Dead Man's Land Part 37

"A guilty conscience needs no accuser. He's horribly uncomfortable for fear uncle should speak to him about it."

"Yes, but he needn't be afraid; we shan't say anything. He has been punished enough."

It was still dark, and Dean was sleeping heavily after rather an uneasy night. It had been a long time before he could get to sleep, and then his dreams were tinged with a nightmare-like feeling of being forced to go on journeying through hundreds of miles of forest where the tall trunks of the trees were so crowded together that he could hardly force his way between them; and when utterly breathless and exhausted he lay down to rest he could not enjoy that rest for the trouble he had to go through with the little thin, weird, sickly looking black, who had got hold of his toe and kept on pulling at it to make him get up and come to dress his wound.

"You must wait till the doctor comes," he muttered. "You must wait till the doctor comes," he muttered again, "and--who's that? What is it?" he exclaimed, quite aloud.

"What's the matter with you?" cried Mark, who had been roused by his cry.

"Let go of my toe, and I will tell you," cried Dean angrily, and he tried to draw it up, but only to suffer a sharp jerk.

"Bother your old toe!" said Mark drowsily. "What's the matter?"

"Now, none of your silly games," cried Dean, making a vain effort to kick. "Be quiet, or you will wake uncle and the doctor directly."

"You mean you will," growled Mark drowsily. "Go to sleep."

"Go to sleep! Why--oh, it's you, is it?"

"Get up; get up. Come back--come back!" came from just outside the waggon, and Dean was fully awake now to the fact that Mak was leaning over the hind waggon chest and reaching in to try this novel way of waking him up to carry out the arrangement made overnight.

"All right, Mak. Coming. Rouse up, Mark, or we shall be too late."

"Eh? Yes; all right."

A few minutes later the boys were off, double guns on shoulders and a plentiful supply of number five cartridges in their belts, with the dimly-seen figure of Mak striding away in front.

"I did feel so sleepy," said Mark.

"I didn't," said Dean. "I could do nothing but dream about trying to get through the forest. Ugh!" he added, with a shiver. "It was horrid!"

"What was horrid?"

"Being lost."

"Yes; it wasn't nice. I wonder how that poor little chap is this morning. I hope he will get well; and I say--I wish Bob Bacon was coming with us instead of going after the buck. He would just have enjoyed this."

"Yes, and made black Mak jealous. He doesn't like it when he's left behind. I say, shan't we be too late?"

"N-no, I think not," replied Mark. "Mak knows best about this sort of thing; only we had better step out, for we ought to take back a few brace for the larder. I say, what a lot we do eat!"

Half an hour after the grove-like edge of the forest was reached, and waiting for a chance the boys let drive with both barrels right into a spot where they could see the birds of which they were in search cl.u.s.tering together quite low down upon some nearly leafless boughs, and for a few minutes the Illaka was busy enough picking up the dead and chasing the wounded runners, and tying their legs together so as to make a bundle of the toothsome birds.

Then tramping on along the edge of the forest in search of another resting-place, they tramped in vain, for the pintados for some reason or another were exceedingly wary that morning, flock after flock going whirring off before their persecutors could get within shot.

"Well," said Mark, at last, "it is no use going any farther, so we may as well get back with what we have shot. My word, it is a poor lot! I wonder whether the doctor has had better luck. If he hasn't, with so many mouths to feed we shall be running short. Well, let's get back;"

and in spite of invitations from Mak to "Come, shoot," the boys shook their heads and trudged back in a rather disappointed frame of mind.

"It never rains but it pours," grumbled Mark, as they reached the waggon, for he was greeted by the doctor, who had been back some time, with, "Is that all you have got?"

"Yes," said Mark sourly, for he wanted his breakfast. "How many springbok have you shot?"

"Ah, you may well ask that. I made three misses, your father two, and then Bob Bacon had a turn, and he says he hit, but the last I saw of the one he shot at was when it was going like the wind."

"I say," said Mark, "what's to be done, doctor? Father said we were to lay up game enough to last two days, and--bother! Here's Dan coming up grinning, to ask what he's to cook this morning."

"I don't know," said the doctor; "but hallo! Whom have we got here?"

"The pigmies!" cried Mark excitedly. "Oh, doctor, I hope they haven't come to tell us that your little patient is dead!"

"Well, it's plain enough that they have not," replied the doctor. "I say, you mustn't talk of their being animal-like and not far removed from the apes. Why, boys, they take me for a real surgeon, and have come to bring me my fees."

For to the surprise of all, the little party of their find of the previous day marched boldly up to where their white friends were standing, two of them walking in front with their little spears over their shoulders, and bows in hand, while they were followed by four of their companions, each pair of the latter bearing a fair-sized buck slung from a spear which rested on their shoulders.

There was a half-shrinking, timid look upon their sombre countenances, but they came close up, lowered down the bucks at Mark's feet, slipped out the spears, and then turned and fled, plunging in amongst the bushes, and then under the pendant boughs of the outer lines of the trees, and were gone.

"Here, hi! Hi! Hi!" cried Mark, as he ran after them; but he came back at the end of a few minutes, out of breath. "Never got another sight of them," he said.

"Good job!" cried Dean. "I was afraid you'd get lost again amongst the trees."

"Were you?" said Mark. "You see, I knew better: I wanted my breakfast too badly. I say, doctor, think of this! Where's that Dan? Hot steaks for breakfast! But did you know that little pigmy again?"

"No. Which one?"

"One of those that came in front with a spear over his shoulder. I knew him again by the bra.s.s rings on his arms, and--I didn't notice it yesterday--he'd got them on his ankles too."

"No," said the doctor, "I did not notice that; but I did see that he had a bra.s.s ferrule at one end of his spear, and another to fix in the blade."

"He must be a sort of chief," said Mark. "Oh, here, Mak--see what your little friends have brought!" and the boy pointed to the two small-sized slender-legged bucks, the sight of which made the black's countenance expand in a grin of satisfaction.

"Here, call up Dunn Brown. He will be seeing to the ponies. Send him here, and tell Bob Bacon to come too. They will help Dan to skin and break up the game."

It was a long speech for the black to interpret, but the names of his camp companions and the sight of the bucks were quite sufficient, and Mak stalked off.

It was decided to stay that day, and towards noon, when it was turning very hot, the doctor proposed that they should shoulder their guns, take Mak for guide and Bob Bacon as bearer of any game they might shoot, and then walk along the edge of the forest beneath the shade of the trees.

Sir James declined to accompany them, saying that he was sure that it would be too hot, so after explaining to the black what they intended to do, the party started off, getting a shot or two at large turkey or bustard-like birds, till without orders Mak turned into the forest and led the way in amongst the trees.

"Hi! Stop! Where are you going?" cried Mark. "Let him alone. Never mind. I meant to go into the pigmies' little camp towards evening and see how my patient is. Mak evidently thinks we mean him to go there now." It proved that they were some distance beyond where they had entered the woody labyrinth on the previous day, but their guide was at no loss, and after about an hour's walking the black set up a long, low, penetrating, owl-like cry, which before long was answered from apparently a great distance, but which must have been close at hand, for before a couple of minutes had elapsed a pair of the pigmies glided into sight, turned and led the way back from which they had come, guiding the party through many devious windings amongst the trees, right to their amphitheatre-like camp.

And now there was no display of bent bow and arrow drawn to the head, but the members of the little tribe stood waiting between the trees in solemn silence, watching their visitors to see what they would do.

"Water, Mak," cried the doctor. "Tell them what I want. You have been here twice, Mark, and can guide me to the spot where the little fellow lies."

"Yes, all right," said Mark eagerly, and he made one or two attempts to find the place he wanted, but gave up, with a look of annoyance. "You see, we came in a different way yesterday, and that has bothered me, because the trees are all alike right round, and--here, one of you--I mean you," he continued, beckoning to the little fellow he supposed to be a chief. "Wounded pigmy--bad arm--doctor's come to see him. Come, surely you can understand that?"

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Dean. "I say, Mark, you are getting on badly with the language! I could have managed it as well as that."

"Well, go on; why don't you manage?" cried Mark. Dean accepted the challenge, took a step or two, caught the little chief by the arm, pointed in amongst the trees, and then put his hand to his own face and closed his eyes as if sleeping.