Off to the Wilds Part 39

"Look! the plain is on fire."

The horses were reined in, and as they gazed in the direction pointed out, it was evident that there was what seemed to be a very large fire rolling across the plain; the white smoke-clouds rising quite high.

"Is it the gra.s.s on fire?" said d.i.c.k, as Mr Rogers brought his little double gla.s.s to bear.

"It is no fire at all," said his father, "but dust. There is a great herd of buffalo crossing the plain, and we ought to get a shot."

Click! click! went the lock of Jack's rifle, and he leaped down to tighten his girths.

"No!" said Mr Rogers; "they are oxen and hors.e.m.e.n. It is a large party crossing the plain--an emigration of Boers, I'll be bound."

They rode gently on towards the long line of dust-clouds, which was pa.s.sing at right angles to them; and as they drew nearer they could plainly see beneath the lurid sky figures of men on horseback, blacks mounted on oxen, and waggon after waggon with its enormously long team.

As they approached, some of the sun-tanned, dejected-looking men riding in front turned their heads, and stared sullenly at the little party, but they seemed to have no desire for any friendly intercourse; and when Mr Rogers spoke to them they replied sullenly in broken English mixed with Dutch, that they were going north.

They were curious-looking men from an English point of view, and would have been greatly improved by the use of a pair of scissors to their long, abundant, fair hair. Each man carried his rifle ready for the first enemy that might cross his path, and their numerous black servants trudged on with loads or rode the oxen.

These blacks, too, took the attention of the boys, one being a perfect giant in his way, a great square shouldered fellow of quite six-feet-six in height; while another, mounted upon an ox, had his hair twisted up into a couple of points, standing up from his head like the horns of an antelope.

Every one looked jaded and worn out, as if with a long journey; and the dejected aspect of the masters was traceable even in their dogs, one of which went on in front with his head, down and tongue lolling out, aiming evidently at some particular point.

So surly were the leaders of the party that Mr Rogers made no further effort to be friendly, but sat with his sons looking-on, till the whole troop, extending several hundred yards, had filed by, under the cloud of dust shuffled up by the oxen's feet; and then, as the little hunting-party rode on, they could see as it were a cloud go rolling slowly over the plain, the emigrant party being quite hidden by its folds, till the dreary dust-covered plain was pa.s.sed.

"How are we to get at these rhinoceroses?" said Mr Rogers, as they rode homeward. "We must have one, boys; but I don't want to have out the Zulus to track, for fear of their getting injured."

"Perhaps we shall come across one, father, when we don't expect it,"

said d.i.c.k. "Let's try to get a giraffe or two, and we may find a rhinoceros without hunting for it."

"Very wisely said," replied Mr Rogers; "perhaps we shall."

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

HOW THE WAGGON WAS PUT STRAIGHT.

The remark made by d.i.c.k as he rode home with his father was much nearer fulfilment than he expected.

The morning broke dark and lowering, with great thunder clouds in the north; and as it was evident that it was raining hard, as it can rain sometimes in South Africa, and they might get caught, it was decided to spend the morning at home, and devote that day to a general clean up of arms, and a repacking of the waggon, which needed doing sadly. Besides which there were cases of stores that they had not yet been able to get at; and these it was advisable to have, especially a whole barrel of fine flour, which was right at the bottom.

Arms were cleaned, then, till Dinny announced breakfast, with three hot roast quails, that had been knocked down by Chicory that morning.

These were a delicious treat, being about three times the size of the little English quail; and the hearty breakfast having come to an end, Mr Rogers climbed into the waggon, followed by the boys, the General and his sons went off to collect wood for firing, while Peter and Dirk, with a yoke of bullocks, brought it to the camp and made a stack, upon which Dinny soon began to make inroads for culinary purposes, as he had cakes to bake, and a large joint of eland to cook for an early dinner-- for if it seemed likely to hold up, an expedition was determined on in search of giraffes for the afternoon.

It was very busy and very warm work under the tilt of the waggon, but the two boys toiled away with a will, and package after package of forgotten luxuries was unearthed, and placed where it could be used.

"Hurray, father!" cried Jack, "here's a box of cornflour."

"And here's another bag of rice," cried d.i.c.k.

"Better still," said Mr Rogers, laughing. "Here's something that will suit you, d.i.c.k."

"What? More sugar, father?"

"No. You were grumbling about always drinking your coffee without milk; here's a case of Swiss condensed."

"If the sugar ran out," said Jack, "we could get honey."

"Yes," said his father. "You boys must be on the look out for the honey-guide."

"Why, we saw one, father," cried Jack.

"Yes, and the rhinoceros drove it out of our head," said d.i.c.k, "and--"

"Why, what's the matter?" cried Mr Rogers. "Rifles, boys!"

They were just engaged in moving a big chest, and had the greater part of the waggon's contents piled up on one side, that nearest the kraal of growing and piled up thorns, when there was a loud yelping of the dogs, a peculiar grunting snort, a tremendous crash, and the dissel-boom was driven on one side, and the fore part of the waggon itself actually lifted and nearly overturned.

There was a tremendous crash, and splinters flew as it was struck; and another crash as it came down upon the earth again, one wheel having been lifted quite a couple of feet.

Then, as Jack held on by the great laths of the waggon cover, and looked over the chests, he saw the shoulders of a great rhinoceros, as it wrenched its horn out of the woodwork that it had driven it through; then it whisked round, and charged straight at the fire, rushing through it, trampling the embers, and tossing the burning sticks in all directions.

"Murther! master, help! Here's a big thief of a--Murth--"

Dinny did not finish his sentence, for, seeing him standing there shouting as his cooking-place was "torn all to smithereens," as he afterwards expressed it, the rhinoceros dashed at him, and with one lift of his horn sent poor Dinny flying into the th.o.r.n.y hedge of the cattle-kraal.

The rhinoceros now stood snorting and squeaking, in search of some other object upon which to vent its rage; and seeing this in some newly-washed clothes laid out to dry upon a bush, it charged at them, dashing through the bush, and carrying off a white garment upon its horn, with which it tore right away, never stopping once while it was in sight.

"Well, when you have done laughing, young gentlemen," said Mr Rogers, "perhaps you will let me pa.s.s and see what damages we have suffered."

"Laugh!" cried Jack. "Oh, father, I ache with laughing. Did you ever see such a comical beast?"

"It certainly has its comical side," said Mr Rogers; "but it is terribly mischievous and dangerous."

"But you should have seen it toss Dinny, father," said d.i.c.k, wiping his eyes. "I hope he wasn't hurt."

They leaped out of the waggon rifle in hand, just as a piteous groan came from the top of the kraal fence.

"Ah, masther, and that was the only dacent shirt I had left. Oh, masther, dear, help me down. I'm kilt and murthered here wid the great thorns in my back."

The boys could hardly help for laughing, poor Dinny's aspect was so ludicrous; but by dint of placing the broken dissel-boom up to where he was sitting, and crawling up to him, Dinny was aided to drag himself out.

"Aisy then, Masther Jack, aisy," he cried; "don't ye see the nasty crukked thorns have got howlt of me? Ye'd be pulling me out of my clothes, instead of my clothes out of the thorns. Arrah, sor, d'ye think that great pig baste wid a horn on his nose will ever bring me clane shirt back?"

"Very doubtful, Dinny; but are you much hurt?" said Mr Rogers.

"An' am I much hurt?" cried Dinny, "whin there isn't a bit of me as big as saxpence that hasn't got a thorn shtuck in it?"