Off to the Wilds Part 15

"Yes, I shall," was the reply. "I was overdone from being weak; but I'm better now, and I'm going with you to bring in the buffalo we shot."

"Oh no, d.i.c.k, don't try," cried his brother anxiously.

But d.i.c.k would not be persuaded, and, mounting his horse, he rode with his brother up to the waggon, gave the necessary instructions to Peter and Dirk, and in a few moments those sable gentlemen were leading a small ox-team over the plain to where the General and his boys were busily dressing the fallen bull; and by the time Mr Rogers reached the waggon, the choicest parts of the buffalo were there, the remainder having been left for the vultures and wild creatures of the plain.

They trekked on for some miles that evening, and soon after sundown halted by the side of a wood, whose edges were composed of dense thorns, and here, at the General's suggestion, all set to work, after the waggon had been drawn up in a suitable position, to cut down the bushes so as to make a square patch, with the dense thorns on three sides and the waggon on the fourth, the lower part of the waggon being fortified with the bushes that were cut down.

The object was to form a sound enclosure, which was duly strengthened, so as to protect the horses and bullocks from the wild beasts that haunted the neighbourhood.

It was very hard work, and Dinny grumbled terribly, till d.i.c.k said quietly to his brother, in Dinny's hearing,--

"I wonder that Dinny don't work harder. The General says this part swarms with lions; and they'll be down upon us before we've done if he don't make haste."

Dinny seemed to be turned for the moment into stone, at the bare mention of the word lion; but directly after he was toiling away with feverish haste, and in quite a state of excitement, bullying Coffee and Chicory for not bringing in more dead wood for the fire.

By dint of all working hard, however, a satisfactory place was contrived, into which, after a good long feed, and a hearty drink of fresh water from a bubbling stream, the bullocks and horses were shut, the horses having a division of their own, where they would be safe from the horns of their friends as well as the teeth and claws of their enemies. Then the blazing fire in front of the waggon was utilised for cooking purposes, and buffalo steaks and thick rich soup from Dinny's big pot soon restored the losses felt by the little party in their arduous evening toil.

The waggon was on the very edge of the forest, and a couple of trees stood out on either side, spreading their branches over it as shelter, while the ruddy fire that was being steadily fed to get it into a good glow, with a bright blaze free from the blinding smoke emitted by burning wood, seemed to turn the waggon and trees into gold.

"I'll take the first watch, my boys," said Mr Rogers, who, after their hearty supper, had read his sons a lecture about the necessity for care in hunting, "for," said he, "but for the dogs your lives would certainly have been sacrificed."

"Yes, father, we'll be more careful; but how is it the dogs have not come back?"

"They overtook and pulled down one of the buffaloes," said Mr Rogers.

"They will glut themselves, and, after a long sleep, take up our trail and follow us. I dare say they'll be here to-morrow."

The boys, who were f.a.gged out, gladly crept into the waggon, the last thing they saw being Dinny putting some pieces of buffalo flesh and half a pail of water in the big pot, so as to let it stew by the fire all night. Then they drew up the canvas curtains of their tent-bed as they called it, leaving Mr Rogers and Peter to keep up the fire, and to call them in four hours' time, the boys having begged that they might keep one of the watches together.

They were fast asleep directly, and in five minutes' time--so Jack declared--Mr Rogers aroused them to relieve guard.

"Come, boys," he said, "be quick. Do you know how long you've been asleep?"

"Five minutes," said Jack, sleepily.

"Nearly five hours, sir."

"Then they weren't good measure," grumbled Jack.

"There's plenty of wood, d.i.c.k," said Mr Rogers, "and I'd keep up a good blazing fire. I have not heard a sound; but if you are alarmed, a piece of blazing wood thrown in the direction is better than firing at random; but keep your rifles ready."

These words drove drowsy sleep from the boys' eyelids, and clambering out of the waggon, the fresh cold night air finished the task.

They saw Mr Rogers climb into the waggon and their black followers crawl under it; then taking the rifles, they saw to there being a ball cartridge in each, and big slugs in the shot barrel; and after throwing on a few sticks to make the fire blaze, they walked slowly up and down.

"How dark and strange the forest looks, Jack," said d.i.c.k, "I say, I'm not ashamed to say that it does make one feel timid."

"It makes two feel timid," said Jack, st.u.r.dily. "Look at the dark shadows the fire throws. Why it almost looks as if there were all sorts of horrible creatures watching us. If I didn't feel that father had been sitting here watching, and wasn't afraid I'd give it up."

"Perhaps he did feel afraid," said d.i.c.k.

"Not he," said Jack st.u.r.dily. "If he had felt afraid, he wouldn't have let us watch here."

"Oh, yes, he would," said d.i.c.k thoughtfully. "Father wants us to grow up manly and strong, and ready to laugh at what would alarm some lads.

Hark! what's that?"

He caught his brother's arm, for just then, apparently from beneath their feet, they heard a peculiar noise.

"Oomph! oomph! oomph!" a peculiar, vibrating, shuddering, deep-toned cry, which seemed to make the air, and the very earth beneath them, vibrate.

There was no mistaking it. Over and over again they had heard Coffee and Chicory imitate the cry; but how pitiful their attempts seemed now, as compared to the noise heard there in the solemnity of the silent night! "Oomph! oomph! oomph!" a peculiar grunting, shuddering roar, which made a perfect commotion in the strongly-made cattle-kraal or enclosure, the oxen running about in their dread, and the horses whinnying and stamping upon the hard ground.

"How close is it!" whispered Jack, stretching out his hand to get hold of his rifle.

"I don't know. It seems sometimes just by this patch of bushes, and sometimes ever so far away. Hark! there's another."

"Yes, and another."

"Or is it all made by one lion?" said d.i.c.k.

"I don't know," replied Jack, in an awe-stricken whisper.

"Shall we call father, and tell him there are lions about?"

"No," said d.i.c.k st.u.r.dily. "He'd laugh at us for cowards. We've got to get used to lions, Jack; and it's our own doing--we wanted to come."

"Yes, but I didn't know they'd come so close," replied Jack. "Hark at that!"

There was a deep-toned quivering roar, apparently from the other side of the fire, and d.i.c.k felt his heart beat rapidly as he threw a handful of small twigs upon the fire to make it blaze up.

"Let's go and talk to the horses," he said. "Yes; that's right," for Jack had also added an armful of dry wood to the fire, which now blazed up merrily.

They went to the th.o.r.n.y hedge which protected the horses, and on making their way through to where they were haltered to a pole, carried on the waggon for the purpose, they found the poor creatures trembling, and with dripping flanks, while when they spoke to them they rubbed their noses against their masters' hands, and whinnied with pleasure, as if comforted by the presence of the boys.

"What's that, d.i.c.k?" cried Jack excitedly, for there was a crashing noise as if something had leaped at the hedge.

The answer came in the panic of the bullocks and the dread of the horses; and, without hesitating, Jack lowered his piece in the direction of the sound, to fire both barrels rapidly one after the other.

There was a savage roar for response, and a rush as of some creature bounding through the bushes. Then all was silent.

"I wonder whether I hit him," said Jack, proceeding to throw out the empty cartridges and reload.

"Is anything wrong? Shall I come?" shouted Mr Rogers, from within the waggon.

"No, father," replied d.i.c.k steadily. "You needn't come. We only fired at a lion."

But as they reached the fire again, a tall dark figure crawled to their side, and nodded to them gravely.

"Plenty of lion here. I stop and help you."