Off to the Wilds Part 24

CHAPTER TWENTY.

DRUMSTICKS AND LIONS.

Chicory came back the next day, for his brother's a.s.segais, having lost his own, as he said, sticking in an ostrich's back.

"Bring him back soon," he said, as he sat down and ate tremendously for about an hour, after which he lay down and went to sleep by his wounded brother, and did not awake till his father came back with a little bok slung over his shoulder, and stirred him with his foot.

Chicory sprang up as if p.r.i.c.ked, and in reply to his father's angry words in the Zulu tongue, the boy made a reply which calmed the General's wrath directly, and then went away.

When breakfast was ready the next morning, and Dinny brought a number of skewers of wood laden with hot sputtering venison cutlets, to place before each hungry meal-seeker, Chicory was not visible; and on being asked, Coffee said his brother had gone as soon as the lions had left off roaring; but he came back before evening in a wonderful state of excitement, begging d.i.c.k and Jack to mount their horses and come to fetch in the ostrich he had speared.

"Where is it?" cried d.i.c.k.

The Zulu boy pointed towards the east, and just then Mr Rogers came up.

"He has speared an ostrich, father," cried d.i.c.k eagerly.

"Indeed! How did you manage it, Chicory?" said Mr Rogers.

"So!" said the boy, throwing himself into a peculiar att.i.tude, and holding up one arm with the hand bent down, so that side-wise his figure took something of the aspect of the long-necked bird.

"Then the ostrich must have been stupid," cried Jack, laughing.

"Yes, 'tupid bird," said Chicory, grinning. "Never be 'tupid any more.

Come fetch him."

The horses were soon ready, and they were about to start when Dinny expressed a desire to go.

"Shure, I haven't sthretched me legs these three days, Masther d.i.c.k, dear, and I wouldn't mind exercising one of the big horses if the Masther loiked."

But "the masther" didn't "loike," not feeling disposed to trust a valuable animal to Dinny's tender mercies; so that gentleman turned upon his heel, and went back to the waggon-fire in disgust, and sat over it to "warrum" himself, though every one else was complaining of the heat.

It was a long ride, but Chicory did not seemed tired. He laid hold of the mane of d.i.c.k's or Jack's horse, and ran easily along by the side.

And had there been any doubt of the spot in which the game lay, the vultures going straight in one direction would have pointed it out.

The sun was getting very low as they neared the place to which Chicory pointed; and when they came up a perfect crowd of vultures rose, having been seated at a respectful distance, watching the bower of sticks with which Chicory had surrounded his prize.

It proved to be a full-grown ostrich, but it was in wretched plumage, and a little examination showed that there was a reason for Chicory's success, the bird having been shot at and a good deal injured.

It was such a miserable object that it would have been left behind had not the little party known that the General wanted it for a particular purpose; so it was strapped on to the back of Mr Rogers's saddle, to the great discomfort of the big bay, which immediately began to kick furiously.

This kicking process caused the ostrich's long legs and neck to fly about and belabour the horse's sides, driving it almost frantic, and had he not been securely held he would have gone off at full gallop over the plain, probably to go on till he dropped or was pulled down by the lions.

"Look at the old drum," cried d.i.c.k eagerly; "and how the drumsticks are giving it to his sides," a remark which ensured for the old bay horse the nickname of the "Drum" to the end of the journey.

Fortunately for the party the moon in its first quarter was well advanced, and as the sunlight faded in the west they had the advantage of the soft silvery rays to guide them on their way. But all the same, the journey back was toilsome and dangerous; for no sooner did they attempt to go fast--Chicory being mounted in turn behind one or other of the boys, than, as d.i.c.k said, the sticks began to beat the drum, and the drum began to go mad, and snort and kick most violently.

"Ah, father," cried Jack, "what a shame it was you did not lend Dinny a horse; it would have been such fun to have seen him with the ostrich tied on behind."

"Shure, he'd have been kilt intoirely," said d.i.c.k, mimicking Dinny's accent.

"I should not envy him his ride if it would have been anything like mine," said Mr Rogers drily. "Hark, boys! there's a lion."

"Oomph! oomph!" came the low deep roar, like muttering thunder at home on a summer's night; and over and over again they noticed the peculiarity of the deep-toned growl. For it was as if some ventriloquist were imitating the cry in different parts of the wilderness. Now it sounded close by, and the horses shivered and pawed the ground impatiently; then it seemed a little farther off; and again it was close by.

They would gladly have galloped on if it had not been for the drumsticks, as d.i.c.k called the ostrich's neck and legs, these necessitating a very gentle progress; and all the time the deep roar of the lion grew nearer.

"Want the horses," said Chicory. "Two--three--four lion."

He pointed his hand in different directions; and now it was quite evident that that was no animal ventriloquism, but several lions attracted by the horses were cautiously approaching so as to make a successful spring.

At last their unpleasant neighbours grew so demonstrative, that Mr Rogers gave the word, and they drew rein at the edge of a patch of wood, where there was an abundance of dry brush and gra.s.s.

"We must not go any further, boys," exclaimed Mr Rogers. "d.i.c.k, sit fast, and hold the reins of Jack's and my horses. We'll jump down and make a fire. Come, Chicory, dead dry gra.s.s."

The boy no sooner understood what was wanted than he began rapidly to gather up the dry gra.s.s into a heap, while Jack and his father drew their heavy hunting-knives and chopped off the brushwood; but it was nervous work, for the low, muttering roar came ominously close, and at any moment d.i.c.k felt that one of the great cat-like creatures, which have a terrible hunger after horseflesh, might spring upon one of the poor creatures, which trembled and whinnied, and tugged at the reins.

"I shan't do much good, father," cried d.i.c.k, "but I'm going to shoot where I think the lions are."

"Yes, fire," cried his father, who was down upon his knees, vainly trying to get the dry gra.s.s to burn; "fire as quickly as you can load."

_Bang_, _bang_, went d.i.c.k's double gun on the instant; and apparently comforted by the noise, and perhaps an instinctive knowledge that the firing was for their protection, the horses ceased to embarra.s.s their caretaker by tugging to get away, and crowded together, pressing one upon the other in their dread.

There was a pause of about a minute's duration, and then the lions' cry was heard again a little more distant, but coming nearer and nearer; and still the fire would not burn, but kept on emitting a dense blinding smoke, which hid one great beast from d.i.c.k's eyes, where he had distinctly seen the animal creeping along towards them. Directly after, though, he saw another quite plainly in the bright moonlight, creeping cautiously onwards, and stooping from time to time as if about to spring.

d.i.c.k had reloaded by this time, and taking careful aim he fired again, when there was a furious roar, and they all heard quite plainly the snap and gnashing of the monster's teeth.

"You've hit him, d.i.c.k. Keep it up, my boy. Chicory, here! Come and blow. I can't get this fire to burn."

Chicory threw himself upon his hands and knees, and as d.i.c.k, with agitated fingers, hastily reloaded, and tried to see the next lion so as to have a shot at it, there came a deep-mouthed roar from behind. Then another and another, and the horses grew frantic, for the beasts were evidently going to make their attack.

d.i.c.k raised his piece to his shoulder and prepared to fire, longing the while for some relief, when, all at once, there was a bright flash, and the fire that had refused for so long to burn, burst into a brilliant flame, showing three lions quite plainly, creeping along at a short distance; and as soon as they were a little farther off, they began growling again.

Jack and Chicory had, however, gathered together a goodly portion of combustible wood, and there was plenty more at hand, so that a roaring fire was soon casting its light away from the wood, which somewhat sheltered them behind; and as soon as some of the good-sized pieces of bush were well ablaze, Chicory began to send them flying in the directions where a low ominous growl or two told that the lions were waiting their time.

Farther progress was impossible, and, with the knowledge before them that they would have to pa.s.s the night where they were, a steady onslaught was kept on at the trees and bushes, goodly pieces of which were hacked off and used to feed the fire.

Every now and then, in spite of the blaze, some hungry lion would make a charge, one which d.i.c.k, being pretty well experienced in such matters now, met by hurling a blazing stick at the beast, several of which sticks he kept burning and ready to his hand.

For firing in the deceptive light at creatures whose colour a.s.similated so with that of the ground, was not only doubtful but dangerous, from its likelihood to wound and infuriate the savage beasts. When it was tried before the fire blazed up, it was as a last resource, and in the hope that the flash might help to intimidate, which, as it happened, in this case it did.

There was very little rest, for, being unprovided with an axe, it was hard work to hack off the boughs with the hunting-knives, but as the night wore on and their enemies made no determined attacks, but, as it were, kept on skirmishing, one of the party did have a bit of a nap from time to time, though the horses neither ate nor slept, but stood shivering together, most probably longing, like their masters, for the morning light.

It was only natural that Mr Rogers should feel sincere regret that he had left the camp so late in the day, but he told himself that it was a lesson, hard as it was to learn; and the boys pretty well took it to heart as they sat there listening to the fierce muttering growls that came from all around. Nearer and nearer when the fire was allowed to burn a little lower, more distant when the blaze sprang up, and a few burning pieces were sent whizzing through the air like fireworks, d.i.c.k being particularly clever at making the burning brands spin round Catherine-wheel fashion, blazing furiously as they flew.

That weary night seemed as if it would never end, and to the dismay of all, it became very plain that the lions were madly excited at the presence of the horses, and that their hunger was beginning to make them think less of the fire and the burning brands.

So close were two or three of the rushes that it was all Mr Rogers and his sons could do to keep the horses from dashing away, one lion in particular coming so well into sight that Jack could not resist the temptation to fire; and so well placed was the bullet that the lion fell paralysed, and lay struggling impotently, till a second well-aimed bullet put an end to its pain.