Hair-Breadth Escapes Part 12

"We can ascertain its length exactly," said Lavie; "I have got a yard measure here; and here too is the remainder of the tail. Stretch the body straight out, Frank, and I'll soon tell you the measurement."

The serpent was accordingly measured, and was found to be some inches more than nineteen feet long.

"What kind of snake is it?" asked Frank, when this point had been determined.

"A python, or boa-constrictor, no doubt," answered the surgeon; "they give them other names in these parts, but that is the creature. No other description of serpents that I ever heard of attempts to crush up its prey by muscular pressure."

"But serpents which do that are seldom or never venomous, are they?"

inquired Wilmore.

"I believe not," answered Lavie, "but that point has been disputed.

Omatoko calls the reptile an 'ondara,' and insists upon it that its bite is not only poisonous, but causes certain death. It may be so. It is evident that it would have bitten Ernest if it could; and serpents that are devoid of venom do not often bite. Well, I suppose now that we have done measuring the snake, we may throw him away. The Hottentots, I believe, eat their flesh. But I conclude none of us have any great inclination to make our dinner off him."

"No, thank you, sir," said Frank, "not for me."

"Nor for me either, doctor," cried Nick. "I think I'd rather go without food for a week. Here, Ernest, old fellow--you had better go and lie down a bit. You look as if you were having it out with the python still."

Warley was too unwell to rejoin the party all that day and the next.

The shock he had undergone was a very severe one; and would in all likelihood have prostrated any one of his companions for a far longer period. He lay under the shade of the trees on the soft gra.s.s the whole day, neither speaking himself nor heeding the remarks of others. Always inclined to be serious and thoughtful, this incident had had the effect of turning his mind to subjects for which his light-hearted companions had little relish, and which Lavie himself could hardly follow. Even when he resumed the old round of occupations, as he did in the course of the third day, Frank and Nick noticed a change in him, which they could not understand.

Meanwhile Omatoko's bow and arrows proceeded rapidly, and were completed on the morning of the third day. Their construction was a great puzzle to the English lads. The bow was a little less than three feet long, and perhaps three-quarters of an inch thick--neatly enough shaped, and rounded off, but looking little better than a child's toy. Omatoko had strung it with some sinew from the carca.s.s of the goat. He had looped this over the upper end of the bow, and rolled it round the other in such a fashion that by merely twisting the string like a tourniquet, it might be strung to any degree of tension. The arrows too were wholly different from any they had ever seen. The strong reeds brought from the edge of the water had been cut off in lengths of about two feet. At one end the notch was inserted; to the other a movable head, made of bone, was attached, which stuck fast enough to the shaft during its flight through the air, but which became detached from it as soon as it was fixed in the body of any animal. These bone-heads, Omatoko told them, were always dipped in some poison, which caused even a slight puncture made by them to be fatal. The entrails of the kaa, or poison grub, were considered the most efficient for this purpose; but this was not to be met with at all times or in all places, and the juice of the euphorbia or the venom of serpents was sometimes subst.i.tuted. In the present instance he meant to steep the bone-heads in the poison of the ondara, which he had carefully preserved. Omatoko a.s.sured them that when they set out for his village (as they probably would on the following day), they would soon have an opportunity of testing the efficiency of his weapons, and laughingly challenged them to a trial of skill between his bow and arrows and their guns.

On the following morning accordingly they resumed their route. Each of them carried some of the flesh of the kids, a dozen medlars, and a melon. It was found that the strength of the Hottentot was now so far restored that he could keep up with the usual pace at which the others walked, and only required a rest of half an hour or so, every two or three miles. They accomplished about a dozen miles that day; and at nightfall had reached a wide stony plain, covered here and there with patches of gra.s.s, but entirely dest.i.tute of shrub or tree. Omatoko pointed out a place where a deep projecting slab of rock, resting on two enormous stones, and bearing a rude resemblance to a giant's chimney-piece, afforded as convenient a shelter for the night as might be desired. It would effectually protect the party from rain and wind, nor was there the least fear of wild animals, as none were ever known to come within two or three miles of the spot, there being neither pasturage nor water.

"No water," repeated Frank, "that's rather a doubtful advantage, isn't it? What are we to drink, I wonder?"

The Hottentot only grinned in reply; and disengaging the knife which always hung at Nick's girdle, began grubbing in the ground among the stones. In a few minutes he dug up several round, or rather spherical roots, two or three feet in circ.u.mference. These he cut open with the knife, displaying the inside, which had a white appearance, and was soft and pulpy. The boys had no sooner applied this to their lips than they broke out into exclamations of delight. "That's your sort," exclaimed Nick; "it's like a delicious melon, only it's twice as refreshing."

"Omatoko, you're a trump," cried Frank. "You'd make a fortune, if you could only sell these in Covent Garden market. n.o.body that could get them would ever drink water again."

"What are they called, Charles," asked Warley. "Are they to be met with elsewhere in South Africa, or only here?"

"The root is called the 'markwhae,' I believe," answered the doctor, "and it is to be found in almost every neighbourhood where there is a want of water. It is another of those wonderful provisions of Divine Wisdom for the wants of its creatures, with which this land abounds. In some parts, such of the wild animals as are herbivorous, are continually digging up and devouring these roots. Vangelt told me that he once came upon a tribe of Hottentots which subsisted entirely without water, the succulent plants supplying even the cattle with sufficient liquid."

"Well, that is very wonderful," said Frank. "I declare I feel more refreshed by that one root, than if I had drunk a pailful of water. Are there any more of these roots on the way to your village, Omatoko?"

"Omatoko's village, one, two days away. No roots, plenty water,"

returned the Hottentot. "Well, that will do as well, I suppose. But this is a thing worth knowing, if one should find one's self in a place where there is no water."

The next day at sunrise they resumed their way, and made their mid-day halt on the skirts of a dense growth of mingled aloes and underwood, which was scarcely anywhere more than five feet in height. Here they sat down by the side of a spring, which gushed forth from a limestone rock into a small natural basin, whence it spread itself in all directions, sustaining a rich emerald carpet for a few feet round, but soon disappearing in the sand.

"Plenty of visitors here at night," remarked Warley, gazing curiously round him on the numerous footmarks of all shapes and sizes, with which the borders of the spring were indented. "It must be a curious sight to witness such an _omnium gatherum_. Only I suppose the more timid animals make sure that the lions and leopards are well out of the way, before they venture here themselves."

"Of what creature is that the spoor?" asked Frank, pointing to a broad, deep mark, much larger than the rest. "That is the track of some beast which I do not recognise."

"It is not the track of a beast," said the surgeon. "Unless I am mistaken, that is the spoor of the ostrich--is it not, Omatoko?"

"Ya, ostrich--plenty 'bout here. See yonder." He pointed as he spoke to a distant part of the bush, where the heads of a troop of ostriches might be seen as they stalked easily along, browsing as they went.

"Eh, ostriches! You don't mean it," exclaimed Frank, starting up in great excitement. "I never saw an ostrich. I want to see one beyond anything! Couldn't we shoot one, Charles? Are they quite out of shot?"

"Much too far to make it worth while trying," said Lavie. "But we might bring one or two down by a stratagem, perhaps. If you four spread yourselves in all directions to the right yonder, and drive them this way, I could hide behind the rock there and bring one down as they went past. Couldn't that be managed, Omatoko?"

"One, two, three, four drive ostrich this way. Omatoko kill one, two-- with bow and arrow. Omatoko no miss."

"What, do you think your bow and arrow better than Charles's rifle?"

exclaimed Nick; "well, that is coming it strong, anyhow."

"I tell you what," said Warley, "this will be a famous opportunity for you to have the match out for which you were so anxious the other day.

You and Charles shall both hide behind the rock there, and Frank, Nick, and myself will fetch a compa.s.s and drive the ostriches past you. Then we shall see which will take the longest and truest shot. What do you say, Charles?"

"I have no objection, I am sure," said Lavie, laughing; "only I hope the trial won't go against me. It would be most ignominious to be beaten by a bow and arrows. I should never hear the last of it, I expect!"

"Don't be afraid, Charles, there's no fear of that," returned Warley, reciprocating the laugh. "Well, now let us be off. If you'll take the right side, Nick, and you, Frank, the left, I'll take the middle, and we'll come upon them all together. Lion had better stay here."

The three lads set out accordingly, creeping noiselessly through the cover of the scrub, at a distance too far for even the quick-eared ostriches to perceive them, until they had all attained their appointed places. Then they advanced on the birds, shouting and hallooing, and waving sticks over their heads.

The ostriches instantly took to flight after their fashion, skimming along with expanded wings, and covering twelve or fourteen feet at every stride. They pa.s.sed the rock behind which the two marksmen were concealed, at a speed which would have far outstripped the swiftest racehorse at Newmarket. But as they darted by, there came the crack of the doctor's rifle, and at the same moment Omatoko's arrow leaped from his bow. Both missiles. .h.i.t their mark, but with a different result.

Charles's bullet struck the bird he aimed at just under the wing; the shot was mortal, and the ostrich staggering forward a few paces fell dead to the ground Omatoko's arrow pierced his quarry through the neck, and the barbed point remained in the wound, rendering death equally certain, but not so speedy. Perceiving that the ostrich did not fall, Lion sprang after it, heedless of the doctor's order to him to return, and a sharp chase began. The ostrich would speedily have distanced its pursuer, if it had not been for the pain and exhaustion of the wound it had received, and the effect of the poison, which had now begun to work.

The dog soon began to gain ground, and presently came up with the fugitive; which turned to bay at last in the agony of its rage and fear.

Lion had never been trained for the chase of the ostrich, which can only be approached with safety from behind. As he came bounding up, the bird kicked at him, throwing its leg forward as a man does, and with such tremendous force that the mastiff fell to the ground on the instant, bleeding and stunned, if not dead. Then the wounded bird staggered away into the scrub, its strength and courage giving way more and more every moment.

The boys had no time to congratulate their friend on his victory, or even to examine the fallen ostrich. Their thoughts were wholly occupied with the disaster which had befallen Lion.

"Lion, Lion, dear old boy, how could you be so foolish?" exclaimed Frank, as he picked up the bleeding and insensible body of his favourite. "I am afraid he's killed. That kick would have finished a horse, let alone a dog. What fearful strength those creatures must have! Oh, Lion, Lion, my poor old fellow! I'd rather have broken my leg any day than lost you."

"Let me take a look at him," said Lavie, who had now come up. "All depends on where the ostrich's foot struck him. No, I don't think he's killed, Frank," he added presently, after feeling the animal all over.

"There are a couple of ribs broken, and a large bruise in the side, but that seems to be the extent of the casualty. I'll set the ribs, and he must keep quiet for some days, and then I expect he'll be right again."

"Oh, I am so glad," said Wilmore. "Yes, you're right, Charles," he continued, as the dog opened its eyes again and attempted to get up, but fell back on the gra.s.s with a low moan of pain. "Never mind, Lion, we'll nurse you through it, old chap, won't we?"

"Relieve each other in alternate watches, change bandages, and apply fresh lotion every three hours," suggested Nick. "But with all possible respect for Lion, how are we to do that? Where are the bandages, and where the lotion? Nay, where is the hospital bed to which the patient is to be consigned?"

"Omatoko must put up a hut, and we must stay here until Lion can go with us," said Wilmore gruffly. "If we could wait three days for a pagan Hottentot, we may wait as many, surely, for a Christian dog!"

"I don't think you'll get Omatoko to stay here for all the dogs that ever were whelped," said Nick. "He's in too much of a hurry to put salt on the tails of those Bushmen."

"He must stay, and he shall!" returned Wilmore angrily; "I won't have the dog thrown over. We are four, and he is only one. Stay he shall, I say."

"Gently, Frank," said the doctor. "I'm against throwing Lion over as much as you are, but I don't see how we can stay here. The dog won't be fit to walk--no, not a hundred yards--for this fortnight, and it would probably kill him, if he attempted it."

"What's to be done, then?" rejoined Frank shortly.

"Do as we did with Omatoko. Make a litter and carry him to the Hottentot kraal. It is not more than seven or eight miles, and we can relieve one another. Luckily he is not such a weight as Omatoko. I suppose that will satisfy you, won't it?"

"Yes, of course, Charles," said Wilmore. "It is very kind of you. I am afraid I was rather cross, wasn't I? but you see--"

"All right, old fellow, I know you're fond of Lion; so we all are, though perhaps not _so_ fond. Do you go and cut some of the osiers there, Omatoko will soon make them into a basket, large enough to hold the dog, and we'll carry it on a pole slung across our shoulders.