The Adventures of Dick Maitland Part 5

I must stay, and pull this poor chap through, if I can, now that I have taken him in hand."

"Oh yes! rather; of course; that goes without saying," cheerfully a.s.sented Grosvenor. "But, I say, d.i.c.k, old chap," he continued, "you have astonished me to-day, fairly taken my breath away; I hadn't the slightest notion that you were such a swell at your profession as you have just proved yourself to be. Never saw anything like it in my life before, y'know, and couldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. Why, I wouldn't have given three ha'pence for that Kafir's life when I first set eyes upon him; but now, dash it all, I believe you're going to set him on his feet again. If you do, your fame will spread far and wide through the country, and do us a lot of good. But, I say, it was a jolly lucky thing for you that the poor chap dropped off into that sound sleep just when he did, eh? Because it enabled you to do several things that, it seems to me, you couldn't possibly have done had he remained awake. What puzzles me is that he continued to sleep all through it.

And I noticed that you didn't seem to worry in the least about whether you awoke him or not. I suppose it was sleep, was it not?"

"Oh yes!" answered d.i.c.k airily; "it was sleep, right enough; nothing in the nature of swoon about it, if that is what you mean. But now, what about those lions? My patient will sleep for several hours to come, and I can quite well leave him. It is now,"--consulting his watch--"only a few minutes past eleven o'clock, and we ought to be able to organise the hunt and bag the beasts comfortably before tiffin. Are you game?"

"You bet I am, rather!" responded Grosvenor. "It is just what I was itching to suggest, but I thought it would seem callous to propose that you should leave your patient, and it would not have been sporting to have proposed to go off alone, leaving you behind."

"Oh, that is all right!" returned d.i.c.k confidently; "my patient will not need me for hours yet, so let us see about it at once. Where is Jantje?"

Jantje was close at their elbows, and already "putting on side" among the villagers upon the strength of being in the service of an _'mkulu 'mtagati_. He stepped forward at the question and answered, with an air of proud humility:

"I'se here, sar. What you please to want?"

"Mr Grosvenor and I are going to have a try for those lions, Jantje, if they are still lurking in the neighbourhood," observed d.i.c.k. "I believe you said that these people report the beasts to be somewhere in yonder clump of bush? Very well. Now, I want a party to enter the bush on the windward side and carefully beat down-wind in order to drive the brutes into the open. Mr Grosvenor and I will place ourselves on the down- wind side of the bush, and if the lions can be induced to break cover we will do our best to bowl them over. We shall also require two steady, reliable men to come with us to carry our spare rifles; but, understand this, they must be men of courage, who will not be scared out of their seven senses and bolt, carrying our rifles off with them, if the lions should show in the open."

"Yes, sar," answered Jantje, "I understan' you puffekly. You leave everyt'ing to me, sar; I arrange it all, jus' as you wish. An' I will come wid you myself, sar, to carry gun. I am a brabe man, sar; no pusson in dhis worl' more brabe as me; you shall see, sar."

"Very well," answered d.i.c.k, suppressing a smile at the Hottentot's vainglorious boast; "you, being so exceedingly brave and reliable shall go with Mr Grosvenor; but you must pick me out a good man to come with me. Just see about it, will you, and bring the whole party to the wagon, where we are now going to get our rifles."

Puffed up with the honour of having so important a matter confided to him, the Hottentot saluted, and turned to address the crowd that still hung about the white men awaiting possible further developments, explaining to them what was required. A few words sufficed, and the moment that the white man's intentions and wishes were understood the crowd dissolved, as if by magic, the men hurrying away to their huts to procure their weapons, while d.i.c.k and Grosvenor sauntered away toward the wagon, noting, as they went, that their team of oxen had been driven to a spot where the gra.s.s was especially good, close to the banks of the river, and that it was being zealously watched and guarded by a dozen well-grown lads armed with hunting a.s.sagais and k.n.o.bkerries.

Arrived at the wagon, the two friends proceeded to bring forth and don their bandoliers, having first satisfied themselves that the belts were filled with the kind of cartridge required for the particular pattern of weapon which they were about to employ; and then, having taken down and loaded the four rifles which they intended to use, they awaited the arrival of the beating party, conscious now, for the first time, of a peculiar and not altogether pleasant feeling compounded of excitement and--was it "funk"? No, certainly not, for neither of them would have backed out of the adventure on any account; yet, if the sensation was not "funk", it bore some sort of family resemblance to it, something perhaps, in the nature of stage fright. The fact is that each realised, at nearly the same moment, that they were about to embark upon a perfectly new experience, an adventure in which they were as yet untried, in which courage and the most perfect _sangfroid_ were of the utmost importance, and they were by no means certain how they would emerge from the ordeal. To put it plainly, they were just a little afraid that at the critical moment they might fail to exhibit that superlative coolness and aplomb, the slightest lack of which would cause each to feel for ever humiliated and disgraced in the eyes of the other.

Besides, there were the natives, keen of eye, and quick to observe the smallest sign of anything approaching to perturbation; it would be awful beyond words to fail before them! By a curious coincidence the mind of each had been following precisely the same line of thought, and as they saw Jantje approaching, followed by some forty beaters and every mongrel cur belonging to the village, the same resolution came to each--they simply would not disgrace themselves and their colour by displaying the slightest sign of nervousness or trepidation in the eyes of those savages; so, drawing a deep breath, they pulled themselves together and, resolutely dismissing their apprehensions, prepared to do or die.

Proudly leading his party of beaters, the Hottentot approached and, giving a sort of semi-military salute, announced that the villagers but awaited the orders of the white chiefs to proceed. Then, leading forward a tall savage of some thirty-five years of age, of magnificent physique, he introduced the man as Mafuta, the half-brother of the injured man, and informed d.i.c.k that he, Mafuta, had specially requested the honour of being allowed to act as gunbearer to his brother's benefactor on this occasion. d.i.c.k ran his eye over the man, noted the splendid development of his thews and sinews, marked several ugly scars on his body and limbs bearing mute testimony to the fact that he had already proved himself a warrior, met his unflinching glance, proud and resolute, yet respectful, and instantly decided that here was a man who might be absolutely trusted. Without hesitation he placed his spare rifle in Mafuta's hands, explaining to him, through Jantje, exactly what he wished him to do with it; and then issued his final instructions to the beaters, who at once moved off to work round to the windward side of the clump of bush in which the lions were said to be hiding, while Grosvenor and he, followed respectively by Jantje and Mafuta, took their leisurely way toward the points where they intended to station themselves. For a considerable part of the distance they walked together; and when at length they separated, d.i.c.k, who somehow seemed to have a.s.sumed the direction of affairs as a matter of course, with Grosvenor's tacit consent and approval, said:

"Now, Phil, anything that may break cover to the right of that baobab, as we stand facing it, belongs to you, while anything that emerges to the left belongs to me, neither of us to interfere with the other's chances unless the brutes seem likely to get away and make good their escape. And, just one caution, old chap: don't fire until your quarry has pa.s.sed out clear of the line of bush, or you may quite unintentionally shoot one of the beaters. Ah! there are the dogs giving tongue; the beaters are putting them into the bush. To your station, old man, and good luck to you!"

"Thanks! same to you, old chap," cheerily responded Grosvenor, as he wheeled and strode away to the spot fixed upon as his station.

The clump of bush in which the lions were said to have secreted themselves was an isolated one, with nothing in particular to distinguish it from the thousands of other clumps that dotted the visible country, except that one extremity of it ab.u.t.ted upon the edge of a small shallow ravine, through which trickled a tiny rivulet discharging itself into the larger stream which flows through the long valley that intersected the landscape. Close to the spot where the clump of bush touched the edge of the ravine the rivulet flowed into and through a shallow basin of rock, which formed an ideal drinking place for animals; and it was possibly this circ.u.mstance that had caused the lions to take up their temporary abode in that particular clump. There was the possibility that the lions, when breaking cover, might attempt to escape by bolting into and up the ravine; and accordingly, when this fact had been pointed out and explained to d.i.c.k, he had very unselfishly placed his friend Grosvenor on that side in order that the latter might have the benefit of the most likely chances.

The barking and yelping of the dogs grew steadily louder and more insistent, and to it was presently added the shouts and shrill whistlings of the Kafirs as they forced their way through the thick undergrowth. A few birds flew out with startled cries, but for about a quarter of an hour there was no further result. Then suddenly the dogs burst into a chorus of sharp, savage barks, entirely different in character from their former utterances, and quite sufficient in itself to inform even the veriest novice that game of some sort was afoot; the Kafirs' cries of encouragement were redoubled; an occasional rustling and crackling of branches became audible to the intent watchers.

Presently there arose a terrific outburst of furious snarlings, growls, and yappings, intermingled with the violent swishing and crackling of dry leaves and twigs, evidence conclusive that a fight was proceeding in the heart of the bush. Then the sudden, sharp, agonised pow-wow of a dog in pain rang out, accompanied by a horrible sound of worrying; a still further increase of the hubbub followed, then a heavy crashing of bushes, and out sprang a magnificent tawny-maned lion into the open. He broke into view immediately opposite to d.i.c.k, and not more than twenty yards distant, stopping dead as he sighted the lad standing rifle in hand, with Mafuta like a bronze statue behind him. As the splendid beast stood at gaze, with blazing eyes, and his tail switching in short, angry jerks from side to side, the feeling of anxiety and nervousness that had been oppressing d.i.c.k seemed to drop from him like a garment.

In an instant he became absolutely cool, steady, and self-possessed, and lifting his rifle to his shoulder with a lightning-like movement, while the sights of the weapon seemed to line themselves of their own volition upon the centre of the beast's broad forehead, right between the eyes, he pressed the trigger. There was a flash, a sharp, whip-like report, a faint puff of smoke, and the lion dropped stone dead where he stood.

Meanwhile the hubbub in the bush was raging even more fiercely than ever, showing that the beast which had just fallen to d.i.c.k's rifle had not been the cause of it, and that the sport was by no means over.

d.i.c.k's weapon was a magazine rifle, and with a quick movement he jerked another cartridge into position, just as the uproar grew so loud and near at hand that it became evident another break was imminent.

The next instant it occurred. A splendid lioness, carrying a small cub in her mouth, crashed into the open, with a dozen or more yapping and snarling curs at her heels. She broke cover well on Grosvenor's side of the baobab; and, like the lion, came to an abrupt halt as soon as she saw Grosvenor, straight toward whom she was charging. In an instant the white man's rifle leapt to his shoulder, and the next instant he fired.

But even as he pressed the trigger, a dog, more valiant or more foolhardy than the rest, dashed in upon her, and with the rapidity of lightning she turned to meet his rush, dropping her cub, and nearly tearing the miserable cur's head from his shoulders with a single stroke of her powerful fore paw. At the same instant Grosvenor's bullet, aimed at her head, crashed into her flank, pa.s.sing right through it and utterly paralysing her hind quarters. With a whining, snarling roar the poor beast rolled over on her side, but instantly recovered herself so far as to raise herself on her fore legs--between which the cub, but a trifle bigger than a well-grown cat, took refuge--her jaws champing and foaming, and her eyes blazing lightnings at the dogs, which, recognising her helplessness, closed in round her.

"Save the cub!" shouted d.i.c.k; "don't let the dogs worry it; I want to keep the little beast alive." And, leaving his position, he hurried forward, regardless of danger, to beat off the dogs. Grosvenor and Jantje also rushed forward at his shouts, and were quickly joined by Mafuta, who seemed to divine what d.i.c.k required. Dashing fearlessly in among the snarling and snapping dogs, the Kafir and the Hottentot at length succeeded in beating them off, upon which Grosvenor stepped close up to the lioness and gave her the _coup de grace_ by sending a bullet through her brain. As she rolled over dead, Mafuta sprang in and grabbed the cub by the skin of the neck, despite the fact that it snarled and spat like an angry cat and struck out viciously with its claws, which were already strong enough to inflict quite a painful scratch, and carried it off to the wagon, tying it to a wheel by a stout reim.

Having ensured the safety of the cub, d.i.c.k, carrying his own and the spare rifle which he had s.n.a.t.c.hed from Mafuta, hurried back to the point which he had so hurriedly deserted; for the commotion in the heart of the bush clearly evidenced the fact that the remaining members of the troop of lions still clung to cover, and that the beaters and dogs were doing their utmost to dislodge them. Laying the spare rifle at his feet, d.i.c.k stood facing the great clump, with the rifle in his hand at the ready, prepared for any emergency. The noise and confusion, however, seemed to indicate that the next event would occur in the area under Grosvenor's jurisdiction, and, sure enough, about a minute later another lion and lioness broke cover together, followed by the remainder of the dogs. The n.o.ble beasts, both of which were apparently young animals, and but barely full-grown, evidently intended to make for fresh cover in the ravine, but, finding Grosvenor blocking the way, came to a sudden halt, upon which the dogs instantly gathered round them, yapping and snarling furiously, while individual members made sudden feints of dashing in, only to retreat precipitately with their tails between their legs as the infuriated beasts turned this way and that to meet the rush.

The crowding, clamouring dogs, with their quick rushes, and the incessant twists and turns of the regal pair to meet those rushes, were anything but conducive to good shooting, and Grosvenor, with rifle to shoulder, held his fire, watching for a favourable opportunity.

Suddenly it came: a dog more venturesome than the rest sprang at the lion, and was caught by him. Planting both his front paws on the body of the unhappy cur, the lion stood for a moment glaring at his foes, and in that moment Grosvenor pulled trigger, the bullet striking the great beast full in his ma.s.sive chest. For perhaps a quarter of a minute the lion stood absolutely motionless, his eyes blazing defiance; then he suddenly collapsed, and, with a half-whine, half-roar, slowly rolled over on his side, his great head sank to earth, his limbs stretched themselves stiffly out, and with a violent shudder he yielded up his life.

Grosvenor chose this moment to inject a fresh cartridge into the chamber of his rifle. But something went wrong with the weapon, and while he was still fidgeting with it, forgetful of the fact that Jantje was standing behind him with a second rifle, fully charged, in his hand, the lioness, with a mighty, snarling roar that sent the dogs scuttling in all directions, crouched with the evident intention of springing upon the slayer of her lord. For a moment d.i.c.k, who was interestedly watching the scene, took no action, for, according to the arrangement come to between them, the lioness belonged of right to Grosvenor. Then, realising that his friend was in peril, he shouted excitedly:

"Shoot, Phil, shoot, or the brute will be upon you!" at the same time lifting his own weapon to his shoulder.

"Can't," returned Grosvenor, still struggling with his rifle; "the beastly thing's--"

Crack! d.i.c.k instantly pressed the trigger; and as he did so the lioness rose into the air with a curious writhing movement, falling short of the spot where Grosvenor stood by about a foot. As she fell she rolled headlong, but instantly recovered herself, standing upon three legs, with the fourth broken close to the shoulder, while Grosvenor, stepping back hurriedly in the long gra.s.s to avoid her, was tripped up and fell flat upon his back. Fearing that, despite her broken leg, the lioness might spring upon his prostrate friend and badly maul him, d.i.c.k impetuously sprang forward, injecting a new cartridge as he ran, but stopped short, convulsed with laughter, at the sight of his friend, his long legs flourishing in the air, rolling with frantic energy out of the reach of the lioness. Then, as Grosvenor finally scrambled to his feet, minus his rifle, which he had dropped during his hurried retreat--while Jantje had incontinently bolted, carrying Grosvenor's second rifle with him, as the lioness sprang--d.i.c.k again levelled his piece and bowled the great tawny brute over with a bullet behind the ear, which penetrated the brain.

Thus satisfactorily terminated the adventurers' first experience with big game, each of the sportsmen bagging a lion and lioness, while the cub might be regarded as the joint property of the two. A very satisfactory feature of the day's sport was that n.o.body had received so much as a scratch, the actual casualties amounting to two Kafir dogs slain. As for the Kafirs, they fell upon the carca.s.ses and with incredible rapidity and skill stripped off the hides and pegged them out preparatory to treating them in the native fashion, afterwards removing the heads and carefully depositing each in the near vicinity of an ants'

nest, in order that the insects might remove--as they very speedily would--every atom of flesh from the bones. Then, having rendered this service to the champions who had delivered them from their formidable enemies, they departed, dancing, to the village, singing a triumphant song to the glory of the white men, in which each incident of the recent hunt was graphically described with appropriate gesture.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

THE MAKOLO COUNTRY.

A full week was spent by the travellers among those friendly villagers, during which d.i.c.k Maitland a.s.siduously tended the wounded man, who by the end of that time, thanks in part to his own healthy flesh and blood, the result of simple, frugal living, and, more largely, to the young doctor's skilful treatment, had advanced so far toward recovery that nature might safely be left to complete the cure. The week had been not altogether unprofitably spent in other respects, the two white men a.s.siduously devoting themselves, with Mafuta's a.s.sistance, to the study of the native language, varied occasionally, on d.i.c.k's part, by a little botanising--during which he discovered some half a dozen plants that seemed to possess valuable properties--and the taming of the lion cub, which, after the first two or three days of captivity, responded with ever-growing alacrity to his young master's advances, until by the end of six weeks he had learned to answer to the name of Leo, to come at d.i.c.k's call or whistle, and, in short, had become as tame as a dog.

This result, and the gentleness of disposition which Leo manifested, d.i.c.k attributed largely to the fact that the animal was never allowed to taste blood, or raw flesh of any kind, his food--after a milk diet for the first three weeks of his captivity--consisting entirely of well- roasted flesh.

The natives witnessed the preparations for the departure of their white friends with every manifestation of sincere regret, a.s.sisting to drive up and inspan the oxen, presenting a fine milch cow for Leo's especial benefit, as well as quant.i.ties of mealies, bananas, and other garden produce, warning the travellers of various difficulties and dangers that lurked on the next hundred miles or so of their route, and carefully instructing them how they might best be avoided, and in many other ways making plain the sorrow with which they bade them farewell. Finally, when the oxen were inspanned and the wagon was on the very point of moving off, Mafuta, who had hitherto been missing, presented himself in full marching order, armed with shield, a.s.sagais, and k.n.o.bkerrie, with plumed head-dress, and cows' tails bound about his legs below the knees, and curtly informed d.i.c.k that it was his fixed intention to join the party! Although both d.i.c.k and Grosvenor did their utmost to dissuade him, by representing to him the great length and exceeding danger of the journey upon which they were bound, and the possibility that they might never return, it was all of no avail, he alternately insisted and entreated, declaring that he wanted no wages or reward of any kind.

d.i.c.k had pulled his brother back out of the grave, and he felt it to be his duty, as well as his pleasure, to devote himself henceforward to the service of the white man who had done this wonderful thing; and finally, when d.i.c.k, loath to take the man away from his kith and kin, definitely refused to take him, the Kafir countered by saying, in effect: "Very well; the veldt is free to all, and if you will not permit me to join your party, I can at least follow you at a distance, and be at hand whenever you require my services." After which, of course, there was no more to be said, and Mafuta was allowed to have his own way, to the great joy of his brethren of the village.

Nor was it very long before the travellers had abundant reason to congratulate themselves upon their decision in this respect, for Mafuta not only proved to be a most intelligent and devoted servant, but also a splendid guide, knowing the exact localities of the various streams and waterholes on their route, as far as the Zambezi, also the most favourable crossing places, where the best gra.s.s and the most game were to be found, and, most important of all, perhaps, the exact boundaries of the fly country. Indeed but for this last knowledge it is almost certain that in their anxiety to take the shortest possible cuts they would probably have lost practically all their cattle, and thus have been obliged to bring their adventure to a premature end.

On their ninth day out from Mafuta's village they struck the Hanyani River, without meeting with any adventure worthy of record, and following its right bank for a couple of days, bore away in an easterly direction, skirting the northern slope of Mount Inyota, where they struck another small stream flowing to the northward and eastward; and as this was, broadly speaking, the direction in which they wished to travel, and as Mafuta a.s.sured them that it discharged into the Zambezi, they decided to follow it, and did so, finding eventually that it united its flow with another stream, which they followed, still without any particular adventure save such as daily occurred while hunting; and three weeks from the day on which Mafuta joined them the travellers found themselves gazing with delight upon the broad bosom of the Zambezi, its waters sparkling in the golden light of the westering sun.

Here again Mafuta's knowledge proved to be of the utmost value, for he was able to guide the party to a spot where the river was fordable, and where they succeeded in effecting a crossing that same evening before sunset. Once safely arrived on the left bank of the river, Grosvenor and d.i.c.k decided to camp for a few days, in order to give the oxen a rest, the gra.s.s being good. Also there was a small native village a few miles higher upstream, where canoes and their crews might be hired, and within easy paddling distance of which there was a spot where hippopotami still abounded, affording a prospect of good sport, of which Grosvenor was particularly anxious to avail himself. Accordingly, while the Hottentot Jantje, and 'Nkuku, the Kafir voorlouper, remained in charge of the wagon and oxen, Ramoo Samee, the groom, accompanied his masters to the native village, to look after the horses and attend to the cooking while his employers shot hippopotami and crocodiles from the two canoes which they chartered; Mafuta, meanwhile, taking four days'

rations, and going off upon a prospecting expedition in search of elephant and buffalo. Three days at this village sufficed to provide the hunters with more trophies than they cared to enc.u.mber themselves with, while the natives enjoyed a record feast of hippopotamus flesh; and on the fourth morning d.i.c.k and Grosvenor returned on horseback to the wagon, while Ramoo Samee, in charge of the spoils, was conveyed down the river to the same spot in a canoe manned by the grateful natives.

They found the cattle all right, and visibly improved by their three days' rest, while Leo, the lion cub, welcomed d.i.c.k's return with almost embarra.s.sing demonstrations of affection. Late that same evening Mafuta also returned, with the intelligence that although he had not actually seen either elephants or buffaloes, he had obtained, from natives whom he had encountered, intelligence of a large herd of the former at a distance of four days' trek from the river. He also reported the natives to be quite friendly disposed and willing to allow the white men to traverse their particular section of country. Everything thus appearing favourable, on the following morning the oxen were once more inspanned, and the journey resumed.

Then ensued a long trek extending over a period of more than two months, including a day's halt here and there to rest the oxen, or to indulge in a little hunting, during which they enjoyed excellent sport among elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, giraffe, veldebeeste, zebra, ostriches, and the various species of buck to be found in the southern portion of the great African Continent; so rapidly, indeed, did their spoils acc.u.mulate that at length they could no longer find room for them in the wagon, and were glad to avail themselves of the opportunity afforded by their arrival at a particularly friendly village to leave everything of the kind, including some eighteen hundred pounds of ivory, in charge of the villagers.

Of the last three weeks of this long trek, nine days were consumed in forced marches through sterile country, bordering a wide and--according to Mafuta--utterly impa.s.sable desert, during which both water and gra.s.s were so exceedingly scarce that the entire party suffered terrible privation, no game of any kind being seen, where more than half the oxen died, while the remainder were reduced to such a miserable condition that they were scarcely able to drag the now more than half-empty wagon.

Presently the character of the country gradually changed, a water-hole or two were found, with small patches of fairly nutritious gra.s.s growing round them, and as soon as a favourable spot was reached the wagon was outspanned and the oxen allowed a couple of days' holiday in which to rest and recuperate. Then Grosvenor and d.i.c.k, mounting their horses, which had been spared as much as possible during the preceding ten days, set off with their rifles in search of game, and eventually succeeded in finding and shooting a pair of bush buck wherewith to replenish their larder.

At the end of the second day's rest Mafuta--who had by this time completely won the confidence of the two leaders of the expedition, and had attained rather to the position of a humble comrade than a mere follower--gave it as his opinion that the oxen had now sufficiently recovered to justify the party in resuming their journey; and accordingly on the following morning the animals were once more inspanned. d.i.c.k and Grosvenor had already seen enough of the surrounding country during their two days' foraging expedition to have come to the conclusion that conditions would now improve with every mile of progress, and this conclusion was fully borne out by their first day's experiences, the country gradually becoming more hilly and broken, with small watercourses occurring at steadily decreasing intervals, with more and richer gra.s.s at every mile of their progress, until by the end of the day they once more found themselves in a district that might fairly be termed fertile, while a few head of game--bucks and a brace of paow (a kind of bustard)--had been seen. All this was exceedingly encouraging to the two explorers, for their experiences thus far--with one very important exception--had been in strict accordance with Menzies' story, as repeated to them by their friend Mitch.e.l.l, and confirmed them in the conviction that at length they had arrived within measurable distance of the spot where, according to the account given by the former, the ruins of ancient Ophir still existed in recognisable form. The exception referred to consisted in the fact that whereas, according to Menzies, the Makolo nation, upon whose territory they had now entered, were exceedingly jealous of all intrusion--Menzies himself having escaped a frightful death at their hands by the very skin of his teeth--they had thus far met with no molestation whatever; which, however, might possibly be accounted for by the fact that thus far they had seen no natives.

But this state of affairs was not to last much longer; for on the third day of their resumed trek, by which time they had reached a somewhat rugged, well-wooded stretch of country, watered by numerous streams, upon surmounting a ridge they sighted a native village, some three miles ahead, surrounded by well-cultivated fields which, upon their nearer approach, the travellers found to consist chiefly of maize and tobacco, with here and there a patch of sugar cane, or a small fruit orchard.

Soon afterwards they encountered a large herd of cattle in charge of about a dozen native lads, one of whom, upon sighting the strangers, took to his heels and ran, as though for his life, to an eminence at no great distance, where, placing his hands funnelwise to his mouth, he began to shout, in a peculiar, high-pitched tone of voice, a brief communication of some sort to some unseen person or persons. At the same time one of the other lads, after intently scrutinising the newcomers for several minutes, advanced cautiously toward them and finally halted--evidently holding himself ready to bolt at the slightest suspicious sign--and, raising his sheaf of a.s.sagais in his right hand by way of salute, shouted the single word:

"_Bietu_!"

The word was evidently a variant of the Zulu _Biete_, the form of salutation addressed to a great chief, and, so construing it, Mafuta at once placed his shield and weapons in the wagon and, advancing rapidly, proceeded to address the lad in good Zulu. The stranger, however, although it was evident that he caught the meaning of a word here and there, seemed unable to grasp the sense of Mafuta's communication in its entirety, whereupon the latter made a second attempt, this time using a sort of dialect or corruption of the true Zulu tongue; and was now more successful, quite a long interchange of conversation ensuing, at the termination of which the stranger turned and ran to the before-mentioned eminence, from the summit of which he shouted, in the same high-pitched voice as his predecessor, a communication of very considerable length, while Mafuta returned to the wagon.

"Well, Mafuta, what is the news?" demanded d.i.c.k, as the Kaffir approached.

"The news, Chief, is good," answered Mafuta, saluting. "We have arrived within the borders of the Makolo country; and the word of the _'mfana_ who spoke with me is that it will be wise of my fathers to outspan at the first suitable halting place until the will of the king regarding them be made known. The Makolo do not approve of strangers entering their country, it would appear; but their objection no longer applies to white men, to whom the Spirits of the Winds have commanded that all kindness be shown, should such ever visit the Makolo country. News of our arrival has already been sent forward to Lobelalatutu, the king; and his will concerning us will be made known as soon as it comes; but, meanwhile, Matemba, the _'mfana_ who spoke with me, advises that we outspan until that will be made known."