In the Wilds of Africa Part 18

The hut had become very hot, and I was just going out of it, when I saw the head of an animal crawling out from a neighbouring bush. At first I thought it was some creature, till I saw a long body following. It was a huge serpent. It came wriggling over the ground directly towards the hut. "Ondara!" shouted Chickango; "shoot! shoot!" Stanley sprang down from his seat, and aimed at the monster's head. I did the same. The creature, after convulsively twisting and turning itself into huge coils, lay still. We hurried down to examine it. On measuring it, we found that it was upwards of fifteen feet in length. David examined the head, and p.r.o.nounced it to be venomous.

"Yes, indeed," said Senhor Silva. "It is the largest of all venomous serpents, and if the stories told of it are true, so virulent is the poison that it causes almost instantaneous death."

We had reason to be thankful that we had escaped the two dangers. As we were anxious to proceed on our voyage, having now an ample supply of provisions, we once more embarked. I was afraid, from the thickness of the water, that we should have difficulty in avoiding any banks in our course; but it very soon cleared, and we proceeded as before.

As we were paddling along a sudden sickness seized me. Whether it was from over-exerting myself, or from the heat of the sun, I could not tell. Still I tried to go on. At length I felt my paddle slip from my hand. Natty had just time to catch it, and to save me from falling forward on my face. I was placed in the bottom of the canoe, alongside poor Igubo, and knew no more.

For days and days I lay in an unconscious state, utterly unable to move or speak or think.

Some time after this I had a dreamy consciousness of existence, but often for hours together I knew nothing of what was occurring. I felt myself now and then lifted out of the canoe. I knew that David was attending me, and at other times a sweet face bending over me, and fair hands holding a fan and driving away the flies. Once I heard Natty whispering, "Oh, he will die! he will die!"

"I pray Heaven he may not," was the answer; "and David thinks he will get through it. But he is very ill."

Then again I fell off into a dreamy state. Now and then I knew I was on sh.o.r.e, and once more on the water. I was conscious of the movement of the canoe, but what was happening round me I could not tell. I heard shots fired, and then strange voices shouting and shrieking, but I could not utter a word, nor could I understand what was said to me. After a time the power of thought came back, and I knew when it was day and when it was night, and I was able to discover that many days and nights had pa.s.sed away. Still I could not ask questions. An awning had been placed over the stern of the canoe, under which I lay. I remember seeing Igubo paddling away, as strong as the rest of the party, and though there was the mark of the wound in his side, it was perfectly healed. This showed me that a considerable time must have elapsed since I had been attacked. I discovered also that we were ascending a stream, but even then I could not speak. Shortly after this I felt myself lifted up and placed on a sort of palanquin, and carried along over the ground. I knew that I was remaining for some time, and that my little cousin Bella was sitting by my side fanning my face, and now and then moistening my lips, or giving me a slight portion of food. After that, I was once more lifted into the canoe. The river must have been far narrower than any we had pa.s.sed through, for even as I lay in the bottom of the canoe I could see the trees on either side.

I had a relapse. I knew nothing more till one day I opened my eyes, and saw my cousin Kate seated near me, and Bella on a low stool at my side, with a book before her. Kate was working away most a.s.siduously, as was her wont. Not far off in a corner sat Chico, as busily, though not so usefully, employed in cracking nuts. We were in a large airy hut, formed, as far as I could see, very much after the fashion of those we had before constructed. I was so placed as to be in the shade, and at the same time to obtain as much air as possible. I heard the voices of Leo and Natty at a little distance. They were engaged in some work, I concluded, and were laughing and talking merrily. I tried to speak, and I must have uttered a sound, for instantly Bella sprang up, and, casting her bright eyes on me, ran to her sister. "Oh, he is awake, and looks as if he knew me!" she exclaimed. Kate cautiously approached, and I saw her looking down upon me with an eye of pity and interest.

"Are you better, Andrew?" she whispered.

"Yes, thank you," I could just utter in a low voice, "much better." I wanted to say more, but could not.

"Leo! Leo!" she cried out, "call David! he will be so glad to hear that Andrew has returned to consciousness."

I could just catch sight of the boys running past the hut.

"Where are we? what has happened?" I asked.

"Oh, that would take too long to tell you," answered Kate. "You have been very ill for several weeks, and we have all been mercifully preserved from many dangers. You shall know all about it by-and-by. We are safe now, I hope, and Stanley has sent for a.s.sistance; but I must not talk more now."

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

OUR NEW HOME IN THE MOUNTAINS.

Thanks to David's skill, and the preservation of the medicine-chest, under G.o.d's providence, I gradually recovered my strength. Several days pa.s.sed, however, after the one I have mentioned when I returned to consciousness, before I could converse, or David would allow me to listen to a narrative of the events which had occurred since I was taken ill. My friends were employed in building huts and a stockade on a high hill which they had selected as a location to remain at till means of proceeding to the south could be procured. It was some hundred miles to the north of Walfish Bay, the nearest point where Europeans were located.

The first day I could sit up (I remember it well), Kate was by my side.

A fresh breeze blew in at the open door of our hut, cooling my fevered brow. How beautiful all nature looked. We could gaze over a wide expanse of country, with blue hills on the left, and thick forests gradually breaking into scattered clumps of trees, and an open prairie reaching to the horizon towards the south. Below us I saw an extensive lake with a river flowing into it.

"There," said Kate, "is the stream down which we came to this spot. How thankful I was when we reached it, for David said he had no hope of your recovery till we could find a resting-place, with pure air and a more bracing climate than we were pa.s.sing through. It was dreadful to have you exposed so long to the damp night air, and the miasmas which arose from the river; but we are in safety now, and I try to forget all the dangers and anxiety we endured. It may be many weeks or months before we can again set out; but by that time, David says he hopes you will be thoroughly restored to health, and we shall be able to journey on with light hearts, and, I hope, find friends to welcome us at the end."

"Oh, yes, dear Andrew," exclaimed Bella. "You have no idea how frightened we often were; for we thought if the savages had stopped us or taken us away from you, that you would certainly have died.

Sometimes we thought you were dead, you were so quiet and pale; but when you are well again, we shall not mind anything."

"Hush, hush!" said Kate, "we must not talk to Andrew of what has pa.s.sed.

All is well now. Stanley is delighted with the place. There is an extraordinary abundance of game of all sorts, as he calls the wild animals which rove over those plains. Sometimes we can see from here herds of buffaloes, and cameleopards, zebras, and all sorts of deer and quaggas; and there are savage animals too--lions, rhinoceroses, and leopards, and elephants; indeed, he will not allow the boys to go far by themselves lest they should be attacked."

"No, indeed," said Bella; "for though Stanley does not always tell us his adventures, I suspect he has some narrow escapes. In the river and lake, too, there is an immense number of hippopotami and crocodiles.

The boys went down to bathe soon after we arrived, and had a fright, which will prevent them ever doing it again. They were both in the water when a huge crocodile darted across towards them, and they had just time to scramble out and run away, leaving their clothes behind them, when Jack and Timbo, who were fortunately near, rushed down and drove the creature off."

"It was indeed a mercy they were not seized," said Kate. "But we must not talk more to you now, Andrew. Stanley says he could not have wished to go to a finer spot, and it is only necessary to be cautious to avoid danger from any of them."

"Ah, here come the boys, and they have got a beautiful little animal between them. What can it be?" exclaimed Bella. "See, it has got small horns, and looks a graceful creature."

"It must be an antelope of some sort," said Kate; "but they will tell us."

The boys, who were coming up the hill, soon reached the hut. "We have got a koodoo! It is for you, Bella," they exclaimed in the same breath.

"Chickango and Igubo caught it this morning, and have given it to us; but we are to take great care of it. See, it is already almost tame, but if we were to let it go it would soon be off." Kate made a sign to them. They both stopped and looked eagerly at me.

"O Andrew, how glad I am to see you sit up," cried Natty, on discovering that I knew them. "We were very unhappy about you; but now you will soon be yourself again, and till you are well enough to go about, our koodoo will give you plenty of employment, for Chickango says he requires careful nursing, just like one baby. We are to feed him with milk, and in a little time he will become as tame as Chico, though he will not play so many funny tricks, perhaps."

The little koodoo, when brought up to Kate and Bella, allowed itself to be stroked, and put out its tongue and licked their hands, though I saw from its startled eye and the tremor in its slender legs that it was as yet far from happy in its captivity. In a short time David came in, and after he had congratulated me on my improved looks, examined the little animal.

"Yes, indeed, it is a pretty creature," he observed; "but the full-grown one is still more beautiful. I saw several two mornings ago, which had taken shelter during the night in a thick wood which clothes the side of the hill at a short distance from this, and as they did not perceive me, I was able to observe them at leisure. The female is without horns, but the male has magnificent spiral ones upwards of three feet in length, which rise erect from his exquisitely-formed head, and give him an air of n.o.bility and independence. The animal is about four feet high at the shoulder, and the general colour is a reddish grey, marked with white bars over the neck and croop. When walking slowly its action is very graceful. While watching the beautiful creatures I caught sight of a leopard lurking in the neighbourhood. I fired just in time to save the life of one towards which he was stealing. I missed the leopard, for I was at a considerable distance; but the report frightened the koodoos, and away they went, leaping over bushes, stones, and all impediments at a rapid rate, while the savage beast stole off, vowing vengeance, probably, against me for having disappointed him of his morning meal.

The koodoo lives chiefly on buds and leaves and the young shoots of trees and bushes, and it is said that he is capable of going a long time without water. He is of a very timid disposition, but I am told, however, that when hotly pressed or wounded, he will sometimes face about and attack his pursuer. But we must now see about getting food for our young captive. We were, fortunately, on our way here, able to purchase half-a-dozen goats from some natives who had brought them from the south, and we must devote the milk of one of them to him."

"But how can you make him drink it?" asked Bella.

"Just as we give it to babies," said David, laughing. "I will make a sucking-bottle for him. It can very easily be done. See! that small gourd hanging up will answer the purpose. I will fasten a piece of linen and a small quill in the mouth, and we will try the little creature."

"I will go and milk the goat," cried Leo, rushing out. "You come and help me, Natty, though."

Meantime David prepared the bottle, and in a few minutes Leo returned with a calabash full of milk.

"It is lucky I went," said Natty, "for the goat had refused to be milked at this hour, and had knocked Leo over."

"Yes, and she would have knocked you over, too, if I had not held her legs," said Leo. "However, we managed it."

"Why, how did you do that?" asked David.

"Oh, we tied her hind-legs to a post on one side and her fore-legs to another, and I held the head while Natty milked," said Leo. "Poor goat!" observed Kate. "I suspect she will not allow you to play that trick again."

The bottle was filled, and no sooner was it put to the little koodoo's lips than the creature began pulling away in a very satisfactory manner, every now and then giving a b.u.t.t at it as it might have done when obtaining milk from its mother. It satisfied us, however, that there would be but little difficulty in bringing up the creature. Chico had eagerly watched the operation from his corner in the hut, though he did not approach the new comer. As soon as the deer had done with the bottle, David hung it up, when the monkey, fancying himself un.o.bserved, instantly made for it, and, greatly to our amus.e.m.e.nt, applied it to his own lips, and began sucking away till he had drained it dry. He then quietly attempted to hang it up again, though in this he failed, and the bottle fell to the ground.

"We cannot afford to give you milk. Master Chico," said David; "but I will soon cure you of that trick." Saying this, he went to his medicine-chest, which stood near, and having filled the bottle with water, put in a little powder, which he shook up. He then returned the bottle to its usual place.

"Now, take care, Master Chico, what you are about," he observed. "You are not to touch that bottle, recollect."

Chico looked at the bottle with longing eyes for an instant, then turned away, as if it was a matter of perfect indifference to him. In a short time he came down, and began to examine the little stranger, who seemed, however, in no way pleased with his presence.

"Oh, we will soon make you good friends," said Natty. "I hope we shall have a happy family before long. Do you know, Andrew, we have already got several creatures, and have managed to tame many of them, so that they feed on the hill-side in view of the hut, and come back at night regularly, for fear of wild beasts."

"Now, boys," said David, "we have talked with Andrew long enough, and I think we must leave him to Kate's care again. Your chattering is too exciting, and he has not got strong yet."

"Oh, but we will be very quiet, and merely listen to him, if he is inclined to talk," said Leo.

"That is the very thing I do not wish him to do," observed David.