CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
JACK ROGERS GOES TO SLEEP.
Jack could hardly tell afterwards how it all happened, for he felt thathe must have gone off fast asleep from utter exhaustion, but his sleepcould not have lasted above an hour, for when he awoke with a start thesun had only just dipped down out of sight, and there was a faint glowstill amongst the trees.
All was very silent and he was drowsy, but a feeling of alarm now beganto oppress him, and he wondered whether Chicory and the General wouldsoon be there.
His next thought was about his rifle, which still lay across his knees;and feeling that he might at any moment be called upon to use it in hisdefence, he cocked both barrels, and was then about to get up and shout,when, not a hundred yards away down a broad vista of the open forest, hesaw something which made him present his rifle and then sit motionless,with his heart going thump, thump, heavily beneath his ribs.
For there, stealing softly along, with its belly almost sweeping theground, was a huge lion--not a smooth, maneless lion, such as the twothey had slain, but a big-muzzled, rugged-maned, hairy monster, such ashe was familiar with in pictures--the natural history lion that he hadseen a hundred times.
To have attempted to fire would have been madness at that distance, andit was evident that he was at present in no danger, for seated as he wasin the shadow, with his back to the trunk of a great tree, the lion hadnot seen him.
The next moment Jack saw why he passed unnoticed.
The lion was cautiously stalking some dark animal that was softlygliding through the bushes, following it step by step awaiting the timeto spring.
It was an interesting sight, though painful; and Jack thought of hisbrother's adventure with the serpent, and whether he was not in dutybound to save this animal from its pursuer as his brother saved thegazelle.
The next moment Jack's heart seemed to stand still, for the dark animalpassed out of the bushes into sight, and he saw that it was no wildanimal, but poor Chicory, bending down, and evidently carefully tracingsome spoor, perhaps his brother's, while the lion was following tostrike him down.
It was a terrible position; for young as he was in woodcraft, Jack hadnot yet acquired the firmness in critical moments that comes to the oldhunter, and for the time he felt paralysed.
He was a brave, self-denying boy, but in that emergency he could onlysit there, turned as it were to stone, and watch the motions of poorChicory, and the merciless beast that was stealthily creeping along inhis wake without a sound.
Jack knew that Chicory's position was critical in the extreme, and thatif he did not save him by a lucky shot the lion would strike him down;but he could not move; the muscles of his whole body refused to act, asif he was in a nightmare; all he could do was to move his eyes and watchthe terrible tragedy about to be enacted.
The boy felt as if he would have given worlds to be able to fire, oreven shout; but he could do nothing but wait, and see Chicory creepingpatiently along in and out among the trees and bushes, now hidden, nowcoming into sight for a few moments, but always so intent upon thefootprints he was examining, that he did not hear his enemy.
And what an enemy! There was the great powerful beast, with glaringeyes and horrent mane, creeping along with its fur brushing the grass,and every foot touching the ground like velvet. At times Jack could seethe great muscles moving beneath its skin, and the pliant tail swayingand quivering as it softly lashed it to and fro.
Several times over it crouched down, as if about to spring, but a quickmovement on the part of the Zulu boy caused it to pause--and still thehunt went on.
As Jack sat there the great drops of perspiration gathered upon hisforehead, and trickled down his face. The sun's light reflected fromthe glowing clouds grew less, and there was a grey gloom gatheringround, which made the scene before him more painful. At one time hethought that as darkness came on Chicory might give up, become aware ofhis danger, and so escape. Even now, if he could have warned him theboy would have doubtless bounded into a tree, for he was as quick andactive as a monkey; but no warning passed from Jack's lips, and thestrange weird scene went on.
The forest glade before him might have been a maze whose path Chicorywas trying to thread, and the lion some faithful attendant beast,watchfully following in his very steps. But though Jack's body was asit were enchained, his mind was in a fearful state of activity; and notonly did he follow as if fascinated every step, but his thoughts evenwent in advance, and he felt sick as he thought of the catastrophe aboutto happen, seeming to see the lion make its final crouch and spring,hearing too the boy's death-shriek; and as the actors in the terriblescene drew nearer to him, Jack strove with all his might to cast off hisinaction.
On still, and in and out, in a heavy weary way, as if he could hardlyput one leg before the other, went poor Chicory; and slowly andcarefully followed the lion, the massive jaws thrust forward, and eachgreat paw raised and set down without a sound.
It could not have lasted more than a few minutes, this exciting scene,but it seemed never ending to Jack as he sat there, till in one instanthe was roused back into action, and to try and the poor boy.
In his wanderings in and out, as has been said, Chicory came nearer towhere his young master sat, with his back to the trunk of the greatforest-tree, and more than once Jack wondered that the lion had not seenhim; though this was easily explainable--he remained perfectlymotionless, and the animal was intent upon his prey.
Chicory had come on nearer and nearer then, till he was not above thirtyyards from Jack, when, turning in amongst some long grass, the positionswere suddenly reversed, for in place of following the Zulu boy, the lioncrept round a clump of bushes so as to come face to face with him, andthen crouched ready to spring--just as Chicory stopped short, leaningforward over something in the long grass, and, dropping his assegai,uttered a piercing shriek.
Not thirty yards away, and just in face of where Jack was; and he knewthat Chicory had come upon something terrible, perhaps the body of hisbrother, while he, Jack, had been sitting there quite unconscious, andhad even in his ignorance gone to sleep.
It was that cry that roused Jack into action, for, almost as the boydropped his assegai and leaned over that something in the long grass,the lion gathered itself for its spring, and the watcher's rifle rose tohis shoulder. There was one quick aim--the sharp crack, followed by amultitude of echoes; and Jack sprang to his feet and on one side, toavoid the charge should the lion come his way.
There was a deafening roar, and the lion, which had fallen short in hisspring and rolled over, evidently badly hit, struggled to his feet, andmade at Jack, who sheltered himself behind the nearest tree; and whenthe great brute came on, with distended claws and bristling mane, hefired again, at a distance of a couple of yards, forgetting that hischarge was but small shot.
At that distance, though, small shot were as good as a bullet, and thelion fell in his tracks, snarling and growling horribly, as he struckimpotently at his slayer; then his head fell back, the mighty paws grewinert, and he lay over more upon his side--for with a furious cry ofrage Chicory forgot his weariness, and picking up his assegai, drove itdeep into the animal's chest.
Hardly believing it true, Jack rapidly reloaded, congratulating himselfupon what he had done, when he heard the rustling of leaves, andpresented his piece, fully expecting that it was the lion's mate.
But no: it was the General, who ran panting up, having heard the soundof the rifle, and as he reached them Chicory took his hand, and led himto the patch of grass without a word.
Jack followed, instinctively knowing that something terrible was there.And then his heart seemed to stand still, as he heard a deep groan burstfrom the General's breast, and he sank down by the body of the son hehad come to seek.
"Is--is he dead?" said Jack, in a hoarse whisper, as he gazed down inthe gathering darkness at poor Coffee's bleeding form.
For answer the General was feeling the boy's chest, and he then laid hisear against his side.
"No, not dead!" he cried excitedly.
Then lifting the boy in his arms, he started off back towards thewaggon, Jack and Chicory following behind, but not until the latter hadrushed back to where the lion lay, and plunged his assegai once moredeeply into the monster's chest.
Off to the Wilds: Being the Adventures of Two Brothers Page 17