Courage, True Hearts Part 50

Next moment the killing had commenced. The bull never winced nor moved, and his companions trode him to death before the eyes of their human persecutors.

"Let us go back to the fort," said Duncan sadly. "A more heartrending sight I never have seen. Conal, I have shot my first and my last elephant."

When they told Frank all the sad story, he, too, agreed that elephant-shooting is not sport, but the cowardly murder of one of the most n.o.ble animals ever G.o.d placed on earth.

Strange to say, every day that Conal was left at the fort to do the watching and the cooking, little Lilywhite, as he now called the wee savage la.s.sie, came to pay him a visit, her eyes all a-sparkle, her two rows alabaster teeth flashing snow-white in the sunshine.

Nor did she ever come without a fish, which she herself had caught. So tame did she become, that he could trust her to attend to the fire, for which she gathered wood, turn the fish with a wooden fork, and gather and cook the sweet-potatoes or yams.

Of course Frank chaffed Conal unmercifully about this lady-love, Lilywhite, of his.

But Conal cared nothing for that.

"You can't do less than marry her, you know," he said one day. "It would be cruel to trifle with the young lady's affections."

"I shouldn't think of doing less than leading her to the altar," said Conal. "I should hate a breach of promise case."

They still paid many visits to the king, but though he frequently asked for "goo-goo" (wine), no goo-goo was given him for the present.

At last, oh joy! news came from the far-off outer world. For Carrambo returned.

A little thinner he looked, but maintained the same nonchalant air.

He handed Duncan a letter, and as it was written in a bold English hand he tore it nervously open.

"Flom de skipper of de _Pen-Gun_," said Carrambo. "When I see de gun-boat lie in de ribber of Lamoo, I say to myse'f, 'No good bother wid the Sultan.' Den I go on board. All boo'ful white deck; all shiny bla.s.s, and black big gun; and de men all dress in sca'let and blue. Oh, dam fine, I 'ssure you. De skipper he take me below and give me biscocoes and vine till I not can dlink mo'.

"He read the letter. He den write anoder and soon I go again."

"Ten thousand thanks, Carrambo. You have earned your rifle. My brother and I shall teach you to shoot, and if when we make an attempt to leave this wild land, you will come with us to be our guide to Lamoo many another present you shall receive besides."

Lieutenant-commanding H.M.S. _Pen-Gun_ wrote most cheerfully and hopefully to Duncan, a.s.suring him that he himself would steam at once eastwards, and if he was successful in finding the unhappy mariners, they should be immediately taken off, tenderly cared for, and landed at Zanzibar, to wait under the charge of the British consul until a ship should arrive and take them back to England.

"Thank G.o.d for all his mercies," exclaimed Duncan piously, after he had twice read the letter aloud to his comrades.

Then all hands shook Carrambo's hard fist, and noting that there was something more than usual on the tapis, Vike must jump up and go dancing all round the fort. But he made his way to the water to finish up with, for racing in Africa is hot work.

Carrambo received his rifle, and that very evening received also his first lessons in the use thereof.

Carrambo was indeed a proud man now.

He held his head erect and said to Duncan:

"We'n King Slaleema he want some piccaniny kill fo' to eat, I bling dat piccaniny down wid one lifel bullet plenty twick."

Then Duncan lost his temper.

He was a strong young Scot and athlete, and Carrambo, tough savage though he was, had no show after Duncan got hold of that rifle.

He wrenched it from his hand before anyone could have said "knife".

"You yellow-skinned scoundrel!" he cried, "you do not touch the rifle again till you promise me on your honour--though I don't suppose that weighs much--that you will never attempt to shoot, even at the king's bidding, any child he wishes to destroy."

Carrambo glanced one moment at Duncan, then, turning on his heel, walked off.

The boys thought he was gone for good; but presently he returned, holding in his hand a long thin root.

This he cut in two with his knife.

He placed one half in his bosom, and gave the other to Duncan.

"Carrambo plomise. Suppose Carrambo bleak dat plomise, den de debbil he cut Carrambo's heart in two, and take he away to de ver bad place."

This was an oath, though of a curious sort, but Duncan knew that this strange being would keep it, and so the rifle was restored.

The Somali now went off to see the king, but he first and foremost delivered the rifle into Conal's keeping.

Presently he returned laughing.

"De king--ha, ha!--he want to see you, foh tlue."

"Yes?"

"And he vant to see you vely mooch dilectly."

"Well?"

"Well, ha, ha, ha!" Carrambo evidently couldn't contain himself, "he wants one bottle of goo-goo."

The royal command was obeyed by Frank and Duncan, Carrambo accompanying them to carry the goo-goo.

The king laughed like one possessed when he saw the bottle, and made various signals for a drink, holding out the same old nutsh.e.l.l.

It was three times filled, and Carrambo himself was also presented with a nutful.

Then the king waxed communicative, and, after calling upon two of his wives to fan him, and two more to cool Duncan and Frank down, he said he would tell them the story of the fort, and Carrambo himself stood by to translate.

The story was certainly a sort of a "freezer", as Frank termed it, but Carrambo, I have no doubt, gave a very literal translation thereof.

Let me carry it on to the next chapter please.

CHAPTER VI.--AN INVADING ARMY--VICTORY!