'I hope not,' said Fabian, 'in case it's frightened the game away.'
Perry hoped not too. After her last terrifying experience near the waterhole she did not care if she never saw a lion again. Except Topaz, of course. Topaz was a lamb, but a mischievous lamb at that. She had to guard her belongings constantly from those sharp little claws and needle-sharp teeth.
Fabian turned to Perry. 'Wear the boots we bought at the Army store today. We may have to go over rough ground to take photographs. Come with me to the settlement now, because we must get shots of the Bushmen preparing arrows.'
He scarcely waited for her to join him but forged ahead with his quick eager stride and she had almost to trot to keep up with him. He turned around to her, frowning.
'We may come up against a snag because anything connected with a hunt is considered to be a man's affair and women aren't supposed to have anything to do with it.'
Perry considered this as she hurried along beside him. The sun had not yet risen, but already the air was warm. It was going to be a hot day in the desert, but they were forced to wear their heavy boots for protection against the thorns and possible snakebite, and to wear their slacks so that they would not suffer sunburn. Perry was nettled that Fabian might be proved right that it was a disadvantage to have a photographer who was a woman.
'I have an idea,' she said. T think it might work. Tell Samgau to tell the Bushmen I'm not truly a woman because I wear slacks and heavy boots.'
Fabian gave a shout of laughter.
'And you think they'll believe that? You are very optimistic I must say. Why, Perry even if I could only take one look into those soft golden eyes, I'd know you were a woman.'
Fortunately Samgau was able to persuade them to allow Perry to photograph the scene.
'I tell them you are the master's woman and carry only good magic,' he said.
'You look very pretty when you blush,' smiled Fabian. 'I didn't know anyone could any more.'
'It's the heat,' Perry said crossly. She turned away from him and busied herself with her camera. Really, he was becoming very difficult. She was glad that Samantha was coming today. Maybe his attentions would be diverted to her.
Old Kwi and Natamu were preparing the arrows for the hunt, sitting some way from the huts. From a horn container they poured a brown powder into a small bone bowl wedged carefully in the sand. Natamu then cut and squeezed a round white root into this and after stirring it with a stick he smeared it on to an arrowhead. Each time an arrow was treated with the poison, Natamu held it in his hand and named an animal that might be killed, then he stuck the arrow into the sand with the point upwards to dry.
'What are they doing now?' asked Perry.
'The brown powder is from some dried grubs, a certain kind of beetle larva found only at certain times in the roots of a small bush. It's amazing how they could find out about its effect in the first place. It paralyses the nerves. A small animal will die within minutes, an antelope in an hour.'
'But doesn't it poison the meat of the animal?'
'No, the Bushmen cut away the meat around the wound.'
'What are they doing now?' asked Perry.
The two men were concentrating upon some small leather discs that they were casting upon the ground and studying.
Fabian consulted Samgau.
'He says they're what I suppose you could call a kind of dice. They're supposed to show them in what direction they can find the best game.'
'Why has Toma not taken part in these preparations?'
'It's left to the older men who've had more experience. Toma must prove himself by killing an animal before he takes part in all this.'
Natamu was to go with Toma and they were ready now. They wore leather loincloths and carried their bows, a quiver full of arrows, and small leather bags slung over their shoulders. They climbed on to the truck and told Samgau in which direction they thought they should be driven. Fabian was driving and Samantha was sitting beside him with Paul on the other side. Paul's rather lethargic manner had disappeared today and she had noticed as he climbed into the truck that he had carefully packed a gun beside him.
Fabian had frowned when he had seen this, but Paul, with a lazy grin, had said, 'I'm only bringing it along in case we get a chance of a shot after your friends have finished their hunt, old boy. I won't interfere with your plans, I assure you.'
It was still quite early, but the sky was a brilliant blue, made more vivid by the golden colour of the grass. The seating arrangement had left Perry next to Ken in the back. Samantha in front was very gay, leaning against Fabian, and laughing at remarks he was making. Paul joined in too, and Perry and Ken seemed cut off from all this sociable chat. Ken, Perry thought, was looking a little tired. She realized that without making it very obvious he was on the go all the time helping to make things run smoothly in the camp. His eyes looked very blue, for his complexion was even more sunburned than it had been when they first met. He said a little awkwardly under the cover of the noise of the engine and the laughter and chatter in front of them, 'I'm sorry about the other night. Did I interrupt something?'
Perry shook her head. It was tactless, she thought, of him to mention it, but it was hard to take offence with this well-meaning young man.
'Not at all. There was nothing to it, I assure you.'
'Aren't you interested in Fabian, then? I got a different impression, when I saw - well, what I did, though I must admit I was a bit surprised.'
'Oh, Ken, of course I'm not. You misinterpreted the scene. I got a bit of a scare when I heard that lion, that's all. If Fabian has any interest in anyone on this trip, it's Samantha.'
Ken's face fell. 'That's what I was afraid of. And when I saw you two together it was a pleasant surprise to me, I must say. So you don't think a guy like me has a chance?'
'I don't know, Ken. How can I say?'
'Oh, I suppose I haven't. Not a snowball's hope in hell, I should think. How can I make it with a girl like Samantha? I wish I could, though.'
'Poor Ken! Don't feel so down about it. How do you know you haven't a chance? You can never tell. Besides, we're all living here in very strange conditions. I don't see how you can judge anything by normal standards.'
Ken seemed a very optimistic young man, for he was quickly cheered by a word of sympathy.
'I suppose you're right. But I wish I could get some opportunity to show her how much I think of her. I tell you, the way I feel about Samantha I would do simply anything for her.'
After travelling for some miles in the truck, they came to a place that the Bushmen thought to be suitable for looking for game, though Perry could not see any difference from any other place in this vast desolate plain, except perhaps that there were a few more thorn trees where animals could hide. But Natamu and Toma evidently had high hopes. They got down from the truck and set about looking for signs of animals, observing every clue with great concentration - a bent straw, a hoof-print, a broken branch, seeds shaken from grass. They turned to Sangau, who told the rest of the party that they thought the more recent hoof-prints were those of gemsbok.
Fabian turned to Perry. 'I hope for the sake of your photography that they're right. I always think the gemsbok is one of the most story-book kind of animals. They have great horns that lie straight back and give the appearance of only one born when they're in profile. You remember, I mentioned before that early settlers thought when they first saw them that they'd found the mythical unicorn.'
It was only now that Perry realized fully the implications of this hunt. She had been so eager for Toma to succeed in proving himself a man ready for marriage that she had lost sight of the fact that a beautiful animal would have to be killed. She had seen a single gemsbok before, a handsome large beige antelope striped black on its sides and white underneath. Its face had the look of a painted rocking horse with strange black and white stripes and its horns were long and straight. It was sad to think that for their hunt to succeed one of these fascinating creatures had to l
ose its life.
'We'll never keep up with the hunt on foot,' said Fabian. 'From now on we'll proceed slowly on the truck whilst Natamu and Toma go together. Even Toma can run much faster than any of we could.'
Perry, who had been photographing the Bushmen as they examined the signs, now had to scramble quickly back because the small brown men had decided the direction of their quarry and, started to run. They had a peculiar way of running, their bodies held upright, limbs pounding along with a high lift of the knees. There was an ease about it which made them seem tireless. Driving over the difficult ground and having to slow down to avoid bushes and antbear holes, Fabian was only just able to keep up with them. For miles they kept up this tireless trot and Perry began to wonder whether the whole thing was a false alarm. She stuck close to the window, occasionally winding it down and taking a cine of the Bushmen in motion. It was a very exciting though sough ride.
'Look, you can see the spoor now,' shouted Fabian. It was true that now one could follow the spoor of a group of animals in the sandy earth of the desert.
'You'll notice,' said Ken, 'that the length of their stride shows they're alarmed.'
Perry had forgotten that Ken was a wild life enthusiast as well as being a practical mechanically minded man. It was strange, she thought, that Ken had the interests that Mark had had, Mark ... it was so long since she had thought deeply about him. She wondered what he was doing now, whether he had succeeded in his career and whether he was still connected with game reserves and wild life preservation. She wondered whether Fabian would know. But she would never ask him.
Suddenly they saw the fleeing gemsbok, a group of six animals, the size of a donkey, square and compact with erect manes and sweeping blade tails. They raced along with muzzles outstretched, great horns lying back and their long tails streaming in the wind. The black marks upon their faces looked like weird masks. When Natamu and Toma came near to the gemsbok, the Bushmen crouched down and started to worm their way through the grass. The buck were tired from the long chase and stood still, staring nervously and spiffing the air. By this time the Bushmen were within a few feet of them. Suddenly at a gesture from Natamu, Toma let fly his arrow, hitting the nearest gemsbok on the flank. But the animals started to run again.
'Damn it,' said Paul. 'He hasn't got him.'
'Oh, yes, he has,' Fabian replied, Starting up the engine again, although the Bushmen seemed in no hurry now to follow the fleeing beasts. 'The gemsbok will gradually die. It takes a long time for the poison to take effect on such a large animal. He'll follow him and finish him off when he's near death.'
Perry shuddered. But she had little time to think over the implications of the hunt, for Fabian turned to her saying, 'How are you doing, Perry? Have you managed to get any good shots?'
'I think so... I hope so,' she replied.
The Bushmen had started off again and slowly Fabian moved the truck to follow. The gemsbok were tiring now and the wounded one was dropping back. It swayed on its feet, fighting for breath.
'Let's get down,' said Samantha, 'and get closer. This is exciting!'
She seemed to have none of Perry's qualms. Fabian drew the truck to a halt and they all descended. Toma had drawn his spear. The gemsbok was standing a few yards away, trembling and apparently spent. Perry had to steel herself to go on working the cine. She concentrated upon the task and tried to exclude all other thought, tried to harden herself to the fact that this beautiful animal was close to its death. But Samantha seemed unaffected by such emotions. She drew closer to the scene, almost hypnotized as if she were watching a bullfight in Spain.
'Get back, Samantha!' shouted Fabian, who noticed for the first time how near she had come to the animal with its scimitar-like horns. But he was too late. The gemsbok tossed its head and in a last frantic effort at aggression charged straight at Samantha. She screamed, but Ken sprang between her and the sharp long horns, pushing her out of the way. He was unable to save himself. The animal's head came straight at him where he had slipped and lay unprotected on the ground and the horns pierced his leg. A shot rang out and the beast fell just as it had turned again to attack Samantha. Paul had got his chance to use the gun.
The only one who seemed unperturbed was Natamu. He stepped forward, took his spear and cut the throat of the dead gemsbok. But Toma stood downcast. In a few moments, his success had been turned to failure by the turn of events. The others were too concerned about Ken to consider this. Blood spurted from the wound in his leg. The horn had made a large gash and swift first aid was necessary if he was not to bleed to death.
Fabian applied a tourniquet.
'We'll have to get him out of the desert as soon as possible,' he said.
CHAPTER EIGHT
'I had a premonition about this hunt,' said Fabian. He and Perry were sitting in the truck where Ken was resting. Having been given a pain-killing injection, he was in a deep sleep.
'I've managed to get in touch by radio with a small village where there's an air-strip on the edge of the desert. I asked them to charter a plane, because we must get Ken to hospital. That wound in his leg looks pretty nasty. I wouldn't like to tend it in desert conditions.'
Perry felt very gloomy. Again disaster had struck and again she felt it was mainly her fault. Fabian had not wanted to have anything to do with the hunt, but she had been so eager to help Toma and Nusi that she had overridden his objections. And now see what had happened. Ken, the virtually indispensable Ken, was so badly hurt that he would have to be flown out, and Toma, she knew, was bitterly disappointed that he had come so near to succeeding in killing the gemsbok and at the last moment had been thwarted. But what a gentle, philosophical people they were. There seemed to be no resentment, only a calm acceptance that that was the way events had worked out, and a general rejoicing that they had got meat even if Toma had failed.
'What did Natamu say about the hunt?' asked Perry. 'I suppose they wouldn't count it that Toma had killed the animal? It was nearly dead, wasn't it?'
Fabian laughed a little grimly.
'I'm afraid they think that Toma has some unlucky streak working against him. I doubt whether Nusi will be allowed to marry him now. I hate to say I told you so, Perry, but we should never have interfered.'
'And Ken? How can we manage without him?'
'I've asked if they can send a substitute. We will hear when we get to the air-strip whether they've succeeded in finding someone who can come at short notice.'
'We?' she queried.
'I'm going to drive Ken there and I'm taking you with me. I think in a situation like this you may be more practical than Samantha. In any case Paul would never hear of her coming on such a trip. I hope you don't mind, Perry. It's not going to be easy. If we start early we should be there in the late afternoon.'
'Of course I don't mind,' said Perry. What else could she say? She felt responsible for Ken's mishap in a way, and she had come to like him. She was very worried in case the wound should become septic, but Fabian had given him antibiotics, so they must hope for the best.
'What happened about the film? Did you manage to get anything?'
Perry sighed. 'It's all right, I think, as far as it goes. But of course it's incomplete, which is very frustrating. Possibly we could use it for stills.'
She had thought Fabian might make some remark about this that would cast her down still further, but he shrugged and said, 'It can't be helped. Maybe we'll have some other opportunity. It's a great pity, because it was all going so well. Still, I could hardly blame Paul. He was more concerned for Samantha than Ken, of course. But why the devil did this have to happen? Another few seconds and Toma would have killed the beast. I suppose he was a bit slow off the mark too because he's inexperienced.'
No word of blame for Samantha, Perry noticed. And really it had been all her fault. If she had not become so excited about the kill... oh, well, what was the use of looking back? The thing had happened. They must make the best of it and try to get Ken to the air-strip witho
ut any further mishap. Fabian had come up to her without her noticing it and she felt his hands on her shoulders and then around her waist. He drew her up gently and held her, looking down into her face with grey eyes that were not hard or scornful as she had expected.
'You look all in. Get to bed now, Perry. You've had a tough day, and tomorrow won't be easy.'
'But what about you? And who will look after Ken?'
'Joshua will help me through the night and if I need him I can always get Paul. I'll manage to snatch a bit of sleep because Ken is quite relaxed now. Go on, get to bed. For once in your life, young woman, do as I tell you!'
He squeezed her shoulder, but it was a brotherly gesture. It could have been Ken. She was exhausted, she realized this now, and once in the little green tent lay in in her sleeping bag trying to relax. But the scenes of the hunt kept pressing into her consciousness and it was quite a while before she fell into a troubled sleep. It seemed no time at all before she was aroused by Joshua bringing her a cup of coffee. Half asleep, she stumbled out to wash and change into her khaki slacks and bush shirt. What would she need to take? They would be staying in the hotel overnight, Fabian had said. It was a tiny hotel, merely there because of the air-strip and the small settlement around it, but she would take a change of clothing in case she needed it, the dark blue slacks that were not very suitable for the desert and the gay shirt that Fabian had tried to persuade her to discard.
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