CHAPTER TEN.
A GLORIOUS SIGHT FOR A HUNTER.
Watch was set in the usual manner, so that the fire might be well keptup, and after a good dry, and a hearty meal--such a one as is made bythose who have toiled all day in the open air--those who were at libertyso to do soon sought their blankets, and slept soundly and well.
To Dick and Jack it seemed that they had only just lain down, when therewas a firm hand laid upon them, and they were awakened by the General,who signed to them in the grey morning light to get up.
They crept out of the waggon yawning, but that sign of slothfulness wassoon chased away, and their father joining them, they took their gunsand followed the General, leaving Dinny with orders to wake the boys,and to get breakfast ready by their return.
"Where are we going, father?" asked Dick.
"I can't say, my boy. The Zulu awakened me as he did you. He hassomething to show us, I suppose."
Their way lay up a woodland slope, where the trees had a park-likeaspect, and beneath their shade it was still quite dim, but here andthere they caught glimpses of the sky, which was flecked with littleclouds of orange, and vermilion, and gold, while the light was rapidlygrowing in the east.
The General went on rapidly, as if quite sure of his route, and itseemed that the point at which he was aiming was the highest part of aridge.
And so it proved, for when he had reached the summit the Zulu chiefwalked cautiously along for a short distance, and then stopped andstooped down, motioning to those who followed to do the same.
They obeyed him implicitly, preparing their pieces at the same time.Then creeping up to him cautiously, they found that they were on a ridgelooking down into a widespread valley, flooded with the light of theapproaching sunrise.
It was a glorious scene, and worth all the trouble and patience of theirlong journey to see. It was almost breathlessly that they gazed at thebroad, grassy valley, with its clumps of trees, patches of wood, andportions dotted with masses of rock, whose tops were bathed in the ambermorning tints, while in the direction where the little party gazed theshadows of tree and stone lay dark.
Facing them in the east the clouds were now gorgeous in their hues, onelayer forming a grand arch of light, towards which darted upwards therays of the coming sun.
But it was not only the sunrise that was glorious in the extreme, northe beauty of the broad valley that held the spectators' eyes, but theoccupants of the scene below.
The General had undertaken to guide them to what he called the greatgame country, and he had kept his word. For below them--to right, toleft, and away towards the golden burst of glory where the sun was aboutto rise--the land was literally alive with game.
Down to their right spread broad marshy lagoon after lagoon, in whichswam, dived or waded, countless ducks and crane. Here, writhing itssnaky neck and curious head and beak, was the flamingo, all white androse; there, soft grey cranes and others, with a lovely crest, as if inimitation of the rays of the rising sun.
But it was not the wondrous variety of birds alone that took theirattention, but the large game, feeding, gambolling, and careering incountless herds. To the left were zebras, and beyond some quaggas, orwild asses, the peculiar bray or cry of _quay-gah_! _quay-gah_! reachingto their ears. On their right there were gnus, or wildebeestes, as theBoers called them, brindled and the blue--curiously fierce-lookinglittle animals, partaking both of the character of the deer and thebuffalo. Some grazed placidly in the morning light, others were engagedin tilting at each other with their horns, while their companions lookedon as if waiting for their turn; and every now and then the sound of thestriking horns ascended to the woody ridge with a loud crash.
But while these creatures contended together, groups of antelopes weredotted here and there, while others careered at lightning speed over theplain.
The sight was wonderful, and the boys felt as if they would never tireof watching the evolutions of the graceful creatures, which, with theirskins glistening and horns looking golden in the morning light, seemedto be going through a series of military evolutions with the greatestprecision.
"Koodoo, pronghorn," said Mr Rogers, looking at the herd through hisglass. "There are a dozen elands too," he continued, and then passedthe glass to his sons.
"Oh, this is grand," cried Dick enthusiastically. "I could stay herefor ever watching the graceful creatures."
"So could I," said Jack, after breakfast. "I say, father, hadn't webetter shoot something--the stock's getting low?"
"Yes," said Mr Rogers quietly; and he longed to go himself and bringdown a good fat buck for the replenishment of the larder; but theexpedition was for his sons, and he gave place to them. "Now, Dick," hecontinued, "here is a chance for you to try and stalk one of thosehartebeestes; or better still, a nice fat antelope. Pick out one with afine head of horns, and then aim straight at the shoulder, and be sureand bring him down."
"At what distance would you fire, father?" asked Dick.
"I'd get as close as I could, my boy, but I'd fire at six or sevenhundred yards sooner than miss a shot. Now go!"
Dick crept off, his father giving him a warning word about not losinghis way, but to impress the land-marks upon his memory, so as torecognise them if he went astray.
As he disappeared down the valley side of the slope, Mr Rogers turnedto Jack.
"Well, my boy, would you like a try as well?"
Jack's whole face, as well as his tongue, said yes, and Mr Rogerssmilingly pointed down into the valley, in the other direction.
"Be careful," he said, "and don't fire either in our direction or inyour brother's, for a rifle-bullet flies far."
"All right, father," cried Jack; and he too crept down the slope frombush to bush, to try and stalk one of the bok that came nearest to theclump of wood upon his right.
"So this is the game country?" said Mr Rogers.
"Yes, boss, this the game country, but only bit outside. I show you biggame yet--elephant, lion, all the big animal, only wait."
Mr Rogers was ready to set self aside in every way in his efforts toeducate his sons, so he took out his glass and sat down beside theGeneral, watching the various herds of wild animals in the glowingmorning light, and thinking how grateful he ought to be to see his boysdaily growing in health, strength, and confidence. For it wasunmistakable; Dick, the weak, half-consumptive lad, was alteringrapidly, and the anxious father's heart rejoiced as the dark shadow thathad hovered over his life seemed to be chased away.
As he sat there thinking, and bringing his glass to bear upon thevarious herds, while waiting for them to take the alarm, he could nothelp feeling that Dick and Jack were managing uncommonly well to havegone on so long without alarming the game. It showed thoughtfulness,and ability in the hunter's craft; not, of course, that he wished themto turn out hunters, but he believed in thoroughness, and he used to saythat if it was only play it ought to be done well.
He was letting the glass rest upon his knees, with his eyes runningdreamily over the landscape, when he became aware of the fact that theZulu was watching him intently, as he sat there with a couple ofassegais across his knees.
"I am sorry I was so unjust to him that night," thought Mr Rogers. "Itis a pity one's nature prompts one to be so hasty and suspicious."
Then as his eyes met those of the General, as it was fast becoming thecustom to call him, he cudgelled his brains for some way of showing hisconfidence in him, who was so completely their guide.
Suddenly a soft smile beamed on the Zulu's fierce countenance, and hesaid gently,--
"Boss thinking about his boys. Fine brave boys; make big warriors andchiefs. Zulu wish his boys here too. Love his boys same as white man."
Mr Rogers stretched out his hand to the Zulu on the instant, for he hadtouched the chord of their common humanity, and white man and black man,as their hands joined in one firm grip, felt that henceforth they wouldbe friends who could trust each other to the end.
"Look!" cried the Z
ulu suddenly; and he pointed down into the plain,where the alarm had been taken in the direction taken by Dick.
Antelopes that had been feeding, suddenly threw up their heads andgalloped together, seeming to form square--first with horns outward toresist attack; then they reformed, and charged in one direction; halted,turned, and charged in another--as if alarmed, and yet not knowing whichway to go.
The wildebeestes that had been fighting stopped, erected their tails,pawed the ground, and then, throwing their heads side-wise, began toplough it with one horn, but only to snort loudly and tear over theplain; while the zebras and quaggas began to toss their heads and tearabout over the grassy wild, kicking and plunging, and scattering thelight antelopes like the wind.
Suddenly there was a puff of smoke from a clump of bushes quite a mileaway, and after an interval the faint crack of a rifle.
"That's Dick's gun, General," said Mr Rogers, bringing his glass tobear upon a little herd of antelopes that must have formed the object ofthe shot; but not one of them fell, neither did either of them seem tobe lamed.
"Miss, this time," said the General, quietly.
Just then there was another report, evidently a shot at long range; butthe only effect was to drive the game more in the direction of Jack'sposition, or what they supposed to be Jack's position.
Seeing then that Dick was not likely to get another shot, Mr Rogersturned his glass in the other direction; but there was nothing to seebut the great herds of game, going more and more towards a clump oftimber--trees that were of glorious shades of green in the morning sun.But, all at once, as a troop of gnus were trotting by, three or fourlarge birds came rushing out, as if alarmed, and the gnus took fright,tearing off at a frantic pace. But before they had gone far there was awhite puff of smoke from the end of the clump.
"Well done!" cried Mr Rogers. "He did well to get so far. But it isanother miss. We must not depend on the boys yet for our dinners."
The whole plain seemed to be now alive, and herd after herd of game,that had been hidden from them by the trees, had rushed into sight, andwas now careering onward, and away from the dangerous proximity to thewoods.
"Poor boys! All their trouble for nothing," said Mr Rogers, closinghis glass. "I wish I had gone too. I might have hit something."
"Boss Jack has hit," said the Zulu, pointing.
And just then, to the father's great delight, he saw one of the curiousantelopes suddenly stop short, the rest of the herd galloping onwards.Then it shook its head, turned, and seemed giddily to gallop back, andfinally fell dead.
Almost at the same moment they saw Jack run out from the clump oftimber, gun in one hand, cap in the other, which latter he began to wavefrantically above his head.
"Well done, boy! A good shot," cried Mr Rogers. "Ah, there's Dick."
For Dick now showed himself, a mile away to the left, and began to crossthe open to join his brother, whose success he must have seen.
"The next thing is to get the game home," said Mr Rogers. "We'll goback, and send Peter and Dirk."
He placed a shrill little whistle to his lips as he spoke, and as itspiercing note rang out, the boys, who had been making for the fallengnu, turned to come back.
"I'll go!" said the General. "Mustn't leave the game. Look, boss."
He pointed, and in the distance there was a great vulture winging itsway towards the fallen gnu; and, directly after, another and anothercame into sight, sailing heavily along upon its great dusky flappingwings.
It seemed as if telegrams had been sent in all directions to thevultures' roosting-places that there had been a wildebeeste slain; andit was so evident that, if steps were not taken to save it, the vultureswould destroy the provisions of three or four days, that Mr Rogersrapidly blew twice upon his whistle--a preconcerted signal, which madethe boys turn and go towards the game.
As it was, a vulture would have reached the fallen animal before thembut for a shot from Dick's gun, which had the effect of more thanscaring it as it was just alighting, for, evidently hit by the bullet,it flew a few yards, and then fell, flapping its wings for a fewmoments, and then lay still.
This checked the others for the time, and Mr Rogers waited till theGeneral should set the boys at liberty, when he meant to return to thewaggon.
Off to the Wilds: Being the Adventures of Two Brothers Page 10