Dead Man's Land Part 45

Mark seized his cousin by the shoulders, raised his head, and let it fall down again with a b.u.mp on the blanket-covered box lid.

"Oh, you brute!" began Dean, wide awake now.

"Well, I didn't mean to do it so hard; but do you want to lie here with wild things coming at you?"

"Eh? No," cried Dean, half rising up. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I went out to talk to father--"

"Well, yes, you said so before," cried the boy pettishly; and he made as if to lay his head down again.

"No, you don't!" cried Mark, checking him. "Listen."

"I--can't--lis'--I am so slee--"

"Do you want to be eaten up by wild beasts?"

"Eh? No," cried Dean, fully awake now.

"I came back to the waggon, and was just getting in when something came from behind you."

"What was it? Not a big snake?"

"No, no. I thought it was a leopard, but I don't think so now. I only just had a glimpse of it as it jumped out and dropped down at the end there, and scuttled off."

"Oh!" cried Dean excitedly. "A leopard?"

"No," whispered Mark. "It was one of those baboons."

"What baboons? I haven't seen any baboons."

"No, no; but one of those that they say live in packs amongst the kopjes."

"Ugh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Dean. "I believe they bite horribly."

"Well, did you feel him bite?"

"Of course not! If I had it would have woke me up."

"Oh, I don't know," said his cousin, laughing. "Well, at all events one of them must have got in here as soon as I had gone, and been making itself comfortable in my place."

"I say, I don't like that," said Dean. "You shouldn't have gone."

"Well, I didn't want to," said Mark softly. "But I am glad we are not going to stay here, for though we did not see any, this must be one of the kopjes where the baboons live. I say, do you feel sleepy now?"

"No, not a bit."

"Nor do I. Let's lie still and talk. That will rest us, even if we don't sleep, and, as father says, we want to be fresh to-morrow."

"All right," said Dean, reaching for his rifle. "But let's keep a sharp look out."

This they did for quite five minutes, and then so hardened were they to their outdoor life that their restful breathing was the only thing that disturbed the silence within the waggon, save a faint rustling at the other end, caused by the doctor turning over, for during the last few minutes he had been awakened from a deep sleep by the boys' muttering, and now that they were quiet again he too went off soundly.

It still wanted an hour to the coming of the first dawn when Mark started up.

"Here--what--" he began, when a hand was clapped over his mouth and he felt Dean's lip at his ear. "Don't make a noise," his cousin whispered.

"What's the matter? Has the ape been again?"

"No. It wasn't a baboon; it was one of those pigs."

"Bosh! A pig couldn't climb into the waggon."

"No, no, stupid! Pigmy!"

"What nonsense! You have been asleep again."

"Yes, fast; I couldn't help it. So were you."

"Was I? Well, yes, I suppose I was; and I'm glad of it. But I have had a sensible sleep."

"Well, so have I, but--"

"No, you haven't. Mine was, for I didn't get dreaming that I saw a baboon."

"And I didn't either," whispered Dean angrily. "I was asleep, but I woke up feeling a soft hand going over my face."

"Bah! You dreamt it."

"I didn't, I tell you! I could feel it as plain as could be; and then it moved away from me, and I could just make out by the starlight that it was pa.s.sing its hand over your face. Didn't you feel it?"

"No," said Mark. "You can't feel ghosts and dreams. They only seem."

"Ghosts and dreams!" said Dean impetuously.

"Well, baboons, then--sleep baboons. Oh, I say, Dean, what's coming to you? You used to be content with going to sleep like a top. But if you are going to begin having dreams like this I shall sleep under the waggon."

"Oh, you obstinate mule! Who said anything about baboons?"

"Why, you did."

"I didn't. I said it was one of those pigmies."

"Then you dreamt it. What time is it?"

"I don't know. Shall I strike a light?"

"What, and wake the doctor? No, it would only make him grumpy at being roused for nothing. There, I can guess pretty closely. It wants over an hour to dawn. So here goes. I'm off."