CHAPTER THREE.
In a few days I was able to stroll a short distance from the camp,always taking my gun with me. Though I still walked with somedifficulty, I every hour found my strength returning. Had we possesseda waggon we might have loaded it with skins, so abundant was the game;but, although we prepared a few of the most valuable, we could notventure to add much to the cargo of our poor ox. At last my uncle,seeing that I was strong enough to undertake the fatigue of the journey,announced his intention of setting off, and I determined that it shouldnot be my fault if I broke down again.
In order to try my strength, I accompanied him on a short shootingexcursion from the camp, where we left Jan to look after the ox and ourgoods. I found that I got along far better than I had expected; thesatisfaction of once more finding myself able to move about greatlyraising my spirits. We had gone but a short distance when looking overthe bushes we saw some objects moving up and down which, as we creptnearer, turned out to be a pair of elephant's ears.
"We must have that fellow," said my uncle; "we can carry his tusks, andone of his feet will afford us a substantial meal." The elephant, wefancied, did not see us; and keeping ourselves concealed by theunderwood, we cautiously advanced. Presently we found ourselves on theborders of an open glade, a few low bushes only intervening betweenourselves and the elephant. He now saw us clearly enough, and notliking our appearance, I suppose, lifted up his trunk and begantrumpeting loudly.
"If he comes on, don't attempt to run," whispered my uncle, "but facehim for a moment, and fire at his shoulder; then leap on one side orbehind a tree, or if you can do so, climb up it with your rifle. I willlook out for myself." As he spoke the elephant began to advance towardsus. I fired, as did my uncle, the moment afterwards; but, though weboth hit him, the huge beast, after approaching a few paces nearer,instead of charging, turned away to the left, and went crashing throughthe wood.
We having reloaded were about to follow him, when the heads of nearly adozen other elephants appeared from the direction where we had seen thefirst; and, advancing rapidly through the shrubs which they trampledunder foot, with trunks and tail stuck out, and uttering loudtrumpetings, they came rushing like a torrent down upon us.
"Come behind these bushes!" cried my uncle, "and don't move thence ifyou value your life."
I felt as if my life was of very little value just then, for I could notsee how we were to escape being crushed by the huge monsters as theyrushed over us. My uncle fortunately possessed all the coolnessrequired by an elephant hunter.
"Fire at that fellow opposite," he cried. "I'll take the next, andthey'll probably turn aside."
We almost at the same moment pulled our triggers. The elephant at whichmy uncle fired stopped short, then down it came with a crash on itsknees; while the one I aimed at rushed by with its companions, verynearly giving me an ugly kick with its feet.
We had both dropped behind the bush the moment we had delivered ourfire. On went the creatures trumpeting with rage, and disappointed atnot finding us.
We were not free from danger, for it was possible that they mightreturn. As soon, therefore, as their tails had disappeared among thebrushwood, we reloaded and ran towards some trees, the trunks of whichwould afford us some protection. Here we waited a short time in sightof the elephant which lay dead on the ground. We could hear thetrumpeting of the others grow less distinct as they made their waythrough the forest, either influenced by fear or excited by rage,fancying they were still following us up.
"They will not come back for the present," said my uncle at length as weissued out from among the trees, when he at once began to cut out thetusks from the dead elephant. These he calculated weighed togetherfully a hundred and ten pounds. This, however, was a greater weightthan he could carry, and he would not allow me to attempt to help him.
"You shall convey one of the feet to the camp, and we will try our skillin cooking it," he said, dexterously cutting it off.
Taking a stick he ran it through the foot so that I could the moreeasily carry it. He then having shouldered one of the tusks, we set outfor the camp, well satisfied with our day's sport.
As soon as we arrived we sent off Jan for the other tusk, as he couldeasily find the way by the track we had made; while my uncle dug a holeclose to the fire, into which he raked a quantity of ashes, and thencovered it up. After some time he again scraped out the ashes, andhaving wrapt the foot up in leaves, he put it into the hole, and coveredit up with hot earth. On the top of all he once more lit a fire, andkept it blazing away for some time.
The fire had well-nigh burnt out when Jan returned with the other tusk.He told us that on his way back he had seen the spoors of the elephants,and that if we chose to follow them, he was sure that we should come upwith them, and should most probably find those we had wounded.
We now uncovered our elephant's foot, which Jan pronounced to be assatisfactorily cooked as his own countrymen could have done it. Theflesh was soft and gelatinous, greatly resembling calves-head, and wasso tender that we could scoop it out with a spoon. I don't know that Iever enjoyed a meal more. Although we could not venture to load our oxwith more than the two tusks we had already obtained, my uncle, hopingsoon to fall in with Mr Welbourn, determined to try and obtain thetusks from the other two elephants we had wounded, and to leave themconcealed, until we could send for them. There was the risk, of course,of their being discovered by the natives, as we were now approaching aninhabited part of the country. We had still a couple of hours ofday-light, and as I did not feel myself fatigued with my previousexertions, my uncle agreed to allow me to accompany him, while Jan wasleft to clean the tusks and to prepare straps for carrying them on theback of the ox.
We soon discovered the elephants' spoor, and followed it for somedistance, the splashes of blood we found here and there showing that thewounded animal had stopped to rest. It would be necessary, as weapproached them, to be cautious, as they would be on the alert and readyto revenge themselves for the injury they had received.
We now every moment expected to come upon them. We stopped to listen;no sound could we hear to indicate that they were near us. We,therefore, went on until, reaching the top of a hillock, we caught sightof some water glittering among the trees. Advancing a little further asmall lakelet opened out before us, in the shallow part of which, nearthe shore, stood an elephant, sucking up the water with his trunk andthrowing it over his neck and shoulders.
My uncle remarked that he was sure it was the animal we had wounded, butthat he was still too far off to give us a chance of killing him. Wewere making our way among the trees, hoping to got near without beingperceived--though that was no easy matter as he kept his sharp eyesturning about in every direction--when, from behind the grove which hadbefore concealed them, several more rushed out.
"They see us!" cried my uncle. "We must get up among the branches andshoot them as they pass, for they will not let us escape as easily asbefore."
Fortunately, near at hand was a tree, up which, without much difficulty,we could make our way. My uncle, going up first, helped me to followhim.
Scarcely had we secured ourselves when the elephants came up with theirtrunks sticking out and trumpeting as loudly as before. As they kepttheir eyes on the ground, they did not see us. We fired at them as theypassed.
We remained for some time expecting the wounded elephant to follow itscompanions, but as it did not we began to hope that it had succumbed,and that we might find it dead in the neighbourhood. We were about todescend to look for it, when the heads of three giraffes, orcamelopards, as they are sometimes called, appeared among the trees; theanimals lifting up their tall necks to crop the leaves as they advanced.As they were coming in our direction we agreed to wait. By descendingwe might frighten them. In a short time one separated from the others,and got so close that my uncle could not resist the temptation offiring. As the shot entered its neck the graceful animal sank down tothe ground, and lay perfectly dead. The other two
trotted off to ashort distance, alarmed by the report; but, seeing no human foe and notknowing what had happened to their companion, they stopped and continuedbrowsing on the leaves as before.
"The chances are that they will soon come this way, and so we cannot dobetter than remain where we are," observed my uncle.
We sat some time watching the graceful creatures as they stretched uptheir long necks to a remarkable height, in search of the young shootsand leaves. Presently we saw one of them turn its head and look towardsits dead companion. The next moment a lion burst out from among thebushes and sprang towards the giraffe on the ground. I had fancied thatlions never condescended to feast on a dead animal; but probably therewas still some little life in the giraffe, or, at all events, havingonly just been killed, the carcase could have had no savoury odour.Directly afterwards we heard a roar, and another lion sprang from thecover, the first replying with a roar which made the welkin ring. If wecould not kill the lions, it was evident that we should soon have noneof the meat to carry back with us. Instead, however, of beginning totear the giraffe to pieces, the lions began walking round and round itand roaring lustily, possibly thinking that it was the bait to a trap,as they are taught by experience to be wary, many of their relativeshaving been caught in traps set by the natives. So occupied were thebrutes with this matter that they did not discover us though we were atno great distance from them.
The two giraffes, on hearing the first lion roar, had trotted off, orthey would probably have soon been attacked.
"Stay here, Fred!" whispered my uncle to me: "I will descend and get ashot at one of those fellows--don't be alarmed. If I kill him, thechances are the other runs off. At all events, I will retreat to thetree, and do you keep ready to fire, should he follow me, while Ireload. In the meantime there is no real danger."
I felt somewhat nervous at hearing this, though my uncle knew so wellwhat he was about that I need not have been alarmed for his safety.Before I could reply he had descended the tree. Holding his rifleready, he advanced towards the lions, but even then, as he was toleeward they did not discover him.
He was within fifteen paces of them, when he stopped and levelled hisrifle. Just then they both saw him, and looked up as if greatlyastonished at his audacity. He fired, and the first lion, giving aspring in the air, fell over on the body of the giraffe.
The second stopped, hesitating whether to leap on his enemy or to taketo flight. This gave my uncle time to reload when he slowly steppedback towards the tree, facing the lion, which advanced at the same pace.
"Now, Fred! let me see what you can do," he shouted out as he found thatthe brute had got within range of my rifle.
I obeyed him, earnestly trusting that my shot would take effect. I feltsure that I had hit the animal, though, when the smoke cleared off, tomy dismay I saw it about to spring at my uncle. He stood as calm as ifthe creature had been a harmless sheep. Just as the lion rose from theground, I heard the crack of his rifle, and it fell back, shot throughthe heart. I quickly scrambled down to the ground to survey the giraffeand the two lions. My uncle seemed in no way elated by his victory."If we had had our waggon we might have secured the skins," he observed;"but as it is, we must content ourselves with some of the giraffe'sflesh, which we shall find palatable enough for want of better."
Drawing his knife, he at once commenced operations on the giraffe. Wesoon, having secured as much of the meat as we could require, ran acouple of sticks through it and started off to return to the camp.
Darkness, however, came down upon us before we had gone far; still, wehoped to be able to find our way. Scarcely, however, had the sun set,when the mutterings and roars of lions saluted our ears; and of coursewe had the uncomfortable feeling that at any moment one of them mightspring out on us. We cast many an anxious glance round, and kept ourrifles in our hands ready for instant use, hoping that we should havetime to see a lion before he was upon us. We had no fear at present ofhuman foes, as the country through which we were travelling wasuninhabited; though we might fall in with hunting parties, who were,however, likely to prove friendly. Besides lions, there was apossibility of our encountering hyaenas, leopards, and wolves, which,when hunting in packs, are as dangerous as in other parts of the world.
My uncle made me go ahead, while he kept five or six paces behind, sothat, should a lion spring out at me, he might be ready to come to myassistance. We kept shouting too, to scare away any of the brutes wemost dreaded; for, savage as is the lion, he is a cowardly animal exceptwhen pressed by hunger. Fortunately the sky was clear, and the starsshining out brightly enabled us to steer our course by them; but we wenton and on, and I began to fear that we had already passed our camp. Iexpressed my apprehensions to my uncle.
"No!" he answered, "we are all right. We shall see the fire in a shorttime, unless Jan has let it out, which is not likely."
"But perhaps a lion may have carried him off, and killed our ox also,and we shall then be in a sad plight," I remarked.
"Nonsense, Fred!" he answered; "you are overtired with your long walk,and allow gloomy apprehensions to oppress you. I wish that I had notbrought you so far."
After this I said no more, but exerted myself to the utmost; though Icould scarcely drag one foot after the other, and had it becomenecessary to run for our lives, I do not think I could have moved. Ilooked about, now on one side now on the other, and fancied that I couldsee the vast heads and shaggy manes of huge lions watching us from amongthe trees. I did not fear their roars as long as they were at adistance. At length I heard what I took to be the mutterings ofhalf-a-dozen, at least, close to us. I shouted louder than ever, to tryand drive them off. As soon as I stopped shouting I listened for myuncle's voice, dreading lest one of the brutes should have seized him.I could not stop, to look round, and I was most thankful when I againheard him shout--
"Go on, Fred; go on, my boy. We shall see Jan's camp-fire before long.I don't believe there's a lion within half a mile of us. During thenight we hear their voices a long distance off."
At length I saw, right ahead, a glare cast on the trunks and branches ofthe trees. It was I hoped produced by our camp-fire. Again, again, weshouted; should any lions be stalking us, they were very likely tofollow our footsteps close up to our camp, and might pounce down upon usat the last moment, fearful of losing their prey. I felt greatlyrelieved on hearing Jan's shout in reply to ours; and pushing eagerlyon, we saw him sitting close to a blazing fire which he had made up. Hewas delighted to see us, for he had become very anxious at our longabsence; especially as a troop of elephants, he said, had passed closeto the camp; and, as one of them was wounded, he knew that they had beenmet with by us, and he feared might possibly have trampled us to death.He had heard, too, the roar of lions near at hand. We found thegiraffe's flesh more palatable than I had expected. As soon as we hadeaten a hearty supper we lay down to rest, Jan promising to remain awakeand keep up a blazing fire so as to scare away the lions.
Every now and then I awoke, and could hear the roarings and mutteringsof the monarchs of the forest, which I heartily wished were sovereignsof some other part of the world.
Greatly to my disappointment, after the fatigue I had gone through I wasunable to travel the next morning, and we had to put off our departurefor another day.
My uncle went out for a short time, to shoot an antelope or any otherspecies of deer he could come across for provisions, as what he killedfor food one day was unfit for eating the next.
He had been absent for some time, and as I felt that a short walk woulddo me good, I took my gun, intending not to go far from the camp. I hadsome hopes that I might come across an antelope or deer during my shortexcursion. I of course took good care to keep a look-out on eitherside, lest I should be surprised by a lion or a leopard, the animalsmostly to be feared in that region. It was not impossible that I mightfall in with an elephant, but I had no intention of attacking one if Idid, and should have ample notice of its approach, so that I might keepo
ut of its way. I had gone about a quarter of a mile or so from thecamp, and was thinking of turning back when I reached a tree which Ifound I could easily climb, as the remains of branches stuck out almostclose to the ground. I got up for the sake of taking a survey of thecountry around, and especially over that part of it we had to travel thenext morning. I found my lofty seat very pleasant, for I was wellshaded by the thick foliage over head, while a light breeze played amongthe leaves, which was refreshing in the extreme. I had some difficultyin keeping awake, but I endeavoured to do so fearful of letting go mygun, or, perhaps, of falling to the ground myself. I did my best not tofall asleep, by singing and by occasionally getting up and lookingaround me.
The tree grew, I should have said, on the side of a bank, with a wideextent of level ground to the eastward, dotted over with thick clumps oftrees, some large enough to be called woods; while nearer at hand, oneither side of me, the vegetation was more scattered, here and there twoor three trees only growing together. In some places single trees alonecould be seen, rising in solitary grandeur from the soil. I had justgot up when I caught sight of an elephant, which had come out from oneof the clumps I have mentioned, where it had probably been spending thehot hours of the day, and advanced slowly towards me, now plucking abunch of leaves with its trunk, now pulling up a shrub or plant.Presently I caught sight of a man with a gun in his hand coming out fromthe forest to the left and making his way towards where the elephant wasfeeding. He apparently did not see the animal, which was hidden fromhim by an intervening clump. When he got closer I recognised my uncle.Wishing to warn him of the neighbourhood of the elephant, I shouted asloudly as I could bawl; but, from the distance we were apart, he couldnot hear me. The elephant also took no notice of my voice, but went onfeeding as before.
Presently my uncle came in sight of the monstrous beast, which must haveseen him at the same time, for it ceased feeding and turned its head inthe direction he was coming. Nothing daunted, my uncle continued toadvance, keeping, however, more to the right, which would bring himtowards the tree on which I was perched. The elephant began to movetowards him. He quickened his pace--he was now in the open ground, overwhich he was making his way, exposed to great danger. He was aware ofthis and kept his gun ready to fire, though should he miss, he would beat the mercy of the brute. I considered how I could help him, but sawit would be madness to descend the tree to fire, and therefore remainedwhere I was, praying that, should my uncle fire, his shot might besuccessful.
Presently, up went the elephant's trunk; and, trumpeting loudly, he wentat a fast trot directly towards my uncle, who, stopping for a moment,levelled his rifle and fired; but, although the shot took effect, it didnot stop the elephant's progress.
He had not a moment to reload--flight was his only resource. Happilynot far off was a tree, but whether its branches grew low down enough toenable him to climb up it, I could not see, and I trembled for hissafety. I shouted and shrieked, hoping to divert the attention of theelephant. It appeared to me that its trunk was not a dozen yards frommy uncle. Should it once encircle him, his fate would be sealed. Inever felt more anxious in my life. I might still stop its course Ihoped, and, raising my rifle, I fired at its head, but my bullet seemedto make not the slightest impression. I shrieked with alarm. The nextmoment I saw my uncle seize the bough of a tree which had appeared to meabove his head, when, exerting all his strength, he drew himself up.The elephant, elevating its trunk, actually touched his foot, but hedrew it beyond its reach, and quickly clambered up into a place ofsafety. The elephant stood for a moment, its trunk raised as ifexpecting him to fall, and then made a furious dash at the tree in avain endeavour to batter it down. The tree trembled from the shock butstood firm.
The elephant then, taking my uncle's cap which had fallen off, trampledit under foot, going round and round the tree and trumpeting loudly. Itwas evidently a rogue elephant, an ill-tempered brute who had beendriven from the herd to spend a solitary existence. Such are always themost dangerous, as they appear to have a greater hatred of man and to bemore cunning than the elephants found in herds. It seemed to have madeup its mind to besiege us. Our position was unpleasant in the extreme,for while it remained we dared not descend, and for what we could tell,we might be kept up our respective trees all night, and perhaps thefollowing day, or still longer.
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