaway.

  Dyke felt as if a complete change had come over his life during the pastfew hours. The golden light of evening had transformed the desertveldt, and everything looked glorious, while his spirits rose so, thathad he not wanted the birds, he would have burst out shouting andsinging in the exuberance of his joy.

  "Who says Kopfontein isn't a beautiful place?" he said softly. "I did,and didn't know any better. Why, it's lovely, and Joe and I will dowell yet."

  A cloud came over his brow as he made for the patch of trees. Hismemory was busy, and he began to recall the past--his discontent, andhow trying he must have been to his big, amiable, patient brother.

  "But never again!" he said to himself. "I didn't know any better then:I do now;" and, forgetting the dangers and troubles, or setting themaside as something of no consequence at all, Dyke passed on, and at lastentered the trees just as there was a glint of something bright fromwhich the sunset rays flashed.

  But Dyke did not see the glint, neither did he hear the bushes beingparted as something glided through the low growth, and anothersomething, and then another, and again another--four dark, shadowyfigures, which glided softly away, and then seemed to drop down flat andremain silent, as if watching.

  Dyke saw nothing and thought of nothing now but the broth for hisinvalid, but picking out a good hiding-place, he cocked his piece andwaited for the birds; while at the _click, click_ of the gun-locks,something bright was raised about fifty yards from where he was hidden,and the bright thing quivered above the bushes for a few moments beforeit disappeared again.

  That bright object, which was gilded by the sun's rays now flashinghorizontally through the trees, was the head of an assegai, sharp andcruelly dangerous; but Dyke's eyes were gazing straight away, over thedesert veldt, while he felt as if he should like to whistle.

  At last there was a distant metallic clangour; then came the rushing ofwings, the alighting of a noisy flock of birds which began to cry "_Comeback! Come back! Come back_!" and Dyke's gun spoke out twice, bringingdown twice as many birds.

  "Now, if I had old Duke here, he might have retrieved those for me,"thought the boy, rising to take a step or two toward the spot where hisbirds had fallen, the rest of the flock having departed with a wildoutcry, and as he moved, four assegais were raised into a horizontalposition. But, taught caution by the wild life he had been accustomedto, he stopped to recharge his gun.

  Before he had quite finished, there was a loud barking at a littledistance.

  "Why, there he is, tracking me out," cried Dyke; and, whistling sharply,the barking came again more loudly, a shout bringing Duke to his side,while, as soon as the dog understood what was wanted, he darted offafter the fallen birds, bringing in two directly from close to where theassegais had been poised.

  "Good dog! Two more! Seek!" cried Dyke. "Off with you!"

  The dog bounded away again, and Dyke stood whistling softly to himselfas he examined his prizes, and admired their clean-looking, speckledplumage.

  Duke was back directly, gave up the birds, coughed his teeth clear offluffy feathers, and then turned and stood looking in the direction fromwhence he had fetched the guinea-fowls.

  "Oh yes," said his master, "there'll be plenty more soon, but we've gotenough; so come along."

  Dyke shouldered his gun, carried the speckled birds in a bunch by theirlegs, and walked away toward the edge of the forest patch, the doglooking back from time to time, and barking uneasily. But the mastercould not read the dog's warning; he attributed it to the guinea-fowlcoming to roost, though black-faced lurkers, armed with assegais, wereon the dog's trail till they were safely out
of the forest, at whoseedge the four Kaffirs paused to watch, while Dyke went on toward home.

  And now the dog forgot that which he had seen in the wood. The openveldt, with the kopje on their left, made him recall something else, andhe began barking and trying to lead his master away beyond theostrich-pens, Dyke understanding him well enough; but with his game inhand, and the purpose for which it was intended in mind, for a long timehe refused to go.

  At last, though, he yielded to the dog's importunity, feeling sure thata portion of their stock must be in trouble, and that Duke had beenwatching it for some time past, till he heard the reports of the gun.