Off to the Wilds Part 17

The first thing done was to carefully take in the bearings of the country, and then, after a few words of advice from the General--whom Mr Rogers would have liked to have, only his presence was necessary with the waggon, he being the most trustworthy of their followers--they rode on at a brisk canter through the crisp long gra.s.s, and amongst the bushes, and always onward towards the head of the valley, where, towering up, stood the twin mountains, which were like the ends of a couple of ridges or chains.

Scrupulously following out the General's advice, they struck off to the left, and taking quite a two-mile circuit, they saw the waggon crawling along in the distance, while they cantered on, feeling wonderfully free and light in spite of the heat, till they were a long distance behind the waggon, when they halted and carefully swept the surface of the country.

"Nothing in sight," said Mr Rogers.

"I hope we shan't have our trip for nothing, father," replied d.i.c.k.

"Are you eager to meet with the lion, then?" said his father, smiling.

"I don't know, father; but I should like to shoot him," replied d.i.c.k quietly.

"Well, my boys, I hope we shall shoot the animal; and as we are now a couple of miles at least behind the waggon, if he is following it he should be before us now, so come along."

Rifles were c.o.c.ked, and every eye carefully scrutinised the dry drabby-yellow gra.s.s through which the lion would be stealing its way, and so much like the withered stems in colour that, unless moving, it was quite possible to miss seeing such a creature as they rode along.

The plan arranged was, that no sooner was the lion sighted than they were all to dismount, and fire as opportunity occurred, loading again as rapidly as possible for a second shot.

But though they followed steadily on in the waggon track, riding all three abreast, and scanning every clump and bush, they had approached the bend of the valley without seeing anything but a few bok, which offered tempting marks now that they did not want to shoot.

The waggon had evidently pa.s.sed through the opening, for it was quite out of sight, and the sinking sun was casting long shadows. So at last Mr Rogers grew impatient and spoke out,--

"We had better ride on, my boys, and catch the waggon. I want to halt early and form a good stout fence for our protection. We shall see no--"

"Lion!" said d.i.c.k sharply. "Dismount."

He threw himself from his horse on the instant, and stood ready to fire, his father and brother imitating his example.

"Where?" said Mr Rogers quietly. "I see nothing, d.i.c.k."

"There," replied d.i.c.k, "fifty yards away, stealing through those thick sedgy gra.s.ses. Don't you see?"

"Yes," said his father, "I see the monster now. Keep cool, boys, and make your shots tell. If he is wounded and charges, you must stand firm and fire again."

Mr Rogers waited a few moments, during which the lion, a monstrous yellow, maneless fellow, was half-crawling, half-creeping, through the long sedgy gra.s.s; and at last he showed so plainly that Mr Rogers took careful aim, fired, and evidently hit, for the lion uttered a furious roar, and made a tremendous bound to escape, with the result that d.i.c.k's cob started, and threatened to dash off; but a few words from its master calmed it; and taking advantage of the good view he had of the lion, d.i.c.k now fired, a shot from Jack's rifle following directly after. But, so far from the monster being crippled, it ceased its efforts to escape, and turning, took a few steps forward, crouched like a cat, and then bounded at Jack.

"Stand firm and fire!" cried Mr Rogers.

Jack obeyed, and as he fired the lion was in the air launching itself at him, but falling short, rolling over upon its side, and beginning to tear and gnaw at the dry gra.s.s in its death agony.

Mr Rogers approached, but drew back in favour of d.i.c.k.

"Go and give it the _coup de grace_, my boy," he said. "You may as well have the honour of killing the monster, for a monster it is."

d.i.c.k had replaced his empty cartridge with a full one, and was approaching boldly to fire the necessary shot, when, to his horror and astonishment, the lion rose, crouched, and showed its glistening teeth.

But in spite of the terror that seized him he stood firm, took careful aim, fired, and with a savage roar, the lion rolled over, dead.

It was indeed a monster, and its glistening fangs were very long, while upon examination there was the mark of Jack's last night's bullet, which had ploughed up the skin between the creature's ears, though the wound was now half dry.

The shots brought the Zulu into sight with his boys, for the waggon was halting at a pleasant spring at the foot of one of the mountains not a mile away, for here were wood and a good place for forming a kraal.

The General and his sons raced down, and the boys danced round the lion and called it names. But there was no time to lose, and it was impossible to stop and skin the animal that night, so the General stuck some branches round it, and then led the way to camp, which was rapidly formed. And though they heard lions in the distance, they had a less disturbed night than the preceding one, greatly to the satisfaction of all, especially Dinny, who declared that it was a blessing that the lion was killed, for now they would be at peace.

But Dinny was wrong, for there were other lions in the land.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

GOOD PRACTICE FOR GUNNERS.

The day had hardly broken before Coffee and Chicory were shouting at the opening of the waggon for Boss d.i.c.k and Boss Jack to "come and 'kin a lion."

They wanted but little rousing up, and after a good souse in the pure cool spring, that ran bubbling over and amongst some rocks with delicious-looking broad-fronded ferns drooping gracefully over, they went and rubbed their horses' muzzles, patted their arched necks, and gave each a taste of sugar--for which Shoes and Stockings regularly looked now, and would follow their masters like dogs to obtain--they shouldered their rifles, and followed the General to the place where the lion lay.

Rested and refreshed, everything around looked lovely, for they were at the head of a very fertile valley, where flowers bloomed in profusion, and the springs that rose in the sides of the mountains sent down moisture enough to keep miles of the country round of a perpetual green.

"Plenty game here," said Chicory, pointing to a bare, muddy spot by a water-hole.

The General turned aside, and stooped down to look at the hundreds of footprints in the soft mud.

"Koodoo," he said, "eland, buffalo, bok, wildebeeste, quagga, zebra, lion," and he pointed out in turn the spoor, or footprints, of the various beasts he named. "Yes, plenty of game here."

As they went on, the boys noticed the abundance of the pretty little whidah bird, a lovely little creature, about the size of a lark, but with a tail of such enormous length that in a breeze the power of the wind upon the tail drives the bird to take flight into shelter, so that it shall not be blown away. Pigeons in abundance flew over their heads, and parrots of such gaudy colours that d.i.c.k felt obliged to shoot three or four as specimens, to skin and add to their collection.

But the lion pretty well filled the thoughts of all, and Jack was intensely eager to see the monster that he took to himself the credit of having shot.

As they drew near the place where the adventure of the previous night had taken place, the verdure began to give place to brown, parched-up sedgy gra.s.s, and the boys could not help noticing how much it seemed to harmonise with the skin of the beast of prey they had slain.

As they drew nearer there was no difficulty in finding the spot, for a party of great, dusky, bare-necked vultures were sitting about, gazing hungrily at the dead beast, but afraid to approach on account of the sticks and branches stuck about to imitate a trap.

They were so near now that they could make out the shape of the lion amongst the dry gra.s.s, when, apparently always upon his guard, the General suddenly presented the point of his a.s.segai. Coffee and Chicory said nothing, but they did the same; and d.i.c.k and Jack, fully under the impression that the lion had come back to life, c.o.c.ked their rifles and stood ready to fire.

Just then there was a low muttering growl, a moving of the long gra.s.s as if something was pa.s.sing through, and a smooth-coated lion bounded into sight, gazing at them menacingly, and lashing its sides with its tail.

Wisely or no, the boys' rifles were at their shoulders on the instant, and they fired together as Coffee and Chicory threw their spears.

There was a tremendous roar, a bound, a crash, and then silence, broken only by the clicking of the mechanism of the rifles, as the boys rapidly reloaded them with heavy ball.

As the smoke cleared away the General beckoned d.i.c.k and Jack to his side, and they advanced cautiously through the gra.s.s, which they pushed aside with the a.s.segai and the muzzles of the rifles, till they saw, a short distance off, the handle of an a.s.segai sticking up.

"There him is," shouted Coffee; "my a.s.segai!" And he seemed ready to run forward and get it, but was checked by a sign from his father.

The young hunters raised their rifles to their shoulders, ready to fire again, at the sight of the lion; but the staff of the a.s.segai did not even quiver; and, gaining confidence, the General went closer and parted the gra.s.s, for his young companions to fire.

The next moment he had sprung forward, and shouted and waved his spear above his head; for there, upon its side, lay the lion, quite dead, the second within twenty-four hours.

"That was your shot, d.i.c.k," said Jack.

"No, no: yours," said d.i.c.k.