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 THE SHOWER OF LOCUSTS. 
 
 Page 37. 
 
THE 
 
 BUSH-BOYS; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE HISTOKY AND ADVENTURES 
 
 A CAPE FARMER AND HIS FAMILY 
 
 WILD KAROOS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 
 i/ 
 
 AUTHOR OF "THE BOY HUNTERS," "THE YODNO VOYAGECRS," 
 "FOREST EXILES," ETC. 
 
 tffltttfi arfotlfce Ellustrattons. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 TICK NOR AND FIELDS 
 
 M DCCC LVI. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by 
 
 TICKNOR AND FIELDS, 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 HOBART ft BOBBINS, 
 New England Type and Stereotype Foundery. 
 
 BOSTON. 
 Dumrell & Moore, Printers, Boston. 
 
THREE VERT DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS, 
 
 FRANZ, LOUIS, AND VILMA, 
 
 THE CHILDREN OP A STILL OLDKR FRIEND, THE FRIBND OF 
 FREEDOM, OF VIRTUE, AND OF TRUTH, 
 
 LOUIS KOSSUTH, 
 
 (f* Volume it Defcf ratcft, 
 
 BY THEIR SINGERS WELL-WISHER, 
 
 LONDON, 1855. MAYNE REID. 
 
 M15573 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. PACK 
 
 I. THE BOOHS 1 
 
 II. THE KRAAL 9 
 
 III. THE SPRINGHAAN 16 
 
 IV. A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS 24 
 
 V. THE LOCUST-FLIGHT ' 83 
 
 VI. " INSPANN AND TREK " * ... 39 
 
 VII. WATER ! WATER ! 45 
 
 VIII. THE FATE OF THE HERD 53 
 
 IX. A LION "COUCH ANT" 61 
 
 X. A LION IN THE TRAP 68 
 
 XI. THE DEATH OF THE LION 76 
 
 XII. A TALK ABOUT LIONS 82 
 
 XHI. THE TRAVELLERS BENIGHTED 87 
 
 XIV. THE TREK-BOKEN . 94 
 
 XV. SPOORING FOR A SPRING 104 
 
 XVI. THE TERRIBLE TSETSE 110 
 
 XVII. THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS 116 
 
 XVIII. A HEAVY COMBAT 125 
 
 XIX. THE DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT 133 
 
 XX. TURNED HUNTERS 141 
 
 XXI. JERKING AN ELEPHANT 147 
 
 XXII. THE HIDEOUS HYENA 153 
 
 XXIII. STALKING THE OUREBI . . . ... . . .160 
 
 XXIV. LITTLE JAN'S ADVENTURE 170 
 
 XXV. A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS . . 177 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. PAGE 
 
 XXVI. A HOUSE AMONG THE TREE-TOPS 185 
 
 XXVII. THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS . . . .191 
 
 XXVIII. UPON THE SPOOR 199 
 
 XXIX. A ROGUE ELEPHANT 207 
 
 XXX. THE MISSING HUNTER, AND THE WILDEBEESTS . 217 
 
 XXXI. THE ANT-EATER OF AFRICA 225 
 
 XXXII. HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST .... 231 
 
 XXXIII. BESIEGED BY THE BULL 238 
 
 XXXIV. A HELPLESS BEAST 244 
 
 XXXV. THE ELEPHANT'S SLEEPING-ROOM 251 
 
 XXXVI. MAKING THE ELEPHANT'S BED 257 
 
 XXXVII. THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA 263 
 
 XXXVIII. PLANNING THE CAPTURE OF THE QUAGGAS . . 271 
 
 XXXIX. THE PIT-TRAP . 279 
 
 XL. DRIVING IN THE ELAND 286 
 
 XLI. A WILJFRIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK 294 
 
 XLH. THE GUN-TRAP 304 
 
 XLIII. THE WEAVER-BIRDS 311 
 
 XLIV. THE SPITTING-SNAKE 317 
 
 XLV. THE SERPENT-EATER 323 
 
 XLVI. TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS 332 
 
 XLVII. THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST . . . 340 
 
 XLVIII. CONCLUSION . 351 
 
THE BUSH-BOYS. 
 
 -<t 
 
 mi 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE BOORS. 
 
 HENDRIK VON BLOOM was a boor. 
 
 My young English reader, do not suppose that I 
 mean any disrespect to Mynheer Von Bloom, by 
 calling him a " boor." In our good Cape colony a 
 ''boor" is a farmer. It is no reproach to be called 
 a farmer. Van Bloom was one a Dutch farmer of 
 the Cape a boor. 
 
 The boors of the Cape colony have figured very 
 considerably in modern history. Although naturally 
 a people inclined to peace, they have been forced into 
 various wars, both with native Africans and Euro- 
 peans ; and in these wars they have acquitted them- 
 selves admirably, and given proofs that a pacific 
 people, when need be, can fight just as well as those 
 who are continually exulting in the ruffian glory of 
 the soldier. 
 
 But the boors have been accused of cruelty in 
 1 
 
2 THE BOORS. 
 
 their wars ; especially those carried on against the 
 native races. In an abstract point of view the accu- 
 sation might appear just. 'But when we come to 
 consider the provocation received at the hands of 
 these savage enemies, we learn to look more lenient- 
 ly upon the conduct of the Cape Dutch. It is true 
 they reduced the yellow Hottentots to a state of 
 slavery ; but at that same time we, the English, were 
 transporting ship-loads of black Guineamen across the 
 Atlantic, while the Spaniards and Portuguese were 
 binding the red men of America in fetters as tight 
 and hard. 
 
 Another point to be considered is the character of 
 the natives with whom the Dutch boors had to deal. 
 The keenest cruelty inflicted upon them by the colo- 
 nists was mercy, compared with the treatment which 
 these savages had to bear at the hands of their own 
 despots. 
 
 This does not justify the Dutch for having reduced 
 the Hottentots to a state of slavery ; but, all circum- 
 stances considered, there is no one of the maritime 
 nations who can gracefully accuse them of cruelty. 
 In their dealings with the aborigines of the Cape, they 
 have had to do with savages of a most wicked and 
 degraded stamp ; and the history of colonization, 
 under such circumstances, could not be otherwise 
 than full of unpleasant episodes. 
 
 Young reader, I could easily defend the conduct 
 of the boors of^Cape colony, but I have not space 
 here. I can only give you my opinion ; and that is, 
 that they are a brave, strong, healthy, moral, peace- 
 loving, industrious race ; lovers of truth, and friends 
 
THE BOORS. 3 
 
 to republican freedom ; in short, a noble race of 
 men. 
 
 Is it likely, then r twhen I called Hendrik Von 
 Bloom a boor, that I meant him any disrespect ? 
 Quite the contrary. 
 
 But Mynheer Hendrik had not always been a boor. 
 He could boast of a somewhat higher condition ; 
 that is, he could boast of a better education than the 
 mere Cape farmer usually possesses, as well as some 
 experience in wielding the sword. He was not a 
 native of the colony, but of the mother country ; and 
 he had found his way to the Cape, not as a poor 
 adventurer seeking his fortune, but as an officer in a 
 Dutch regiment then stationed there. 
 
 His soldier-service in the colony was not of long 
 duration. A certain cherry-cheeked, flaxen-haired 
 Gertrude, the daughter of a rich boor, had taken a 
 liking to the young lieutenant ; and he, in his turn, 
 became vastly fond of her. The consequence was 
 that they got married. Gertrude's father dying 
 shortly after, the large farm, with its full stock of 
 horses and Hottentots, broad-tailed sheep and long- 
 horned oxen, became hers. This was an inducement 
 for her soldier-husband to lay down the sword and 
 turn " vee-boor," or stock farmer, which he conse- 
 quently did. 
 
 These incidents occurred many years previous to 
 the English becoming masters of the Cape colony. 
 When that event came to pass, Hendrik Von Bloom 
 was already a man of influence in the colony, and 
 " field-cornet " of his district, which lay in the beau- 
 tiful county of Graaf Reinet. He was then a 
 
4 THE BOORS. 
 
 widower, the father of a small family. The wife 
 whom he had fondly loved, the cherry-cheeked, flax- 
 en-haired Gertrude, no longer lived. 
 
 History will tell you how the Dutch colonists, dis- 
 contented with English rule, rebelled against it. 
 The ex-lieutenant and field-cornet was one of the 
 most prominent among these rebels. History will also 
 tell you how the rebellion was put down ; and how 
 several of those compromised were brought to exe- 
 cution. Von Bloom escaped by flight ; but his fine 
 property in the Graaf Reinet was confiscated and 
 given to another. 
 
 Many years after, we find him living in a remote 
 district beyond the great Orange river, leading the 
 life of a "trek-boor ; 7; that is, a nomade farmer, who 
 has no fixed or permanent abode, but moves with 
 his flocks from place to place, wherever good pas- 
 tures and water may tempt him. 
 
 From about this time dates my knowledge of the 
 field-cornet and his family. Of his history previous 
 to this I have stated all I know, but for a period of 
 many years after I am more minutely acquainted 
 with it. Most of its details I received from the lips 
 of his own son. I was greatly interested, and, in- 
 deed, instructed, by them. They were my first les- 
 sons in African zoology. 
 
 Believing, boy-reader, that they might also instruct 
 and interest you, I here lay them before you. You 
 are not to regard them as merely fanciful. The 
 descriptions of the wild creatures that play their 
 parts in this little history, as well as the acts, habits, 
 and instincts, assigned to them, you may regard as 
 
THE BOORS. 5 
 
 true to nature. Young Von Bloom was a student 
 of nature, and you may depend upon the fidelity of 
 his descriptions. 
 
 Disgusted with politics, the field-cornet now dwelt 
 on the remote frontier ; in fact, beyond the frontier, 
 for the nearest settlement was an hundred miles off. 
 His " kraal " was in a district bordering the great 
 Kalihari desert the Saara of Southern Africa. The 
 region around, for hundreds of miles, was uninhabited, 
 for the thinly-scattered, half-human Bushmen who 
 dwelt within its limits hardly deserved the name of 
 inhabitants any more than the wild beasts that 
 howled around them. 
 
 I have said that Von Bloom now followed the 
 occupation of 'a " trek-boor. " Farming in the Cape 
 colony consists principally in the rearing of horses, 
 cattle, sheep, and goats ; and these animals form the 
 wealth of the boor. But the stock of our field-cornet 
 was now a very small one. The proscription had 
 swept away all his wealth, and he had not been for- 
 tunate in his first essays as a nomade grazier. The 
 emancipation law, passed by the British government, 
 extended not only to the negroes of the West India 
 Islands, but also to the Hottentots of the Cape ; and 
 the result of it was that the servants of Mynheer 
 Von Bloom had deserted him. His cattle, no longer 
 properly cared for, had strayed off. Some of them 
 fell a prey to wild beasts ; some died of the murrain. 
 His horses, too, were decimated by that mysterious 
 disease of Southern Africa, the "horse-sickness;" 
 while his sheep and goats were continually being 
 attacked and diminished in numbers by the earth- 
 
6 THE BOORS. 
 
 wolf, the wild hound, and the hyena. A series of 
 losses had he suffered, until his horses, oxen, sheep, 
 and goats, scarce counted altogether an hundred 
 head. A very small stock for a vee-boor, or South 
 African grazier. 
 
 Withal our field-cornet was not unhappy. He 
 looked around upon his three brave sons Hans, 
 Hendrik, and Jan. He looked upon his cherry- 
 cheeked, flaxen-haired daughter, Gertrude, the very 
 type and image of what her mother had been. From 
 these he drew the hope of a happier future. 
 
 His two eldest boys were already helps to him in 
 his daily occupations ; the youngest would soon be 
 so likewise. In Gertrude, or " Triiey," as she was 
 endearingly styled, he would soon have a capital 
 housekeeper. He was not unhappy, therefore ; and 
 if an occasional sigh escaped him, it was when the 
 face of the little Triiey recalled the memory of that 
 Gertrude who was now in heaven. 
 
 But Hendrik Von Bloom was not the man to des- 
 pair. Disappointments had not succeeded in causing 
 his spirits to droop. He only applied himself more 
 ardently to the task of once more building up his 
 fortune. 
 
 For himself he had no ambition to be rich. He 
 would have been contented with the simple life he 
 was leading, and would have cared but little to in- 
 crease his wealth. But other considerations weighed 
 upon his mind the future of his little family. He 
 could not suffer his children to grow up in the midst 
 of the wild plains without education. 
 
 No ; they must one day return to the abodes of 
 
THE BOORS. 1 
 
 men, to act their part in the drama of social and 
 civilized life. This was his design. 
 
 But how was this design to be accomplished? 
 Though his so-called act of treason had been par- 
 doned, and he was now free to return within the 
 limits of the colony, he was ill-prepared for such a 
 purpose. His poor wasted stock would not suffice 
 to set him up within the settlements. It would 
 scarce keep him a month. To return would be to 
 return a beggar ! 
 
 Reflections of this kind sometimes gave him anx- 
 iety. But they also added energy to his disposition, 
 and rendered him more eager to overcome the obsta- 
 cles before him. 
 
 During the present year he had been very indus- 
 trious. In order that his cattle should be provided 
 for in the season of winter, he had planted a large 
 quantity of maize and buckwheat, and now the crops 
 of both were in the most prosperous condition. His 
 garden, too, smiled, and promised a profusion of 
 fruits, and melons, and kitchen vegetables. In short, 
 the little homestead, where he had fixed himself for 
 a time, was a miniature oasis ; and he rejoiced day 
 after day, as his eyes rested upon the ripening aspect 
 around him. Once more he began to dream of pros- 
 perity ; once more to hope that his evil fortunes had 
 come to an end. 
 
 Alas ! it was a false hope. A series of trials yet 
 awaited him ; a series of misfortunes, that deprived 
 him of almost everything he possessed, and com- 
 pletely changed his mode of existence. 
 
 Perhaps these occurrences could hardly be termed 
 
THE BOORS. 
 
 misfortunes, since, in the end, they led to a happy 
 result. 
 
 But you may judge for yourself, boy-reader, after 
 you have heard the " history and adventures " of the 
 " trek-boor " and his family. 
 
 

 THE KRAAL. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE " KRAAL." 
 
 THE ex-field-cornet was seated in front of his kraal 
 for such is the name of a South African homestead. 
 From his lips protruded a large pipe, with its huge 
 bowl of meerschaum. Every boor is a smoker. 
 
 Notwithstanding the many losses and crosses of 
 his past life, there was contentment in his eye. He 
 was gratified by the prosperous appearance of his 
 crops. The maize was now " in the milk," and the 
 ears, folded within the papyrus-like husks, looked 
 full and large. It was delightful to hear the rustling 
 of the long green blades, and see the bright golden 
 tassels waving in the breeze. The heart of the 
 farmer was glad as his eye glanced over his promis- 
 ing crop of " mealies." 
 
 But there was another promising crop that still 
 more gladdened his heart his fine children. There 
 they are, all around him. 
 
 Hans, the oldest, steady, sober Hans, at work in 
 the well-stocked garden ; while the diminutive but 
 sprightly imp Jan, the youngest, is looking on, and 
 occasionally helping his brother. Hendrik, the 
 dashing Hendrik, with bright face and light curling 
 hair, is busy among the horses, in the " horse-kraal ;" 
 and Trliey, the beautiful, cherry-cheeked, flaxen- 
 
10 THE KRAAL. 
 
 haired Triiey, is engaged with her pet, a fawn of 
 the springbok gazelle, whose bright eyes rival her 
 own in their expression of innocence and loveliness. 
 
 Yes, the heart of the field-cornet is glad as he 
 glances from one to the other of these his children 
 and with reason. They are all fair to look upon ; 
 all give promise of goodness. If their father feels 
 an occasional pang, it is, as we have already said, 
 when his eye rests upon the cherry-cheeked, flaxen- 
 haired Gertrude. 
 
 But time has long since subdued that grief to a 
 gentle melancholy. Its pang is short-lived, and the 
 face of the field-cornet soon lightens up again as he 
 looks around upon his dear children, so full of hope 
 and promise. 
 
 Hans and Hendrik are already strong enough to 
 assist him in his occupations ; in fact, with the 
 exception of " Swartboy," they are the only help 
 he has. 
 
 Who is Swartboy ? 
 
 Look into the horse-kraal, and you will there see 
 Swartboy engaged, along with his young master 
 Hendrik, in saddling a pair of horses. You may 
 notice that Swartboy appears to be about thirty 
 years old, and he is full that ; but if you were to 
 apply a measuring rule to him, you would find him 
 not much over four feet in height ! He is stoutly 
 built, however, and would measure better in a hori- 
 zontal direction. You may notice that he is of a 
 yellow complexion, although his name might lead 
 you to fancy he was black for " Swartboy " means 
 " black-boy." You may observe that his nose is flat 
 
THE KRAAL. 11 
 
 and sunk below the level of his cheeks ; that his 
 cheeks are prominent, his lips very thick, his nos- 
 trils wide, his face beardless, and his head almost 
 hairless ; for the small kinky wool-knots thinly scat- 
 tered over his skull can scarcely be designated hair. 
 You may notice, moreover, that his head is mon- 
 strously large, with ears in proportion ; and that the 
 eyes are set obliquely, and have a Chinese expres- 
 sion. You may notice about Swartboy all those 
 characteristics that distinguish the " Hottentots " of 
 South Africa. 
 
 Yet Swartboy is not a Hottentot though he is 
 of the same race. He is a Bushman. 
 
 How came this wild Bushman into the service of 
 the ex-field-cornet Yon Bloom ? About that there is 
 a little romantic history. Thus : 
 
 Among the savage tribes of Southern Africa there 
 exists a very cruel custom that of abandoning 
 their aged or infirm, and often their sick or wounded,, 
 to die in the desert. Children leave their parents 
 behind them, and the wounded are often forsaken by 
 their comrades, with no other provision made for 
 them beyond a day's food and a cup of water I 
 
 The Bushman Swartboy had been the victim of 
 this custom. He had been upon a hunting excur- 
 sion with some of his own kindred, and had been 
 sadly mangled by a lion. His comrades, not expect- 
 ing him to live, left him on the plain to die ; and 
 most certainly would he have perished had it not 
 been for our field-cornet. The latter, as he was 
 " trekking " over the plains, found the wounded 
 Bushman, lifted him into his wagon, carried him on 
 
12 THE KRAAL. 
 
 to his camp, dressed his wounds, and nursed him till 
 he became well. That is how Swartboy came to be 
 in the service of the field-cornet. 
 
 Though gratitude is not a characteristic of his 
 race, Swartboy was not ungrateful. When all the 
 other servants ran away, he remained faithful to his 
 master ; and since that time had been a most efficient 
 and useful hand. In fact, he was now the only one 
 left, with the exception of the girl, Totty who 
 was, of course, a Hottentot, and much about the 
 same height, size, and color, as Swartboy himself. 
 
 We have said that Swartboy and the young Hen- 
 drik were saddling a pair of horses. As soon as 
 they had finished that job, they mounted them, and, 
 riding out of the kraal, took their way straight across 
 the plain. They were followed by a couple of strong, 
 rough-looking dogs. 
 
 Their purpose was to drive home the oxen and the 
 other horses that were feeding a good distance off. 
 This they were in the habit of doing every evening 
 at the same hour ; for in South Africa it is necessary 
 to shut up all kinds of live stock at night, to protect 
 them from beasts of prey. For this purpose are 
 built several enclosures with high walls, "kraals," 
 as they are called ; a word of the same signification 
 as the Spanish " corral," and I fancy introduced 
 into Africa by the Portuguese, since it is not a native 
 term. 
 
 These kraals are important structures about the 
 homestead of a boor, almost as much so as his 
 own dwelling-house, which of itself also bears the 
 name of " kraal." 
 
THE KRAAL. 13 
 
 As young Hendrik and Swartboy rode off for the 
 horses and cattle, Hans, leaving his work in the 
 garden, proceeded to collect the sheep and drive 
 them home. These browsed in a different direction ; 
 but, as they were near, he went a-foot, taking little 
 Jan along with him. 
 
 Trtiey, having tied her pet to a post, had gone in- 
 side the house to help Totty in preparing the supper. 
 Thus the field-cornet was left to himself and his pipe, 
 which he still continued to smoke. 
 
 He sat in perfect silence, though he could scarce 
 restrain from giving expression to the satisfaction he 
 felt at seeing his family thus industriously employed. 
 Though pleased with all his children, it must be con- 
 fessed he had some little partiality for the dashing 
 Hendrik, who bore his own name, and who reminded 
 him more of his own youth than any of the others. 
 He was proud of Hendrik' s gallant horsemanship, 
 and his eyes followed him over the plain until the 
 riders were nearly a mile off, and already mixing 
 among the cattle. 
 
 At this moment an object came under the eyes of 
 Von Bloom, that at once arrested his attention. It 
 was a curious appearance along the lower part of the 
 sky, in the direction in which Hendrik and Swartboy 
 had gone, but apparently beyond them. It resem- 
 bled a dun-colored mist or smoke, as if the plain at a 
 great distance was on fire I 
 
 Could that be so ? Had some one fired the karoo 
 bushes ? Or was it a cloud of dust ? 
 
 The wind was hardly strong enough to raise such 
 a dust, and yet it had that appearance. Was it 
 
14 THE KRAAL. 
 
 caused by animals ? Might it not be the dust raised 
 by a great herd of antelopes a migration of the 
 springboks, for instance ? It extended for miles 
 along the horizon, but Von Bloom knew that these 
 creatures often travel in flocks of greater extent 
 than miles. Still he could not think it was that. 
 
 He continued to gaze at the strange phenomenon, 
 endeavoring to account for it in various ways. It 
 seemed to be rising higher against the blue sky 
 now resembling dust, now like the smoke of a wide- 
 ly-spread conflagration, and now like a reddish cloud. 
 It was in the west, and already the setting sun was 
 obscured by it. It had passed over the sun's disc 
 like a screen, and his light no longer fell upon the 
 plain. Was it the forerunner of some terrible storm ? 
 of an earthquake ? 
 
 Such a thought crossed the mind of the field-cornet. 
 It was not like an ordinary cloud, it was not like a 
 cloud of dust, it was not like smoke. It was like 
 nothing he had ever witnessed before. No wonder 
 that he became anxious and apprehensive. 
 
 All at once the dark-red mass seemed to envelop 
 the cattle upon the plain, and these could be seen 
 running to and fro as if affrighted. Then the two 
 riders disappeared under its dun shadow ! 
 
 Yon Bloom rose to his feet, now seriously alarmed. 
 What could it mean ? 
 
 The exclamation to which he gave utterance 
 brought little Triiey and Totty from the house ; and 
 Hans with Jan had now got back with the sheep 
 and goats. All saw the singular phenomenon, but 
 
 
THE KRAAL. 15 
 
 none of them could tell what it was. All were in a 
 state of alarm. 
 
 As they stood gazing, with hearts full of fear, the 
 two riders appeared coming out of the cloud, and 
 then they were seen to gallop forward over the plain 
 in the direction of the house. They came on at full 
 speed, but long before they had got near, the voice 
 of Swartboy could be heard crying out 
 
 " Baas Von Bloom ! da springaans are comin!- 
 da springaan ! da springaan I " 
 
16 THE SPRINGHAAN. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE " SPRINGHAAN." 
 
 " AH I the springhaan ! " cried Von Bloom, recog- 
 nizing the Dutch name for the far-famed migratory 
 locust. 
 
 The mystery was explained. The singular cloud 
 that was spreading itself over the plain was neither 
 more nor less than a flight of locusts ! 
 
 It was a sight that none of them, except Swart- 
 boy, had ever witnessed before. His master had 
 often seen locusts in small quantities, and of several 
 species for there are many kinds of these singular 
 insects in South Africa. But that which now 
 appeared was a true migratory locust ( Gryllus devas- 
 tatorius) ; and upon one of its great migrations an 
 event of rarer occurrence than travellers would have 
 you believe. 
 
 Swartboy knew them well ; and, although he an- 
 nounced their approach in a state of great excite- 
 ment, it was not the excitement of terror. 
 
 Quite the contrary. His great thick lips were 
 compressed athwart his face in a grotesque expres- 
 sion of joy. The instincts of his wild race were busy 
 within him. To them a flight of locusts is not an 
 object of dread, but a source of rejoicing; their 
 
THE SPRINGHAAN. 17 
 
 coming as welcome as a take of shrimps to a Leigh 
 fisherman, or harvest to the husbandman. 
 
 The dogs, too, barked and howled with joy, and 
 frisked about as if they were going out upon a hunt. 
 On perceiving the cloud, their instinct enabled them 
 easily to recognize the locusts. They regarded them 
 with feelings similar to those that stirred Swartboy 
 for both dogs and Bushmen eat the insects with 
 avidity ! 
 
 At the announcement that it was only locusts, all 
 at once recovered from their alarm. Little Triiey 
 and Jan laughed, clapped their hands, and waited 
 with curiosity until they should come nearer. All 
 had heard enough of locusts to know that they were 
 only grasshoppers, that neither bit nor stung any 
 one ; and, therefore, no one was afraid of them. 
 
 Even Von Bloom himself was at first very little 
 concerned about them. After his feelings of appre- 
 hension, the announcement that it was a flight of 
 locusts was a relief, and for a while he did not dwell 
 upon the nature of such a phenomenon, but only 
 regarded it with feelings of curiosity. 
 
 Of a sudden his thoughts took a new direction. 
 His eye rested upon his fields of maize and buck- 
 wheat, upon his garden of melons, and fruits, and 
 vegetables ; a new alarm seized upon him ; the 
 memory of many stories which he had heard in rela- 
 tion to these destructive creatures rushed into his 
 mind, and, as the whole truth developed itself, he 
 turned pale, and uttered new exclamations of alarm. 
 
 The children changed countenance as well. They 
 2 
 
18 THE SPRINGHAAN. 
 
 saw that their father suffered, though they knew not 
 why. They gathered inquiringly around him. 
 
 " Alas 1 alas ! Lost I lost ! " exclaimed he ; " yes, 
 all our crop our labor of the year gone, gone I 
 0, my dear children ! " 
 
 " How lost, father ? how gone ? " exclaimed sev- 
 eral of them in a breath. 
 
 " See the springhaan ! they will eat up our crop 
 all all!" 
 
 " 'T is true, indeed," said Hans, who, being a 
 great student, had often read accounts of the devas- 
 tations committed by the locusts. 
 
 The joyous countenances of all once more wore a 
 sad expression, and it was no longer with curiosity 
 that they gazed upon the distant cloud, that so sud- 
 denly had clouded their joy. 
 
 Von Bloom had good cause for dread. Should the 
 swarm come on, and settle upon his fields, farewell 
 to his prospects of a harvest. They would strip the 
 verdure from his whole farm in a twinkling. They 
 would leave neither seed, nor leaf, nor stalk, behind 
 them. 
 
 All stood watching the flight with painful emotions. 
 The swarm was still a full half-mile distant. They 
 appeared to be coming no nearer good ! 
 
 A ray of hope entered the mind of the field-cornet. 
 He took off his broad felt hat, and held it up to the 
 full stretch of his arm. The wind was "blowing from 
 the north, and the swarm was directly to the west of 
 the kraal. The cloud of locusts had approached 
 from the north, as . they almost invariably do in the 
 southern parts of Africa. 
 
THE SPRINGHAAN. 19 
 
 " Yes," said Hendrik, who, having been in then 
 midst, could tell what way they were drifting, " they 
 came down upon us from a northerly direction. 
 When we headed our horses homewards, we soon 
 galloped out from them, and they did not appear to 
 fly after us ; I am sure they were passing south- 
 wards." 
 
 Von Bloom entertained hopes that, as none 
 appeared due north of the kraal, the swarm might 
 pass on without extending to the borders of his farm. 
 He knew that they usually followed the direction of. 
 the wind. Unless the wind changed, they would not 
 swerve from their course. 
 
 He continued to watch them anxiously. He saw 
 that the selvidge of the cloud came no nearer. His 
 hopes rose. His countenance grew brighter. The 
 children noticed this and were glad, but said noth- 
 ing. All stood silently watching. 
 
 An odd sight it was. There was not only the 
 misty swarm of the insects to gaze upon. The air 
 above them was filled with birds ; strange birds, and 
 of many kinds. On slow, silent wing soared the 
 brown " oricou," the largest of Africa's vultures ; 
 and along with him the yellow " chasse fiente," the 
 vulture of Kolbe\ There swept the bearded " lam- 
 vanger," on broad-extended wings. There shrieked 
 the great " Caffre eagle," and, side by side with 
 him, the short-tailed and singular " bateleur." 
 There, too, were hawks of different sizes and colors, 
 and kites cutting through the air, and crows and 
 ravens, and many species of insectwora. But far 
 more numerous than all the rest could be seen the 
 
 
20 THE SPRINGHAAN. 
 
 little springhaan-vogel, a speckled bird of nearly the 
 size and form of a swallow. Myriads of these dark- 
 ened the air above ; hundreds of them continually 
 shooting down among the insects, and soaring up 
 again, each with a victim in its beak. " Locust- 
 vultures 77 are these creatures named, though not 
 vultures in kind. They feed exclusively on these 
 insects, and are never seen where the locusts are 
 not. They follow them through all their migrations, 
 building their nests and rearing their young in the 
 midst of their prey ! 
 
 It was, indeed, a curious sight to look upon, that 
 swarm of winged insects, and their numerous and 
 varied enemies ; and all stood gazing upon it with 
 feelings of wonder. Still the living cloud approached 
 no nearer, and the hopes of Yon Bloom continued to 
 rise. 
 
 The swarm kept extending to the south ; in fact, 
 it now stretched along the whole western horizon ; 
 and all noticed that it was gradually getting lower 
 down ; that is, its top edge was sinking in the 
 heavens. Were the locusts passing off to the west ? 
 No. 
 
 " Da am goin roost for da nacht ; now we '11 get 
 'em in bagfull/ 7 said Swartboy, with a pleased look ; 
 for Swartboy was a regular locust-eater, as fond of 
 them as either eagle or kite ay, as the "spring- 
 haan-vogel " itself. 
 
 It was as Swartboy had stated. The swarm was 
 actually settling down on the plain. 
 
 " Can't fly without sun/\ continued the Bushman. 
 " Too cold now. Dey go dead till da mornin." 
 
THE SPRINGHAAN. 21 
 
 And so it was. The sun had set. The cool 
 breeze weakened the wings of the insect-travellers ; 
 and they were compelled to make halt for the night 
 upon the trees, bushes, and grass. 
 
 In a few minutes the dark mist that had hid the 
 blue rim of the sky was seen no more ; but the 
 distant plain looked as if a fire had swept over it. 
 It was thickly covered with the bodies of the insects, 
 that gave it a blackened appearance, as far as the 
 eye could reach. 
 
 The attendant birds, perceiving the approach of 
 night, screamed for a while, and then scattered away 
 through the heavens. Some perched upon the rocks, 
 while others went to roost among the low thickets 
 of mimosa ; and now for a short interval both earth 
 and air were silent. 
 
 Yon Bloom now bethought him of his cattle. 
 Their forms were seen afar off in the midst of the 
 locust-covered plain. 
 
 " Let 'em feed urn little while, baas," suggested 
 Swartboy. 
 
 '" On what?" inquired his master. " Don't you 
 see the grass is covered ! " 
 
 " On de springhaan demself, baas," replied the 
 Bushman ; " good for fatten big ox, better dan 
 grass ; ya, better dan mealies." 
 
 But it was too late to leave the cattle longer out 
 upon the plain. The lions would soon be abroad ; 
 the sooner because of the locusts, for the king of 
 beasts does not disdain to fill his royal stomach with 
 these insects when he can find them. 
 
22 THE SPRINGHAAN. 
 
 Von Bloom saw the necessity of bringing his cat- 
 tle at once to their kraal. 
 
 A third horse was saddled, which the field-cornet 
 himself mounted, and rode off, followed by Hendrik 
 and Swartboy. 
 
 On approaching the locusts they beheld a sin- 
 gular sight. The ground was covered with these 
 reddish-brown creatures, in some spots to the depth 
 of several inches. What bushes there were were 
 clustered with them ; all over the leaves and 
 branches, as if swarms of bees had settled upon 
 them. Not a leaf or blade of grass that was not 
 covered with their bodies. 
 
 They moved not, but remained silent, as if torpid 
 or asleep. The cold of the evening had deprived 
 them of the power of flight. 
 
 What was strangest of all to the eyes of Von 
 Bloom and Hendrik, was the conduct of their own 
 horses and cattle. These were some distance out in 
 the midst of the sleeping host ; but, instead of being 
 alarmed at their odd situation, they were greedily 
 gathering up the insects in mouthfuls, and crunch- 
 ing them as though they had been corn I 
 
 It was with some difficulty that they could be 
 driven off ; but the roar of a lion, that was just then 
 heard over the plain, and the repeated application 
 of Swartboy 's jambok, rendered them more tractable, 
 and at length they suffered themselves to be driven 
 home, and lodged within their kraals. 
 
 Swartboy had provided himself with a bag, which 
 he carried back full of locusts. 
 
 It was observed that in collecting the insects 
 
THE SPRINGHAAN. 23 
 
 into the bag he acted with some caution, handling 
 them very gingerly, as if he was afraid of them. 
 It was not them he feared, but snakes, which, upon 
 such occasions, are very plenteous, and very much 
 to be dreaded as the Bushman, from experience, 
 well knew. 
 
 
24 A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 
 
 IT was a night of anxiety in the kraal of the field- 
 cornet. Should the wind veer round to the west, to 
 a certainty the locusts would cover his land in the 
 morning, and the result would be the total destruc- 
 tion of his crops. Perhaps worse than that. Per- 
 haps the whole vegetation around, for fifty miles or 
 more, might be destroyed ; and then how would his 
 cattle be fed ? It would be no easy matter even to 
 save their lives. They might perish before he could 
 drive them to any other pasturage. 
 
 Such a thing was by no means uncommon or im- 
 probable. In the history of the Cape colony many 
 a boor had lost*his flocks in this very way. No 
 wonder there was anxiety that night in the kraal of 
 the field-cornet. 
 
 At intervals Von Bloom went out to ascertain 
 whether there was any change in the wind. Up to 
 a late hour he could perceive none. A gentle breeze 
 still blew from the north, from the great Kalihari 
 desert, whence, no doubt, the locusts had come. 
 The moon was bright, and her light gleamed over 
 the host of insects that darkly covered the plain. 
 The roar of the lion could be heard mingling with 
 the shrill scream of the jackal, and the maniac laugh 
 
A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 25 
 
 of the hyena. All these beasts, and many more, 
 were enjoying a plenteous repast. 
 
 Perceiving no change in the wind, Von Bloom 
 became less uneasy, and they all conversed freely 
 about the locusts. Swartboy took a leading part in 
 this conversation, as he was better acquainted with 
 the subject than any of them. It was far from being 
 the first flight of locusts Swartboy had seen, and 
 many a bushel of them had he eaten. It was natural 
 to suppose, therefore, that he knew a good deal 
 about them. 
 
 He knew not whence they came. That was a 
 point about which Swartboy had never troubled 
 himself. The learned Hans offered an explanation 
 of their origin. 
 
 " They come from the desert/ 7 said he. " The 
 eggs from which they are produced are deposited 
 in the sands or dust ; where they lie 'until rain falls, 
 and causes the herbage to spring up. Then the 
 locusts are hatched, and in their first stage are sup- 
 ported upon this herbage. When it becomes ex- 
 hausted, they are compelled to go in search of food. 
 Hence these ' migrations/ as they are called. 77 
 
 This explanation seemed clear enough. 
 
 " Now, I have heard/ 7 said Ilendrik, " of farmers 
 kindling fires around their crops to keep off the 
 locusts. I can 7 t see how fires would keep them off; 
 not even if a regular fence of fire were made all 
 round a field. These creatures have wings, and 
 could easily fly over the fires. 77 
 
 " The fires/ 7 replied Hans, " are kindled in order 
 that the smoke may prevent them from alighting ; 
 
26 A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 
 
 but the locusts to which these accounts usually refer 
 are without wings, called voetgangers (foot-goers). 
 They are, in fact, the larvce of these locusts, before 
 they have obtained their wings. These have also 
 their migrations, that are often more destructive than 
 those of the perfect insects, such as we see here. 
 They proceed over the ground by crawling and leap- 
 ing like grasshoppers ; for, indeed, they are grass- 
 hoppers a species of them. They keep on in one 
 direction, as if they were guided by instinct to follow 
 a particular course. Nothing can interrupt them in 
 their onward march, unless the sea or some broad 
 and rapid river. Small streams they can swim 
 across ; and large ones, too, where they run slug- 
 gishly ; walls and houses they can climb, even the 
 chimneys, going straight over them ; and the mo- 
 ment they have reached the other side of any obsta- 
 cle, they continue straight onward in the old 
 direction. 
 
 " In attempting to cross broad rapid rivers, they 
 are drowned in countless myriads, and swept off to 
 the sea. When it is only a small migration, the 
 farmers sometimes keep them off by means of fires, 
 as you have heard. On the contrary, when large 
 numbers appear, even the fires are of no avail." 
 
 " But how is that, brother ? " inquired Hendrik. 
 " I can understand how fires would stop the kind 
 you speak of, since you say they are without wings. 
 But, since they are so, how do they get through the 
 fires ? Jump them ? " 
 
 " No, not so," replied Hans. " The fires are built 
 too wide and large for that." 
 
A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 27 
 
 "Row then, brother ?" asked Hendrik. " I ; m 
 puzzled." 
 
 " So am I," said little Jan. 
 
 " And I," added Triiey. 
 
 '' Well, then," continued Hans, " millions of the 
 insects crawl into the fires and put them out ! " 
 
 " Ho ! " cried all, in astonishment. " How ? Are 
 they not burned?" 
 
 " Of course," replied Hans. " They are scorched 
 and killed myriads of them quite burned up. But 
 their bodies crowded thickly on the fires choke them 
 out. The foremost ranks of the great host thus be- 
 come victims, and the others pass safely across upon 
 the holocaust thus made. So you see even fires 
 cannot stop the course of the locusts, when they are 
 in great numbers. 
 
 " In many parts of Africa, where the natives cul- 
 tivate the soil, as soon as they discover a migration 
 of these insects, and perceive that they are heading 
 in the direction of their fields and gardens, quite a 
 panic is produced among them. They know that 
 they will lose their crops to a certainty, and hence 
 dread a visitation of locusts as they would an earth- 
 quake, or some other great calamity." 
 
 "We can well understand their feelings upon 
 such an occasion," remarked Hendrik, with a sig- 
 nificant look. 
 
 " The flying locusts," continued Hans, " seem 
 less to follow a particular direction than their larvee. 
 The former seem to be guided by the wind. Fre- 
 quently this carries them all into the sea, where 
 they perish in vast numbers. On some parts of the 
 
28 A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 
 
 coast their dead bodies have been found washed back 
 to land in quantities incredible. At one place the 
 sea threw them upon the beach, until they lay piled 
 up in a ridge four feet in height, and fifty miles in 
 length ! It has been asserted by several well-known 
 travellers that the effluvium from this mass tainted 
 the air to such an extent that it was perceived one 
 hundred and fifty miles inland." 
 
 " Heigh ! " exclaimed little Jan. " I did n't think 
 anybody had so good a nose." 
 
 At little Jan's remark there was a general laugh. 
 Von Bloom did not join in their merriment. He was 
 in too serious a mood just then. 
 
 " Papa," inquired little Triiey, perceiving that 
 her father did not laugh, and thinking to draw him 
 into the conversation " Papa ! were these the kind 
 of locusts eaten by John the Baptist when in the 
 desert ? His food, the Bible says, was ' locusts and 
 wild honey. 7 7 
 
 " I believe these are the same," replied the father. 
 
 " I think, papa," modestly rejoined Hans, " they 
 are not exactly the same, but a kindred species. The 
 locust of Scripture was the true Gryllus migratorius, 
 and different from those of South Africa, though very 
 similar in its habits. But," continued he, " some 
 writers dispute that point altogether. The Abys- 
 sinians say it was beans of the locust-tree, and ot 
 insects, that were the food of St. John." 
 
 " What is your own opinion, Hans ? " inquired 
 Hendrik, who had a great belief in his brother's 
 book-knowledge. 
 
 "Why, I think," replied Hans, "there need be ? 
 
A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 29 
 
 no question about it. It is only torturing the mean- 
 ing of a word to suppose that St. John ate the locust 
 fruit, and not the insect. I am decidedly of opinion 
 that the latter is meant in Scripture ; and what 
 makes me think so is, that these two kinds of food, 
 ' locusts and wild honey/ are often coupled together, 
 as forming at the present time the subsistence of 
 many tribes who are denizens of the desert. Be- 
 sides, we have good evidence that both were used 
 as food by desert-dwelling people in the days of 
 Scripture. It is, therefore, but natural to suppose 
 that St. John, when in the desert, was forced to 
 partake of this food ; just as many a traveller of 
 modern times has eaten of it when crossing the 
 deserts that surround us here in South Africa. 
 
 " I have rea4 a great many books about locusts/' 
 continued Hans ; " and now that the Bible has been 
 mentioned, I must say, for my part, I know no ac- 
 count given of these insects so truthful and beautiful 
 as that in the Bible itself. Shall I read it, papa ? " 
 
 " By all means, my boy/' said the field-cornet, 
 rather pleased at the request which his son had 
 made, and at the tenor of the conversation. 
 
 Little Triiey ran into the inner room and brought 
 out an immense volume bound in gemsbok skin, with 
 a couple of strong brass clasps upon it to keep it 
 closed. This was the family Bible ; and here let me 
 observe that a similar book may be found in the 
 house of nearly every boor, for these Dutch colonists 
 are a Protestant and Bible-loving people ; so much 
 so, that they think nothing of going a hundred miles, 
 four times in the year, to attend the nacht-maal, or 
 
 
30 A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 
 
 sacramental supper. What do you think of 
 that? 
 
 Hans opened the volume, and turned at once to 
 the book of the prophet Joel. From the readiness 
 with which he found the passage, it was evident 
 he was well acquainted with the book he held in his 
 hands. 
 
 He read as follows : 
 
 " A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of 
 clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread 
 upon the mountains ; a great people and a strong : 
 there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be 
 any more after it, even to the years of many genera- 
 tions. A fire devoureth before them, and behind 
 them a flame burneth : the land is as the garden of 
 Eden before them, and behind them^a desolate wil- 
 derness ; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The 
 appearance of them is as the appearance of horses ; 
 and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise 
 of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, 
 like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the 
 stubble, as a strong people set in battle array." 
 " The earth shall quake before them ; the heavens 
 shall tremble ; the sun and the moon shall be dark, 
 and the stars shall withdraw their shining.' 7 " How 
 do the beasts groan ! the herds of cattle are per- 
 plexed, because they have no pasture ; yea, the flocks 
 of sheep are made desolate." 
 
 Even the rude Swartboy could perceive the poetic 
 beauty of this description, 
 
 But Swartboy had much to say about the locusts, 
 as well as the inspired Joel. 
 
 
 
A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 31 
 
 Thus spoke Swartboy : 
 
 " Bushman no fear da springhaan. Bushman hab 
 no garden, no maize, no buckwheat, no nothing for 
 da springhaan to eat. Bushman eat locust himself ; 
 he grow fat on da locust. Ebery thing eat dem dar 
 springhaan. Ebery thing grow fat in da locust sea- 
 son. Ho ! den for dem springhaan! " 
 
 These remarks of Swartboy were true enough. 
 The locusts are eaten by almost every species of 
 animal known in South Africa. Not only do the 
 carnivora greedily devour them, but also animals 
 and birds of the game kind ; such as antelopes, par- 
 tridges, guinea-fowls, bustards, and, strange to say, 
 the giant of all, the huge elephant, will travel for 
 miles to overtake a migration of locusts. Domestic 
 fowls, sheep, horses, and dogs, devour them with 
 equal greediness. Still another strange fact the 
 locusts eat one another I If any one of them gets 
 hurt, so as to impede his progress, the others imme- 
 diately turn upon him and eat him up. 
 
 The Bushmen and other native races of Africa 
 submit the locusts to a process of cookery before 
 eating them j and during the whole evening Swart- 
 boy had been engaged in preparing the bagful which 
 he* had collected. He " cooked" them thus : 
 
 He first boiled, or rather steamed them, fortmly a 
 small quantity of water was put into the pot. This 
 process lasted two hours. They were then taken 
 out, and allowed to dry ; and after that shaken about 
 in a pan, until all the legs and wings were broken 
 off from the bodies. A winnowing process, Swart- 
 boy's thick lips acting as a fan, was next gone 
 
32 A TALK ABOUT LOCUSTS. 
 
 through ; and the legs and wings were thus got rid 
 of. The locusts were then ready for eating. 
 
 A little salt only was required to render them 
 more palatable, when all present made trial of, and 
 some of the children even liked them. By many, 
 locusts prepared in this way are considered quite 
 equal to shrimps. 
 
 Sometimes they are pounded when quite dry into 
 a sort of meal, and, with water added to them, are 
 made into a kind of stirabout. 
 
 When well dried, they will keep for a long time ; 
 and they frequently form the only store of food 
 which the poorer natives have to depend upon for a 
 whole season. 
 
 Among' many tribes, particularly among those who 
 are not agricultural, the coming of the locusts is a 
 source of rejoicing. These people turn out with 
 sacks, and often with pack-oxen, to collect and bring 
 them to their villages ; and on such occasions vast 
 heaps of them are accumulated and stored, in the 
 same way as grain. 
 
 Conversing of these things the night passed on 
 until it was time for going to bed. The field-cornet 
 went out once again to observe the wind ; and then 
 the door of the little kraal was closed, and the family 
 retired to rest. 
 
THE LOCUST-FLIGHT. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE LOCUST-FLIGHT. 
 
 THE field-cornet slept but little. Anxiety kept 
 him awake. He turned and tossed, and thought of 
 the locusts. He napped at intervals, and dreamt 
 about locusts, and crickets, and grasshoppers, and 
 all manner of great long-legged, goggle-eyed insects. 
 He was glad when the first ray of light penetrated 
 through the little window of his chamber. 
 
 He sprang to his feet, and, scarce staying to 
 dress himself, rushed out into the open air. It was 
 still dark, but he did not require to see the wind. 
 He did not need to toss a feather or hold up his hat. 
 The truth was too plain. A strong breeze was blow- 
 ing it was blowing/Tom the west! 
 
 Half distracted, he ran further out to assure him- 
 self. He ran until clear of the walls that enclosed 
 the kraals and garden. 
 
 He halted and felt the air. Alas ! his first impres- 
 sion was correct. The breeze blew directly from 
 the west directly from the locusts. He could per- 
 ceive the effluvium borne from the hateful insects ; 
 there was no longer cause to doubt. * 
 
 Groaning in spirit, Von Bloom returned to his 
 house. He had no longer any hope of escaping the 
 terrible visitation. 
 3 
 
34 THE LOCUST-FLIGHT. 
 
 His first directions were to collect all the loose 
 pieces of linen or clothing in the house, and pack 
 them within the family chests. What ! would the 
 locusts be likely to eat them ? 
 
 Indeed, yes for these voracious creatures are not 
 fastidious. No particular vegetable seems to be 
 chosen by them. The leaves of the bitter tobacco- 
 plant appear to be as much to their liking as the sweet 
 and succulent blades of maize. Pieces of linen, cot- 
 ton, and even flannel, are devoured by them, as though 
 they were the tender shoots of plants. Stones, iron, 
 and hard wood, are about the only objects that escape 
 their fierce masticators. 
 
 Von Bloom had heard this, Hans had read of it, 
 and Swartboy confirmed it from his own experience. 
 
 Consequently, everything that was at all destruct- 
 ible was carefully stowed away ; and then breakfast 
 was cooked and eaten in silence. 
 
 There was a gloom over the faces of all, because he 
 who was the head of all was silent and dejected. 
 What a change within a few hours ! But the evening 
 before the field-cornet and his little family were in 
 the full enjoyment of happiness. 
 
 There was still one hope, though a slight one. 
 Might it yet rain? Or might the day turn out 
 cold? 
 
 In either case Swartboy said the locusts could not 
 take wing for they cannot fly in cold or rainy 
 weather. In the ievent of a cold or wet day they 
 would have to remain as they were, and perhaps the 
 wind might change round again before they resumed 
 
THE LOCUST-FLIGHT. 
 
 their flight. 0, for a torrent of rain, or a cold, cloudy 
 day! 
 
 Vain wish ! vain hope ! In half an hour after, the 
 sun rose up in African splendor, and his hot rays, 
 slanting down upon the sleeping host, warmed them 
 into life and activity. They commenced to crawl, to 
 hop about, and then, as if by one impulse, myriads 
 rose into the air. The breeze impelled them in the 
 direction in which it was blowing, in the direction 
 of the devoted maize-fields. 
 
 In less than five minutes from the time they had 
 taken wing, they were over the kraal, and dropping 
 in tens of thousands upon the surrounding fields. 
 Slow was their flight, and gentle their descent, and 
 to the eyes of those beneath they presented the 
 appearance of a shower of black snow, falling in 
 large feathery flakes. In a few moments the ground 
 was completely covered, until every stalk of maize, 
 every plant and bush, carried its hundreds. On 
 the outer plains, too, as far as eye could see, the 
 pasture was strewed thickly ; and as the great flight 
 had now passed to the eastward of the house, 
 the sun's disk was again hidden by them, as if by an 
 eclipse I 
 
 They seemed to move in a kind of echellon, the 
 bands in the rear constantly flying to the front, and 
 then halting to feed, until in turn these were headed 
 by others that had advanced over them in a similar 
 manner. 
 
 The noise produced by their wings was not the 
 least curious phenomenon, and resembled a steady 
 
36 THE LOCUST-FLIGHT. 
 
 breeze playing among the leaves of the forest, or the 
 sound of a water-wheel. 
 
 For two hours this passage continued. During 
 most of that time Von Bloom and his people had 
 remained within the house, with closed doors and 
 windows. This they did to avoid the unpleasant 
 shower, as the creatures, impelled by the breeze, 
 often strike the cheek so forcibly as to cause a feeling 
 of pain. Moreover, they did not like treading upon 
 the unwelcome intruders, and crushing them under 
 their feet, which they must have done, had they 
 moved about outside, where the ground was thickly 
 covered. 
 
 Many of the insects even crawled inside, through 
 the chinks of the door and windows, and greedily 
 devoured any vegetable substance which happened 
 to be lying about the floor. 
 
 At the end of two hours Von Bloom looked forth. 
 The thickest of the flight had passed. The sun was 
 again shining ; but upon what was he shining ? No 
 longer upon green fields and a flowery garden. No. 
 Around the house, on every side, north, south, east, 
 and west, the eye rested only on black desolation. 
 Not a blade of grass, not a leaf, could be seen even 
 the very bark was stripped from the trees, that now 
 stood as if withered by the hand of God I Had fire 
 swept the surface, it could not have left it more 
 naked and desolate. There was no garden, there 
 were no fields of maize or buckwheat, there was no 
 longer a farm the kraal stood in the midst of a 
 desert ! 
 
 Words cannot depict the emotions of the field- 
 
THE LOCUST-FLIGHT. 37 
 
 cornet at that moment. The pen cannot describe his 
 painful feelings. 
 
 Such a change in two hours I He could scarce 
 credit his senses he could scarce believe in its 
 reality. He knew that the locusts would eat up his 
 maize, and his wheat, and the vegetables of his 
 garden; but his fancy had fallen far short of the 
 extreme desolation that had actually been produced. 
 The whole landscape was metamorphosed; grass 
 was out of the question trees, whose delicate 
 foliage had played in the soft, breeze but two short 
 hours before, now stood leafless, scathed by worse 
 than winter. The very ground seemed altered in 
 shape. He would not have known it as his own 
 farm. Most certainly, had the owner been absent 
 during the period of the locust-flight, and approached 
 without any information of what had been passing, 
 he would not have recognized the place of his own 
 habitation ! 
 
 With the phlegm peculiar to his race, the field- 
 cornet sat down, and remained for a long time with- 
 out speech or movement. 
 
 His children gathered near, and looked on, their 
 young hearts painfully throbbing. They could not 
 fully appreciate the difficult circumstances in which 
 this occurrence had placed them ; nor did their 
 father himself, at first. He thought only of the loss 
 he had sustained, in the destruction of his fine crops : 
 and this of itself, when we consider his isolated situa- 
 tion, and the hopelessness of restoring them, was 
 enough to cause him very great chagrin. 
 
 " Gone ! all gone I " he exclaimed, in a sorrowing 
 
38 THE LOCUST-FLIGHT. 
 
 voice. "01 Fortune Fortune again art thou 
 cruel ! " 
 
 " Papa, do not grieve ! " said a soft voice ; " we 
 are all alive yet, we are here by your side ; " and 
 with the words a little white hand was laid upon 
 his shoulder. It was the hand of the beautiful 
 Truey. 
 
 It seemed as if an angel had smiled upon him. 
 He lifted the child in his arms, and in a paroxysm 
 of fondness pressed her to his heart. That heart felt 
 relieved. 
 
 " Bring me the Book/ 7 said he, addressing one of 
 the boys. 
 
 The Bible was brought, its massive covers were 
 opened, a verse was chosen, and the song of praise 
 rose up in the midst of the desert. 
 
 The Book was closed, and for some minutes all 
 knelt in prayer. 
 
 When Von Bloom again stood upon his feet, and 
 looked around him, the desert seemed once more to 
 "rejoice and blossom as the rose." 
 
 Upon the human heart such is the magic influence 
 of resignation and humility. 
 
IXSPANN AND TREK ! " 39 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 "INSPANN AND TREK!" 
 
 WITH all his confidence in the protection of a Su- 
 preme Being, Yon Bloom knew that he was not to 
 leave everything to the Divine hand. That was 
 not the religion he had been taught ; and he at 
 once set about taking measures to extricate himself 
 from the unpleasant position in which he was placed. 
 * Unpleasant position ! Ha ! It was more than un- 
 pleasant, as the field-cornet began to perceive. It 
 was a position of peril! 
 
 The more Von Bloom reflected, the more was he 
 convinced of this. There they were, in the middle 
 of a black naked plain, that without a green spot 
 extended beyond the limits of vision. How much 
 further he could not guess ; but he knew that the de- 
 vastations of the migratory locust sometimes cover 
 an area of thousands of miles. It was certain that 
 the one that had just swept past was on a very ex- 
 tensive scale. 
 
 It was evident he could no longer remain by his 
 kraal. His horses, and cattle, and sheep, could not 
 live without food ; and should these perish, upon what 
 were he and his family to subsist ? He must leave 
 the kraal. He must go in search of pasture, without 
 loss of time, at once. Already the animals, shut 
 
 
40 
 
 up beyond their usual hour, were uttering their varied 
 cries, impatient to be let out. They would soon 
 hunger ; and it was hard to say when food could be 
 procured for them. 
 
 There was no time to be lost. Every hour was of 
 great importance, even minutes must not be wasted 
 in dubious hesitation. 
 
 The field-cornet spent but a few minutes in consid- 
 eration. Whether should he mount one of his best 
 horses, and ride off alone in search of pasture ? or 
 whether would it not be better to "inspann" his 
 wagon, and take everything along with him at 
 once ? 
 
 He soon decided in favor of the latter course. In 
 any case he would have been compelled to move 
 from his present location, to leave the kraal alto- 
 gether. 
 
 He might as well take everything at once. Should 
 he go out alone, it might cost him a long time to find 
 grass and water, for both would be necessary, 
 and, meantime, his stock would be suffering. 
 
 These and other considerations decided him at once 
 to "inspann" and "trek" away, with his wagon, 
 his horses, his cattle, his sheep, his "household 
 gods/' and his whole family circle. 
 
 "Inspann and trek!" was the command; and 
 Swartboy, who was proud of the reputation he had 
 earned as a wagon-driver, was now seen waving his 
 bamboo whip like a great fishing-rod. 
 
 " Inspann and trek 1 " echoed Swartboy, tying 
 upon his twenty-feet lash a new cracker, which 
 
"INSPANN AND TREK ! 77 41 
 
 he had twisted out of the skin of the hartebeest 
 antelope. 
 
 " Inspann and trek ! " he repeated, making his 
 vast whip crack like a pistol; "yes, baas, I 7 11 in- 
 spann ; 77 and, having satisfied himself that his 
 " voorslag 77 was properly adjusted, Swartboy rested 
 the bamboo handle against the side of the house, 
 and proceeded to the kraal to collect the yoke-oxen. 
 
 A large wagon, of a sort that is the pride and 
 property of every Cape farmer, stood to one side of 
 the house. It was a vehicle of the first class, a 
 regular " cap-tent 77 wagon, that had been made for 
 the field-cornet in his better days, and in which he 
 had been used to drive his wife and children to the 
 " nachtmaal, 77 and upon vrolykheids (parties of pleas- 
 ure.) In those days a team of eight fine horses used 
 to draw it along at a rattling rate. Alas ! oxen had 
 now to take their place ; for Von Bloom had but five 
 horses in his whole stud, and these were required for 
 the saddle. . 
 
 But the wagon was almost as good as ever it had 
 been, almost as good as when it used to be the 
 envy of the field-cornet's neighbors, the boors of 
 Graaf Reiriet. Nothing was broken. Everything 
 was in its place, " voor-kist, 77 and " achter-kist," 
 and side-chests. There was the snow-white cap, with 
 its "fore-clap 77 and "after-clap, 77 and its inside 
 pockets, all complete ; and the wheels neatly carved, 
 and the well-planed boxing and " disselboom, 77 and 
 the strong "trektow 77 of buffalo-hide. Nothing 
 was wanting that ought to be found about a wagon. 
 It was, in fact, the best part of the field-cornet's 
 
42 
 
 property that remained to him, for it was equal in 
 value to all the oxen, cattle, and sheep, upon his 
 establishment. 
 
 While Swartboy, assisted by Hendrik, was catch- 
 ing up the twelve yoke-oxen, and attaching them to 
 the disselboom and trektow of the wagon, the " baas " 
 himself, aided by Hans, Totty, and also by Triiey 
 and little Jan, was loading up the furniture and 
 implements. This was not a difficult task. The 
 Penates of the little kraal were not numerous, and 
 were all soon packed either inside or around the 
 roomy vehicle. 
 
 In about an hour's time the wagon was loaded up, 
 the oxen were inspanned, the horses saddled, and 
 everything was ready for " trekking. 77 
 
 And now arose the question, whither ? 
 
 Up to this time Von Bloom had only thought of 
 getting away from the spot of escaping beyond the 
 naked waste that surrounded him. 
 
 It now became necessary to determine the direc- 
 tion in which they were to travel a most important 
 consideration. 
 
 Important, indeed, as a little reflection showed. 
 They might go in the direction in which the locusts 
 had gone, or that in which they had come ! On either 
 route they might travel for scores of miles without 
 meeting with a mouthful of grass for the hungry 
 animals ; and in such a case these would break down 
 and perish. 
 
 Or the travellers might move in some other direc- 
 tion, and find grass, but not water. Without 
 water, not only would they have to fear for the cat- 
 
"IXSPANN AND TREK'." 43 
 
 tie, but for themselves for their own lives. How 
 important then it was, which way they turned their 
 faces I 
 
 At first the field-cornet bethought him of heading 
 towards the settlements. The nearest water in that 
 direction was almost fifty miles off. It lay to the 
 eastward of the kraal. The locusts had just gone 
 that way. They would by this time have laid waste 
 the whole country perhaps to the water or beyond 
 it! 
 
 It would be a great risk going in that direction. 
 
 Northward lay the Kalihari desert. It would be 
 hopeless to steer north. Von Bloom knew of no 
 oasis in the desert. Besides, the locusts had come 
 from the north. They were drifting southward 
 when first seen ; and, from the time they had been 
 observed passing in this last direction, they had 
 no doubt ere this wasted the plains far to the south. 
 
 The thoughts of the field-cornet were now turned 
 to the west. It is true the swarm had last approached 
 from the west ; but Von Bloom fancied that they had 
 first come down from the north, and that the sudden 
 veering round of the wind had caused them to change 
 direction. He thought that by trekking westward 
 he would soon get beyond the ground they had laid 
 bare. 
 
 He knew something of the plains to the west not 
 much, indeed, but he knew that at about forty miles 
 distance there was a spring with good pasturage 
 around it, upon whose water he could depend. He 
 had once visited it, while on a search for some of his 
 cattle, that had wandered thus far. Indeed, it then 
 
44 
 
 appeared to him a better situation for cattle than the 
 one he held, and he had often thought of moving to it. 
 Its great distance from any civilized settlement was 
 the reason why he had not done so. Although he 
 was already far beyond the frontier, he still kept up 
 a sort of communication with the settlements, whereas 
 at the more distant point such a communication would 
 be extremely difficult. 
 
 Now that other considerations weighed with him, 
 his thoughts once more returned to this spring ; and 
 after spending a few minutes more in earnest deliber- 
 ation, he decided upon "trekking" westward. 
 
 Swartboy was ordered to head round, and strike 
 to the west. The Bushman promptly leaped to his 
 seat upon the voor-kist, cracked his mighty whip, 
 straightened out his long team, and moved off over 
 the plain. 
 
 Hans and Hendrik were already in their saddles ; 
 and having cleared the kraals of all their live stock, 
 with the assistance of the dogs, drove the lowing and 
 bleating animals before them. 
 
 Triiey and little Jan sat beside Swartboy on the 
 fore-chest of the wagon ; and the round full eyes of 
 the pretty springbok could be seen peeping curiously 
 out from under the cap-tent. 
 
 Casting a last look upon his desolate kraal, the 
 field-cornet turned his horse's head, and rode after 
 the wagon. 
 
WATER! WATER!" 45 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ON moved the little caravan, but not in silence. 
 Swartboy's voice and whip made an almost continual 
 noise. The latter could be plainly heard more than 
 a mile over the plain, like repeated discharges of a 
 musket. Hendrik, too, did a good deal in the way 
 of shouting ; and even the usually quiet Hans was 
 under the necessity of using his voice to urge the 
 flock forward in the right direction. 
 
 Occasionally both the boys were called upon to 
 give Swartboy a help with the leading oxen when 
 these became obstinate or restive, and would turn 
 out of the track. At such times either Hans or 
 Hendrik would gallop up, set the heads of the ani- 
 mals right again, and ply the " jamboks " upon their 
 sides. 
 
 This "jambok" is a severe chastener to an obsti- 
 nate ox. It is an elastic whip made of rhinoceros 
 or hippopotamus skin, hippopotamus is the best, 
 near six feet long, and tapering regularly from butt 
 to tip. 
 
 Whenever the led oxen misbehaved, and Swart- 
 boy could not reach them with his long "voorslag," 
 Hendrik was ever ready to tickle them with his 
 tough jambok ; and, by this means, frighten them 
 
 
46 "WATER! WATER!" 
 
 into good behavior. Indeed, one of the boys was 
 obliged to be at their head nearly all the time. 
 
 A "leader" is used to accompany most teams of 
 oxen in South Africa. But those of the field-cornet 
 had been accustomed to draw the wagon without one, 
 ever since the Hottentot servants ran away ; and 
 Swartboy had driven many miles with no other help 
 than his long whip. But the strange look of every- 
 thing, since the locusts passed, had made the oxen 
 shy and wild ; besides, the insects had obliterated 
 every track or path which oxen would have fol- 
 lowed. The whole surface was alike, there was 
 neither trace nor mark. Even Yon Bloom himself 
 could with difficulty recognize the features of the 
 country, and had to guide himself by the sun in the 
 sky. 
 
 Hendrik stayed mostly by the head of the lead- 
 ing oxen. Hans had no difficulty in driving the 
 flock when once fairly started. A sense of fear 
 kept all together, and as there was no herbage upon 
 any side to tempt them to stray, they moved regu- 
 larly on. 
 
 Von Bloom rode in front to guide the caravan. 
 Neither he nor any of them had made any change in 
 their costume, but travelled in their every-day dress. 
 The field-cornet himself was habited after the manner 
 of most boors, in wide leathern trousers, termed in 
 that country "crackers ;" a large roomy jacket of 
 green cloth, with ample outside pockets ; a fawn-skin 
 waistcoat ; a huge white felt hat, with the broadest 
 of brims ; and upon his feet a pair of brogans of Afri- 
 can unstained leather, known among the boors as 
 
41 
 
 " feldt-schoenen " (country shoes). Over his saddle 
 lay a " kaross," or robe of leopard-skins ; and upon 
 his shoulder he carried his " roer," a large 
 smooth-bore gun, about six feet in length, with an 
 old-fashioned flint-lock, quite a load of itself. This 
 is the gun in which the boor puts all his trust ; and 
 although an American backwoodsman would at first 
 sight be disposed to laugh at such a weapon, a little 
 knowledge of the boor's country would change his 
 opinion of the "roer." His own weapon the 
 small-bore rifle, with a bullet less than a pea would 
 be almost useless among the large game that inhab- 
 its the country of the boor. Upon the " karoos " of 
 Africa there are crack shots and sterling hunters, as 
 well as in the backwoods or on the prairies of 
 America. 
 
 Curving round under the field-cornet's left arm, 
 and resting against his side, was an immense pow- 
 der-horn of such size as could only be produced 
 upon the head of an African ox. It was from the 
 country of the Bechuanas, though nearly all Cape 
 oxen grow horns of vast dimensions. Of course it 
 was used to carry the field-cornet's powder, and, if 
 full, it must have contained half a dozen pounds, at 
 least. A leopard-skin pouch hanging under his right 
 arm, a hunting-knife stuck in his waist-belt, and a 
 large meerschaum pipe through the band of his 
 hat, completed the equipments of the trek-boor, Yon 
 Bloom. 
 
 Hans and Hendrik were very similarly attired, 
 armed, and equipped. Of course their trousers were 
 of dressed sheep-skin, wide, like the trousers of all 
 
48 " WATER ! WATER ! " 
 
 young boors, and they also wore jackets and " feldt- 
 schoenen," and broad-brimmed white hats. Hans 
 carried a light fowling-piece, while Hendrik's gun 
 was a stout rifle of the kind known as a "yager 7 ' 
 an excellent gun for large game. In this piece 
 Hendrik had great pride, and had learnt to drive a 
 nail with it at nearly a hundred paces. Hendrik was 
 par excellence the marksman of the party. Each of 
 the boys also carried a large crescent-shaped powder- 
 horn, with a pouch for bullets ; and over the saddle 
 of each was strapped the robe or kaross, differing 
 only from their father's in that his was of the rarer 
 leopard-skin, while theirs were a commoner sort, one 
 of antelope, and the other of jackal-skin. Little Jan 
 also wore wide trousers, jacket, " feldt-shoenen," 
 and broad-brimmed beaver ; in fact, Jan, although 
 scarce a yard high, was, in point of costume, a type of 
 his father, a diminutive type of the boor. Triiey was 
 habited in a skirt of blue woollen stuff, with a neat 
 bodice elaborately stitched and embroidered after 
 the Dutch fashion, and over her fair locks she wore 
 a light sun-hat of straw with a ribbon and strings. 
 Totty was very plainly attired in strong homespun, 
 without any head-dress. As for Swartboy, a pair of 
 old leathern " crackers " and a striped shirt were all 
 the clothing he carried, beside his sheep-skin kaross. 
 Such were the costumes of our travellers. 
 
 For full twenty miles the plain was wasted bare. 
 Not a bite could the beasts obtain, and water there 
 was none. The sun during the day shone brightly, 
 too brightly, for his beams were as hot as within 
 the tropics. The travellers could scarce have borne 
 
49 
 
 them had it not been that a stiff breeze was blowing 
 all day long. But this unfortunately blew directly 
 in their faces, and the dry karoos are never without 
 dust. The constant hopping of the locusts with their 
 millions of tiny feet had loosened the crust of earth ; 
 and now the dust rose freely upon the wind. Clouds 
 of it enveloped the little caravan, and rendered their 
 forward movement both difficult and disagreeable. 
 Long before night their clothes were covered, their 
 mouths filled, and their eyes sore. 
 
 But all that was nothing. Long before night a far 
 greater grievance was felt, the want of water. 
 
 In their hurry to escape from the desolate scene at 
 the kraal, Von Bloom had not thought of bringing a 
 supply in the wagon a sad oversight in a country 
 like South Africa, where springs are so rare, and run- 
 ning streams so uncertain. A sad oversight indeed, 
 as they now learnt ; for long before night they were 
 all crying out for water, all were equally suffering 
 from the pangs of thirst. 
 
 Von Bloom thirsted, but he did not think of him- 
 self, except that he suffered from self-accusation. 
 He blamed himself for neglecting to bring a needful 
 supply of water. He was the cause of the sufferings 
 of all the rest. He felt sad and humbled on account 
 of his thoughtless negligence. 
 
 He could promise them no relief at least, none 
 until they should reach the spring. He knew of no 
 water nearer. 
 
 It would be impossible to reach the spring that 
 night. It was late when they started. Oxen travel 
 4 
 
50 "WATER! WATER! " 
 
 slowly. Half the distance would be as much as they 
 could make by sundown. 
 
 To reach the water they would have to travel all 
 night ; but they could not do that, for many reasons. 
 The oxen would require to rest the more so that 
 they were hungered ; and now Von Bloom thought, 
 when too late, of another neglect he had committed 
 that was, in not collecting, during the flight of the 
 locusts, a sufficient quantity of them to have given 
 his cattle a feed. 
 
 This plan is often adopted under similar circum- 
 stances ; but the field-cornet had not thought of it ; 
 and as but few locusts fell in the kraals where the 
 animals had been confined, they had therefore been 
 without food since the previous day. The oxen, in 
 particular, showed symptoms of weakness, and drew 
 the wagon sluggishly ; so that Swartboy's voice and 
 long whip were kept in constant action. 
 
 But there were other reasons why. they would 
 have to halt when night came on. The field-cornet 
 was not so sure of the direction. He would not be 
 able to follow it by night, as there was not the 
 semblance of a track to guide him. Besides, it 
 would be dangerous to travel by night, for then the 
 nocturnal robber of Africa the fierce lion is 
 abroad. 
 
 They would be under the necessity, therefore, of 
 halting for the night, water or no water. 
 
 It wanted yet half an hour of sundown when Yon 
 Bloom had arrived at this decision. He only kept 
 on a little further, in hopes of reaching a spot where 
 there was grass. They were now more than twenty 
 
" WATER ! WATER ! " 51 
 
 miles from their starting-point, and still the black 
 " spoor " of the locusts covered the plain. Still no 
 grass to be seen ; still the bushes bare of their leaves, 
 and barked 1 
 
 The field-cornet began to think that he was trekking 
 right in the way the locusts had come. Westward 
 he was heading, for certain ; he knew that. But he 
 was not yet certain that the flight had not advanced 
 from the west, instead of the north. If so, they 
 might go for days before coming upon a patch of 
 grass. 
 
 These thoughts troubled him, and with anxious 
 eyes he swept the plain in front, as well as- to the 
 right and left. 
 
 A shout from the keen-eyed Bushman produced a 
 joyful effect. He saw grass in front. He saw some 
 bushes with leaves. They were still a mile off, but 
 the oxen, as if the announcement had been under- 
 stood by them, moved more briskly forward. 
 
 Another mile passed over, and they came upon 
 grass, sure enough. It was a very scanty pasture, 
 though, a few scattered blades growing over the 
 reddish surface, but in no place a mouthful for an ox. 
 There was just enough to tantalize the poor brutes, 
 without filling their stomachs. It assured Von Bloom, 
 however, that they had now got beyond the track of 
 the locusts ; and he kept on a little further, in hopes 
 that the pasture might get better. 
 
 It did not, however. The country through which 
 they advanced was a wild, sterile plain, almost as 
 destitute of vegetation as that over which they had 
 hitherto been travelling. It no longer owed its 
 
52 
 
 nakedness to the locusts, but to the absence of 
 water. 
 
 They had no more time to search for pasture. The 
 sun was already below the horizon when they halted 
 to " outspann." 
 
 A "kraal' 7 should have been built for the cattle, 
 and another for the sheep and goats. There were 
 bushes enough to have constructed them, but who 
 of that tired party had the heart to cut them down 
 and drag them to the spot ? 
 
 It was labor enough the slaughtering a sheep 
 for supper, and collecting sufficient wood to cook it. 
 No kraal was made. The horses were tied around 
 the wagon. The oxen, cattle, and sheep and goats, 
 were left free to go where they pleased. As there 
 was no pasture near to tempt them, it was hoped that, 
 after the fatigue of their long journey, they would not 
 stray far from the camp-fire, which was kept burning 
 throughout the night. 
 
THE FATE OF THE HERD. 53 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE FATE OF THE HERD. 
 
 BUT they did stray. 
 
 When day broke, and the travellers looked around 
 them, not a head of the oxen or cattle was to be seen. 
 Yes, there was one, and one only the milch-cow. 
 Totty, after milking her on the previous night, had 
 left her tied to a bush, where she still remained. 
 All the rest were gone, and the sheep and goats as 
 well. 
 
 Whither had they strayed ? 
 
 The horses were mounted, and search was made. 
 The sheep and goats were found among some bushes 
 not far off; but it soon appeared that the other 
 animals had gone clean away. 
 
 Their spoor was traced for a mile or two. It led 
 back on the very track they had come ; and no doubt 
 any longer existed that they had returned to the 
 kraal. 
 
 To overtake them before reaching that point, 
 would be difficult, if at all possible. Their tracks 
 showed that they had gone off early in the night, 
 and had travelled at a rapid rate so that by this 
 time they had most likely arrived at their old home. 
 
 This was a sad discovery. To have followed 
 them on the thirsting and hungry horses would 
 
54 THE FATE OF THE HERD. 
 
 have been a useless work ; yet without the yoke- 
 oxen how was the wagon to be taken forward to the 
 spring ? 
 
 It appeared to be a sad dilemma they were in ; but 
 after a short consultation the thoughtful Hans sug- 
 gested a solution of it. 
 
 " Can we not attach the horses to the wagon?" 
 inquired he. " The five could surely draw it on to 
 the spring." 
 
 " What ! and leave the cattle behind ? " said Hen- 
 drik. " If we do not go after them, they will be all 
 lost, and then 
 
 ." We could go for them afterwards," replied Hans ; 
 " but is it not better first to push forward to the 
 spring, a"nd, after resting the horses a while, return 
 then for the oxen ? They will have reached the 
 kraal by this time. There they will be sure of water, 
 anyhow, and that will keep them alive till we get 
 there." 
 
 The course suggested by Hans seemed feasible 
 enough. At all events, it was the best plan they 
 could pursue ; so they at once set about putting it in 
 execution. The horses were attached to the wagon 
 in the best way they could think of. Fortunately 
 some old horse-harness formed part of the contents 
 of the vehicle, and these were brought out and fitted 
 on, as well as could be done. 
 
 Two horses were made fast to the disselboom as 
 "wheelers;" two others to the trektow cut to the 
 proper length ; and the fifth horse was placed in front 
 as a leader. 
 
 When all was ready, Swartboy again mounted the 
 
THE FATE OF THE HERD. 55 
 
 voor-kist, gathered up his reins, cracked his whip, 
 and set his team in motion. To the delight of every 
 one, the huge heavy-laden wagon moved off as freely 
 as if a full team had been inspanned. 
 
 Von Bloom, Hendrik, and Hans, cheered as it 
 passed them, and, setting the milch-cow and the 
 flock of sheep and goats in motion, moved briskly 
 after. Little Jan and Triiey still rode in the wagon ; 
 but the others now travelled a-foot, partly because 
 they had the flock to drive, and partly that they might 
 not increase the load upon the horses. 
 
 They all suffered greatly from thirst, but they 
 would have suffered still more had it not been for 
 that valuable creature that trotted along behind the 
 wagon the cow '.' old Graaf," as she was called. 
 She had yielded several pints of milk, both the night 
 before and that morning ; and this well-timed supply 
 had given considerable relief to the travellers. 
 
 The horses behaved beautifully. Notwithstanding 
 that their harness was both incomplete and ill fitted, 
 they pulled the wagon along after them as if not a 
 strap or buckle had been wanting. They appeared 
 to know that their kind master was in a dilemma, 
 and were determined to draw him out of it. Perhaps, 
 too, they smelt the spring-water before them. At all 
 events, before they had been many hours in harness, 
 they were drawing the wagon through a pretty little 
 valley covered with green, meadow-looking sward ; 
 and in five minutes more were standing halted near 
 a cool crystal spring. 
 
 In a short time all had drunk heartily, and were 
 refreshed. The horses were turned out upon the 
 
56 THE FATE OF THE HERD. 
 
 grass, and the other animals browsed over the 
 meadow. A good fire was made near the spring, and 
 a quarter of mutton cooked, upon which the travel- 
 lers dined, and then all sat waiting for the horses 
 to fill themselves. 
 
 The field-cornet, seated upon one of the wagon- 
 chests, smoked his great pipe. He could have been 
 contented, but for one thing the absence of his 
 cattle. 
 
 He had arrived at a beautiful pasture-ground a 
 sort of oasis in the wild plains, where there were 
 wood, water, and grass, everything that the heart 
 of a " vee-boor" could desire. It did not appear to 
 be a large tract, but enough to have sustained many 
 hundred head of cattle enough for a very fine 
 " stock farm." It would have answered his purpose 
 admirably ; and had he succeeded in bringing on his 
 oxen and cattle, he would at that moment have felt 
 happy enough. But without them what availed the 
 fine pasturage ? What could he do there without 
 them to stock it ? They were his wealth at least, 
 he had hoped in time that their increase would be- 
 come wealth. They were all of excellent breeds ; 
 and, with the exception of his twelve yoke-oxen, and 
 one or two long-horned Bechuana bulls, all the others 
 were fine young cows, calculated soon to produce a 
 large herd. 
 
 Of course his anxiety about these animals rendered 
 it impossible for him to enjoy a moment's peace of 
 mind, until he should start back in search of them. 
 He had only taken out his pipe to pass the time, 
 while the horses were gathering a bite of grass. As 
 
THE FATE OF THE HERD. 57 
 
 soon as their strength should be recruited a little, it 
 was his design to take three of the strongest of them, 
 and with Hendrik and Swartboy ride back to the old 
 kraal. 
 
 As soon, therefore, as the horses were ready for 
 the road again, they were caught and saddled up ; 
 and Von Bloom, Hendrik, and Swartboy, mounted 
 and set out, while Hans remained in charge of the 
 camp. 
 
 They rode at a brisk rate, determined to travel all 
 night, and, if possible, reach the kraal before morn- 
 ing. At the last point on the route where there was 
 grass, they off-saddled, and allowed their l^orses to 
 rest and refresh themselves. They had brought with 
 them some slices of the roast mutton, and this time 
 they had not forgotten to fill their gourd-canteens 
 with water, so that they should not again suffer 
 from thirst. After an hour's halt they continued 
 their journey. 
 
 It was quite night when they arrived at the spot 
 where the oxen had deserted them ; but a clear moon 
 was in the sky, and they were able to follow back 
 the wheel-tracks of the wagon, that were quite con- 
 spicuous under the moonlight. Now and then, to be 
 satisfied, Von Bloom requested Swartboy to examine 
 the spoor, and see whether the cattle had still kept 
 the back-track. To answer this gave no great 
 trouble to the Bushman. He would drop from his 
 horse, and, bending over the ground, would reply in 
 an instant. In every case the answer was in the 
 affirmative. The animals had certainly gone back to 
 their old home. 
 
58 THE FATE OF THE HERD. 
 
 Von Bloom believed they would be sure to find 
 them there but should they find them alive f That 
 was the question that rendered him anxious. 
 
 The creatures could obtain water by the spring, 
 but food where ? Not a bite would they find any- 
 where, and would not hunger have destroyed them 
 all before this ? 
 
 Day was breaking when they came in sight of the 
 old homestead. It presented a very odd appearance. 
 Not one of the three would have recognized it. 
 After the invasion of the locusts it showed a very 
 altered look, but now there was something else that 
 added to the singularity of its appearance. A row 
 of strange objects seemed to be placed upon the roof 
 ridge, and along the walls of the kraals. What were 
 these strange objects, for they certainly did not 
 belong to the buildings ? This question was put by 
 Von Bloom, partly to himself, but loud enough for 
 the others to hear him. 
 
 " Da vogek ! " (the vultures), replied Swartboy. 
 ^Sure enough, it was a string of vultures that 
 appeared along the walls. 
 
 The sight of these filthy birds was more than 
 ominous. It filled Von Bloom with apprehension. 
 What could they be doing there ? There must be 
 carrion near ? 
 
 The party rode forward. The day was now up, 
 and the vultures had grown busy. They flapped 
 their shadowy wings, rose from the walls, and 
 alighted at different points around the house. 
 
 " Surely there must be carrion/ ' muttered Von 
 Bloom. 
 
THE FATE OF THE HERD. 59 
 
 There was carrion, and plenty of it. As the horse- 
 men drew near the vultures rose into the air, and a 
 score of half-devoured carcasses could be seen upon 
 the ground. The long curving horns that appeared 
 beside each carcass rendered it easy to tell to what 
 sort of animals they belonged. In the torn and 
 mutilated fragments Von Bloom recognized the re- 
 mains of his lost herd ! 
 
 Not one was left alive. There could be seen the 
 remains of all of them, both cows and oxen, lying 
 near the enclosures and on the adjacent plain each 
 where it had fallen. 
 
 But how had they fallen ? That was the mystery. 
 
 Surely they could not have perished of hunger, 
 and so suddenly ! They could not have died of 
 thirst, for there was the spring bubbling up just 
 beside where they lay ! The vultures had not killed 
 them 1 What then ? 
 
 Von Bloom did not ask many questions. He was 
 not left long in doubt. As he and his companions 
 rode over the ground, the mystery was explained. 
 The tracks of lions, hyenas, and jackals, made 
 everything clear enough. A large troop of these 
 animals had been upon the ground. The scarcity of 
 e, caused by the migration of the locusts, had 
 no doubt rendered them more than usually ravenous, 
 and in consequence the cattle became their prey. 
 
 Where were they now ? The morning light, and 
 the sight of the house, perhaps, had driven them off. 
 But their spoor was quite fresh. They were near at 
 hand, and would be certain to return again upon the 
 following night. 
 
 CVll 111 
 
 gam 
 
 nn r\ 
 
60 THE FATE OF THE HERD. 
 
 Von Bloom felt a strong desire to be revenged 
 upon the hideous brutes ; and, under other circum- 
 stances, would have remained to get a shot at them. 
 But just then that would have been both imprudent 
 and unprofitable work. It would be as much as 
 their horses could accomplish to get back to camp 
 that night ; so, without even entering the old house, 
 they watered their animals, refilled their calabashes 
 at the spring, and with heavy hearts once more rode 
 away from the kraal. 
 
A LION COUCHANT. 61 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A LION COUCHANT. 
 
 THEY had not proceeded a hundred steps when an 
 object appeared before them that caused all three 
 to draw bridle suddenly and simultaneously. That 
 object was a lion ! 
 
 He was couched upon the plain directly in the 
 path they intended to take the very same path by 
 which they had come. 
 
 How was it they had not seen him before ? He 
 was under the lee of a low bush ; but, thanks to the 
 locusts, this bush was leafless, and its thin naked 
 twigs formed no concealment for so large a creature 
 as a lion. His tawny hide shone conspicuously 
 through them. 
 
 The truth is, he had not been there when the 
 horsemen passed towards the kraal. He had just 
 fled from among the carcasses, on seeing them 
 approach ; and had skulked around the walls, and 
 then run to their rear. He had executed this man- 
 oeuvre to avoid an encounter for a lion reasons as 
 a man does, though not to the same extent. Seeing 
 the horsemen come that way, his reasoning powers 
 were strong enough to tell him that they were not 
 likely to return by the same path. It was more nat- 
 ural they should continue on. A man, ignorant of 
 
62 A LION COUCHANT. 
 
 all the preceding events connected with their jour- 
 ney, would have reasoned much in the same way. 
 If you have been at all observant, you have seen 
 other animals such as dogs, deer, hares, or even 
 birds act just as the lion did on this occasion. 
 
 Beyond a doubt, the intellectual process described 
 passed through the mind of this lion ; and he had 
 skulked round to shun an encounter with the three 
 travellers. 
 
 Now, a lion will not always act so though he 
 will in five cases out of six, or oftener. Hence very 
 erroneous views are held in relation to the courage 
 of this animal. Some naturalists, led away by what 
 appears to be a feeling of envy or anger, accuse the 
 lion of downright cowardice, denying him a single 
 noble quality of all those that have from earliest 
 times been ascribed to him. Others, on the con- 
 trary, assert that he knows no fear, either of man or 
 beast ; and these endow kim with many virtues 
 besides courage. Both parties back up their views, 
 not by mere assertions, but by an ample narration 
 of well-attested facts. 
 
 How is this ? There is a dilemma here. Both 
 cannot be right in their opinions ? And yet, odd as 
 it may appear to say so, both are right in a certain 
 sense. 
 
 The fact is, some lions are cowardly, while others 
 are brave. 
 
 The truth of this might be shown by whole pages 
 of facts, but in this little volume we have no room. 
 I think, however, boy-reader, I can satisfy you with 
 an analogy. 
 
A LION COUCHANT. 63 
 
 Answer me Do you know any species of animal 
 the individuals of which are exactly alike in charac- 
 ter ? Think over the dogs of your acquaintance. 
 Are they alike, or anything near it ? Are not some 
 of them noble, generous, faithful, brave to the death ? 
 Are not others mean, sneaking, cowardly curs ? So 
 is it with lions. 
 
 Now you are satisfied that my statement about 
 the lions may be true. 
 
 There are many causes to affect the courage and 
 ferocity of the lion. His age the state of his 
 stomach the season of the year the hour of the 
 day but, above all, the sort of hunters that belong to 
 the district he inhabits. 
 
 This last fact appears quite natural to those who 
 believe in the intellect of animals, which of course / 
 do. It is perfectly natural that the lion, as well as 
 other animals, should soon learn the character of his 
 enemy, and fear him or not, as the case may be. Is 
 this not an old story with us ? If I remember aright, 
 we had a talk upon this subject when speaking of 
 the crocodiles of America. We remarked that the 
 alligator of the Mississippi rarely attacks man in 
 modern times ; but it has not always been so. The 
 rifle of the alligator-leather hunter has tamed its 
 ferocity. The very same species in South America 
 eats Indians by scores every year ; and the crocodile 
 of Africa is dreaded in some parts even more than 
 the lion. 
 
 It is asserted that the lions of the Cape are more 
 cowardly in some districts than in others. They are 
 less brave in those districts where they l^ve been 
 
64 A LION COUCH ANT. 
 
 "jaged" by the courageous and stalwart boor with 
 his long loud-cracking " roer." 
 
 Beyond the frontier, where they have no enemy 
 but the tiny arrow of the Bushman (who does not 
 desire to kill them) and the slender "asegai" of the 
 Bechuana, the lion has little or no fear of man. 
 
 Whether the one before the eyes of our party was 
 naturally a brave one, could not yet be told. He 
 was one with a huge black mane, or " schwart-fore 
 life/ 7 as the boors term it ; and these are esteemed 
 the fiercest and most dangerous. The " yellow- 
 maned" for there is considerable variety in the 
 color of the Cape lions is regarded as possessing 
 less courage ; but there is some doubt about the 
 truth of this. The young " black-manes " may often 
 be mistaken for the true yellow variety, and their 
 character ascribed to him to his prejudice, for the 
 swarthy color of the mane only comes after the lion 
 is many years of age. 
 
 Whether the " schwart-fore life " was a fierce and 
 brave one, Von Bloom did not stay to think about. 
 It was evident that the edge had been taken off the 
 animal's appetite. It was evident he did not medi- 
 tate an attack ; and that, had the horsemen chosen to 
 make a detour, and ride peacefully away, they might 
 have continued their journey without ever seeing or 
 hearing of him again. 
 
 But the field-cornet had no such intention. He 
 had lost his precious oxen and cattle. That lion had 
 pulled down some of them, at least. The Dutch 
 blood was up, and if the beast had been the strongest 
 
A LION COUCHANT. 65 
 
 and fiercest of his tribe, he was bound to be brought 
 out of that bush. 
 
 Ordering the others to remain where they were, 
 Von Bloom advanced on horseback until within about 
 fifty paces of where the lion lay. Here he drew up, 
 coolly dismounted, passed the bridle over his arm, 
 stuck his loading-rod into the ground, and knelt 
 down behind it. 
 
 You will fancy he would have been safer to have 
 kept his saddle, as the lion cannot overtake a horse. 
 True ; but the lion would have been safer too. It is 
 no easy matter to fire correctly from any horse ; but 
 when the mark happens to be a grim lion, he. is a 
 well-trained steed that will stand sufficiently firm to 
 admit of a true aim. A shot from the saddle under 
 such circumstances is a mere chance shot ; and the 
 field-cornet was not in the mood to be satisfied with 
 a chance shot. Laying his roer athwart the loading- 
 rod, and holding the long barrel steady against it, 
 he took deliberate aim through the ivory sights. 
 
 During all this time the lion had not stirred. The 
 bush was between him and the hunter ; but he could 
 hardly have believed that it sufficed to conceal him. 
 Far from it. His yellow flanks were distinctly visi- 
 ble through the thorny twigs, and his head could be 
 seen, with his muzzle and whiskers stained red with 
 the blood of the oxen. 
 
 No he did not believe himself hid. A slight 
 growl, with one or two shakes of his tail, proved the 
 contrary. He lay still, however, as lions usually 
 do, until more nearly approached. The hunter, as 
 already stated, was full fifty yards from him. 
 5 
 
66 A LION COUCHANT. 
 
 Excepting the motion of his tail, he made no other 
 till Von Bloom pulled trigger ; and then with a 
 scream he sprang several feet into the air. The 
 hunter had been afraid of the twigs causing his bul- 
 let to glance off ; but it was plain it had told truly, 
 for lie saw the fur fly from the side of the lion where 
 it struck him. 
 
 It was but a wound ; and not deadly, as soon 
 appeared. 
 
 With long bounds the angry brute came on, lash- 
 ing his tail, and showing his fearful teeth. His 
 mane, now on end, seemed to have doubled his size. 
 He looked as large as a bull. 
 
 In a few seconds' time he had crossed the distance 
 that separated him from the hunter, but the latter 
 was gone far from that spot. The moment he had 
 delivered his fire, he leaped upon his well-trained 
 horse, and rode off towards the others. 
 
 All three were for a short while together Hen- 
 drik holding his yager cocked and ready, while 
 Swartboy grasped his bow and arrows. But the 
 lion dashed forward before either could fire ; and 
 they were obliged to spur and gallop out of his way. 
 
 Swartboy had ridden to one side, while Von Bloom 
 and Hendrik took the other ; and the game was now 
 between the two parties both of which had pulled 
 up at some distance off. 
 
 The lion, after the failure of his charge, halted, 
 and looked first at one, then at the other, as if 
 uncertain which to pursue. 
 
 His appearance at this moment was terrible be- 
 yond expression. His whole fierce nature was roused. 
 
A LION COUCHANT. 61 
 
 His mane stood erect ; his tail lashed his flanks ; his 
 mouth, widely open, showed the firm-set trenchant 
 teeth, their white spikes contrasting with the red 
 blood that clotted his cheeks and snout, while his 
 angry roaring added horror to his appearance. 
 
 But none of the three were terrified out of their 
 senses. Hendrik at this moment covered him with 
 his rifle, took cool aim, and fired ; while at the same 
 instant Swartboy sent an arrow whistling through 
 the air. 
 
 Both had aimed truly. Both bullet and arrow 
 struck ; and the shaft of the latter could be seen 
 sticking in the lion's thigh. 
 
 The fierce brute, that up to this time had exhibited 
 the most determined courage, now seemed overcome 
 with a sudden fear. Either the arrow or one of the 
 bullets must have sickened him with the combat ; 
 for, dropping his mop-like tail to a level with the 
 line of his back, he broke away, and, trotting sulkily 
 forward, sprang in at the door of the kraal. 
 
68 A LION IN THE TRAP. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A LION IN THE TRAP. 
 
 THERE was something singular in the lion seeking 
 shelter in so unusual a place ; but it showed his 
 sagacity. There was no other cover within conve- 
 nient distance, and to have reached any bush that 
 would have afforded him concealment, since the pas- 
 sage of the locusts, would have been difficult. The 
 mounted hunters could easily have, overtaken him, 
 had he attempted to run off. He was aware that 
 the house was uninhabited. He had been prowling 
 around it all the night, perhaps within it, and, there- 
 fore, knew what sort of place it was. 
 
 The brute's instinct was correct. The walls of 
 the house would protect him from the guns of his 
 enemies at a distance ; and for these to approach 
 near would be his advantage and their danger. 
 
 An odd incident occurred as the lion entered the 
 kraal. There was a large window in one end of the 
 house. Of course it was not glazed it never had 
 been. A glass window is a rarity in these parts. 
 A strong wooden shutter alone closed it. This was 
 still hanging on its hinges, but in the hurried 
 "flitting " the window had been left open. The 
 door also had been standing ajar. As the lion sprang 
 in at the latter, a string of small foxy, wolf-like creat- 
 
A LION IN THE TRAP. 69 
 
 ures came pouring out through the former, and ran 
 with all their might across the plain. They were 
 jackals. 
 
 As it afterwards appeared, one of the oxen had 
 been chased into the house by either lions or hyenas, 
 and killed there. His carcass had been overlooked 
 by the larger carnivora, and the cunning jackals had 
 been making a quiet breakfast upon it, when so un- 
 ceremoniously disturbed. 
 
 The entrance of their terrible king in such angry 
 mood, by the door, caused the fox-wolves to beat a 
 quick retreat by the window ; and the appearance 
 of the horsemen without had still further frightened 
 these cowardly brutes, so that they ran away from 
 the kraal at top speed, and never halted until they 
 were out of sight. 
 
 The three hunters could not restrain a laugh ; but 
 their tone was suddenly changed by another incident 
 that happened almost at the same moment. 
 
 Von Bloom had brought with him his two fine 
 dogs, to assist in driving back the cattle. 
 
 During the short halt the party had made by the 
 spring, these had fastened upon a half-eaten carcass 
 behind the walls ; and, being extremely hungry, had 
 stuck to it, even after the horsemen had ridden off. 
 Neither of the dogs had seen the lion, until the 
 moment when the savage brute charged forward, 
 and was making for the kraal. The shots, the growl- 
 ing of the lion, and the loud wings of the vultures as 
 they flew off affrighted, told the dogs that something 
 was going on in front, at which they ought to be 
 
10 
 
 A LION IN THE TRAP. 
 
 present ; and, forsaking their pleasant meal, both 
 came bounding over the walls. 
 
 They reached the open space in front just as the 
 lion leaped into the door; and without hesitation 
 the brave, noble animals rushed on, and followed him 
 inside the house. 
 
 For some moments there was heard a confused 
 chorus of noises ; the barking and worrying of the 
 dogs, the growling and roaring of the lion. Then 
 a dull sound followed, as of some heavy object dashed 
 against the wall. Then came a mournful howl ; 
 another, another ; a noise like the cracking of bones ; 
 the " purr " of the great brute with its loud rough 
 bass and then a deep silence. The struggle was 
 over. This was evident, as the dogs np longer gave 
 tongue. Most likely they were killed. 
 
 The hunters remained watching the door with 
 feelings of intense anxiety. The laugh had died 
 upon their lips, as they listened to those hideous 
 sounds, the signs of the fearful combat. They 
 called their dogs byname. They hoped to see them 
 issue forth, even if wounded. But no. The dogs 
 came not forth ; they never came forth they were 
 dead. 
 
 A long-continued silence followed the noise of the 
 conflict. Von Bloom could no longer doubt that his 
 favorite and only dogs had been killed. 
 
 Excited by this new misfortune, he almost lost 
 prudence. He was about to rush forward to the 
 door, where he might deliver his fire close to the hated 
 enemy, when a bright idea came into the brain of 
 Swariboy ; and the Bushman was heard calling out, 
 
A LION IN THE TRAP. 71 
 
 " Baas ! baas ! we shut him up ! we close da skel- 
 lum up ! " 
 
 There was good sense in this suggestion ; there 
 was plausibility in it. Von Bloom saw this ; and, 
 desisting from his previous intention, he determined 
 to adopt Swartboy's plan. 
 
 But how was it to be executed ? The door still 
 hung upon its hinges, as also the window-shutter. 
 If they could only get hold of these, and shut them 
 fast, they would have the lion secure, and might 
 destroy him at their leisure. 
 
 But how to shut either door or window in safety ? 
 That was the difficulty that now presented itself. 
 
 Should they approach either, the lion would be 
 certain to see them from within ; and, enraged as he 
 now was, would be sure to spring upon them. Even 
 if they approached on horseback to effect their pur- 
 pose, they would not be much safer. The horses 
 would not stand quiet while they stretched out to 
 lay hold of latch or handle. All three of the animals 
 were already dancing with excitement. They knew 
 the lion was inside, an occasional growl announced 
 his presence there ; they would not approach either 
 door or window with sufficient coolness ; and their 
 stamping and snorting would have the effect of 
 bringing the angry beast out upon them. 
 
 It was clear, then, that to shut either door or 
 window would be an operation of great danger. So 
 long as the horsemen were in open ground, and at 
 some distance from the lion, they had no cause .to 
 fear ; but should they approach near and get 
 entangled among the walls, some one of them 
 
72 A LION IN THE TRAP. 
 
 would be most likely to fall a victim to the ferocious 
 brute. 
 
 Low as may be the standard of a Bushman's in- 
 tellect, there is a species peculiar to him in which 
 he appears to excel. In all matters of hunter-craft, 
 his intelligence, or instinct you might almost call it, 
 is quite a match for the more highly-developed mind 
 of the Caucasian. This arises, no doubt, from the 
 keen and frequent exercise of those particular facul- 
 ties keen and frequent, because his very existence 
 often depends on their successful employment. 
 
 Huge ill-shapen head that Swartboy carried on 
 his shoulders, there was an ample stock of brains in 
 it ; and a life of keen endeavor to keep his stomach 
 supplied had taught him their exercise. At that 
 moment Swartboy's brains came to the relief of the 
 party. 
 
 " Baas ! " he said, endeavoring to restrain the 
 impatience of his master, " vyacht um bige, mein 
 baas ! Leave it to da ole Bushy to close da door. 
 He do it." 
 
 " How ? " inquired Von Bloom. 
 
 " Vyacht um bige, mein baas ! no long to wait 
 you see." 
 
 All three had ridden up together within less than 
 a hundred yards of the kraal. Von Bloom and 
 Hendrik sat silent, and watched the proceedings of 
 the Bushman. 
 
 The latter drew from his pocket a clue of small 
 cord, and, having carefully uncoiled it, attached one 
 end to an arrow. He then rode up to within thirty 
 yards of the house, and dismounted, not directly 
 
A LION IN THE TRAP. 73 
 
 opposite the entrance, but a little to the one side, so 
 that the face of the wooden door, which was fortu- 
 nately but three quarters open, was thus fair before 
 him. Keeping the bridle over his arm, he now bent 
 his bow, and sent the arrow into the woodwork of 
 the door. There it was, sticking near the edge, and 
 just under the latch. 
 
 As soon as Swartboy delivered the shaft, he had 
 leaped back into his saddle, to be ready for retreat 
 in case the lion should charge out. He still, how- 
 ever, kept hold of the string, one end of which was 
 attached to the arrow. 
 
 The "thud" of the arrow, as it struck the door, 
 had drawn the attention of the lion. Of course 
 none of them saw him, but his angry growl told them 
 that it was so. He did not show himself, however, 
 and was again silent. 
 
 Swartboy now drew the string taut ; first felt it 
 with a steady pull ; and then, satisfied of its strength, 
 gave it a stronger jerk, and brought the door to. 
 The latch acted beautifully, and the door remained 
 shut even after the strain was taken off the cord. 
 
 To have opened the door now, the lion must have 
 had the sagacity to lift the latch, or else must have 
 broken through the thick, strong planks neither 
 of which things was to be feared. 
 
 But the window still remained open, and through 
 it the lion could easily leap out. Swartboy, of course, 
 designed closing it in the same manner as he had 
 done the door. 
 
 But now arose a particular danger. He had only 
 one piece of cord. That was attached to the arrow 
 
74 A LION IN THE TRAP. 
 
 that still stuck fast. How was he to detach and get 
 possession of it ? 
 
 There appeared to be no other way but by going 
 up to the door and cutting it from the shaft. In this 
 lay the danger; for, should the lion perceive him 
 and rush out by the window, it would be all over 
 with the Bushman. 
 
 Like most of his race, Swartboy was more cunning 
 than brave though he was far from being a coward. 
 Still, he was by no means inclined at that moment 
 to go up to the door of the kraal. 
 
 The angry growls from within would have made a 
 stouter heart than Swartboy's quail with fear. 
 
 In this dilemma Hendrik came to his relief. Hen- 
 drik had conceived a way of getting possession of 
 the string, without going near the door. 
 
 Calling to Swartboy to be on his guard, he rode 
 within thirty yards of the entrance, but on the other 
 side from where Swartboy was, and there halted. 
 At the place there stood a post with several forks 
 upon it, that had been used as a bridle-post. 
 
 Hendrik dismounted, hooked his rein over one of 
 these forks, rested his yager across another, and 
 then, sighting the shaft of the arrow, pulled trigger. 
 The rifle cracked, the broken stick was seen to fly 
 out from the door, and the string was set free. 
 
 All were ready to gallop off; but the lion, 
 although he growled fiercely on hearing the shot, 
 still lay close. 
 
 Swartboy now drew in the string ; and, having 
 adjusted it to a fresh arrow, moved round so as to 
 command a view of the window. In a few minutes 
 
A LION IN THE TRAP. T5 
 
 the shaft had cut through the air and stuck deep into 
 the yielding wood, and then the shutter swung round 
 on its hinges, and was drawn close. 
 
 All three now dismounted, ran silently and rapidly 
 up, and secured both door and shutter with strong 
 rheins of raw-hide. 
 
 Hurra ! the lion was caged I 
 
 
76 THE DEATH OF THE LION. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE DEATH OF THE LION. 
 
 YES, the fierce brute was fairly in the trap. The 
 three hunters breathed freely. 
 
 But how was the affair to end ? Both door and 
 window-shutter fitted strongly and closely ; and,, 
 although it was possible to glance through the 
 chinks, nothing could be seen inside since, both 
 being shut, it was quite dark within. 
 
 Even could the lion have been seen, there was no 
 hole through which to thrust the muzzle of a gun 
 and fire at him. He was just as safe as his captors ; 
 and, so long as the door remained closed, they could 
 do him no more harm than he could them. 
 
 They might leave him shut up, and let him starve. 
 He could live for a while upon what the jackals had 
 left, with the carcasses of the two dogs ; but that 
 would not sustain him long, and in the end he would 
 have to give up and miserably perish. After all, 
 this did not seem so certain to Von Bloom and his 
 companions. Finding that he was caged in earnest, 
 the brute might attack the door, and with his sharp 
 claws and teeth manage to cut his way through. 
 
 But the angry field-cornet had not the slightest 
 intention of leaving the lion such a chance. He was 
 determined to destroy the beast, before leaving the 
 
THE DEATH OF THE LION. 77 
 
 ground ; and he now set to thinking how this could 
 be accomplished in the speediest and most effectual 
 manner. 
 
 At first he thought of cutting a hole in the door 
 with his knife, large enough to see through and 
 admit the barrel of his roer. Should he not succeed 
 in getting* a view of the beast through that one, he 
 would make another in the window-shutter. The 
 two being on adjacent sides of the house, would 
 give him the command of the whole interior for 
 the former dwelling of the field-cornet comprised 
 only a single apartment. During his residence there, 
 there had been two, thanks to a partition of zebra- 
 skins ; but these had been removed, and all was 
 now in one room. 
 
 At first Von Bloom could think of no other plan 
 to get at the enemy, and yet this one did not quite 
 please him. It was safe enough, and, if carried cut, 
 could only end in the death of the lion. 
 
 A hole in both door and window-shutter would 
 enable them to fire at the brute as many bullets as 
 they pleased, while they would be quite secure from 
 his attack. But the time that would be required to 
 cut these holes that was why the plan did not 
 please the field-cornet. He and his party had no 
 time to spare : their horses were weak with hunger, 
 and a long journey lay before them ere a morsel 
 could be obtained. No, the time could not be 
 spared for making a breach. Some more expeditious 
 mode of attack must be devised. 
 
 "Father," said Hendrik, "suppose we set the 
 house on fire ? " 
 
78 THE DEATH OF THE LION. 
 
 Good. The suggestion was a good one. Yon 
 Bloom cast his eyes up to the roof a sloping struc- 
 ture, with long eaves. It consisted of heavy beams 
 of dry wood, with rafters and laths, and all covered 
 over with a thatch of rushes, a foot in thickness. It 
 would make a tremendous blaze, and the smoke 
 would be likely enough to suffocate the" lion even 
 before the blaze could get at him. 
 
 The suggestion of Hendrik was adopted. They 
 prepared to fire the house. 
 
 There was still a large quantity of rubbish, the 
 collected firewood, which the locusts had not de- 
 voured. This would enable them to carry out their 
 purpose ; and all three immediately set about hauling 
 it up, and piling it against the door. 
 
 One might almost have fancied that the lion had 
 fathomed their design ; for, although he had been 
 for a long while quite silent, he now commenced a 
 fresh spell of roaring. Perhaps the noise of the logs, 
 striking against the door outside, had set him at it ; 
 and, finding himself thus shut up and baited, he had 
 grown impatient. What he had sought as a shelter 
 had been turned into a trap, and he was now anxious 
 to get out of it. 
 
 This was evident by the demonstrations he began 
 to make. They could hear him rushing about 
 passing from door to window striking both with 
 his huge paws, and causing them to shake upon 
 their hinges all the while uttering the most fiend- 
 ish roars. 
 
 Though not without some apprehensions, the three 
 continued their work. They had their horses at 
 
THE LION IN A FIX. 
 
 Page 79. 
 
THE DEATH OF THE LION. 79 
 
 hand, ready to be mounted in case the lion might 
 make his way through the fire. In fact, they in- 
 tended to take to their saddles, as soon as the fire 
 should be fairly under way, and watch the confla- 
 gration from a safe distance. 
 
 They had dragged up all the bush and dry wood, 
 and had piled them in front of the door. Swartboy 
 had taken out his flint and steel, and was about to 
 strike, when a loud scratching was heard from the 
 inside, unlike anything that had yet reached their 
 ears. It was the rattling of the lion's claws against 
 the wall, but it had an odd sound, as if the animal 
 was struggling violently ; at the same time his voice 
 seemed hoarse and smothered, and appeared to come 
 from a distance. 
 
 What was the brute doing ? 
 
 They stood, for a moment, looking anxiously in 
 each other's faces. The scratching continued the 
 hoarse growling at intervals but this ended at 
 length } and then came a snort, followed by a roar 
 so loud and clear, that all three started in affright. 
 They could not believe that walls were between them 
 and their dangerous enemy. 
 
 Again echoed that horrid cry. Great Heaven ! 
 It proceeded no longer from the inside it came 
 from above them ! 
 
 Was the lion upon the roof ? 
 
 All three rushed backward a step or two, and 
 looked up. A sight was before them that rendered 
 them almost speechless with surprise and terror. 
 
 Above the funnel of the chimney appeared the 
 head of the lion ; his glaring yellow eyes and white 
 
80 THE DEATH OF THE LION. 
 
 teeth showing more fearful from contrast with the 
 black soot that begrimmed him. He was dragging 
 his body up. One foot was already above the cap- 
 stone ; and with this and his teeth he was widening 
 the aperture around him. 
 
 It was a terrible sight to behold at least to those 
 below. 
 
 As already stated, they were alarmed ; and would 
 have taken to their horses, had they not perceived 
 that the animal was stuck fast ! 
 
 It was evident that this was the case, but it was 
 equally evident that in a few moments he would 
 succeed in clearing himself from the chimney. His 
 teeth and claws were hard at work, and the stones 
 and mortar were flying in all directions. The funnel 
 would soon be down below his broad chest, and 
 then 
 
 Von Bloom did not stay to think what then. He 
 and Hendrik, guns in hand, ran up near the bottom 
 of the wall. The chimney was but a score of feet 
 in height ; the long roer was pointed upward, reach- 
 ing nearly half that distance. The yager was also 
 aimed. Both cracked together. The lion's eyes 
 suddenly closed, his head shook convulsively, his 
 paw dropped loose over the capstone, his jaws fell 
 open, and blood trickled down his tongue. In a few 
 moments he was dead ! 
 
 This was apparent to every one. But Swartboy 
 was not satisfied until he had discharged about a 
 score of his arrows at the head of the animal, causing 
 it to assume the appearance of a porcupine. 
 
 So tightly had the huge beast wedged himself, 
 
THE DEATH OF THE LION. 81 
 
 that even after death he still remained in his singu- 
 lar situation. 
 
 Under other circumstances he would have been 
 dragged down for the sake of his skin. But there 
 was no time to spare for skinning him ; and with- 
 out further delay Yon Bloom and his companions 
 mounted their horses and rode off. 
 6 
 
82 A TALK ABOUT LIONS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 A TALK ABOUT LIONS. 
 
 As they rode back they conversed about lions, to 
 beguile the time. All of them knew something 
 about these animals. But Swartboy, who had been 
 born and brought up in the bush, in the very midst 
 of their haunts, as it were, of course was well ac- 
 quainted with their habits ay, far better than 
 Monsieur Buffon himself. 
 
 To describe the personal appearance of a lion 
 would be to waste words. Every one who can read 
 must know the lion by sight, either from having seen 
 one in a zoological collection, or the stuffed skin of 
 one in a museum. Every one knows the form of the 
 animal, and his great shaggy mane. Every one 
 knows, moreover, that the female is without this 
 appendage, and in shape and size differs consider- 
 ably from the male. 
 
 Though there are no two species of lions, there are 
 what are termed varieties ; but these differ very little 
 from each other far less than the varieties of most 
 other animals. 
 
 There are seven acknowledged varieties. The 
 Barbary lion, the lion of Senegal, the Indian lion, 
 the Persian, the yellow Cape, the black Cape, and 
 the maneless lion. 
 
A TALK ABOUT LIONS. 83 
 
 The difference among these animals is not so 
 great but that at a glance any one may tell they 
 were all of one species and kind. The Persian 
 variety is rather smaller than the others ; the Bar- 
 bary is of darker brown and heavily maned ; the 
 lion of Senegal is of light shining yellow color, and 
 thinly maned ; while the maneless lion, as its name 
 imports, is without this appendage. The existence 
 of the last species is doubted by some naturalists. 
 It is said to be found in Syria. 
 
 The two Cape lions differ principally in the color 
 of the mane. In the one it is black or dark brown ; 
 in the other, of a tawny yellow, like the rest of the 
 body. 
 
 Of all lions, those of South Africa are perhaps 
 the largest, and the black variety the most fierce 
 and dangerous. 
 
 Lions inhabit the whole continent of Africa, and 
 the southern countries of Asia. They were once 
 common in parts of Europe, where they exist no 
 longer. There are no lions in America. The animal 
 known in Spanish-American countries as the lion 
 (leon) is the cougar or puma (Felis concolor), which 
 is not one third the lion's size, and resembles the 
 king of beasts only in being of the same tawny color. 
 The puma is not unlike a lion's cub six months old. 
 
 Africa is peculiarly the country of the lion. He 
 is found throughout the whole extent of that conti- 
 nent excepting, of course, a few thickly-inhabited 
 spots, from which he has been expelled by man. 
 
 The lion has been called the " king of the forest." 
 This appears to be a misnomer. He is not properly 
 
84 A TALK ABOUT LIONS. 
 
 a forest animal. He cannot climb trees, and there- 
 fore in the forest would less easily procure his food 
 than in the open plain. The panther, the leopard, 
 the jaguar, are all tree-climbers. They can follow 
 the bird to its roost, and the monkey to its perch. 
 The forest is their appropriate home. They are 
 forest animals. Not so the lion. It is upon the 
 open plains, where the great ruminants love to 
 roam, and among the low bushy thickets that skirt 
 them, that the lion affects to dwell. 
 
 He lives upon flesh, the flesh of many kinds of 
 animals, though he has his favorites, according to the 
 country in which he is found. He kills these animals 
 for himself. The story of the jackal being his " pro- 
 vider," killing them for him, is not true. More 
 often he himself provides the skulking jackals with a 
 meal. Hence their being often seen in his com- 
 pany which they keep, in order to pick up his 
 " crumbs. " 
 
 The lion "butchers" for himself, though he will 
 not object to have it done for him ; and will take 
 away their game from wolf, jackal, or hyena from 
 the hunter, if he can. 
 
 The lion is not a fast runner none of the true 
 felidoe are. Nearly all the ruminant animals can 
 outrun him. How, then, does he capture them ? 
 
 By stratagem, by the suddenness of his attack, 
 and by the length and velocity of his bound. He 
 lies in wait, or -steals upon them. He springs from 
 his crouching place. His peculiar anatomical struc- 
 ture enables him to spring to an immense distance 
 in fact, to an almost incredible distance. Sixteen 
 
A TALK ABOUT LIONS. 85 
 
 paces have been alleged by writers, who say they 
 were eye-witnesses, and carefully measured the leap ! 
 
 Should he fail to capture his prey at the first 
 bound, the lion follows it no further, but turns and 
 trots away in an opposite direction. 
 
 Sometimes, however, the intended victim tempts 
 him to a second spring, and even to a third ; but 
 failing then, he is sure to give up the pursuit. 
 
 The lion "is not gregarious, although as many as 
 ten or a dozen are often seen together. They hunt 
 in company at times, and drive the game towards one 
 another. 
 
 They attack and destroy all other species of ani- 
 mals that inhabit the country around them even 
 the strong, heavy rhinoceros is not feared by them, 
 though the latter frequently foils and conquers them. 
 Young elephants sometimes become their prey. The 
 fierce buffalo, the giraffe, the oryx, the huge eland, 
 and the eccentric gnoo, all have to succumb to their 
 superior strength and armature. 
 
 But they are not universally victorious over these 
 animals. Sometimes they are vanquished by one or 
 other of them, and in turn become victims. Some- 
 times both combatants leave their bodies upon the 
 scene of the struggle. 
 
 The lion is not hunted as a profession. His spoils 
 are worthless. His skin sells for but little, and he 
 yields no other trophy of any value. As hunting 
 him is attended with great danger, and the hunter, 
 as already stated, may avoid him if he wishes, but 
 few lions would be destroyed, were it not for a cer- 
 tain offensive habit to which they are addicted that 
 
86 A TALK ABOUT LIOX3. 
 
 of robbing the vee-boor of his horses and his cattle. 
 This brings a new passion into play, the vengeance 
 of the farmer ; and, with such a motive to urge on 
 the hunt, the lion in some parts is chased with great 
 zeal and assiduity. 
 
 But where there are no cattle-farms no such 
 motive exists ; and there but little interest is felt 
 in the chase of this animal. Nay, what is still 
 stranger, the Bushmen and other poor wandering 
 tribes do not kill the lion at all, or very seldom. 
 They do not regard him with feelings of hostility. 
 The lion acts towards them as a " provider." 
 
 Hendrik, who had heard of this, asked Swartboy 
 if it was true. 
 
 The Bushman answered at once in the affirma- 
 tive. 
 
 His people, he said, were in the habit of watching 
 the lion, or following his spoor, until they came upon 
 either himself or the quarry he had killed. Some- 
 times the vultures guided them to it. When the 
 " tao " chanced to be on the spot, or had not yet 
 finished his meal, his trackers would wait until he 
 had taken his departure, after which they would 
 steal up and appropriate what remained of the spoil. 
 Often this would be the half, or perhaps three parts, 
 of some large animal, which they might have found 
 a difficulty in killing for themselves. 
 
 Knowing the lion will rarely attack them, the 
 Bushmen are not much afraid of these animals. 
 On the contrary, they rather rejoice at seeing them 
 numerous in their district, as they are then provided 
 with hunters able to furnish them with food. 
 
THE TRAVELLERS BENIGHTED. 87 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE TRAVELLERS BENIGHTED. 
 
 OUR travellers would have talked much more about 
 lions, but for the condition of their horses. This 
 made them feel uneasy. With the exception of a 
 few hours' grazing, the poor brutes had been without 
 food since the appearance of the locusts. Horses 
 do not travel well upon soft grass, and of course 
 they were now suffering severely. 
 
 It would be far in the night before the horsemen 
 could reach the camp, although they were pushing 
 on as fast as the horses could travel. 
 
 It was quite dark when they arrived at the spot 
 where they had halted the previous evening. In 
 fact, it was very dark. Neither moon nor stars, were 
 to be seen in the sky ; and thick black clouds cov- 
 ered the whole canopy of the heavens. It looked as 
 though a rain-storm might be expected ; still no 
 rain had as yet fallen. 
 
 It was the intention of the travellers to halt at 
 this place, and let their horses graze a while. With 
 this view they all dismounted ; but, after trying one 
 or two places, they could find no grass. 
 
 This appeared strange, as they had certainly ob- 
 served grass at that very spot the day before. * Now 
 there was none. 
 
88 THE TRAVELLERS BENIGHTED. 
 
 The horses put their noses to the ground, but 
 raised them up again, snorting as they did so, and 
 evidently disappointed. They were hungry enough 
 to have eaten grass had there been any, for they 
 eagerly snatched at the leaves of the bushes as they 
 passed along. 
 
 Had the locusts been there also ? No. The 
 mimosa-bushes still retained their delicate foliage, 
 which would not have been the case had the locusts 
 visited the spot. 
 
 Our travellers were astonished that there was no 
 grass. Surely there was some the day before. Had 
 they got upon a new track ? 
 
 The darkness prevented them from having a view 
 of the ground ; yet Yon Bloom could not be mistaken 
 about the route, having travelled it four times 
 already. Though he could not see the surface, 
 every now and again he caught a glimpse of some 
 tree or bush which he had marked in his former 
 journeys, and these assured him they were still upon 
 the right track. 
 
 Surprised at the absence of grass where they had 
 so lately observed it, they would have examined the 
 surface more carefully ; but they were anxious to 
 push on to the spring, and at length gave up the 
 idea of halting. The water in their gourds had been 
 used up long before this ; and both they and their 
 horses were once more suffering from thirst. 
 
 Besides, Von Bloom was not without some anxiety 
 about the children at the wagon. He had been 
 separated from them now a full day and a half, and 
 many a change might take place, many a danger 
 
THE TRAVELLERS BENIGHTED. 89 
 
 might arise, in that time. In fact, he began to blame 
 himself for having left them alone. It would have 
 been better to have let his cattle perish. So thought 
 he now. A presentiment that all was not right was 
 gradually forming in his mind ; and he grew more 
 anxious to proceed as he reflected. 
 
 They rode on in silence. It was only on Hendrik 
 expressing a doubt about the way that the conversa- 
 tion recommenced. Swartboy also thought they 
 were taking a wrong course. 
 
 At first Von Bloom assured them they were right ; 
 but, after going a little further, he admitted that he 
 was in doubt; and then, after another half-mile's 
 travelling, he declared that he had lost the track. 
 He could no longer recognize any one of the marks 
 or bearings he had taken. 
 
 The proper thing to be done, under these circum- 
 stances, was to leave the horses to themselves ; and 
 this all three well knew. But the animals were suf- 
 fering the pangs of hunger, and when left to them- 
 selves would not journey forward, but rushed up to 
 the mimosa-bushes, and eagerly commenced devour- 
 ing their leaves. 
 
 The consequence was that their riders were 
 obliged to keep them going with whip and spur; 
 and in that way there was no certainty of the horses 
 taking the right direction. 
 
 After several hours' advancing, all the while in a 
 state of suspense, and as yet no appearance of either 
 wagon or camp-fire, the travellers resolved upon 
 coming to a halt. It was of no use going forward. 
 They believed they could not be far from the camp ; 
 
90 THE TRAVELLERS BENIGHTED. 
 
 but they were now as likely to be riding from as 
 towards it, and they concluded at length that it would 
 be wiser to remain where they were until the day 
 broke. 
 
 They all dismounted, therefore, and fastened their 
 horses to the bushes, so that the animals could 
 browse upon the leaves till morning, which could 
 not now be very far off. They rolled themselves up 
 in their karosses, and lay down upon the earth. 
 
 Hendrik and Swartboy were soon asleep. Von 
 Bloom would have slept too, for he was tired enough ; 
 but the heart of the father was too full of anxiety to 
 allow repose to his eyes, and he lay awake watching 
 for the dawn. 
 
 It came at length, and at the first light his eyes 
 swept the surface of the surrounding country. The 
 party had by chance halted on an eminence that 
 commanded a good view for miles on each side, but 
 the field-cornet had not glanced half around the cir- 
 cle, when an object came before his eyes that brought 
 gladness to his heart. It was the white tent of the 
 wagon. 
 
 The joyful exclamation he uttered awoke the 
 sleepers, who immediately sprang to their feet ; and 
 all three stood gazing at the welcome sight. 
 
 As they continued to gaze, their joy gradually 
 gave place to feelings of surprise. Was it their 
 wagon, after all ? 
 
 It certainly looked like theirs ; but it was a full 
 half-mile off, and at such a distance one wagon would 
 look just like another. But what led them to doubt 
 its being theirs ? It was the appearance of the place 
 
THE TRAVELLERS BENIGHTED. 91 
 
 in which they saw it. Surely it was not the same 
 place in which they had outspanned. 
 
 Theirs had been left in an oblong valley between two 
 gentle ridges ; in such a valley was this one stand- 
 ing. Near a small pool formed by a spring ; here, 
 too, was the same, for they could perceive the water 
 shining. But in all other respects the situation was 
 different. The surface of the valley in which their 
 wagon had been left was covered, both sides and 
 bottom, with a verdant carpet of grass ; whereas the 
 one now before their eyes was brown and bare. 
 Not a blade of grass was to be seen the trees 
 seeming to be the only things that had any verdure. 
 Even the low bushes appeared to be destitute of 
 leaves. The scene had no resemblance whatever to 
 that where they had outspanned. It must be the 
 camp of some other travellers, thought they. 
 
 They had fully arrived at this conclusion, when 
 Swartboy, whose eyes had been rolling about every- 
 where, now rested upon the ground at his feet. 
 After a moment's observation, which the increasing 
 light now enabled him to make, he turned suddenly 
 to the others, and directed their attention to the sur- 
 face of the plain. This they saw was covered with 
 tracks, as if a thousand hoofs had passed over it. In 
 fact, it presented the appearance of a vast sheep- 
 pen ; so vast, that as far as their sight extended 
 they beheld the same tracked and trampled appear- 
 ance. 
 
 What could this mean ? Hendrik did not know. 
 Von Bloom was in doubt. Swartboy could tell at 
 the first glance. It was no new sight to him. 
 
92 THE TRAVELLERS BENIGHTED. 
 
 " All right, baas/' he said, looking up in his mas- 
 ter's face. "Da's da ole wagon ! da same spring 
 an vley, da same place ; dar hab been um trek- 
 boken!" ' 
 
 " A trek-boken ! ". cried Von Bloom and Hendrik, 
 in a breath. 
 
 " Ya, baas ; a mighty big one too ; das de spoor 
 of dem antelope. See ! " 
 
 Von Bloom now comprehended all. The bareness 
 of the country, the absence of the leaves on the lower 
 bushes, the millions of small hoof-tracks, all were 
 now explained. A migration of the springbok ante- 
 lope, a " trek-boken," had swept over the spot. 
 That it was that had caused such a mighty change. 
 The wagon they saw was theirs, after all. 
 
 They lost no time, but, catching their horses, 
 bridled them, and rode rapidly down the hill. 
 
 Though somewhat relieved at seeing the wagon, 
 Yon Bloom was still apprehensive. 
 
 As they approached, they perceived the two horses 
 standing beside it, and tied to the wheels ; the cow 
 also was there ; but neither goats nor sheep were in 
 the neighborhood. 
 
 There was a fire burning in the rear of the hind- 
 wheels, and a dark mass underneath the wagon, but 
 no human form could be observed. 
 
 The hearts of the horsemen beat loudly as they 
 advanced. Their eyes were bent earnestly upon the 
 wagon. They felt keen anxiety. 
 
 They had got within three hundred yards, and still 
 no one stirred no human form made its appearance. 
 Von Bloom and Hendrik now suffered intensely. 
 
THE TRAVELLERS BENIGHTED. 93 
 
 At this moment the two horses by the wagon 
 neighed loudly ; the dark mass under the wagon 
 moved, rolled outward, rose up, and stood erect. 
 Totty was recognized. 
 
 And now the " after-clap " of the wagon was 
 hurriedly drawn aside, and three young faces were 
 seen peeping forth. 
 
 A shout of joy burst from the horsemen, and the 
 next moment little Jan and Triiey leaped out from 
 the cap-tent into the arms of their father ; while the 
 mutual congratulations of Hans and Hendrik, Swart- 
 boy and Totty, produced for some moments a scene 
 of joyful confusion quite indescribable. 
 
94 THE TREK-BOKEN. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE TREK-BOKEN. 
 
 THOSE who remained by the camp had had their 
 adventures too ; and their tale was by no means a 
 merry one, for it disclosed the unpleasant fact that 
 the sheep and goats were all lost. The flock had 
 been carried off, in a most singular manner ; and 
 there was but little hope of their ever being seen 
 again. 
 
 Hans began his tale : 
 
 " Nothing unusual occurred on the day you left 
 us. I was busy all the afternoon in cutting ' wait-a- 
 bit ; thorns for a kraal. Totty helped me to drag 
 them up, while Jan and Triiey looked after the flock. 
 The animals did not stray out of the valley here, as 
 the grass was good, and they had had enough of 
 trotting lately. 
 
 " Well ; Totty and I got the kraal, as you see, all 
 ready. So, when night came, we drove the flock in ; 
 and, after milking the cow and getting our supper, 
 we all went to bed. We were precious tired, and 
 all of us slept soundly throughout the night, without 
 being disturbed. Both jackals and hyenas came 
 around, but we knew they would not break into that 
 kraal." 
 
THE TREK-BOKEN. 95 
 
 Hans pointed to the circular enclosure of thorn- 
 bushes, that had been well constructed. 
 
 He then proceeded with his narration : 
 
 " In the morning we found everything right. 
 Totty again milked the cow, and we had breakfast. 
 The flock was let out upon the grass, and so were 
 the cow and the two horses. 
 
 "Just about midday I began to think what we 
 were to have for dinner, for the breakfast had cleared 
 up everything. I did not like to kill another sheep, 
 if it could be helped. So, bidding Jan and Triiey 
 stay close by the wagon, and leaving Totty to look 
 after the flock, I took my gun and started off in 
 search of game. I took no horse, for I thought I 
 saw springboks out on the plain ; and I would stalk 
 them better a-foot. 
 
 " Sure enough, there were springboks. When I 
 got out of the valley here, and had a better view, I 
 saw what astonished me, I can assure you. 
 
 " I could scarce credit my eyes. The whole plain, 
 towards the west, appeared to be one vast crowd of 
 animals ; and, by their bright yellow sides, and the 
 snow-white hair on their rumps, I knew they were 
 springboks. They were all in motion, some brows- 
 ing along, while hundreds of them were constantly 
 bounding up into the air full ten feet high, and leap- 
 ing on top of each other. I assure you all it was 
 one of the strangest sights I ever beheld, and one 
 of the pleasantest too ; for I knew that the creatures 
 that covered the plain, instead of being fierce wild 
 beasts, were nothing but graceful and beautiful little 
 gazelles. 
 
96 THE TREK-BOKEN. 
 
 " My first thought was to get near them, and 
 have a shot ; and I was about to start off over the 
 plain, when I perceived that the antelopes were 
 coming towards me. I saw that they were approach- 
 ing with considerable rapidity ; and if I only re- 
 mained where I was, they would save me the trouble 
 of stalking in upon them. I lay down behind a bush, 
 and waited. 
 
 " I had not very long to wait. In less than a 
 quarter of an hour the foremost of the herd drew 
 near, and in five minutes more a score of them were 
 within shot. 
 
 " I did not fire for some time. I knew they would 
 come still nearer, and I lay watching the motions 
 of those pretty creatures. I took notice of their 
 light, handsome forms, their smooth, slender limbs, 
 their cinnamon-colored backs, and white bellies, with 
 the band of chestnut along each side. I looked at 
 the lyre-shaped horns of the bucks, and above all at 
 the singular flaps on their croup, that unfolded each 
 time that they leaped up, displaying a profusion of 
 long, silky hair, as white as snow itself. 
 
 " All these points I noticed, and at length, tired 
 of admiring them, I singled out a fine-looking doe 
 for I was thinking of my dinner, and knew that doe- 
 venison was the most palatable. 
 
 " After aiming carefully, I fired. The doe fell, 
 but, to my astonishment, the others did not fly off. 
 A few of the foremost only galloped back a bit, or 
 bounded up into the air ; but they again set to 
 browsing, quite unconcerned, and the main body 
 advanced as before. 
 
THE TREK-BOKEN. 
 
 " I loaded as quickly as I could, and brought 
 down another, this time a buck, but, as before, 
 without frightening the rest. 
 
 " I proceeded to load for the third time ; but, 
 before I had finished, the front ranks had passed on 
 both sides of me, and I found myself in the midst 
 of the herd. 
 
 " I saw no need for covering myself any longer 
 behind the- bush, but rose to my knees, and, firing 
 at the nearest, brought it down also. Its comrades 
 did not pause, but ran over its body in thousands. 
 
 " I loaded again, and stood right up on my feet. 
 
 " Now for the first time it occurred to me to re- 
 flect on the strange conduct of the springboks ; for, 
 instead of making off at my appearance, they only 
 bounded a little to one side, and then kept on their 
 course. They seemed possessed by some species of 
 infatuation. I remembered hearing that such was 
 their way when upon one of their migrations, or 
 ' trek-bokens.' This, then, thought I, must be a 
 ' trek-boken.' 
 
 " I was soon convinced of this, for the herd every 
 moment grew thicker and thicker around me, until 
 at length they became so crowded that I began to 
 feel very singularly situated. Not that I was afraid 
 of the creatures, as they made no demonstration of 
 using their horns upon me. On the contrary, they 
 did all they could to get out of my way. But the 
 nearest only were alarmed ; and, as my presence in 
 no way terrified those that were a hundred yards off, 
 the latter made no attempt to give ground. Of course 
 the nearest ones could only get a few paces from me, 
 7 
 
98 THE TREK-BOKEN. 
 
 by pushing the others closer, or springing up over 
 their backs so that with the ones thus constantly 
 bounding up into the air there was all the time a 
 ring around me two deep. 
 
 " I cannot describe the strange feelings I had in 
 this unusual situation, or how long I might have 
 kept my place. Perhaps I might have loaded and 
 fired away for some time, but just at the moment the 
 sheep came into my mind. 
 
 " They '11 be carried away, thought I. I had heard 
 that such a thing was common enough. 
 
 " I saw that the antelopes were heading towards 
 the valley ; the foremost were already into it, and 
 would soon be on the spot where I had just seen 
 our little flock feeding. 
 
 " In the hopes of yet heading the springboks, and 
 driving the sheep into the kraal, before the former 
 crowded on them, I started towards the valley. 
 But, to my chagrin, I could get no faster than the 
 herd was going. 
 
 "As I approached the creatures, to make my way 
 through their mass, they leaped about and sprang 
 over one another, but could not for their lives open 
 a way for me as fast as I wanted one. I was so 
 near some of them that I could have knocked them 
 down with my gun. 
 
 " I commenced hallooing, and, brandishing the 
 gun about, I was making a lane more rapidly, when 
 I perceived in front what appeared to be a large 
 open space. I pushed forward for this, but the 
 nearer I came to its border the more densely I found 
 the creatures packed. I could only see that it was 
 
THE TREK-BORE*. 99 
 
 an open space by leaping up. I did not know what 
 was causing it. I did not stay to*reflect. I only 
 wished to get forward as rapidly as possible, think- 
 ing about our flock. 
 
 " I continued to clear my way, and at length 
 found myself in the position I had coveted ; while 
 the lane I had made in getting there closed instan- 
 taneously behind me. I was about to rush on and 
 take advantage of the bit of clear ground, when 
 what should I see in the centre, and directly before 
 me, but a great yellow lion I 
 
 " That accounted for the break in the herd. Had 
 I known what had been causing it, I should have 
 fought my way in any other direction but that ; but 
 there was I, out in the open ground, the lion not ten 
 paces from me, and a fence of springboks two deep 
 around both of us I 
 
 " I need not say I was frightened, and badly too. 
 I did not for some moments know how to act. My 
 gun was still loaded for, after thinking of saving 
 our little flock, I did not care to empty it at the 
 antelopes. I could get one, thought I, at any time, 
 when I had secured the sheep in the kraal. The 
 piece, therefore, was loaded, and with bullets. 
 
 " Should I take aim at the lion, and fire ? I asked 
 myself this question, and was just on the point of 
 deciding in the affirmative, when I reflected that it 
 would be imprudent. I observed that the lion, 
 whose back was turned to me, had either not seen, 
 or as yet took no notice of me. Should I only 
 wound him, and from the position he was in I was 
 
100 
 
 THE TREK-BOKEN. 
 
 not likely do more, how then ? I would most 
 likely be torn to*pieces. 
 
 " These were my reflections, all of which scarce 
 occupied a second of time. I was about to ' back 
 out ' or back in among the springboks, and make my 
 way in some other direction, and had even got near 
 the edge, when, in looking over my shoulder, I saw 
 the lion suddenly halt and turn round. I halted too, 
 knowing that to be the safest plan ; and, as I did so, 
 I glanced back at the lion's eyes. 
 
 " To my relief, I saw they were not upon me. He 
 seemed to have taken some fancy in his head. His 
 appetite, perhaps, had returned ; for the next mo- 
 ment he ran a few yards, and then, rising with a 
 terrific bound, launched himself far into the herd, 
 and came down right upon the back of one of the 
 antelopes. The others sprang right and left, and a 
 new spac.e was soon opened around him. 
 
 " He was now nearer than ever to where I stood, 
 and I could see him distinctly crouched over his 
 victim. His claws held its quivering body, and his 
 long teeth grasped the poor creature by the neck. 
 But, with the exception of his tail, he was making 
 not the slightest motion ; and that vibrated gently 
 from side to side, just as a kitten that had caught a 
 tiny mouse. I could see, too, that his eyes were 
 close shut, as though he were asleep. 
 
 " Now, I had heard that under such circumstances 
 the lion may be approached without much danger. 
 Not that I wished to go any nearer, for I was 
 near enough for .my gun, but it was this recollec- 
 tion, I believe, that put me in the notion of firing. 
 
THE 
 
 At all events, something whispered me I would 
 succeed, and I could not resist trying. 
 
 " The broad blind jaw of the brute was fair before 
 me. I took aim, and pulled trigger ; but, instead of 
 waiting to see the effect of my shot, I ran right off 
 in an opposite direction. 
 
 " I did not halt till I had put several acres of 
 antelopes between myself and the place where I had 
 last stood ; and then I made the best of my way 
 to the wagon. 
 
 "Long before I had reached it, I could see that 
 Jan, and Triiey, and Totty, were safe under the tent. 
 That gave me pleasure, but I also saw that the 
 sheep and goats had got mixed up with the spring- 
 boks, and were moving off with them as if they 
 belonged to the same species. I fear they are all 
 lost." t 
 
 " And the lion ? " inquired Hendrik. 
 
 "Yonder he lies," answered Hans, modestly 
 pointing to a yellow mass out upon the plain, over 
 which the vultures were already beginning to hover. 
 " Yonder he lies ; you could hardly have done it 
 better yourself, brother Hendrik." 
 
 As Hans said this, he smiled in such a manner as 
 to show that he had no idea of making a boast of 
 his achievements. 
 
 Hendrik was loud in acknowledging that it was a 
 most splendid feat, and also in regretting that he had 
 not been on the ground to witness the wonderful 
 migration of the springboks. 
 
 But there was no time for much idle talk. Von 
 Bloom and his party were in a very unpleasant 
 
. '*.' 
 ,10.2. ; THF/1TREK-BOKEN. 
 
 situation. . His flocks were all gone. The cow and 
 horses alone remained ; and for these not a blade 
 of grass had been left by the antelopes. Upon what 
 were they to be fed ? 
 
 To follow the spoor of the migratory springboks 
 with the hope of recovering their flock, would be 
 quite useless. Swartboy assured them of this. The 
 poor animals might be carried hundreds of miles 
 before they could separate themselves from the great 
 herd, or bring their involuntary journey to an end. 
 
 The horses could travel but little further. There 
 was naught to feed them on but the leaves of the 
 mimosas, and this was but poor food for hungry 
 horses. It would be fortunate if they could be kept 
 alive until they should reach some pasture ; and 
 where now was pasture to be found ? Locusts and 
 antelopes, between them, seemed to have turned all 
 Africa into a desert. 
 
 The field-cornet soon formed his resolution. He 
 would remain there for the night, and early on the 
 morrow set out in search of some other spring. 
 
 Fortunately Hans had not neglected to secure a 
 brace of the springboks, and their fat venison now 
 came into general use. A roast of that, and a drink 
 of cool water from the spring, soon refreshed the 
 three wearied travellers. 
 
 The horses were let loose among the mimosa-trees, 
 and allowed to shift for themselves ; and although 
 under ordinary circumstances they would have 
 " turned up their noses " at such food as mimosa- 
 leaves, they now turned them up in a different 
 
 
THE TREK-BOKEN. 103 
 
 sense, and cleared the thorny branches like so many 
 giraffes. 
 
 Some naturalist of the " Buffon " school has stated 
 that neither wolf, fox, hyena, nor jackal, will eat the 
 carcass of a lion, that their fear of the royal despot 
 continues even after his death. 
 
 The field-cornet and his family had proof of the 
 want of truth in this assertion. Before many hours 
 both jackals and hyenas attacked the carcass of the 
 king of beasts, and in a very short while there was 
 not a morsel of him there but his bones. Even his 
 tawny skin was swallowed by these ravenous creat- 
 ures, and many of the bones broken by the strong 
 jaws of the hyenas. The respect which these brutes 
 entertain for the lion ends with his life. When dead, 
 he is eaten by them with as much audacity as if he 
 were the meanest of animals. 
 
104 SPOORING FOR A SPRING. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 SPOORING FOR A SPRING. 
 
 VON BLOOM was in the saddle at an early hour. 
 Swartboy accompanied him, while all the others 
 remained by the wagon to await his return. They 
 took with them the two horses that had remained by 
 fhe wagon, as these were fresher than the others. 
 
 They rode nearly due westward. They were 
 induced to take this direction by observing that the 
 springboks had come from the north. * By heading 
 westward they believed they would sooner get be- 
 yond the wasted territory. 
 
 To their great satisfaction, an hour's travelling 
 carried them clear of the track of the antelope mi- 
 gration ; and although they found no water, there 
 was excellent grass. 
 
 The field-cornet now sent Swartboy back for the 
 other horses and the cow, pointing out a place where 
 he should bring them to graze, while he himself 
 continued on in search of water. 
 
 After travelling some miles further, Von Bloom 
 perceived to the north of him a long line of cliff 
 rising directly up from the plain, and running west- 
 ward as far as he could see. Thinking that water 
 would be more likely to be found near these cliffs, 
 he turned his horse's head towards them. As he 
 
SPOORING FOR A SPRING. 105 
 
 approached nearer to their base, he was charmed 
 with the beautiful scenery that began to open before 
 his eyes. He passed through grassy plains of differ- 
 ent sizes, separated from each other by copses of 
 the delicate-leaved mimosa ; some of these forming 
 large thickets, while others consisted of only a few 
 low bushes. Towering high over the mimosas, grew 
 many trees of gigantic size, and of a species Yon 
 Bloom had never seen before. They stood thinly 
 upon the ground ; but each, with its vast leafy head, 
 seemed a little forest of -itself. 
 
 The whole country around had a soft, park-like 
 appearance, which contrasted well with the dark 
 cliff that rose beyond the latter stepping up from 
 the plain by a precipice of several hundred feet in 
 height, and seemingly as vertical as the walls of a 
 house. 
 
 The fine landscape was gratifying to the eyes of 
 the traveller such a fine country in the midst of 
 so much barrenness ; for he knew that most of the 
 surrounding region was little better than a wild karoo. 
 The whole of it to the north, for hundreds of miles, 
 was a famous desert, the desert of Kalihari, and 
 these cliffs were a part of its southern border. The 
 " vee-boor " would have been rejoiced at such a 
 sight under other circumstances. But what to him 
 now were all these fine pastures now that he was 
 no longer able to stock them ? 
 
 Notwithstanding the beauty of the scene, his 
 reflections were painful. 
 
 But he did not give way to despair. His present 
 troubles were sufficiently grievous to prevent him 
 
106 SPOORING FOR A SPRING. 
 
 from dwelling much on the future. His first care 
 was to find a place where his horses might be re- 
 cruited ; for without them he could no longer move 
 anywhere without them he would be helpless 
 indeed. 
 
 Water was the desired object. If water could 
 not be found, all this beautiful park through which 
 he was passing would be as valueless to him as the 
 brown desert. 
 
 Surely, so lovely a landscape could not exist with- 
 out that most essential element. 
 
 So thought the field-cornet ; and at the turning of 
 every new grove his eyes wandered over the ground 
 in search of it. 
 
 " Ho I " he joyfully exclaimed, as a covey of large 
 Namaqua partridges whirred up from his path. " A 
 good sign that ; they are seldom far from water/' 
 
 Shortly after, he saw a flock of beautiful pintados, 
 or Guinea-hens, running into a copse. This was a 
 still further proof that water was nigh. But, surest 
 of all, on the top of a tall cameel-doorn tree, he next 
 observed the brilliant plumage of a parrot. 
 
 " Now," muttered he, to himself, " I must be very 
 near to some spring or pool." 
 
 He rode cheerfully forward, and after a little while 
 arrived upon the crest of an elevated ridge. Here 
 he halted to observe the flight of the birds. 
 
 Presently he noticed a covey of partridges flying 
 in a westerly direction, and, shortly after, another 
 covey going the same way. Both appeared to alight 
 near a gigantic tree that grew in the plain, about five 
 hundred yards from the bottom of the cliffs. Thia 
 
SPOORING FOR A SPRING. 107 
 
 tree stood apart from any of the others, and was by- 
 far the largest Von Bloom had yet seen. 
 
 As he remained gazing at its wonderful dimen- 
 sions, he observed several pairs of parrots alighting 
 upon it. These, after chattering a while among its 
 branches, flew down upon the plain not far from its 
 base. 
 
 " Surely/' thought Von Bloom, " there must be 
 water there. I shall ride forward and see." 
 
 But his horse had scarcely waited for him to form 
 this design. The animal had been already dragging 
 upon the bridle, and, as soon as his head was turned 
 in the direction of the tree, he started forward with 
 outstretched neck, snorting as he rushed along. 
 
 The rider, trusting to the instinct of his horse, sur- 
 rendered up the bridle, and in less than five minutes 
 both horse and rider were drinking from the sweet 
 water of a crystal fountain that gushed out within a 
 dozen yards of the tree. 
 
 The field-cornet would now have hastened back to 
 the wagon ; but he thought that by allowing his 
 horse to browse an hour or so upon the grass, he 
 would make the return journey with more spirit, and 
 in quite as good time. He therefore took off the 
 bridle, gave the animal his liberty, while he stretched 
 himself under the shade of the great tree. 
 
 As he lay, he could not help admiring the wonder- 
 ful production of nature that towexed majestically 
 above him. It was one of the largest trees he had 
 ever beheld. It was of the kind known as the 
 "nwana" tree, a species of ficus, with large, syca- 
 more-shaped leaves, that grew thickly over its mag- 
 
108 SPOORING FOR A SPRING. 
 
 nificent head. Its trunk was full twenty feet in 
 diameter, rising to more than that height without a 
 branch, and then spreading off into numerous limbs, 
 that stretched far out in a horizontal direction. 
 Through the thick foliage Yon Bloom could perceive 
 shining egg-shaped fruits, as large as cocoa-nuts ; 
 and upon these the parrots and several other kinds 
 of birds appeared to be feeding. 
 
 Other trees of the same species stood out upon the 
 plain, at long distances apart, and, though they were 
 all taller than the surrounding timber, none were so 
 large or conspicuous as the one that grew by the 
 spring. 
 
 The field-cornet, as he enjoyed the cool shade 
 which its umbrageous frondage afforded, could not 
 help thinking what an admirable spot it would be to 
 build a kraal. The inmates of a dwelling placed be- 
 neath its friendly shelter need never dread the fierce 
 rays of the African sun ; even the rain could scarce 
 penetrate its leafy canopy. In fact, its dense foliage 
 almost constituted a roof of itself. 
 
 Had his cattle still remained to him, no doubt the 
 vee-boor would have resolved at once to make this 
 spot his future home. But, tempting as it was, what 
 now could he do in such a place ? To him it would 
 be only a wilderness. There was no species of in- 
 dustry he could follow in such a remote quarter. 
 True, he might sustain himself and his family by hunt- 
 ing. He saw that game was plenteous all around. 
 But that would be but a sorry existence, with no 
 promise for the future. What would his children do 
 hereafter ? Were they to grow up with no other end 
 
SPOORING FOR A SPRING. 109 
 
 than to become poor hunters no better than the 
 wild Bushmen ? No, no, no ! To make a home there 
 would be out of the question. A few days to recruit 
 his wearied horses, and then he would make a strug- 
 gle, and trek back to the settlements. 
 
 But what after he had got back ? He knew not 
 what then. His future was gloomy and uncertain. 
 
 After indulging in such reflections for an hour or 
 more, he bethought him that it was time to return to 
 the camp ; and, having caught and bridled his horse, 
 he mounted and set forth. 
 
 The animal, refreshed by the sweet grass and cool 
 water, carried him briskly along, and in less than 
 two hours he came up with Swartboy and Hendrik 
 where they were pasturing the horses. 
 
 These were taken back to the wagon, and har- 
 nessed in, and then the great vehicle once more 
 "treked " across the plains. 
 
 Before the sun had set, the long white cap-tent 
 was gleaming under the leafy screen of the gigantic 
 
110 THE TERRIBLE TSETSE. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE TERRIBLE TSETSE. 
 
 THE verdant carpet that stretched away around 
 them, the green leaves upon the trees, the flowers 
 by the fountain, the crystal water in its bed, the 
 black bold rocks towering up at a distance, all 
 combined to make a lovely picture. The eyes of the 
 wayfarers were glad as they beheld it, and while the 
 wagon was outspanning every one gave utterance 
 to their delightful emotions. 
 
 The place seemed to please every one. Hans 
 loved its quiet and sylvan beauty. It was just such 
 a place as he would choose to ramble in, book in 
 hand, and dream away many a pleasant hour. Hen- 
 drik liked it much, because he had already observed 
 what he termed "extensive spoor" about the spot. 
 In other words, he had noticed the tracks of many 
 of Africa's largest wild animals. 
 
 Little Triiey was delighted to see so many beauti- 
 ful flowers. There were bright scarlet geraniums, 
 and star-like sweet-scented jessamines, and the gor- 
 geous belladonna lily, with its large blossoms of 
 rose-color and white ; and there were not only plants 
 in flower, but bushes, and even trees, covered with 
 gaudy and sweetly-perfumed blossoms. There was 
 the " sugar-bush " (Protea mellifera}, the most beau- 
 
THE TERRIBLE TSETSE. Ill 
 
 tiful of its family, with its large cup-shaped corollas 
 of pink, white, and green ; and there, too, was the 
 " silver-tree " (Leucodendron argenteum), whose soft 
 silvery leaves, playing in the breeze, looked like a 
 huge mass of silken flowers ; and there were the 
 mimosas, covered with blossoms of golden yellow, 
 that filled the air with their strong and agreeable 
 perfume. 
 
 Rare forms of vegetation were around or near at 
 hand : the arborescent aloes, with their tall flower- 
 spikes of coral red, and euphorbias of many shapes ; 
 and zamia, with its palm-like fronds ; and the soft- 
 leaved Strelitzia regince. All these were observed in 
 the neighborhood of this new-discovered fountain. 
 
 But what received little Truey's admiration more 
 than any other was the beautiful blue water-lily 
 (Nymplia coerulea), which is certainly one of the 
 loveliest of Africa's flowers. Close by the spring, 
 but a little further in the direction of the plain, was a 
 vley, or pool, in fact, it might have been termed 
 a small lake, and upon the quiet bosom of its water 
 the sky-blue corollas lay sleeping in all their gor- 
 geous beauty. 
 
 Triiey, leading her little pet in a string, had gone 
 down on the bank to look at them. She thought she 
 could never cease gazing at such pretty things. 
 
 " I hope papa will stay here a long time," she said 
 to her companion, little Jan. 
 
 " And I hope so, too. 0, Triiey, what a fine tree 
 yon is ! Look ! nuts as big as my head, I declare 1 
 Bless me, sis ! how are we to knock some of them 
 down ? " 
 
112 THE TERRIBLE TSETSE. 
 
 And so the children conversed, both delighted with 
 the new scenes around them. 
 
 Although all the young people were inclined to be 
 happy, yet they were checked in their expression of 
 it by observing that there was a cloud on the brow 
 of their father. He had seated himself under the 
 great t^pe, but his eyes were upon the ground, as 
 though he were busy with painful reflections. All 
 of them noticed this. 
 
 His reflections were indeed painful ; they could 
 not well have been otherwise. There was but one 
 course left for him, to return to the settlements, 
 and begin life anew. But how to begin it ? What 
 could he do ? His property all gone, he could only 
 serve some of his richer neighbors ; and, for one 
 accustomed all his life to independence, this would 
 be hard indeed. 
 
 He looked towards his five horses, now eagerly 
 cropping the luxuriant grass that grew under the 
 shadow of the cliffs. When would they be ready to 
 trek back again ? In three or four days he might 
 start. Fine animals most of them were j they would 
 carry the wagon lightly enough. 
 
 So ran the reflections of the field-cornet. He little 
 thought at the moment that those horses would 
 never draw wagon more, nor any other vehicle ! 
 He little thought that those five noble brutes were 
 doomed ! 
 
 Yet so it was. In less than a week from that time 
 the jackals and hyenas were quarrelling over their 
 bones. Even at that very moment, while he watched 
 them browsing, the poison was entering their veins, 
 
THE TERRIBLE TSETSE. 113 
 
 and their death-wounds were being inflicted. Alas 1 
 alas I another blow awaited Von Bloom. 
 
 The field-cornet had noticed, now and again, that 
 the horses seemed uneasy as they fed. At times 
 they started suddenly, whisked their long tails, and 
 rubbed their heads against the bushes. 
 
 " Some fly is troubling them," thought he, and 
 had no more uneasiness about the matter. 
 
 It was just that just a fly that was troubling 
 them. Had Von Bloom known what that fly was, he 
 would have felt a very different concern about his 
 horses. Had he known the nature of that little fly, 
 he would have rushed up with all his boys, caught 
 the horses in the greatest hurry, and led them far 
 away from those dark cliffs. But he knew not the 
 "tsetse" fly. 
 
 It still wanted some minutes of sunset, and the 
 horses were permitted to browse freely ; but Von 
 Bloom observed that they were every moment get- 
 ting more excited, now striking their hoofs upon the 
 turf, now running a length or two, and at intervals 
 snorting angrily. At the distance they were off, 
 a quarter of a mile or so, Von Bloom could see 
 nothing of what was disturbing them ; but their odd 
 behavior at length induced him to walk up to where 
 they were. Hans and Hendrikwent along with him. 
 
 When they arrived near the spot, they were as- 
 tonished at what they then beheld. Each horse 
 seemed to be encompassed by a swarm of bees. 
 
 They saw, however, they were not bees, but in- 
 sects somewhat smaller, of a brown color, resembling 
 gad-flies, and exceedingly active in their flight. 
 8 
 
114 THE TERRIBLE TSETSE. 
 
 Thousands of them hovered above each horse, and 
 hundreds could be seen lighting upon the heads, 
 necks, bodies, and legs, of the animals, 'in fact, all 
 over them. They were evidently either biting or 
 stinging them. No wonder the poor brutes were 
 annoyed I 
 
 Yon Bloom suggested that they should drive the 
 horses further out into the plain, where these flies 
 did not seem to haunt. He was only concerned 
 about the annoyance which the horses received from 
 them. Hendrik also pitied their sufferings ; but 
 Hans alone, of all the three, guessed at the truth. 
 He had read of a fatal insect that frequented some 
 districts in the interior of South Africa, and the first 
 sight of these flies aroused his suspicions that it 
 might be they. 
 
 He communicated his thoughts to the others, who 
 at once shared his alarm. 
 
 " Call Swartboy hither ! " said Yon Bloom. 
 
 The Bushman was called, and soon made his ap- 
 pearance, coming up from the spring. He had for 
 the last hour been engaged in unpacking the wagon, 
 and had taken no notice of the horses or the interest 
 they were exciting. 
 
 As soon, however, as he got near, and saw the 
 winged swarm whirring around the horses, his small 
 eyes opened to their widest extent, his thick lips fell, 
 and his whole face yielded itself to an expression of 
 amazement and alarm. 
 
 " What is it, Swart ? " inquired his master. 
 
 " Mein baas I mein baas ! der duyvel um da dar 
 ekellum is da ' tsetse M " 
 
THE TERRIBLE TSETSE. 115 
 
 " And what if it be the tsetse ? " 
 
 " Mem Gott ! all dead dead ebery horse ! " 
 
 Swartboy then proceeded to explain, with a loud 
 and continuous " clicking," that the fly which they 
 saw was fatal in its bite ; that the horses would surely 
 die, sooner or later, according to the number^ of 
 stings they had already received ; but, from the 
 swarm of insects around them, the Bushman had no 
 doubt they had been badly stung, and a single week 
 would see all five of the horses dead. 
 
 " Wait, mein baas ; morrow show." 
 
 And to-morrow did show ; for before twelve o'clock 
 on the next day the horses were swollen all over 
 their bodies and about their heads. Their eyes were 
 quite closed up ; they refused any longer to eat, but 
 staggered blindly among the luxuriant grass, every 
 now and then expressing the pain they felt by a low, 
 melancholy whimpering. It was plain to every one 
 they were going to die. 
 
 Von Bloom tried bleeding, and various other rem- 
 edies ; but to no purpose. There is no cure for the 
 bite of the tsetse fly. 
 
116 THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 
 
 GREAT indeed was now the affliction of the field- 
 cornet. Fortune seemed to be adverse in everything. 
 Step by step he had been sinking for years, every 
 year becoming poorer in worldly wealth. He had 
 now reached the lowest point poverty itself. He 
 owned nothing whatever. His horses might be re-_ 
 garded as dead. The cow had escaped from the 
 tsetse by avoiding the cliffs, and keeping out upon 
 the plain ; and this animal now constituted his whole 
 live-stock his whole property! True, he still had 
 his fine wagon ; but of what use would that be with- 
 out either oxen or horses? A wagon without a 
 team ! Better a team without a wagon. 
 
 What could he do ? How was he to escape from 
 the position he was placed in ? To say the least, it 
 was an awkward one, nearly two hundred miles 
 from any civilized settlement, and no means of get- 
 ting there no means except by walking ; and how 
 were his children to walk two hundred miles ? Im- 
 possible I 
 
 Across desert tracts, exposed not only to terrible 
 fatigue, but to hunger, thirst, and fierce carnivorous 
 animals ; it appeared impossible that they could ac- 
 complish such a task. 
 
THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 117 
 
 And what else was there to be done ? asked the 
 field-cornet of himself. Were they to remain there 
 all their lives, subsisting precariously on game and 
 roots ? -Were his children to become " Bush-boys/' 
 himself a Bushman ? 
 
 With these reflections passing through his mind, 
 no wonder that Von Bloom felt deeply afflicted. 
 
 '' Merciful Heaven ! " he exclaimed, as he sat with 
 his head between his hands, " what will become of 
 me and mine ? " 
 
 Poor Von Bloom ! he had reached the lowest point 
 of his fortunes. 
 
 He had, in reality, reached the lowest point ; for on 
 that very day, even within that very hour, an inci- 
 dent occurred that not only gave relief to his afflicted 
 spirit, but that promised to lay the foundation of 
 future wealth and prosperity. In one hour from that 
 time the prospects of the field-cornet had undergone 
 a complete change ; in one hour from that time he 
 was a happy man, and all around him were as happy 
 as he ! 
 
 You are impatient to hear how this change was 
 effected ? What little fairy had sprung out of the 
 spring, or come down from the cliffs, to befriend the 
 good field-cornet in his hour of misery ? You are 
 impatient to hear ? Then you shall hear. 
 
 The sun was just going down. They were all 
 seated under the great tree, and near a fire, upon 
 which they had cooked their supper. There was no 
 talking, no cheerful conversation, for the children 
 saw that their father was in trouble, and that kept 
 
118 THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 
 
 them silent. Not a word passed between them, or 
 only an occasional whisper. 
 
 It was at this moment that Von Bloom gave utter- 
 ance to his sad thoughts in words as above. 
 
 As if seeking for an answer, his eyes were raised 
 to heaven, and then wandered around the plain. All 
 at once they became fixed upon a singular object that 
 appeared at some distance off, and was just emerging 
 from the bushes. 
 
 It was an animal of some kind, and from its vast size 
 Yon Bloom and the others at first took it to be an ele- 
 phant. None of them, except Swartboy, were accus- 
 tomed to elephants in their wild state ; for, although 
 these animals once inhabited the most southerly por- 
 tions of Africa, they have long since deserted the 
 settled districts, and are now only to be found far 
 beyond the frontier of the colony. But they knew 
 that there were elephants in these parts, as they had 
 already observed their tracks, and all now supposed 
 the huge creature that was approaching must be one. 
 
 Not all ; Swartboy was an exception. As soon as 
 his eyes fell upon the animal, he cried out, 
 
 " Chukuroo a chukuroo ! " 
 
 " A rhinoster, is it ? " said Von Bloom, knowing 
 that " chukuroo " was the native name for the rhi- 
 noceros, or "rhinoster," as he called it in Dutch. 
 
 "Ya, baas,' 7 replied Swartboy; "and one o' da 
 big karles da ' kobaoba,' da long-horn white rhi- 
 noster." 
 
 What Swartboy meant by this was that the animal 
 in question was a large species of rhinoceros, known 
 among the natives as the "kobaoba." 
 
THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 119 
 
 Now, I dare say, young reader, you have been all 
 your life under the impression that there was but one 
 species of rhinoceros in the world that is, the 
 rhinoceros. Is it not so? Yes. 
 
 Well, permit me to inform you that you have been 
 under a wrong impression. There are quite a num- 
 ber of distinct species of this very singular animal. 
 At least eight distinct kinds I know of; and I do not 
 hesitate to say that when the central parts of Africa 
 have been fully explored, as well as South Asia and 
 the Asiatic islands, nearly half as many more will be 
 found to exist. 
 
 In South Africa four distinct species are well 
 known ; one in North Africa differs from all these ; 
 while the large Indian rhinoceros bears but slight 
 resemblance to any of them. A distinct species 
 from any is the rhinoceros of Sumatra, an inhabitant 
 of that island ; and still another is the Java rhinoce- 
 ros, found on the island of Java. Thus we have no 
 less than eight kinds, all specifically differing from 
 one another. 
 
 The best known in museums, zoological collec- 
 tions, and pictures, is perhaps the Indian animal. It 
 is the one marked by the singular foldings of its 
 skin, thickly embellished with protuberances or 
 knobs, that give it a shield-like appearance. This 
 distinguishes it from the African species, all of which 
 are without these knobs, though the hides of some 
 are knotty or warty. The Abyssinian rhinoceros has 
 also foldings of the skin, which approach it some- 
 what to the character of the Indian species. Both 
 the Sumatra and Java kinds are small compared with 
 
120 THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 
 
 their huge cousin the Indian rhinoceros, which in- 
 habits only continental India, Siam, and Cochin 
 China. 
 
 The Javan species more resembles the Indian, in 
 having scutellae over the skin, and being one-horned. 
 It is, however, without the singular folds which 
 characterize the latter. That of Sumatra has neither 
 folds nor scutellse. Its skin has a slight covering of 
 hair, and a pair of horns gives it some resemblance 
 to the two-horned species of Africa. 
 
 The natives of South Africa are acquainted with 
 four distinct species of rhinoceros, to which they 
 give distinct names ; and it may be remarked that 
 this observation of species by native hunters is far 
 more to be depended upon than the speculations of 
 mere closet-naturalists, who draw their deductions 
 from a tubercle, or the tooth, or a stuffed skin. If 
 there be any value in a knowledge of animated na- 
 ture, it is not to these we are indebted for that 
 knowledge, but far oftener to the " rude hunters " 
 whom they affect to despise, and who, after all, have 
 taught us pretty much all we know of the habits of 
 animals. Such a "rude hunter' 7 as Gordon Gum- 
 ming, for example, has done more to increase the 
 knowledge of African zoology than a whole college 
 full of "speculating" savans. 
 
 This same Gordon Gumming, who has been accused 
 of exaggeration (but in my opinion very wrongfully 
 accused), has written a very modest and truthful 
 book, which tells you that there are four kinds of 
 rhinoceros in Southern Africa ; and no man is likely 
 to know better than he. 
 
THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 121 
 
 These four kinds are known among the natives as 
 the "borele," the "keitloa," the " muehocho," and 
 " kobaoba." The two first are " black rhinoceroses," 
 that is, the general color of their skin is dark, 
 while the "muehocho" and "kobaoba" are white 
 varieties, having the skin of a dingy- whitish hue. 
 The black rhinoceroses are much smaller, scarce 
 half the size of the others, and they differ from them 
 in the length and set of their horns, as well as in 
 other particulars. 
 
 The horns of the " borele " are placed, as in all 
 rhinoceroses, upon a bony mass over the nostrils ; 
 hence the word "rhinoceros (gV, the nose x-e'gas, a 
 horn). 
 
 In the " borele " they stand erect, curving slightly 
 backwards, and one behind the other. The anterior 
 horn is the longer, rarely above eighteen inches in 
 length ; but it is often broken or rubbed shorter, and 
 in no two individuals is there equality in this respect. 
 The posterior horn in this species is only a sort of 
 knob; whereas in the "keitloa," or two-horned 
 black rhinoceros, both horns are developed to a nearly 
 equal length. 
 
 In the "muehocho" and " kobaoba " the after 
 horns can hardly be said to exist, but the anterior 
 one in both species far exceeds in length those of 
 the borele and keitloa. In the muehocho it is fre- 
 quently three feet in length ; while the kobaoba is 
 often seen with a horn four feet long jutting out 
 from the end of its ugly snout a fearful weapon ! 
 
 The horns of the last two do not curve back, but 
 point forward ; and as both these carry their heads 
 
122 THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 
 
 low down, the long, sharp spike is often borne hori- 
 zontally. In the form and length of their neck, the 
 set of their ears, and other respects, the black rhi- 
 noceroses differ materially from the white ones. In 
 fact, their habits are quite unlike. The former feed 
 chiefly on the leaves and twigs of thorns, such as the 
 Acacia horrida, or " wait-a-bits," while the latter live 
 upon grass. The former are of fiercer disposition 
 will attack man or any other animal on sight, and 
 even sometimes seem to grow angry with the bushes, 
 charging upon them, and breaking them to pieces. 
 
 The white rhinoceroses, although fierce enough 
 when wounded or provoked, are usually of pacific 
 disposition, and will permit the hunter to pass with- 
 out molestation. 
 
 These become very fat, and make excellent eating. 
 The flesh of no African animal is esteemed superior 
 to the calf of the white rhinoceros ; whereas the black 
 varieties never grow fat, and their flesh is tough and 
 unpalatable. 
 
 The horns of all four are used by the natives for 
 many purposes, being solid, of fine texture, and sus- 
 ceptible of a high polish. Out of the longer horns 
 the natives manufacture " knob-kerries " (clubs), and 
 loading-rods for their guns. The shorter ones afford 
 material for mallets, drinking-cups, handles for small 
 tools, and the like. In Abyssinia, and other parts 
 of Northern Africa, where swords are in use, sword- 
 hilts are made from the horns of the rhinoceros. 
 
 The hide is also used for different purposes ; among 
 others, for making the whips known as "jamboks," 
 though hippopotamus-hide is superior. 
 
THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 123 
 
 The skin of the African rhinoceros, as already 
 stated, is without the plaits, 'folds, and scutellas, that 
 characterize its Asiatic congener ; yet it is far from 
 being a soft one. It is so thick and difficult to 
 pierce, that a bullet of ordinary lead will sometimes 
 flatten upon it. To insure its penetrating, the lead 
 must be hardened with solder. 
 
 The rhinoceros, though not a water animal, like 
 the hippopotamus, is nevertheless fond of that ele- 
 ment, and is rarely found at a great distance from it. 
 All four kinds love to lie and wallow in mud, just as 
 hogs in a summer's day, and they are usually seen 
 coated all over with this substance. During the day 
 they may be observed lying down or standing under 
 the shade of some thick mimosa-tree, either asleep 
 or in a state of easy indolence ; and it is during the 
 night that they wander about in search of food and 
 water. If approached from the lee side, they can 
 easily be got at, as their small sparkling eyes do not 
 serve them well. On the contrary, if tha hunter go 
 to windward, they will scent him at a great distance, 
 as their sense of smell is most acute. If their eyes 
 were only as keen as their nostrils, it would be a 
 dangerous game to attack them, for they can run with 
 sufficient rapidity to overtake a horse in the first 
 charge. 
 
 In charging and running the black variety far 
 excels the white. They are easily avoided, however, 
 by the hunter springing quickly to one side, and let- 
 ting them rush blindly on. 
 
 The black rhinoceros is about six feet high at the 
 shoulder, and full thirteen in length ; while the white 
 
 
124 THE LONG-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 
 
 kinds are far larger. The "kobaoba" is full seven 
 feet high, and fourteen in length. 
 
 No wonder that an animal of these extraordinary 
 dimensions was at first sight taken for the elephant. 
 In fact, the kobaoba rhinoceros is the quadruped 
 next to the elephant in size, and, with his great muz- 
 zle, full eighteen inches broad, his long, clumsy 
 head, his vast, ponderous body, this animal impresses 
 one with an idea of strength and massive grandeur 
 as great, and some say greater, than the elephant 
 himself. He looks, indeed, like a caricature of the 
 elephant. It was not such a bad mistake, then, 
 when our people by the wagon took the " kobaoba ;; 
 for the " mighty elephant." 
 
 Swartboy, however, set them all right by declaring 
 that the animal they saw was the white rhinoceros. 
 
 
A HEAVY COMBAT. 125 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 : 
 
 A HEAVY COMBAT. 
 
 WHEN they first saw the kobaoba, he was, as stated, 
 just coming out of the thicket. Without halting, he 
 headed in the direction of the vley already men- 
 tioned, and kept on towards it, his object evidently 
 being to reach the water. 
 
 This little lake, of course, owed its existence to 
 the spring, though it was full two hundred yards 
 from the latter, and about the same from the great 
 tree. In was nearly circular in shape, and about one 
 hundred yards in diameter, so that its superficial area 
 would thus be a little over two English acres. It 
 merited, then, the name of " lake," and by that name 
 the young people already called it. 
 
 On its upper side that in the direction of the 
 spring its shore was high, and in one or two places 
 rocky, and these rocks ran back to the spring along 
 the channel of a little rivulet. On the west or outer 
 side of the lake the land lay lower, and the water at 
 one Qffj.two points lipped up nearly to the level of the 
 plain. For this reason it was that upon that side 
 the bank was paddled all over with tracks of animals 
 that had been to drink. Hendrik, the hunter, had 
 observed among them the footprints of many kinds 
 he knew nothing about. 
 
126 A HEAVY COMBAT. 
 
 It was for the lower end of the lake the kobaoba 
 was making no doubt with him an old and favorite 
 drinking-place. 
 
 There was a point where the water was easier of 
 access than elsewhere, a little to one side of where 
 the wash or waste-stream of the; lake ran out. It 
 was a sort of cove, with bright sandy beach, and ap- 
 proachable from the plain by a miniature gorge, hol- 
 lowed out, no doubt, by the long usage of those 
 animals who came to drink at the vley. By enter- 
 ing this cove, the tallest animals might get deep 
 water and good bottom, so that they could drink 
 without much straining or stooping. The kobaoba 
 came on in a direct line for the lake, and as he 
 drew near they could see him heading for the gorge 
 that led into the little cove. It proved he had been 
 there before. 
 
 Next moment he passed through the gap, and stood 
 knee-deep in the water. 
 
 After swallowing several copious draughts now 
 sneezing, and then wheezing he plunged his 
 broad snout, horn and all, into the water, tossed it 
 till it foamed, and then, lying down in it, commenced 
 wallowing like a hog. 
 
 The place was shallow, and most of his huge body 
 was above the surface, though there was deep enough 
 water in the lake to have given him a bath had he 
 desired it. 
 
 The first thought of Von Bloom, as well as oT 
 Hendrik, was how to " circumvent" the rhinoceros, 
 and of course destroy him. Not that they simply 
 wished his destruction, but Swartboy had already 
 
A HEAVY COMBAT. 127 
 
 represented what fine food the species was, and there 
 was no stock of provision in camp. Hendrik had 
 another object in wishing the death of the creature. 
 He wanted a new loading-rod for his rifle, and he had 
 gazed covetously at the kobaoba's long horn. 
 
 But it was easier to desire the death of the rhinoc- 
 eros than to accoT^lish it. They had no horses, 
 at least, none that could be mounted, and to attack 
 the animal on foot would be a game as dangerous as 
 idle. He would be like enough to impale one of 
 them on his great spike, or else trample them brutally 
 under his huge feet. If he did not do one or the 
 other, he would easily make his escape, as any kind 
 of rhinoceros can outrun a man. 
 
 How were they to manage him, then ? 
 
 Perhaps they might get near, fire at him from an 
 ambush, and with a lucky shot stretch him out. A 
 single bullet sometimes kills the rhinoceros, but only 
 when correctly placed, so as to penetrate the heart, 
 or some other of the "vitals." 
 
 This was, probably, the best plan. They might 
 easily get near enough. There was some bush cover 
 close to the spot. It was probable the old kobaoba 
 would not perceive them if they approached from 
 leeward, particularly as he seemed in the full tide of 
 enjoyment at that moment. 
 
 They were about to attempt the approach, and had 
 got to their feet for that purpose, when a sudden fit 
 seemed to have attacked Swartboy. The latter com- 
 menced jumping over the ground, at the same time 
 muttering, in a low voice, 
 
 "Daklow! daklow!" 
 
128 A HEAVY COMBAT. 
 
 A stranger would have fancied Swartboy in a fit ; 
 but Von Bloom knew that by " Da klow ! da klow ! " 
 the Bushman meant " The elephant ! the elephant ! " 
 and therefore looked in the direction in which Swart- 
 boy was pointing. 
 
 Sure enough, upon the western plain, looming up 
 against the yellow sky, was a dark mass, that upon 
 examination presented the outlines of an elephant. 
 Its rounded back was easily distinguished over the 
 low bushes, and its broad hanging ears were moving 
 as it marched. All saw, at a glance, that it was 
 coming towards the lake, and almost in the same track 
 that the rhinoceros had taken. 
 
 Of course this new apparition quite disarranged 
 the plans of the hunters. At sight of the mighty 
 elephant, they scarce any longer gave a thought to 
 the kobaoba. Not that they had formed any very 
 great hopes of being able to kill the gigantic animal, 
 yet some such thought was running through their 
 minds. They had; determined to try, at all events. 
 
 Before they could agree upon any plan, however, 
 the elephant had got up to the edge of the lake. 
 Though moving only at a slow walk, with his im- 
 mense strides he soon measured off a large quantity 
 of ground, and advanced much more rapidly than one 
 would have supposed. The hunters had scarce time 
 to exchange thoughts before the "huge creature was 
 up within a few yards of the water. 
 
 Here he halted, pointed his proboscis in different 
 directions, stood quite silent, and seemed to listen. 
 
 There was no noise to disturb him ; even the ko- 
 baoba for the moment was quiet. 
 
A HEAVY COMBAT. 129 
 
 After standing a minute or so, the huge creature 
 moved forward again, and entered the gorge already 
 described. 
 
 They at the camp had now a full view of him, at 
 less than three hun^gd yards 7 distance. An immense 
 mass he seemec^^Rs body quite filled the gorge 
 from side to side,^KF his long yellow tusks, project- 
 ing more than two yards from his jaws, curved grace- 
 fully upward. He was an "old bull," as Swartboy 
 whispered. 
 
 Up to this time the rhinoceros had not had the 
 slightest intimation of the elephant's approach ; for 
 the tread of the latter, big beast as he is, is as silent 
 as a cat's. It is true J&at a loud rumbling noise, like 
 distant thunder, proceeded from his inside as he 
 moved along ; but the kobaoba was in too high a 
 caper, just then, to have heard or noticed any sound 
 that was not very near and distinct. 
 
 The huge body of the elephant coming suddenly 
 into "his sunshine/' and flinging its dark shadow 
 over the vley, was distinct enough, and caused the 
 kobaoba to get to his feet with an agility quite sur- 
 prising for a creature of his bujld. 
 
 At the same time a noise something between a 
 grunt and a whistle escaped him, as the water was 
 ejected from his nostrils. 
 
 The elephant also uttered his peculiar salute, in a 
 trumpet-note that echoed from the cliffs, and halted 
 in his tracks as soon as he saw the rhinoceros. 
 
 No doubt both were surprised at the rencontre, as 
 both stood for some seconds eying each other with 
 apparent astonishment. 
 9 
 
130 A HEAVY COMBAT. 
 
 This, however, soon gave place to a different feel- 
 ing. Symptoms of anger began to show themselves. 
 It was evident that bad blood was brewing between 
 them. 
 
 There was, in fact, a little dilemma. The elephant 
 could not get comfortably at ^^R^iter unless the 
 rhinoceros left the cove ; and ^^^fhinoceros could 
 not well get out of the cove, so long as- the elephant 
 blocked up the gorge with his immense thick limbs. 
 
 It is true the kobaoba might have sneaked through 
 among the other's legs, or he might have swum off 
 and landed at some other point, and in either way 
 have left the coast clear. 
 
 But, of all animals in the world, a rhinoceros is, 
 perhaps, the most unaccommodating. He is, also, 
 one of the most fearless, dreading neither man nor 
 beast, not even the boasted lion, whom he often 
 chases like a cat. Hence the old kobaoba had no 
 intention of yielding ground to the elephant ; and, 
 from his attitude, it was plain that he neither in- 
 tended to sneak off under the other's belly, nor 
 swim a single stroke for him. No, not a stroke. 
 
 It remained to be seen how the point of honor was 
 to be decided. The attitude of affairs had become 
 so interesting that every one by the camp was gazing 
 with fixed eyes upon the two great bulls for the 
 rhinoceros was also a " bull/ 7 and of the largest size 
 known of his kind. 
 
 For several minutes they stood eying each other. 
 The elephant, although much the larger, knew his 
 antagonist well. He had met his "sort' 7 before, 
 and knew better than to despise his powers. Per- 
 
A HEAVY COMBAT. 131 
 
 haps, ere now, he had had a touch of that long, spit- 
 like excrescence that stood out from the kobaoba's 
 snout. 
 
 At all events, he did not rush upon his adversary 
 at once, as he would have done on some poor ante- 
 lope that might havi* crossed him in the same way. 
 
 His patience, however, became exhausted. His 
 ancient dignity was insulted, his rule disputed ; he 
 wished to have his bath and his drink, he could 
 bear the insolence of the rhinoceros no longer. 
 
 With a bellow that made the rocks ring again, he 
 charged forward, placed his tusks firmly under the 
 shoulder of his adversary, gave a mighty "lift," and 
 turned the rhinoceros over in the water. 
 
 For a moment the latter plunged, and blowed, and 
 snorted, his head half under water ; but in a second's 
 time he was on his feet again, and charging in turn. 
 The spectators could see that he aimed right at the 
 elephant's ribs with his horn, and that the latter did 
 all he could to keep head towards Jwn. 
 
 Again the elephant flung the kHJoba, and again 
 the latter rose and charged madly upon his huge 
 antagonist ; and so both fought, until^ the water 
 around them was white with foam. 
 
 The contest was carried on in the water, until the 
 elephant, seeming to think his adversary had an ad- 
 vantage there, backed himself into the gorge, and 
 stood waiting with his head towards the lake. In 
 this position the sides of the gorge did not protect 
 him, as perhaps he fancied. They were too low, 
 and his broad flanks rose far above them. They 
 
132 A HEAVY COMBAT. 
 
 only kept him from turning round, and this interfered 
 with the freedom of his movements. 
 
 It could scarce have been design in the rhinoceros 
 to act as he now did, though it appeared so to those 
 who were watching. As the ^fcriiant took .up his 
 position in the gorge, the kobaoba clambered out 
 upon the bank ; and then, wliRBrg suddenly, with 
 head to the ground and long horn projected horizon- 
 tally, the latter rushed upon his antagonist and 
 struck him right among the ribs. The spectators 
 saw that the horn penetrated, and the loud scream 
 that came from the elephant, with the quick motions 
 of his trunk and tail, told plainly that he had received 
 a severe wound. Instead of standing any longer in 
 the gorge, he rushed forward, and did not stop until 
 he was knee-deep in the lake. Drawing the water 
 up into his trunk, he raised it on high, and, pointing 
 it backwards, he discharged large volumes over his 
 body, and upon the spot where he had received the 
 thrust of the kol^aba's horn. 
 
 He then ran omof the lake, and charged about in 
 search of the rhinoceros ; but long-horn was no longer 
 to be found ! 
 
 Having escaped from the cove without comprom- 
 ising his dignity, and, perhaps, believing that he had 
 gained the victory, the rhinoceros, as soon as he 
 delivered the thrust, had galloped off and disappeared 
 among the bushes. 
 
THE DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 133 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THK DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 
 
 THE battle between these two large quadrupeds 
 did not continue for more than ten minutes. During 
 that time the hunters made no advance towards 
 attacking either of them, so much absorbed were 
 they in watching the novel contest. It was only 
 after the rhinoceros had retreated, and the elephant 
 returned to the water, that they once more began to 
 deliberate on some plan of assaulting this mightiest 
 of African animals. Hans now laid hold of his gun 
 and joined them. 
 
 The elephant, after looking about for his enemy, 
 had got back, and was standing knee-deep in the 
 lake. He appeared restless, and higmy excited. His 
 tail was continually in motion, and at intervals he 
 uttered a piercing, melancholy scream, far different 
 to the usual trumpet-like bellow of his voice. He 
 lifted his huge limbs, and then plunged them back 
 again to the bottom, until the foam gathered upon 
 the water with his continued churning. 
 
 But the oddest of his actions was the manner in 
 which he employed his long tubular trunk. With 
 this he sucked up vast volumes of water, and then 
 pointing it backwards, ejected the fluid over his back 
 and shoulders, as if from an immense syringe. This 
 
134 THE DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 
 
 shower-bath he kept repeating, time after time, 
 though it was evident he was not at his ease. 
 
 They all knew he was angry. Swartboy said it 
 would be exceedingly dangerous to be seen by him 
 at that moment, without having, a horse to gallop 
 out of his way. On this account fcvery one of them 
 had concealed themselves berrma the trunk of the 
 nwana-tree, Von Bloom peeping past one side, and 
 Hendrik the other, in order to watch his movements. 
 
 Notwithstanding the danger, they at length re- 
 solved to attack him. They believed that if they 
 did not do so soon, he would walk off and leave them 
 supperless, for they had hoped to sup upon a slice 
 of his trunk. Time, therefore, had grown precious, 
 and they resolved to attack him without further ado,. 
 
 They intended to creep as near as was safe. All 
 three would fire together, and then lie close in the 
 bushes until they saw the effect of their shots. 
 
 Without further parley, Von Bloom, Hans, and 
 Hendrik, leaving the tree, crept through the busjies 
 towards the western end of the lake. It was not a 
 continuous thicket, but only an assemblage of copses 
 and clumps, so that they required to steal very cau- 
 tiously from one to the other. Von Bloom led the 
 way, while the boys kept in his tracks, following 
 him closely. 
 
 After some five minutes spent in this way, they 
 got under cover of a little clump near the water's 
 edge, and near enough to the gigantic game. Upon 
 their hands, and knees they now approached the 
 verge of the underwood ; and, having parted the 
 leaves, looked through. The mighty quadruped 
 
THE DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 135 
 
 was right under their eyes, within twenty yards of 
 them ! 
 
 He was still busy plunging about, and blowing 
 volumes of water over his body. He gave no sign 
 that he had any suspicion of their presence. They 
 could take time, therefore, in choosing a part of his 
 huge body at which to aim their pieces. 
 
 When first seen from their new position, he was 
 standing stern towards them. Von Bloom did not 
 think it a good time to fire, as they could not give 
 him a deadly wound in that situation. They waited, 
 therefore, until he might turn his side, before they 
 should deliver their volley. They kept their eyes 
 all the while steadily fixed on him. 
 
 He ceased at length to "churn' 7 with his feet, 
 and no longer raised water in his trunk ; and now 
 the hunters perceived that the lake was red for a 
 space around him. It was his blood that had red- 
 dened it. . 
 
 They no longer doubted that he had been wounded 
 by the rhinoceros ; but whether the wound was a 
 bad one they could not tell. It was in his side, and 
 as yet they could only see his broad stern from the 
 position in which he still continued to stand. But they 
 waited with confidence, as they knew that in turning 
 to get out of the water he would have to present his 
 side towards them. 
 
 For several minutes he kept the same position ; 
 but they noticed that his tail no longer switched 
 about, and that his attitude was loose and drooping. 
 Now and then he turned his proboscis to the spot 
 where he had received the thrust of the kobaoba's 
 
136 THE DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 
 
 horn. It was evident that the wound was distress- 
 ing him, and this became more apparent by the loud, 
 painful breathing the creature uttered through his 
 trunk. 
 
 The three began to grow impatient. Hendrik 
 asked leave to creep round to another point, and 
 give him a shot that would turn him round. 
 
 Just at that moment the elephant made a motion, 
 as though he was about to come out of the water. 
 
 He had got fairly round, his head and forepart 
 were over dry land, the three guns were pointed, 
 the eyes of the three hunters were about to glance 
 through the sights of their pieces, when all at once 
 he was seen to rock and stagger, and then roll over ! 
 With a loud plash, his vast body subsided into the 
 water, sending great waves to every corner of the 
 lake. 
 
 The hunters uncocked their guns, and, springing 
 from their ambush, rushed forward to the bank. 
 They saw at a glance that the elephant was dead. 
 They saw the wound upon his side, the hole made 
 by the horn of the rhinoceros. It was not very large, 
 but the terrible weapon had penetrated far into his 
 body, into his very vitals. No wonder, then, at the 
 result it had produced the death of the mightiest 
 of quadrupeds. 
 
 As soon as it became known that the elephant was 
 dead, everybody was seen rushing forward to the 
 spot. Little Triiey and Jan were called from their 
 hiding-place, for they had both been hidden in the 
 wagon, and Totty, too, went down with the rest. 
 Swartboy was one of the first upon the spot, carry- 
 
THE DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 137 
 
 ing an axe and a large knife, for Swartboy had 
 designs upon the carcass, while Hans and Hen- 
 drik both threw off their jackets to assist in the 
 butchering operations. 
 
 And what during this time was Von Bloom about ? 
 Ha ! That is a moi& important question than you 
 think for. That was an important hour, the hour 
 of a great crisis in the life of the field-cornet. 
 
 He was standing, with folded arms, on the bank 
 of the lake, directly over the spot where the ele- 
 phant had fallen. He appeared to be wrapt in silent 
 meditation, his eyes bent upon the huge carcass of 
 the animal. No, not on the carcass. A close ob- 
 server would have perceived that his eyes did not 
 wander over that mountain of thick skin and flesh, 
 but were resting upon a particular spot. 
 
 Was it the wound in the animal's side ? And was 
 Von Bloom meditating how the thrust had caused 
 the death of such a huge creature ? 
 
 Neither one nor the other. His thoughts were 
 upon a very different theme from either. 
 
 The elephant had fallen so that his head was clear 
 of the water, and rested upon a little bank of sand, 
 along which his soft and limber trunk lay extended 
 to its full length. Curving like a pair of gigantic 
 scimeters from its base, were the yellow enamelled 
 tusks ; those ivory arms that for years ay, centuries, 
 perhaps had served him to root up the trees of the 
 forest, and rout his antagonists in many a dread 
 encounter. Precious and beautiful trophies were 
 they ; but, alas ! their world-wide fame had cost no 
 less than life to many thousands of his race. 
 
138 THE DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Shining in all their magnificence lay these mated 
 crescents, gently curved and softly rounded. It 
 was upon these that the eyes of the field-cornet were 
 bent. 
 
 Ay, and bent, too, with an eagerness unusual in 
 his glance. His lips were compressed, his chest 
 was visibly heaving. 0, there was a world of 
 thoughts passing through the mind of Von Bloom at 
 that moment. 
 
 Were they painful thoughts ? The expression of 
 his face told the contrary. The cloud that all that 
 day sat perched upon his brow had vanished. Not 
 a trace of it remained ; but in its place could be 
 seen the lines of hope and joy, and these feelings at 
 length found expression in words. 
 
 " It is the hand of Heaven ! " he exclaimed, aloud. 
 " A fortune, a fortune ! " 
 
 " What is it, papa ? " inquired little Triiey, who 
 was near him; "what were you speaking about, 
 dear papa ? " 
 
 And then all the others gathered around him, 
 noticing his excited manner, and pleased at seeing 
 him look so happy. 
 
 "What is it, papa?" asked all together, while 
 Swartboy and Totty stood eager as the rest to hear 
 the answer. 
 
 In the pleasant excitement of his thoughts, the 
 fond father could no longer conceal from his children 
 the secret of his new-born happiness. He would 
 gratify them by disclosing it. 
 
 Pointing to. the long crescents, he said, 
 
 "You see those beautiful tusks ? " 
 
THE DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 139 
 
 Yes, of course, they all did. 
 
 " Well, do you know their value ? " 
 
 No. They knew they were worth something. They 
 knew that it was from elephants 7 tusks that ivory was 
 obtained, or, more properly, that elephants' tusks 
 were ivory itself; and that it was used in the manu- 
 facture of hundreds of articles. In fact, little Triiey 
 had a beautiful fan made out of it, which had been 
 her mother's ; and Jan had a knife with an ivory 
 handle. Ivory was a very beautiful material, and 
 cost very dear, they knew. All this they knew, but 
 the value of the two tusks they could not guess at. 
 They said so. 
 
 "Well, my children," said Von Bloom, "as near 
 as I can estimate them, they are worth twenty 
 pounds each of English money." 
 
 " ! ! Such a grand sum ! " cried all in a 
 breath. 
 
 " Yes," continued the field-cornet ; "I should 
 think each tusk is one hundred pounds in weight ; 
 and as ivory at present sells for four shillings and 
 sixpence the pound weight, these two would yield 
 between forty and fifty pounds of sterling money." 
 
 " Why, it would buy a full span of best oxen ! " 
 cried Hans. 
 
 " Four good horses ! " said Hendrik. 
 
 " A whole flock of sheep ! " added little Jan. 
 
 " But whom can we sell them to ? " asked Hen- 
 drik, after a pause. " We are away from the settle- 
 ments. Who is to give us either oxen, or horses, 
 or sheep, for them ? It would not be worth while to 
 carry two tusks all the way " 
 
140 THE DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " Not tivo, Hendrik," said his father, interrupting 
 him; "but twenty it might, ay, twice twenty, or 
 three times that number. Now do you understand 
 what makes me so gay ? " 
 
 " I" exclaimed Hendrik, as well as the others, 
 who now began to perceive what their father was so 
 joyed about, "you think we can obtain more tusks 
 in these parts ? " 
 
 " Precisely so. I think there are many elephants 
 here. I feel certain of it from the quantity of their 
 spoor I have already noticed. We have our guns, 
 and, fortunately, plenty of ammunition. We are all 
 pretty fair shots ; why can we not obtain more of 
 these valuable trophies ? 
 
 "But we shall," continued Yon Bloom. " I know 
 we shall, because I recognize the hand of God in 
 sending us this wealth in the midst of our misery, 
 after we had lost everything. More will come by 
 the guiding of the same hand. So be of good cheer, 
 my children. We shall not want ; we shall yet have 
 plenty, we may be rich!" 
 
 It was not that any of those young creatures cared 
 much about being rich, but because they saw their 
 father so liappy, that they broke out into something 
 more than a murmur of applause. It was, in fact, a 
 cheer, in which both Totty and Swartboy joined. It 
 rang over the little lake, and caused the birds about 
 settling to roost to wonder what was going on. 
 There was no happier group in all Africa than stood 
 at that moment upon the shore of that lonely little 
 vley. 
 
TURNED HUNTERS. 141 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 TURNED HUNTERS. 
 
 THE field-cornet, then, had resolved upon turning 
 hunter by profession a hunter of elephants ; and it 
 was a pleasant reflection to think that this occupa- 
 tion promised not only exciting sport, but great 
 profit. He knew that it was not so easy a matter 
 to succeed in killing such large and valuable game 
 as elephants. He did not suppose that in a few 
 weeks or months he would obtain any great quan- 
 tities of their ivory spoils ; but he had made up his 
 mind to spend even years in the pursuit. For years 
 he should lead the life of a Bushman, for years his 
 sons would be " Bush-boys, " and he hoped that 
 in time his patience and toil would be amply re- 
 warded. 
 
 That night, around the camp-fire, all were very 
 happy, and very merry. The elephant had been 
 left where he lay, to be cut up on the morrow. Only 
 his trunk had been taken off, part of which was 
 cooked for supper. 
 
 Although all the flesh of the elephant is eatable, 
 the trunk is esteemed one of the delicate bits. It 
 tastes not unlike ox-tongue, and all of them liked it 
 exceedingly. To Swartboy, who had made many 
 
142 TURNED HUNTERS. 
 
 a meal upon " de ole klow," it was a highly-relished 
 feast. 
 
 They had plenty of fine milk, too. The cow, now 
 upon the best of pasture, doubled her yield ; and the 
 quantity of this, the most delicious of 11 drinks, was 
 sufficient to give every one a large allowance. 
 
 While enjoying their new-fashioned dish of roast 
 elephant-trunk, the conversation naturally turned 
 upon these animals. 
 
 Everybody knows the appearance of the elephant ; 
 therefore a description of him is quite superfluous. 
 But everybody does not know that there are two 
 distinct kinds of this gigantic quadruped the Afri- 
 can and Asiatic. 
 
 Until a late period they were thought to be of the 
 same species. Now they are acknowledged to be, 
 not only distinct, but very different in many respects. 
 The Asiatic, or, as it is more frequently called, the 
 ".Indian " elephant, is the larger of the two ; but it 
 is possible that domestication may have produced a 
 larger kind, as is the rule with many animals. The 
 African species exists only in a wild state ; and it 
 would appear that individuals of this kind have been 
 measured having the dimensions of the largest of the 
 wild Asiatic elephants. 
 
 The most remarkable points of difference between 
 the two are found in the ears and tusks. The ears 
 of the African elephant are of enormous proportions, 
 meeting each other above the shoulders, and hang- 
 ing down below the breast. Those of the Indian ele- 
 phant are scarce one third the size. In his grand 
 tusks the former has far the advantage, these in 
 
TURNED HUNTERS. 143 
 
 some individuals weighing nearly two hundred 
 pounds each, while the tusks of the latter rarely 
 reach the weight of one hundred. To this, however, 
 there are some exceptions. Of course a two hun- 
 dred pound tusk is one of the very largest^ and far 
 above the average even of African elephants. In 
 this species the females are also provided with tusks, 
 though not of such size as in the males, whereas 
 the female of the Indian elephant has either no tusks 
 at all, or they are so small as to be scarcely percep- 
 tible outside the skin of the lips. 
 
 The other chief points of difference between the 
 two are that the front of the Asiatic elephant is con- 
 cave, while that of the African is convex ; and the 
 former has four horny toes, or sabots, on the hind-foot, 
 where only three appear upon that of the latter. The 
 enamel of the teeth presents still another proof of 
 these animals being different in species. 
 
 Nor are all Asiatic elephants alike. In this spe- 
 cies there are varieties which present very distinct 
 features ; and, indeed, these " varieties," as they are 
 called, appear to differ from each other, nearly as 
 much as any one of them does from the African 
 kind. 
 
 One variety, known among Orientals by the name 
 of "mooknah," has straight tusks that point down- 
 ward, whereas the usual habit of these singular 
 appendages is to curve upward. 
 
 Asiatics recognize two, main castes, or perhaps 
 species, among their elephants. One known as 
 "coomareah" is a deep-bodied, compact, and strong 
 animal, with large trunk and short legs. The other, 
 
144 TURNED HUNTERS. 
 
 called "merghee," is a taller kind, but neither so 
 compact nor strong as the coomareah, nor has he so 
 large a trunk. His long legs enable him to travel 
 faster than the coomareah ; but the latter having a 
 larger trunk (a point of beauty among elephant- 
 owners), and being capable of enduring more fatigue, 
 is the favorite, and fetches a larger price in the 
 Oriental market. 
 
 Occasionally a white elephant is met with. This is 
 simply an " albino ; " but such are greatly prized in 
 many countries of Asia, and large sums are given 
 for them. They are even held in superstitious ven- 
 eration in some parts. 
 
 The Indian elephant at the present time inhabits 
 most of the southern countries of Asia, including 
 the large islands of Ceylon, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, 
 etc. Of course every one knows that in these coun- 
 tries the elephant has been trained long ago to the 
 use of man, and is one of the "domestic animals. " 
 But he also exists in a wild state, both upon the con- 
 tinent of Asia and in its islands ; and hunting the 
 elephant is one of the grand sports of the East. 
 
 In Africa the elephant exists only in a state of 
 nature. None of the nations upon this little-known 
 continent tame or train him to any purpose. He is 
 only prized among them for his precious teeth, and 
 his flesh as well. Some have asserted that this 
 species is more fierce than its Indian congener, and 
 could not be domesticated. This is altogether a mis- 
 take. The reason why the African elephant is not 
 trained, is simply that none of the modern nations 
 of Africa have yet reached a high enough point of 
 
TURNED HUNTERS. 145 
 
 civilization to avail themselves of the services of this 
 valuable animal. 
 
 The African elephant may be domesticated and 
 trained to the "howdah," or castle, as easily as his 
 Indian cousin. The trial has been made ; but that it 
 can be done no better proof is required than that at 
 one period it was done, and upon a large scale. The 
 elephants of the Carthaginian army were of this 
 species. 
 
 The African elephant at present inhabits the cen- 
 tral and southern parts of Africa. Abyssinia on the 
 east, and Senegal on the west, are his northern lim- 
 its, and but a few years ago he roamed southward to 
 the very Cape of Good Hope. The activity of the 
 Dutch ivory-hunters, with their enormous long guns, 
 has driven him from that quarter ; and he is no 
 longer to be found to the south of the Orange river. 
 
 Some naturalists (Cuvier among others) believed 
 the Abyssinian elephant to be of the Indian species. 
 That idea is now exploded, and there is no reason to 
 think that the latter inhabits any part of Africa. It 
 is very likely there are varieties of the African spe- 
 cies in different parts of the continent. It is well 
 known that those of the tropical regions are larger 
 than the others ; and a reddish and very fierce kind is 
 said to be met with in the mountains of Africa, upon 
 the river Niger. It is probable, however, that these 
 red elephants seen have been some whose bodies 
 were coated with red dust, as it is a habit of ele- 
 phants to powder themselves with dust on many 
 occasions, using their trunks as " dredgers. " 
 
 Swartboy spoke of a variety well known among 
 10 
 
146 TURNED HUNTERS. 
 
 the Hottentot hunters as the "koes-cops." This 
 kind, he said, differed from the ordinary ones by its 
 altogether wanting the tusks, and being of a far 
 more vicious disposition. Its encounter is more 
 dreaded ; but, as it possesses no trophies to make it 
 worth the trouble and danger of killing, the hunters 
 usually give it a wide berth. 
 
 Such was the conversation that night around the 
 camp-fire. Much of the information here given was 
 furnished by Hans, who, of course, had gathered it 
 from books ; but the Bushman contributed his quota 
 perhaps of a far more reliable character. 
 
 All were destined ere long to make practical ac- 
 quaintance with the haunts and habits of this huge 
 quadruped, that to them had now become the most 
 interesting of all the animal creation. 
 
JERKING AN ELEPHANT. 147 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 JERKING AN ELEPHANT. 
 
 day was one of severe but joyful labor. It 
 was spent in " curing" the elephant, not in a, med- 
 ical sense, but in the language of the provision-store. 
 
 Although not equal to either beef or mutton, or 
 even pork, the flesh of the elephant is sufficiently 
 palatable to be eaten. There is no reason why it 
 should not be ; for the animal is a clean feeder, and 
 lives ali|rether on vegetable substances the leaves 
 and tender shoots of trees, with several species of 
 bulbous roots, which he well knows how to extract 
 from the ground with his tusks and trunk. It does 
 not follow from this that his beef should be well- 
 tasted ; since we see that the hog, one of the most 
 unclean of feeders, yields most delicious "pork;" 
 while another of the same family (pachydermata) , 
 that subsists only on sweet succulent roots, pro- 
 duces a flesh both insipid and bitter. I allude to the 
 South American tapir. The quality of the food, 
 therefore, is no criterion of the quality of the flesh. 
 
 It is true that the beef of the elephant was not 
 what Von Bloom and most of his family would have 
 chosen for their regular diet. Had they been sure 
 of procuring a supply of antelope-venison, the great 
 carcass might have gone, not to the " dogs," but 
 
148 JERKING AN ELEPHANT. 
 
 to their kindred the hyenas. But they were not sure 
 of getting even a single antelope, and therefore de- 
 cided upon "curing" the elephant. It would be a 
 safe stock to have on hand, and need not interfere 
 with their eating venison, or any other dainty that 
 might turn up. 
 
 The first thing done was to cut out the tusks. 
 This proved a tough job, and occupied full two 
 hours. Fortunately there was a good axe on hand. 
 But for this and Swartboy's knowledge, double the 
 .time might have been wasted in the operation. 
 
 The ivory having been extracted and put away in 
 a safe place, the " cutting up " then commenced in 
 earnest. Von Bloom and Swartboy were the " baas- 
 butchers," while Hans and Hendrik played the part 
 of "swabs." As the carcass lay half undd* water, 
 they would have had some difficulty in dealing with 
 the under part. But this they did not design to 
 touch. The upper half would be amply sufficient to 
 provision them a long while ; and so they set about 
 removing the skin from that side that was upper- 
 most. 
 
 The rough, thick outer coat they removed in broad 
 sheets cut into sections ; and then they peeled off 
 several coats of an under skin, of tough and pliant 
 nature. Had they needed water-vessels, Swartboy 
 would have saved this for making them as it is 
 used for such purposes by the Bushmen and other 
 natives. But they had vessels enough in the wagon, 
 and this skin was thrown away. 
 
 They had now reached the pure flesh, which they 
 separated in large sheets from the ribs ; and then the 
 
JERKING AN ELEPHANT. 149 
 
 ribs were cut out, one by one, with the axe. This 
 trouble they would not have taken as they did not 
 want the ribs but they cut them away for another 
 reason, namely, to enable them to get at the valuable 
 fat, which lies in enormous quantities around the in- 
 testines. Of course, for all cooking purposes, the 
 fat would be to them invaluable, and indeed almost 
 necessary to render the flesh itself eatable. 
 
 It is no easy matter to get at the fat in the inside 
 of an elephant, as the whole of the intestines have 
 first to be removed. But Swartboy was not to be 
 deterred by a little trouble ; so, climbing into the inte- 
 rior of the huge carcass, he commenced cutting and 
 delving, and every now and then passing a multitude 
 of "inwards 77 out to the others, who carried them 
 off out of the way. 
 
 After a long spell of this work, the fat was secured, 
 and carefully packed in a piece of clean under skin ; 
 and then the "butchering" was finished. 
 
 Of course the four feet, which along with the 
 trunk are considered the " tit-bits/ 7 had already 
 been separated at the fetlock joint ; and stood out 
 upon the bank, for the future consideration of 
 Swartboy. 
 
 The next thing to be done was to " cure 77 the 
 meat. They had a stock of salt that precious, 
 though, as lately discovered, not indispensable arti- 
 cle. But the quantity stowed away in a dry cor- 
 ner of the wagon was small, and would have gone 
 but a short way in curing an elephant. 
 
 They had no idea of using it for such a purpose. 
 Flesh can be preserved without salt ; and not only 
 
150 JERKING AN ELEPHANT. 
 
 Swartboy, but Von Bloom himself, knew how to pre- 
 serve it. In all countries where salt is scarce, the 
 process of "jerking" meat is well understood, and 
 consists simply in cutting it into thin strips and 
 hanging it out in the sun. A few days of bright, 
 warm sunshine will "jerk" it sufficiently; and 
 meat thus dried will keep good for months. A slow 
 fire will answer the purpose nearly as well ; and, in 
 the absence of sunshine, the fire is often resorted to. 
 
 Sun-dried meat in South Africa is called " bil- 
 tongue." The Spaniards of Mexico name it "tas- 
 ajo," while those., of Peru style it " charqui." In 
 English it is "jerked " meat. 
 
 Several hours were spent in cutting the elephant- 
 beef into strips ; and then a number of forked poles 
 were set up, others were laid horizontally over the 
 forks, and upon these the meat was suspended, and 
 hung down in numberless festoons. 
 
 Before the sun went down, the neighborhood of 
 the camp presented a rare appearance. It looked 
 somewhat like the enclosure of a yarn-bleacher, ex- 
 cept that the hanging strips, instead of being white, 
 were of a beautiful clear ruby-color. 
 
 But the work was not yet completed. The feet 
 remained to be " preserved," and the mode of curing 
 these was entirely different. That was a secret 
 known only to Swartboy, and in the execution of it 
 the Bushman played first fiddle, with the important 
 air of a chef de cuisine. 
 
 He proceeded as follows : 
 
 He first dug a hole in the ground, about two feet 
 deep, and a little more in diameter just large 
 
JERKING AN ELEPHANT. 151 
 
 enough to admit one of the feet, which was nearly 
 two feet diameter at the base. The earth which 
 came out of this hole Swartboy placed in the form 
 of a loose embankment around the edge. 
 
 By his direction the boys had already collected 
 upon the spot a large quantity of dried branches and 
 logs. These Swartboy now built over the hole, into 
 a pyramid of ten feet high, and then set the pile on 
 fire. He next proceeded to make three other pits 
 precisely similar, and built over each a fire like the 
 first, until four large fires were burning upon the 
 ground. 
 
 The fires being now fairly under way, he could 
 only wait until each had burned down. This would 
 carry the process into the night, and so it turned 
 out ; but Swartboy had a foresight of this. He knew 
 he would get through with the more important por- 
 tion of his work before bedtime. 
 
 When the first fire had burned quite to red cin- 
 ders, Swartboy's hardest turn of duty began. With 
 a shovel he lifted the cinders out of the hole, until it 
 was empty ; but he was more than an hour in per- 
 forming this apparently simple labor. The difficulty 
 arose from the intense heat he had to encounter, 
 which drove him back after every few moments' 
 work ; so that he was compelled to retreat at inter- 
 vals in order to cool himself. 
 
 The " baas/ 7 as well as Hendrik and Hans, took 
 turns with him, until all four were perspiring as if 
 they had been shut up for half an hour in a baker's 
 oven. 
 
 When the hole was thoroughly scooped clean of 
 

 152 JERKING AN ELEPHANT. 
 
 coals, Swartboy, assisted by Yon Bloom, lifted one 
 of the huge feet ; and, carrying it as near as they 
 dare go on account of the scorching heat, they 
 heaved it in upon its base. 
 
 The sandy earth which had been originally re- 
 moved, and which was now as hot as molten lead, 
 was pushed over and around the foot ; and then the 
 cinders were raked on top, and over that another 
 huge fire was kindled. 
 
 The same process was gone through with the other 
 three feet, and all four were to be left in the " oven J; 
 until the fires should be burned down, when they 
 would be found sufficiently "baked " 
 
 Swartboy would then rake off the cinders, take 
 out the feet with a sharp wooden spit, beat them 
 well to get rid of the dust, scrape the sand clear, 
 then pare off the outside skin, when they would be 
 ready either to be eaten or would keep for a long 
 time. 
 
 Swartboy would do all this as soon as the four 
 huge bonfires should burn down. 
 
 But that would not be before the morning ; so all 
 of them, fatigued by the extraordinary exertions of 
 the day, finished their suppers of broiled trunk, and 
 went to rest under the protecting shadow of the 
 nwana. 
 
THE HIDEOUS HYENA. 153 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE HIDEOUS HYEXA. 
 
 FATIGUED as they were, they would soon have fallen 
 asleep. But they were not permitted to do so. As 
 they lay with closed eyes in that half-dreamy state 
 that precedes sleep, they were suddenly startled by 
 strange voices near the camp. 
 
 These voices were uttered in peals of loud laughter ; 
 and no one, unacquainted with them, would have 
 pronounced them to be anything else than the voices 
 of human beings. They exactly resembled the strong 
 treble produced by the laugh of a maniac negro. It 
 seemed as if some Bedlam of negroes had been let 
 loose, and were approaching the spot. 
 
 I say approaching, because each moment the 
 sounds grew clearer and louder ; and it was evident 
 that whatever gave utterance to them was coming 
 nearer to the camp. 
 
 That there was more than one creature was evi- 
 dent ; ay, and it was equally evident that there 
 was more than one kind of creature ; for so varied 
 were the voices, it would have puzzled a ventrilo- 
 quist to have given imitations of them all. There 
 was howling, and whining, and grunting, and growl- 
 ing, and low melancholy moaning as of some one in 
 pain, and hissing, and chattering, and short, sharp 
 
154 THE HIDEOUS HYENA. 
 
 intonations, as if it were the barking of dogs, and then 
 a moment or two of deep silence, and again that cho- 
 rus of human-like laughter, that in point of horror 
 and hideous suggestions surpassed all the other 
 sounds. 
 
 You will suppose that such a wild concert must 
 have put the camp in a state of great alarm. Not a 
 bit of it. Nobody was frightened the least not 
 even innocent little Triiey, nor the diminutive Jan. 
 
 Had they been strangers to these sounds, no doubt 
 they would have been more than frightened. They 
 would have been terrified by them; for they were 
 calculated to produce such an effect upon any one to 
 whose ears they were new. 
 
 But Von Bloom and his family had lived too long 
 upon the wild karoo to be ignorant of those voices. 
 In the howling, and chattering, and yelping, they 
 heard but the cries of the jackal ; and they well 
 knew the maniac laugh of the hideous hyena. 
 
 Instead of being alarmed, and springing from their 
 beds, they lay still and listened, not dreading any 
 attack from the noisy creatures. 
 
 Von Bloom and the children slept in the wagon ; 
 Swartboy and Totty, upon the ground ; but these lay 
 close to the fires, and therefore did not fear wild 
 beasts of any kind. 
 
 But the hyenas and jackals upon this occasion 
 appeared to be both numerous and bold. In a few 
 minutes after they were first heard, their cries rose 
 around the camp on all sides, so near and so loud as 
 to be positively disagreeable, even without consid- 
 ering the nature of the brutes that uttered them. 
 
THE HIDEOUS HYENA. 155 
 
 At last they came so close that it was impossible 
 to look in any direction without seeing a pair of 
 green or red eyes gleaming under the light of the 
 fires. White teeth, too, could be observed, as the 
 hyenas opened their jaws to give utterance to their 
 harsh laughter. 
 
 With such a sight before their eyes, and such 
 sounds ringing in their ears, neither Von Bloom nor 
 any of his people, tired as they were, could go to 
 sleep. Indeed, not only was sleep out of the ques- 
 tion, but, worse than that, all, the field-cornet himself 
 not excepted, began to experience some feelings of 
 apprehension, if not actual alarm. 
 
 They had never beheld a troop of hyenas so numer- 
 ous and fierce. There could not be less than two 
 dozen of them around the camp, with twice that 
 number of jackals. 
 
 Von Bloom knew that although, under ordinary 
 circumstances, the hyena is not a dangerous animal, 
 yet there are places and times when he will attack 
 human beings. Swartboy knew this well, and Hans, 
 too, from having read of it. No wonder, then, that 
 some apprehension was felt by all of them. 
 
 The hyenas now behaved with such boldness, and 
 appeared so ravenous, that sleep was out of the 
 question. Some demonstration must be made to 
 drive the brutes away from the camp. 
 
 Von Bloom, Hans, and Hendrik, laid hold of their 
 guns, and got out of the wagon, while Swartboy 
 armed himself with his bow and arrows. All four stood 
 close by the trunk of the nwana, on the other side 
 from that where the fires were. In this place they 
 
156 THE HIDEOUS HYENA. 
 
 were in the shadow, where they could best observe 
 anything that should come under the light of the fires 
 without being themselves seen. Their position was 
 well chosen. 
 
 They had scarcely fixed themselves in it, when 
 they perceived a great piece of neglect they had been 
 guilty of. Now, for the first time, it occurred to 
 them what had brought the hyenas around them in 
 such numbers. Beyond a doubt it was the flesh of 
 the elephant the biltongue. 
 
 That was what the beasts were after ; and all now 
 saw that a mistake had been committed in hanging 
 the meat too low. The hyenas might easily get at it. 
 
 This was soon made manifest ; for, even at the 
 moment while they stood watching the red festoons, 
 plainly visible under the light of Swartboy's fires, a 
 shaggy spotted brute rushed forward, reared up on 
 his hind legs, seized one of the pieces, dragged it 
 down from the pole, and then ran off with it into the 
 darkness. 
 
 A rushing sound could be heard as the others 
 joined him to get share of his plunder ; and no 
 doubt in less than half a minute the morsel was con- 
 sumed ; for, at the end of that time, glancing eyes 
 and gleaming teeth showed that the whole troop was 
 back again, and ready to make a fresh seizure. 
 
 None of the hunters had fired, as the nimbleness 
 with which the brutes moved about rendered it diffi- 
 cult to take aim at any one of them ; and all knew 
 that powder and lead were too precious to be wasted 
 on a " flying shot." 
 
 Emboldened by their success, the hyenas had now 
 
THE HIDEOUS HYENA. 157 
 
 drawn nearer, and in a moment more would have 
 made a general charge upon the scaffolds of flesh, 
 and, no doubt, would have succeeded in carrying off 
 a large quantity of it. But just then it occurred to 
 Yon Bloom that it would be best to lay aside their 
 guns, and remedy the mistake they had made by 
 putting the biltongue out of reach. If they did not 
 do so, they would either have to remain awake all 
 night and guard it, or else lose every string of it. 
 
 How was it to be put out of reach ? 
 
 At first they thought of collecting it into a heap, 
 and stowing it away in the wagon. That would not 
 only be an unpleasant job, but it would interfere 
 with their sleeping quarters. 
 
 An alternative, however, presented itself. They 
 saw that, if the scaffolds were only high enough, the 
 meat might be easily hung so as to be out of reach 
 of the hyenas. The only question was, how to place 
 the cross-poles a little higher. In the darkness they 
 could not obtain a new set of uprights, and therein 
 lay the difficulty. How were they to get over it ? 
 
 Hans had the credit of suggesting a way ; and 
 that was, to take out some of the uprights, splice 
 them to the others, with the forked ends uppermost, 
 and then rest the horizontal poles on the upper forks. 
 That would give a scaffold tall enough to hang the 
 meat beyond the reach of either jackals or hyenas. 
 
 Hans' suggestion was at once adopted. Half of 
 the uprights were taken up and spliced against the 
 others, so as to raise their forks full twelve feet in the 
 air ; and then the cross-poles were rested over their 
 tops. By standing upon one of the wagon-chests, 
 
158 THE HIDEOUS HYEXA. 
 
 Von Bloom was able to fling the strips of meat over 
 the horizontal poles, and in such a manner that it 
 hung only a few inches down, and was now quite 
 beyond the reach of the ravenous brutes. 
 
 When the business was finished, the party resumed 
 their station under the shadow of the tree, intending 
 to watch for a while, and see how the wolfish in- 
 truders would act. 
 
 They had not long to watch. In less than five 
 minutes the troop approached the biltongue, howl- 
 ing, and gibbering, and laughing, as before ; only 
 this time uttering peculiar cries, as if to express dis- 
 appointment. They saw at a glance that the tempt- 
 ing festoons were no longer within their reach. 
 
 They were not going to leave the ground, how- 
 ever, without assuring themselves of this fact ; and 
 several of the largest approached boldly under the 
 scaffolds, and commenced leaping up to try the 
 height. 
 
 After several attempts, springing each time as 
 high as they were able, they appeared to grow dis- 
 couraged ; and no doubt would in time have imitated 
 the fox with the grapes, and gone quietly away. 
 But Von Bloom, indignant at being roused after such 
 a fashion from his pleasant rest, was determined to 
 take some revenge upon his tormenters ; so he 
 whispered the word to the others, and a volley was 
 delivered from behind the tree. 
 
 The unexpected discharge caused a quick scatter- 
 ing of both hyenas and jackals, and the pattering of 
 their numerous feet could be heard as they ran off. 
 When the ground under the scaffold was examined, 
 
THE HIDEOUS HYENA. 159 
 
 two of the larger of these ravenous quadrupeds, and 
 one of the smaller, were found to have bitten the 
 dust. 
 
 Swartboy had discharged his arrow along with the 
 guns, and it was he that had slain the jackal, for the 
 poisoned shaft was seen sticking between the ani- 
 mal's ribs. 
 
 The guns were again loaded, the party took their 
 stations as before ; but, although they waited another 
 half-hour, neither hyena nor jackal made their appear- 
 ance. 
 
 They had not gone far away, however, as their 
 wild music testified; but the reason they did not 
 return was, that they had now discovered the half 
 carcass of the elephant that lay in the lake, and 
 upon that they were making their supper. Their 
 plunging in the water could be distinctly heard from 
 the camp, and during the whole night they quar- 
 relled and growled, and laughed and yelled, as they 
 gorged themselves on their ample prey. 
 
 Of course Yon Bloom and his people did not sit 
 up all night to listen to this medley of noises. As 
 soon as they perceived that the brutes were not 
 likely to come any more near the camp, they laid 
 aside their weapons, returned to their respective 
 sleeping-places, and were all soon buried in the sweet 
 slumber that follows a clay of healthy exercise. 
 
160 STALKING THE OUREBI. 
 
 \ 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 STALKING THE OUREBI. 
 
 NEXT morning the hyenas and jackals had disap- 
 peared from the scene, and, to the surprise of all, 
 not a particle of flesh was left upon the bones of the 
 elephant. There lay the huge skeleton picked clean, 
 the bones even polished white by the rough tongues 
 of the hyenas. Nay, still stranger to relate, two of 
 the horses these poor brutes had been long since 
 left to themselves had been pulled down during the 
 night, and their skeletons lay at a short distance 
 from the camp, as cleanly picked as that of the 
 elephant. 
 
 All this was evidence of the great number of rav- 
 enous creatures that must have their home in that 
 quarter ; evidence, too, that game animals abounded, 
 for where these are not numerous the beasts of prey 
 cannot exist. Indeed, from the quantity of tracks 
 that were . seen upon the shores of the vley, it was 
 evident that animals of various kinds had drunk 
 there during the night. There was the round solid 
 hoof of the quagga, and his near congener the dauw ; 
 and there was the neat hoof-print of the gemsbok, 
 and the larger track of the eland ; and among these 
 Von Bloom did not fail to notice the spoor of the 
 dreaded lion. Although they had not heard his 
 
STALKING THE OUREBI. 165 
 
 for a similar purpose. To his chagrin it was- not 
 there. 
 
 He dived into both pockets of his jacket, then into 
 his wide trousers * then under the breast of his waist- 
 coat. No. The handkerchief was not to be found. 
 Alas- ! 'it had been left in the wagon. It was very 
 annoying. 
 
 What else could he make use of? Take off his 
 jacket and hold it up ? It was not gay enough in 
 color. It would not do. - 
 
 Should he raise his hat upon the end of his gun ? 
 That might be better, but still it would look too 
 much like the human form, and Hendrik knew that 
 all animals feared that. 
 
 A happy thought at length occurred to him. He 
 had heard that with the curious antelopes strange 
 forms or movements attract almost as much as glar- 
 ing colors. He remembered a trick that was said to 
 be practised with success by the hunters. It was 
 easy enough, and consisted merely in the hunter 
 standing upon his hands and head, and kicking his 
 heels in the air. 
 
 Now, Hendrik happened to be one of those very 
 boys who had often practised this little bit of gym- 
 nastics for amusement ; and he could stand upon his 
 head like an acrobat. 
 
 Without losing a moment, he placed his rifle upon 
 the ground between his hands, and, hoisting his feet 
 into the air, commenced kicking them about, clinking 
 them together, and crossing them in the most fan- 
 tastic manner. 
 
 He had placed himself so that his face was turned 
 
16G STALKING THE OUREBI. 
 
 towards the animals, while he stood upon his head 
 Of course he could not see them while in this posi- 
 tion, as the grass was a foot high ; but, at intervals, 
 he permitted his feet to descend to the earth ; anc 
 then, by looking between his legs, he could tell ho^ 
 the ruse was succeeding. 
 
 It did succeed. The buck, on first perceiving the 
 strange object, uttered a sharp whistle, and dartec 
 off with the swiftness of a bird for the " ourebi ; 
 is one of the swiftest of African antelopes. The do( 
 followed, though not so fast, and soon fell into the 
 rear. 
 
 The buck, perceiving this, suddenly halted, as if 
 ashamed of his want of gallantry, wheeled 'round 
 and galloped back, until he was once more betweer 
 the doe and the odd thing that had alarmed him. 
 
 What could this odd thing be, he now seemec 
 to inquire of himself. It was not a lion, nor a leop 
 ard, nor a hyena, nor yet a jackal. It was neithe: 
 fox, nor fennec, nor earth-wolf, nor wild hound, no] 
 any of his well-known enemies. It was not a Bush 
 man, neither ; for they are not double-headed, as ii 
 appeared. What could it be ? It had kept its place 
 it had not pursued him. Perhaps it was not ai 
 all dangerous. No doubt it was harmless enough. 
 
 So reasoned the ourebi. His curiosity overcame 
 his fear. He would go a little nearer. He wouk 
 have a better view of the thing before he took tc 
 flight. No matter what it was, it could do no hurl 
 at that distance; and as to overtaking him pah 
 there wasn't a creature, biped or quadruped, in ai 
 Africa, that he could not fling dust in the face of. 
 

 HENDRIK DECODING THE OUREBIS. Page 166. 
 
STALKING THE OUREBI. 16 1 
 
 So he went a little nearer, and then a little nearer 
 still, and continued to advance by successive runs, 
 now this way and now that way, zigzagging over 
 the plain, until he was within less than a hundred 
 paces of the odd object that at first sight had so 
 terrified him. 
 
 His companion, the doe, kept close after him, 
 and seemed quite as curious as himself her large 
 shining eyes opened to their full extent, as she 
 stopped to gaze at intervals. 
 
 Sometimes the two met each other in their course, 
 and halted a moment, as though they held consulta- 
 tion in whispers, and asked each other if they had 
 yet made out the character of the stranger. 
 
 It was evident, however, that neither had done so, 
 as they still continued to approach it with looks 
 and gestures of inquiry and wonder. 
 
 At length the odd olSject disappeared for a moment 
 under the grass; and then reappeared but this 
 time in an altered form. Something about it glanced 
 brightly under the sun, and this glancing quite fas- 
 cinated the buck, so that he could not stir from the 
 spot, but stood eying it steadily. 
 
 Fatal fascination ! It was his last gaze. A bright 
 flash shot up, something struck him through the 
 heart, and he saw the shining object no more. 
 
 The doe bounded forward to where her mate had 
 fallen, and stood bleating over him. She knew not 
 the cause of his sudden death, but she saw that he 
 was dead. The wound in his side, the stream of 
 red blood, were under her eyes. She had never 
 witnessed death in that form before, but she knew 
 
168 STALKING THE OUREBI. 
 
 her lover was- dead. His silence, his form stretchec 
 along the grass motionless and limber, his glassy 
 eyes, all told her he had ceased to live. 
 
 She would have fled, but she could not leave hin 
 she could not bear to part even from his lifelesi 
 form. She would remain a while, and mourn ove 
 him. 
 
 Her widowhood was a short one. Again flashe< 
 the priming, again cracked the shining tube, am 
 the sorrowing doe fell over upon the body of he 
 mate. 
 
 The young hunter rose to his feet, and ran foi 
 ward. He did not, according to usual custom, sto 
 to load before approaching his quarry. The plai 
 was perfectly level, and he saw no other animal upo: 
 it. What was his surprise, on reaching the antelopes 
 to perceive that there was a third one of the partj 
 still alive. 
 
 Yes, a little fawn, not taller than a rabbit, wa 
 bounding about through the grass, running aroun 
 the prostrate body of its mother, and uttering it 
 tiny bleat. 
 
 Hendrik was surprised, because he had not ol 
 served this creature before ; but, indeed, he had nc 
 seen much of the antelopes until the moment c 
 taking aim, and the grass had concealed the tin 
 young one. 
 
 Hunter as Hendrik was, he could not help feelin 
 strongly as he regarded the tableau before hin 
 But he felt that he had not wantonly destroyed thes 
 creatures for mere amusement, and that satisfied h 
 conscience. 
 
STALKING THE OUREBI. 169 
 
 The little fawn would make a famous pet for Jan, 
 who had often wished for one, to be equal with his 
 sister. It could be fed upon the cow's milk, and, 
 though it had lost both father and mother, Hendrik 
 resolved that it should be carefully brought up. He 
 had no difficulty in capturing it, as it refused to leave 
 the spot where its mother lay, and Hendrik soon 
 held the gentle creature in his arms. 
 
 He then tied the buck and doe together ; and, 
 having fastened a strong cord round the horns of 
 the latter, he set off, dragging the two antelopes 
 behind him. 
 
 As these lay upon the ground, heads foremost, 
 they were drawn ivith the grain of the hair, which 
 made it much easier ; and as there was nothing but 
 grass sward to be passed over, the young hunter 
 succeeded in taking the whole of his game to camp 
 without any great difficulty. 
 
 The joy of all was great, at seeing such a fine lot 
 of venison ; but Jan's rejoicing was greater than all, 
 and he no longer envied Triiey the possession of her 
 little gazelle. 
 
170 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 LITTLE JAN'S ADVENTURE. 
 
 IT would have been better that Jan had never 
 seen the little " ourebi," better both for Jan and 
 the antelope, for that night the innocent creature 
 was the cause of a terrible panic in the camp. 
 
 They had all gone to sleep as on the previous 
 night, Von Bloom and the four children in the 
 wagon, while the Bushman and Totty slept upon the 
 grass. The latter lay under the wagon ; but Swart- 
 boy had kindled a large fire a little distance from 
 it, and beside this had stretched himself, rolled up 
 in his sheep-skin kaross. 
 
 They had all gone to sleep without being disturbed 
 by the hyenas. This was easily accounted for. 
 The three horses that had been shot that day occu- 
 pied the attention of these gentry, for their hideous 
 voices could be heard off in the direction where the 
 carcasses lay. Having enough to give them a sup- 
 per, they found no occasion to risk themselves in 
 the neighborhood of the camp, where they had 
 experienced such a hostile reception on the previous 
 night. So reasoned Von Bloom, as he turned over 
 and fell asleep. 
 
 He did not reason correctly, however. It was 
 true that the hyenas were just then making a meal 
 
upon the horses ; but it was a mistake to suppose 
 that that would satisfy these ravenous brutes, who 
 never seem to have enough. Long before morning, 
 had Von Bloom been awake, he would have heard the 
 maniac laugh closer to the camp, and might have 
 seen the green eyes of the hyena glancing under the 
 expiring blaze of Swartboy's camp-fire. 
 
 Indeed, he had heard the beasts once that he 
 awoke ; but, knowing that the biltongue had been 
 this night placed out of their reach, and thinking 
 that there was nothing to which they could do any 
 harm, he gave no heed to their noisy demonstra- 
 tions, and went to sleep again. 
 
 He was awakened, however, by a shrill squeak, 
 as of some animal in the agonies of death ; and then 
 there was a second squeak, that seemed to be sud- 
 denly interrupted by the stifling of the creature's 
 utterance. 
 
 In these cries Von Bloom, as well as the others, 
 who were now also awake, recognized the bleat of 
 the ourebi, for they had heard it several times during 
 the afternoon. 
 
 " The hyenas are killing it ! " thought they. But 
 they had not time to say so, before another and far 
 different cry reached their ears, and caused them all 
 to start as if a bomb-shell had burst under the 
 wagon. That cry was the voice of Jan, and sounded 
 in the same direction whence came the scream of the 
 stifled antelope. 
 
 " heaven ! what could it mean ? " 
 
 The child's voice first reached them in a sudden 
 screech, then there was a confused noise resem- 
 
112 LITTLE JAN'S ADVENTURE. 
 
 bling a scuffle, and Jan was again heard crying 
 aloud for help, while at the same time his voice was 
 interrupted, and each call appeared to come from a 
 greater distance. Something or somebody was carry- 
 ing him off I 
 
 This idea occurred to Yon Bloom, Hans, and 
 Hendrik, at the same instant. Of course it filled 
 them with consternation ; and, as they were scarce 
 yet awake, they knew not what to do. 
 
 The cries of Jan, however, soon brought them to 
 their senses ; and to run towards the direction 
 whence these came was the first thought of all. 
 
 To grope for their guns would waste time, and all 
 three leaped out of the wagon without them. 
 
 Totty was upon her feet and jabbering, but she 
 knew no more than they what had happened. 
 
 They did not stop long to question her. The 
 voice of Swartboy, uttered in loud barks and clicks, 
 summoned them elsewhere ; and they now beheld a 
 red flaming brand rushing through the darkness, 
 which no doubt was carried in the hands of that 
 worthy. 
 
 They started off in the direction of the blazing 
 torch, and ran as fast as they could. They still 
 heard the Bushman's voice, and to their dismay 
 beyond it the screams of little Jan. 
 
 Of course they could not tell what was causing 
 all this. They only pressed on, with fearful appre- 
 hensions. 
 
 When they had got within some fifty paces of the 
 torch, they perceived it suddenly descend, then 
 raised again, and again brought down, in a rapid 
 
113 
 
 and violent manner. They could hear the voice of 
 the Bushman barking and clicking louder than ever, 
 as though he was engaged in chastising some creature. 
 
 But Jan's voice they no longer heard he was 
 screaming no more ; was he dead ? 
 
 With terrible forebodings they rushed on. 
 
 When they arrived upon the spot, a singular pic- 
 ture presented itself to their eyes. Jan lay upon the 
 ground, close in by the roots of some bushes which 
 he was holding tightly in his grasp. From one of 
 his wrists extended a stout thong, or rheim, which 
 passed through among the bushes to the distance 
 of several feet, and fast to the other end was the 
 ourebi fawn, dead, and terribly mangled. Over the 
 spot stood Swartboy with his burning tree, which 
 blazed all the brighter that he had just been using it 
 over the back of a ravenous hyena. The latter was 
 not in sight. It had long since skulked off ; but no 
 one thought of pursuit, as all were too anxious about 
 Jan. 
 
 No time was lost in lifting the child to his feet. 
 The eyes of all ran eagerly over him to see where, 
 he was wounded, and an exclamation of joy soon 
 broke forth, when they saw that, except the scratches 
 of the thorns, and the deep track of a cord upon his 
 wrist, nothing in the shape of a wound could be dis- 
 covered upon tyts diminutive body. He had now 
 come to himself, and assured them all that he was 
 not hurt a bit. Hurra ! Jan was safe ! 
 
 It now fell to Jan's lot to explain all this myste- 
 rious business. 
 
 He had been lying in the wagon along with the 
 
114 LITTLE JAN'S ADVENTURE. 
 
 rest, but not, like them, asleep. No. He could not 
 sleep a wink for thinking on his new pet, which, for 
 want of room in the wagon, had been left below, tied 
 to one of the wheels. 
 
 Jan had taken it into his head that he would like 
 to have another look at the ourebi before going to 
 sleep. So, without saying a word to any one, he 
 crept out of the cap-tent, and descended to where 
 the antelope was tied. He unloosed it gently, and 
 then led it forward to the light of the fire, where he 
 sat down to admire the creature. 
 
 After gazing upon it for some time with delight, 
 he thought that Swartboy could not do otherwise 
 than share his feelings ; and, without more ado, he 
 shook the Bushman awake. 
 
 The latter had no great stomach for being roused 
 out of sleep to look at an animal, hundreds of which 
 he had eaten in his time. But Jan and Swartboy 
 were sworn friends, and the Bushman was not angry. 
 He therefore indulged his young master in the fancy 
 he had taken, and the two sat for a while conversing 
 about the pet. 
 
 At length Swartboy proposed sleep. Jan would 
 agree to this only upon the terms that Swartboy would 
 allow him to sleep alongside of him. He would 
 bring his blanket from the wagon, and would not 
 trouble Swartboy by requiring part of the latter's 
 kaross. 
 
 Swartboy objected at first, but Jan urged that he 
 had felt cold in the wagon, and that was partly why 
 he had come down to the fire. All this was sheer 
 cunning in the little imp. But Swartboy could not 
 
LITTLK JAN'ri ADVENTUKE. 
 
LITTLE JAN'S ADVENTURE. 175 
 
 refuse him anything, and at length consented. He 
 could see no harm in it, as there were no signs of 
 rain. 
 
 Jan then returned to the wagon, climbed noise- 
 lessly up, drew out his own blankets, and brought 
 them to the fire. He then wrapped himself up, and 
 lay down alongside of Swartboy, with the ourebi 
 standing near, and in such a situation that he could 
 still have his eyes upon it, even when lying. To 
 secure it from wandering, he had fastened a strong 
 rheim around its neck, the other end of which he had 
 looped tightly upon his own wrist. 
 
 He lay for some time contemplating his beautiful 
 pet. But sleep at length overcame him, and the im- 
 age of the ourebi melted before his eyes. 
 
 Beyond this, Jan could tell little of what happened 
 to him. He was awakened by a sudden jerking at 
 his wrist, and hearing the antelope scream. But he 
 had not quite opened his eyes before he felt himself 
 dragged violently over the ground. 
 
 He thought at first it was Swartboy playing some 
 trick upon him ; but, as he passed the fire, he saw 
 by its light that it was a huge black animal that had 
 seized the ourebi, and was dragging both him and it 
 along. 
 
 Of course he then began to scream for help, and 
 caught at everything he could to keep himself from 
 being carried away. But he could lay hold of nothing 
 until he found himself among thick bushes, and these 
 he seized and held with all his might. 
 
 He could not have held out long against the 
 strength of the hyena ; but it was just at that mo- 
 
176 
 
 ment that Swartboy came up with his firebrand, and 
 beat off the ravisher with a shower of blows. 
 
 When they got back to the light of the fire, they 
 found that Jan was all right. But che poor ourebi 
 it had been sadly mauled, and was now of no more 
 value than a dead rat. 
 
A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS. Iff 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS. 
 
 HYENAS are wolves, only wolves of a particular 
 kind. They have the same general haBits as wolves, 
 and much of their look. They have heavier heads, 
 broader, thicker muzzles, shorter and stouter necks, 
 and altogether a coarser and shaggier coat. One of 
 the most characteristic marks of the hyena is the 
 inequality in the development of its limbs. The 
 hind-legs appear weaker and shorter than the fore 
 ones, so that the rump is far lower than the should- 
 ers, and the line of the back, instead of being hori- 
 zontal, as in most animals, droops obliquely towards 
 the tail. 
 
 The short, thick neck, and strong jaws, are charac- 
 teristics ; the former so much so that in the days of 
 fabulous natural history the hyena was said to be 
 without cervical vertebras. Its thick neck and pow- 
 erful jaw-bones have their uses. It is by virtue of 
 these that the hyena can make a meal upon bones, 
 which would be of no use whatever to the ordinary 
 wolf, or other beast of prey. It can break almost the 
 largest and strongest joints, and not only extract 
 their marrow, but crush the bones themselves, and 
 swallow them as food. Here, again, we have proof 
 of nature's design. It is just where these large 
 12 
 
178 A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS. 
 
 bones are found in greatest plenty that we find the 
 hyena. Nature suffers nothing to be wasted. 
 
 Hyenas are the wolves of Africa ; that is ; they are 
 in Africa the representatives of the large wolf, which 
 does not exist there. It is true the jackal is a wolf 
 in every respect, but only a small one ; and there is 
 no true wolf in Africa of the large kind, such as the 
 gaunt robber of the Pyrenees, or his twin brother of 
 America. But the hyena is the wolf of Africa. 
 
 And of all wolves he is the ugliest and most brute- 
 like. There is not a graceful or beautiful bit about 
 him. In fact, I was about to pronounce him the ug- 
 liest animal in creation, when the baboons came into 
 my mind. They, of course, exhibit the ne plus ultra 
 of ugliness ; and indeed the hyenas are not at all un- 
 like them in general aspect, as well as in some of 
 their habits. Some early writers even classed them 
 together. 
 
 Now, we have been speaking of the hyena as if 
 there was but one species. For a long time but one 
 was known, the common or "striped hyena " (Hy- 
 ena vulgaris), and it was about this one that so 
 many false stories have been told. Perhaps no other 
 animal has held so conspicuous a place in the world 
 of mystery and horror. Neither vampire nor dragon 
 have surpassed him. Our ancestors believed that he 
 could fascinate any one with his glance, lure them 
 after him, and then devour them ; that he changed 
 his sex every year ; that he could transform himself 
 into a comely youth, and thus beguile young maidens 
 off into the woods to be eaten up ; that he could im- 
 itate the human voice perfectly ; that it was his cus- 
 
A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS. 179 
 
 torn to conceal himself near a house, listen until the 
 name of one of the family should be mentioned, then 
 call out as if for assistance, pronouncing the name 
 he had heard, and imitating the cries of one in dis- 
 tress. This would bring out the person called, who, 
 of course, on reaching the spot, would find only a 
 fierce hyena ready to devour him. 
 
 Strange as it may seem, all these absurd stories 
 were once very generally believed ; and, strange as 
 it may seem in me to say, not one of them but has 
 some foundation. Exaggerated as they are, they all 
 owe their origin to natural facts. There is a. pecu- 
 liarity about the glance of the hyena that has given 
 birth to the notion of his possessing the power to 
 1 ' charm," or fascinate ; there are peculiarities about 
 his conformation that have led to the belief in a 
 change of sex ; there is a peculiarity about the ani- 
 mal's voice that might well gain him credit for 
 imitating the human voice, for the simple reason 
 that the former bears a very near resemblance to 
 the latter. I do not say that the voice of the hyena 
 is like the ordinary human voice, but there are some 
 voices it does exactly resemble. I am acquainted 
 with several people who have hyena voices. In fact, 
 one of the closest imitations of a human laugh is 
 that of the " spotted hyena. " No one can hear it, 
 hideous as it is, without being amused at its close 
 approximation to the utterance of a human being. 
 There is a dash of the maniac in its tones, and it re- 
 minds me of the sharp, metallic ring which I have 
 noticed in the voices of negroes. I have already 
 
 <<* 
 
 
180 A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS. 
 
 * 
 
 compared it to what I should fancy would be the 
 laugh of a maniac negro. 
 
 The striped hyena, although the best known, is, in 
 my opinion, the least interesting of his kind. He is 
 more widely distributed than any of his congeners. 
 Found in most parts of Africa, he is also an Asiatic 
 animal, is common enough throughout all the south- 
 ern countries of Asia, and is even found as far north 
 as the Caucasus and the Altai. He is the only spe- 
 cies that exists in Asia. All the others are natives 
 of Africa, which is the true home of the hyena. 
 
 Naturalists admit but three species of hyena. I 
 have not the slightest doubt that there are twice that 
 number, as distinct from each other as these three 
 are. Five, at least, I know, without reckoning as 
 hyenas either the " wild hound " of the Cape, or the 
 little burrowing hyena (Proteles), both of which we 
 shall no doubt meet with in the course of our hunt- 
 ing adventures. 
 
 First, then, we have the " striped " hyena, already 
 mentioned. He is usually of an ashy-gray color, 
 with a slight yellowish tinge, and a set of irregular 
 striae, or stripes of black or dark brown. These are 
 placed transversely to the length of his body, or 
 rather obliquely, following nearly the direction of the 
 ribs. They are not equally well defined or conspic- 
 uous in different individuals of the species. The 
 hair, like that of all hyenas, is long, harsh, and 
 shaggy, but longer over the neck, shoulders, and 
 back, where it forms a mane. This becomes erect 
 when the animal is excited. The same may be ob- 
 served among dogs. 
 
A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS. 181 
 
 The common hyena is far from being either strong 
 or brave, when compared with the others of his kind. 
 He is, in fact, the weakest and least ferocious of the 
 family. He is sufficiently voracious, but lives chiefly 
 on carrion, and will not dare attack living creatures 
 of half his own strength. He preys only on the 
 snallest quadrupeds, and with all his voracity he is 
 an arrant poltroon. A child of ten years will easily 
 put him to flight. 
 
 A second species is the hyena which so much an- 
 noyed the celebrated Bruce, while travelling in Ab* 
 yssinia, and may be appropriately named " Brace's 
 hyena." This is also a striped hyena, and nearly all 
 naturalists have set him down as of the same species 
 with the Hyena vulgaris. Excepting the " stripes," 
 there is no resemblance whatever between the two 
 species; and even these are differently arranged, 
 while the ground-color also differs. 
 
 Bruce's hyena is nearly twice the size of the com- 
 mon kind, with twice his strength, courage, and 
 ferocity. The former will attack not only large 
 quadrupeds, but man himself ; will enter houses by 
 night, even villages, and carry off domestic animals 
 and children. 
 
 Incredible as these statements may appear, about 
 their truth there can be no doubt ; such occurrences 
 are by no means rare. 
 
 This hyena has the reputation of entering grave- 
 yards, and disinterring the dead bodies to feed upon 
 them. Some naturalists have denied this. For what 
 reason? It is well known that in many parts of 
 Africa the dead are not interred, but thrown out on 
 
 
182 A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS. 
 
 the plains. It is equally well known that the hyenas 
 devour the bodies so exposed. It is known, too, 
 that the hyena is a " terrier " a burrowing animal. 
 What is there strange or improbable in supposing 
 that it burrows to get at the bodies, its natural food ? 
 The wolf does so, the jackal, the coyote, ay, even 
 the dog. I have seen all of them at it on the battle- 
 field. Why not the hyena ? 
 
 A third species is very distinct from either of the 
 two described the "spotted hyena " (Hyena cro- 
 cuta). This is also sometimes called the " laughing " 
 hyena, from the peculiarity we have had occasion to 
 speak of. This species in general color is not un- 
 like the common kind, except that instead of stripes 
 his sides are covered with spots. He is larger than 
 the Hyena vulgaris, and in character resembles 
 Bruce 's, or the Abyssinian hyena. He is a native 
 of the southern half of Africa, where he is known 
 among the Dutch colonists as the " tiger-wolf/' while 
 the common hyena is by them simply called " wolf." 
 
 A fourth species is the " brown hyena " (Hyena 
 viltosa). The name "brown" hyena is not a good 
 one, as brown color is by no means a characteristic 
 of this animal. Hyena villosa, or "hairy hyena/' is 
 better, as the long, straight hair, falling down his 
 sides, gives him a peculiar aspect, and at once dis- 
 tinguishes him from any of the others. He is equally 
 as large and fierce as any, being of the size of a 
 St. Bernard mastiff ; but it is difficult to imagine how 
 any one could mistake jiim for either a striped or 
 spotted hyena. His color is dark brown or nearly 
 black above, and dirty gray beneath. In fact, in 
 
A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS. 183 
 
 general color and the arrangement of his hair, he is 
 not unlike a badger or wolverene. 
 
 And yet many naturalists describe this as being 
 of the same species as the common hyena the 
 learned De Blainville among the rest. The most 
 ignorant boor of South Africa for he is a South 
 African animal knows better than this. Their 
 very appellation of " straand-wolf " points out his 
 different habits and haunts ; for he is a sea-shore ani- 
 mal, and not even found in such places as are the 
 favorite resorts of the common hyena. 
 
 There is still another "brown hyena," which dif- 
 fers altogether from this one, and is an inhabitant of 
 the Great Desert. He is shorter-haired, and of uni- 
 form brown color, but like the rest in habits and gen- 
 eral character. No doubt, when the central parts of 
 Africa liave been thoroughly explored, several species 
 of hyena will be added to the list of those already 
 known. 
 
 The habits of the hyenas are not unlike those of 
 the larger wolves. They dwell in caves, or clefts of 
 rocks. Some of them use the burrows of other ani- 
 mals for their lair, which they can enlarge for them- 
 selves, as they are provided with burrowing claws. 
 
 They are not tree-climbers, as their claws are not 
 sufficiently retractile for that. It is in their teeth 
 their main dependence lies, and in the great strength 
 of their jaws. 
 
 Hyenas are solitary animals, though often troops 
 of them are seen together, attracted by the common 
 prey. A dozen or more will meet over a carcass, but 
 each goes his own way on leaving it. They are ex- 
 
184 A CHAPTER UPON HYENAS. 
 
 tremely voracious will eat up almost anything, even 
 scraps of leather or old shoes ! Bones they break and 
 swallow as though these were pieces of tender flesh. 
 They are bold, particularly with the poor natives, 
 who do not hunt them with a view to extermination. 
 They enter the miserable kraals of the natives, and 
 often carry off their children. It is positively true 
 that hundreds of children have been destroyed by 
 hyenas in Southern Africa. 
 
 It is difficult for you to comprehend why this is 
 permitted ; why there is not a war of extermination 
 carried on against the hyenas, until these brutes are 
 driven out of the land. You cannot comprehend 
 such a state of things, because you do not take into 
 account the difference between savage and civil- 
 ized existence. You will suppose that human life in 
 Africa is held of far less value than it is in England ; 
 but, if you thoroughly understood political science, 
 you would discover that many a law of civilized life 
 calls for its victims in far greater numbers than do 
 the hyenas. The empty review, the idle court fete, 
 the reception of an emperor, all require, as their nat- 
 ural sequence, the sacrifice of many lives. 
 
A HOUSE AMONG THE TREE-TOPS. 185 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 A HOUSE AMONG THE TREE-TOPS. 
 
 VON BLOOM now reflected that the hyenas were 
 likely to prove a great pest to him. No meat, nor 
 anything, would be safe from them ; even his very 
 children would be in danger, if left alone in the 
 camp ; and no doubt he would often be compelled 
 to leave them, as he would require the older ones 
 upon his hunting excursions. 
 
 There were other animals to be dreaded still more 
 than the hyenas. Even during that night they had 
 heard the roaring of lions down by the vley ; and, 
 when it was morning, the spoor showed that several 
 of these animals had drunk at the water. 
 
 How could he leave little Triiey his dear little 
 Triiey or Jan, who was not a bit bigger how 
 could he leave them in an open camp while such 
 monsters were roving about ? He could not think 
 of doing so. 
 
 He reflected what course he should pursue. At 
 first he thought of putting up a house. That would 
 necessarily be a work of time. There was no good 
 building material convenient. A stone house would 
 cost a great deal of labor, as the stones would have 
 to be carried nearly a mile, and in their hands, too. 
 That would never do, as Von Bloom might only 
 
186 A HOUSE AMONG THE TREE-TOPS. 
 
 remain a short while at that place. He might not 
 find many elephants there ; and, of course, would be 
 under the necessity of going elsewhere. 
 
 Why not build a log house ? you will say. That 
 would not be so much of a job, as part of the country 
 was well wooded, and they had an axe. 
 
 True, part of the country was wooded, but in a 
 particular manner. With the exception of the nwana- 
 trees, that stood at long distances apart, and reg- 
 ularly as if they had been planted, there was 
 nothing that deserved the name of timber. All the 
 rest was mere " bush/' a thorny jungle of mimosas, 
 euphorbias, arborescent aloes, strelitzias, and the 
 horrid zamia plants, beautiful enough to the eye, but 
 of no utility whatever in the building of a house. 
 The nwanas, of course, were too large for house-logs. 
 To have felled one of them would have been a task 
 equal almost to the building of a house ; and to have 
 made planks of them would have required a steam 
 saw-mill. A log house was not to be thought of 
 either. 
 
 Now, a frail structure of poles and thatch would 
 not have given sufficient security. An angry rhi- 
 noceros, or elephant, would level such a house to 
 the ground in a few moments. 
 
 Suppose, too, that there were man-eaters in the 
 neighborhood. Swartboy believed that there were, 
 and that that region was notorious for them. As it 
 was not far from Swartboy's native country, Yon 
 Bloom, who had reason to believe what the Bushman 
 told him, was inclined to credit this. What protec- 
 
A HOUSE AMONG THE TREE-TOPS. 18t 
 
 tion would a frail house afford against the man-eater ? 
 Not much, indeed. 
 
 Von Bloom was puzzled and perplexed. He could 
 not commence his hunting excursions until this ques- 
 tion was settled. Some place must be prepared, 
 where the children would be safe during his absence. 
 
 While revolving the subject in his mind, he hap- 
 pened to cast his eyes upward among the branches 
 of the nwana-tree. All at once his attention became 
 fixed upon those huge limbs, for they had awakened 
 within him a strange memory. He remembered hav- 
 ing heard that, in some parts of the country, and 
 perhaps riot very far from where he then was, the 
 natives live in trees. That sometimes a whole tribe, 
 of fifty or more, make their home in a single tree ; and 
 do so to secure themselves against savage beasts, and 
 sometimes equally savage men. That they build 
 their houses upon platforms, which they erect upon 
 the horizontal branches ; and that they ascend by 
 means of ladders, which are' drawn up after them at 
 night when they go to rest. 
 
 All this Von Bloom had heard, and all of it is pos- 
 itively true. Of course the reflection occurred to 
 him, why could he not do the same ? Why could he 
 not build a house in the gigantic nwana? That 
 would give him all the security he desired. There 
 they could all sleep with perfect confidence of safety. 
 There, on going out to hunt, he could leave the chil- 
 dren, with the certainty of finding them on his re- 
 turn. An admirable idea ! how about its practica- 
 bility ? 
 
 He began to consider this. If he only had planks 
 
188 A HOUSE AMONG THE TREE-TOPS. 
 
 to make a staging, or platform, the rest would be 
 easy. Any slight roof would be sufficient up there. 
 The leaves almost formed a roof. But the flooring, 
 this was the difficulty. Where were planks to be 
 got ? Nowhere, in that neighborhood. 
 
 His eye at that moment chanced to fall upon the 
 wagon. Ha ! there were planks there. But to 
 break up his beautiful wagon ? No no no ! Such 
 a thing was not to be thought of. 
 
 But, stay 1 there was no need to break it up, no 
 need to knock out a single nail. It would serve 
 every purpose without breaking a splinter off it. The 
 fine vehicle was made to take to pieces and put up 
 again at will. 
 
 He could take it to pieces. The broad bottom 
 alone should remain whole. That, of itself, would be 
 the platform. Hurra ! 
 
 The field-cornet, excited with the development of 
 this fine plan, now communicated it to the others. 
 All agreed that it was just the thing ; and, as the 
 day was before them, they made no more ado, but 
 set about carrying out the design. 
 
 A ladder thirty feet long had first to be constructed. 
 This occupied a good while ; but at length a stout 
 rough article was knocked up, which served the 
 purpose admirably. It gave them access to the 
 lowermost limb ; and from this they could construct 
 steps to all the others. 
 
 Von Bloom ascended, and, after careful examina- 
 tion, chose the site of the platform. This was to 
 rest upon two strong horizontal limbs of equal height, 
 and diverging very gradually from each other. The 
 
A HOUSE AMONG THE TREE-TOPS. 189 
 
 quantity of thick branches in the great tree afforded 
 him a choice. 
 
 The wagon was now taken to pieces, a work of 
 only a few minutes, and the first thing hauled up 
 was the bottom. This was no slight performance, 
 and required all the strength of the camp. Strong 
 " rheims " were attached to one end, and these were 
 passed over a limb of the tree, still higher up than 
 those on which the staging was to rest. One stood 
 above to guide the huge piece of plankwork, while 
 all the rest exerted their strength upon the ropes 
 below. Even little Jan pulled with all his might, 
 though a single pound avoidupois weight would 
 have been about the measure of his strength. 
 
 The piece was hoisted up, until it rested beauti- 
 fully upon the supporting limbs ; and then a cheer 
 rose from below, and was answered by Swartboy 
 among the branches. 
 
 The heaviest part of the work was over. The 
 boxing of the wagon was passed up, piece by piece, 
 and set in its place just as before. Some branches 
 were lopped off, to make room for the cap-tent, and 
 then it was also hauled up and mounted. 
 
 By the time the sun set everything was in its 
 place, and the aerial house was ready for sleeping in. 
 In fact, that very night they slept in it ; or, as Hans 
 jocularly termed it, they all went to " roost." 
 
 But they did not consider their new habitation 
 quite complete as yet. Next day they continued to 
 labor upon it. By means of long poles they extended 
 their platform from the wagon quite up to the trunk 
 
190 A HOUSE AMONG THE TREE-TOPS. 
 
 of the tree, so as to give them a broad terrace to 
 move about upon. 
 
 The poles were fast wattled together by rods of 
 the beautiful weeping- willow (Salix Babylonica), 
 which is a native of these parts, and several trees of 
 which grew by the side of the vley. Upon the top 
 of all they laid a thick coating of clay, obtained 
 from the edge of the lake ; so that, if need be, they 
 could actually kindle a fire, and cook their suppers 
 in the tree. 
 
 To make a still finer flooring, they procured a 
 quantity of the material of which the ant-hills are 
 composed ; which, being of a glutinous nature, makes 
 a mortar almost as binding as Roman cement. 
 
 After the main building had been finished off, 
 Swartboy erected a platform for himself, and one for 
 Totty, in another part of the ample nwana. Above 
 each of these platforms he had constructed a roof, or 
 screen, to shelter their occupants from rain or dew. 
 
 There was something odd in the appearance of 
 these two screens, each of which was about the size 
 of an ordinary umbrella. Their oddity consisted in 
 the fact that they were ears of the elephant! 
 
THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS. 191 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS. 
 
 THERE was no longer anything to hinder the field- 
 cornet from commencing the real business of his new 
 life, namely, the hunting of the elephant. He re- 
 solved, therefore, to begin at once ; for until he 
 should succeed in " bagging" a few of these giant 
 animals, he was not easy in his mind. He might 
 not be able to kill a single one ; and then what 
 would become of all his grand hopes and calcula- 
 tions ? They would end in disappointment, and he 
 should find himself in as bad a condition as ever. 
 Indeed, worse : for to fail in any undertaking is not 
 only to lose time, but energy of mind. Success 
 begets genius, courage, and self-reliance all of 
 which contribute to new successes ; while failure 
 intimidates, and leads to despair. In a psychological 
 point of view it is a dangerous thing to fail in any 
 undertaking ; and, therefore, before undertaking any- 
 thing, one should be well assured of its being possi- 
 ble and practicable. 
 
 Now, Yon Bloom was not sure that the great de- 
 sign he had formed was practicable. But in this case 
 he had no choice. No other means of livelihood was 
 open to him just then ; and he had resolved to make 
 trial of this. He had faith in his calculations, and he 
 
192 THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS. 
 
 had also good reason to hope he would succeed ; but 
 the thing was yet untried. No wonder he was in 
 haste to begin the business in haste to know what 
 were his chances of success. 
 
 By early day, therefore, he was up and out. 
 Hendrik and Swartboy only accompanied him, for 
 he could not yet bring himself to leave the children 
 with no other protection than Totty almost as 
 much a child as themselves. Hans, therefore, re- 
 mained by the camp 
 
 At first the hunters followed the little rivulet that 
 ran from the spring and vley. They did so because 
 in this direction there was more " bush ; " and they 
 knew that elephants would be more likely to be 
 found in woods than in open places. Indeed, it 
 was only near the banks of the stream that any 
 great quantity of wood was to be seen. A broad 
 belt of jungle extended upon each side of it. After 
 that, there were straggling groves and clumps ; and 
 then came the open plains, almost treeless, though 
 covered with a rich carpet of grass for some dis- 
 tance further. To this succeeded the wild karoo, 
 stretching eastward and westward beyond the reach 
 of vision. Along the north, as already mentioned, 
 trended the line of "bluffs ; " and beyond these there 
 was nothing but the parched and waterless desert. 
 To the south there lay the only thing that could be 
 called " woods ; " and although such a low jungle 
 could lay no claim to the title of " forest," it was, 
 nevertheless, a likely enough haunt for elephants. 
 
 The trees consisted chiefly of mimosas of several 
 species ; upon the leaves, roots, and tender shoots 
 
THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS. 193 
 
 pf which the great ruminant loves to browse. There 
 were some " camel-doorn " trees, with their shady, 
 umbrella-like tops. But above all rose the massive 
 heads of the nwanas, giving a peculiar character to 
 the landscape. 
 
 The hunters noticed, as they went on, that the 
 channel of the rivulet became wider and larger, and 
 that at times no doubt after great rains a large 
 quantity of water must have run in its bed, form- 
 ing a considerable river. But as the channel grew 
 larger the reverse was the case with the quantity 
 of running water. The further down they proceeded 
 this became less and less ; until, at the distance of 
 a mile from camp, the current ceased altogether. 
 
 For half a mile further on they found water in 
 stagnant pools, but none running. The wide, dry 
 channel, however, continued on as before ; and the 
 " bush ;; extended on both sides without interrup- 
 tion, so thick that they could only make way by 
 keeping in the channel itself. 
 
 As they walked along, several kinds of small game 
 were started. Hendrik would gladly have taken a 
 shot at some of these, but his father would not per- 
 mit him to fire just then. It might frighten away 
 the great "game" they were in search of, and 
 which they might fall in with at any moment. On 
 their return, Hendrik might do his best ; and then 
 the field-cornet intended to assist him in procuring 
 an antelope, as there was no fresh venison in the 
 camp. This, however, was a consideration of sec- 
 ondary importance, and the first thing to be done 
 was to try and get a pair of tusks. 
 13 
 
194 THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS. 
 
 There was no objection to Swartboy using his 
 bow, as that silent weapon would cause no alarm. 
 Swartboy had been taken along to carry the axe and 
 other implements, as well as to assist in the hunt. 
 Of course he had brought his bow and quiver with 
 him, and he was constantly on the watch for some- 
 thing at which to let fly one of his little poisoned 
 arrows. 
 
 He found a mark, at length, worthy of his attention. 
 On crossing the plain, to avoid a large bend in the 
 channel, they came upon a glade or opening of con- 
 siderable size, and in the middle of this glade a huge 
 bird appeared standing erect. 
 
 " An ostrich ! " exclaimed Hendrik. 
 
 " No/ 7 replied Swartboy ; " um ar da pauw/ 7 
 
 " Yes/ 7 said Yon Bloom, confirming Swartboy 'a 
 statement, "it is the pauw." 
 
 Now, a " pauw/ 7 in the Dutch language, is a " pea- 
 cock/ 7 But there are no peacocks in Africa. The 
 peacock in its wild state inhabits only Southern Asia 
 and the islands of the Indian Archipelago. The bird 
 they saw, then, could not be a peacock. 
 
 Neither was it one. And yet it bore some resem- 
 blance to a peacock, with its long, heavy tail, and 
 wings speckled and ocellated in a very striking man- 
 ner, and something like the " marbled " feathers that 
 adorn the peacock's back. It had none of the bril- 
 liant colors, however, of that proudest of birds, 
 though it was quite as stately, and much larger and 
 taller. In fact, its great height and erect attitude 
 was why Hendrik at first glance had taken it for an 
 ostrich. It was neither peacock nor ostrich, but be- 
 
THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS. 195 
 
 longing to a different genus from either to the 
 genus Otis, or bustard. It was the great bustard of 
 South Africa, the Otis kori, called " pauw " by 
 the Dutch colonists, on account of itsocellated plum- 
 age, and other points of resemblance to the Indian 
 peacock. 
 
 Now, Swartboy, as well as Von Bloom, knew that 
 the pauw was one of the most delicious of fowls for 
 the table. .But they knew at the same time that it 
 was one of the shyest of birds, so shy that it is 
 very difficult to get even a long shot at one. How, 
 then, was it to be approached within range of the 
 Bushman's arrow ? That was the point to be con- 
 sidered. 
 
 Where it stood, it was full two hundred yards from 
 them ; and, had it perceived them, it would soon have 
 widened that distance by running off two hundred 
 more. I say running off, fcr birds of the bustard 
 family rarely take to wing, but use their long legs 
 to escape from an enemy. On this account they are 
 often hunted by dogs, and caught after a severe 
 chase. Although but poor flyers, they are splendid 
 runners, swift almost as the ostrich itself. 
 
 The pauw, however, had not observed the hunters 
 as yet. They had caught a glimpse of it before ap- 
 pearing out of the bushes, and had halted as soon as 
 they saw it. 
 
 How was Swartboy to approach it ? It was two 
 hundred yards from any cover, and the ground was as 
 clean as a new-raked meadow. True, the plain was 
 not a large one. Indeed, Swartboy was rather sur- 
 prised to see a pauw upon so small a one, for these 
 
196 THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS. 
 
 birds frequent only the wide open karoos, where they 
 can sight their enemy at a great distance. The 
 glade was not large, but, after watching the bustard 
 for some minutes, the hunters saw that it was re- 
 solved to keep near the centre, and showed no dis- 
 position to feed in the direction of the thicket on 
 either side. 
 
 Any one but a Bushman would have despaired of 
 getting a shot at this kori ; but Swartboy did not 
 despair. 
 
 Begging the others to remain quiet, he crept for- 
 ward to the edge of the jungle, and placed himself 
 behind a thick leafy bush. He then commenced 
 uttering a call, exactly similar to that made by the 
 male of the kori when challenging an adversary to 
 combat. 
 
 Like the grouse, the bustard is polygamous, and of 
 course terribly jealous and pugnacious, at certain 
 seasons of the year. Swartboy knew that it was just 
 then the "fighting season " among the pauws, and 
 hoped by imitating their challenge to draw the bird 
 a cock he saw it was within reach of his arrow. 
 
 As soon as the kori heard the call, he raised him- 
 self to his full height, spread his immense tail, 
 dropped his wings until the primary feathers trailed 
 along the grass, and replied to the challenge. 
 
 But what now astonished Swartboy was, that in- 
 stead of one answer to his call, he fancied he heard 
 two, simultaneously uttered I 
 
 It proved to be no fancy, for before he could repeat 
 the decoy the bird again gave out its note of defiance, 
 
THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS. 197 
 
 and was answered by a similar call from another 
 quarter ! 
 
 Swartboy looked in the direction whence came the 
 latter, and there, sure enough, was a second kori, 
 that seemed to have dropped from the region of the 
 clouds, or, more likely, had run out from the shelter 
 of the bushes. At all events, it was a good way 
 towards the centre of the plain, before the hunter 
 had observed it. 
 
 The two were now in full view of each other, and 
 by their movements any one might see that a com- 
 bat was certain to come off. . _ 
 
 Sure of this, Swartboy did not call again, but re- 
 mained silent behind his bush. 
 
 After a good while spent in strutting and wheeling 
 round and round, and putting themselves in the most 
 threatening attitudes, and uttering the most insult- 
 ing expressions, the two koris became sufficiently 
 provoked to begin the battle. They " clinched " in 
 gallant style, using all three weapons wings, beak, 
 and feet. Now they struck each other with their 
 wings, now pecked with their bills ; and at intervals, 
 when a good opportunity offered, gave each other a 
 smart kick which, with their long muscular legs, 
 they were enabled to deliver with considerable force. 
 
 Swartboy knew that when they were well into the 
 fight he might stalk in upon them unobserved ; so 
 he waited patiently till the proper moment ihould 
 arrive. 
 
 In a few seconds it became evident he would not 
 have to move from his ambush, for the birds were 
 
198 THE BATTLE OF THE WILD PEACOCKS. 
 
 fighting towards him. He adjusted his arrow to the 
 string, and waited. 
 
 In five minutes the birds were fighting within thirty 
 yards of the spot where the Bushman lay. The twang 
 of a bowstring might have been heard by one of the 
 koris, had he been listening. The other could not 
 possibly have heard it, for before the sound could 
 have reached him a poisoned arrow was sticking 
 through his ears. The barb had passed through, and 
 the shaft remained in his head, piercing it crosswise. 
 
 Of course the bird dropped dead upon the grass, 
 le*ss astonished than his antagonist. 
 
 The latter at first imagined he had done it, and be- 
 gan to strut very triumphantly around his fallen foe. 
 
 But his eye now fell upon the arrow sticking 
 through the head of the latter. He knew nothing 
 about that. He had not done that! What the 
 deuce 
 
 Perhaps, if he had been allowed another moment's 
 reflection, he would have taken to his heels ; but be- 
 fore he could make up his mind about the matter, 
 there was another "twang' 7 of the bowstring, 
 another arrow whistled through the air, and another 
 kori lay stretched upon the grass. 
 
 Swartboy now rushed forward and took possession 
 of the game, which proved to be a pair of young 
 cocks, in prime condition for roasting. 
 
 Haf!ng hung the birds over a high branch, so as 
 to secure them from jackals and hyenas, the hunters 
 continued on ; and shortly after, having reentered 
 the channel of the stream, continued to follow it 
 downward. 
 
UPON THE SPOOR. 199 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 UPON THE SPOOR. 
 
 THEY had not gone above a hundred yards further, 
 when they came to one of the pools already spoken 
 of. It was a tolerably large one, and the mud around 
 its edges bore the hoof-prints of numerous animals. 
 This the hunters saw from a distance, but, on reach- 
 ing the spot, Swartboy, a little in the advance, turned 
 suddenly round, and, with rolling orbs and quivering 
 lips, clicked out the words 
 
 "Mem baas ! mein baas! da klow ! spoor ob da 
 groot olifant ! " 
 
 There was no danger of mistaking the spoor of the 
 elephant for that of any other creature. There, sure 
 enough, were the great round tracks, full twenty-four 
 inches in length, and nearly as wide, deeply imprinted 
 in the mud by the enormous weight of the animal's 
 body. Each formed an immense hole, large enough 
 to have set a gate-post in. 
 
 The hunters contemplated the spoor with emotions 
 of pleasure the more so that the tracks had been 
 recently made. This was evident. The displaced 
 mud had not yet crusted, but looked damp and fresh. 
 It had been stirred within the hour. 
 
 Only one elephant had visited the pool that night. 
 There were many old tracks, but only one fresh 
 spoor, and that of an old and very large bull. 
 
200 UPON THE SPOOR. 
 
 Of course the tracks told this much. To make a 
 spoor twenty-four inches long, requires the animal to 
 be a very large one ; and to be very large, he should 
 be a bull, and an old one too. 
 
 Well, the older and larger the better, provided 
 his tusks have not been broken by some accident. 
 When that happens, they are never recovered again. 
 The elephant does cast his tusks, but only in the ju- 
 venile state, when they are not bigger than lobster's 
 claws ; and the pair that succeeds these is permanent, 
 and has to last him for life perhaps for centuries, 
 for no one can tell how long the mighty elephant 
 roams over this sublunary planet. 
 
 When the tusks get broken a not uncommon 
 thing he must remain toothless, or " tuskless," for 
 the rest of his life. Although the elephant may con- 
 sider the loss of his huge tusks a great calamity, 
 were he only a little wiser he would break them off 
 against the first tree. It would, in all probability, 
 be the means of prolonging his life ; for the hunter 
 would not then consider him worth the ammunition 
 it usually takes to kill him. 
 
 After a short consultation among the hunters, 
 Swartboy started off upon the spoor, followed by 
 Von Bloom and Hendrik. It led straight out from 
 the channel, and across the jungle. 
 
 Usually the bushes mark the course of an elephant, 
 where these are of the sort he feeds upon. In this 
 case he had not fed ; but the Bushman, who could 
 follow spoor with a hound, had no difficulty in keep- 
 ing on the track as fast as the three were able to 
 travel. 
 
UPON THE SPOOR. 201 
 
 They emerged into open glades, and after passing 
 though several of these, came upon a large ant-hill 
 that stood in the middle of one of the openings. The 
 elephant had passed close to the ant-hill ; he had 
 stopped there a while stay, he must have lain 
 down. 
 
 Von Bloom did not know that elephants were in 
 the habit of lying down. He had always heard it 
 said that they slept standing. Swartboy knew better 
 than that. He said that they sometimes slept stand- 
 ing, but oftener lay down, especially in districts 
 where they were not much hunted. Swartboy consid- 
 ered it a good sign that this one had lain down. He 
 reasoned from it that the elephants had not been dis- 
 turbed in that neighborhood, and would be the more 
 easily approached and killed. They would be less 
 likely to make off from that part of the country, until 
 they, the hunters, had had a " good pull " out of them. 
 
 This last consideration was one of great importance. 
 In a district where elephants have been much hunted, 
 and have learnt what the crack of a gun signifies, a 
 single day's chase will often set them travelling, and 
 they will not bring up again until they have gone 
 far beyond the reach of the hunters. Not only the 
 particular individuals that have been chased act in 
 this way, but all the others, as though warned by 
 their companions, until not an elephant remains in 
 the district. This migratory habit is one of the chief 
 difficulties which the elephant-hunter must needs en- 
 counter ; and, when it occurs, he has no other 
 resource but to change his " sphere of action." 
 On the other hand, where elephants have remained 
 
202 UPON THE SPOOR. 
 
 for a long time undisturbed the report of a gun does 
 not terrify them, and they will bear a good deal of 
 hunting before " showing their heels " and leaving 
 the place. 
 
 Swartboy, therefore, rejoiced on perceiving that 
 the old bull had lain down. The Bushman drew a 
 world of conclusions from that circumstance. 
 
 That the elephant had been lying was clear enough. 
 The abrasion upon the stiff mud of the ant-heap 
 showed where his back had rested ; the mark of his 
 body was visible in the dust, and a groove-like fur- 
 row in the turf had been made by his huge tusk. A 
 huge one it must have been, as the impression of it 
 testified to the keen eyes of the Bushman. 
 
 Swartboy stated some curious facts about the great 
 quadruped, at least, what he alleged to be facts. 
 They were, that the elephant never attempts to lie 
 down without having something to lean his shoulders 
 against, a rock, an ant-hill, or a tree ; that he does 
 this to prevent himself from rolling over on his back ; 
 that when he does by accident get into that position, 
 he has great difficulty in rising again, and is almost 
 as helpless as a turtle ; and, lastly, that he often 
 sleeps standing beside a tree, with the whole weight 
 of his body leaning against the trunk. 
 
 Swartboy did not think that he leans against the 
 trunk when first taking up his position, but that he 
 seeks the tree for the shade it affords, and as sleep 
 overcomes him he inclines towards it, finding that it 
 steadies and rests him. 
 
 The Bushman stated, moreover, that some ele- 
 phants have their favorite trees, to which they return 
 
UPON THE SPOOR. 203 
 
 again and again to take a nap during the hot mid-day 
 hours, for that is their time of repose. At night 
 they do not sleep. On the contrary, the hours of 
 night are spent in ranging about, on journeys to the 
 distant watering-places, and in feeding, though in 
 remote and quiet districts they also feed by day, 
 so that it is probable that most of their nocturnal 
 activity is the result of their dread of their watchful 
 enemy, man. 
 
 Swartboy communicated these facts as the hunters 
 all together followed upon the spoor. 
 
 The traces of the elephant were now of a different 
 character from what they had been before arriving at 
 the ant-hill. He had been browsing as he went. His 
 nap had brought a return of appetite, and the wait-a- 
 bit thorns showed the marks of his prehensile trunk. 
 Here and there branches were broken off, stripped 
 clean of their leaves, and the ligneous parts left upon 
 the ground. In several places whole trees were torn 
 up by their roots, and those, too, of considerable 
 size. This the elephant sometimes does to get at 
 their foliage, which upon such trees grows beyond 
 the reach of his proboscis. By prostrating them, of 
 course he gets their whole frondage within easy dis- 
 tance of his elastic nose, and can strip it off at 
 pleasure. At times, however, he tears up a tree to 
 make a meal of its roots, as there are several species 
 with sweet, juicy roots, of which the elephant is ex- 
 tremely fond. These he drags out of the ground 
 with his trunk, having first loosened them with his 
 tusks, used as crowbars. At times he fails to effect 
 his purpose, and it is only when the ground is loose 
 
204 UPON THE SPOOR. 
 
 or wet, as after great rains, that he can uproot the 
 larger kinds of mimosas. Sometimes he is capri- 
 cious, and, after drawing a tree from the ground, he 
 carries it many yards along with him, flings it to the 
 ground root upwards, and then leaves it, after taking 
 a single mouthful. Destructive to the forest is the 
 passage of a troop of elephants. 
 
 Small trees he can tear up with his trunk alone, 
 but to the larger ones he applies the more powerful 
 leverage of his tusks. These he inserts under the 
 roots, imbedded as they usually are in loose, sandy 
 earth, and then, with a quick jerk, he tosses roots, 
 trunk, and branches, high into the air ; a wonderful 
 exhibition of gigantic power. 
 
 The hunters saw all these proofs of it, as they fol- 
 lowed the spoor. The traces of the elephant's 
 strength were visible all along the route. 
 
 It was enough to beget fear and awe, and none of 
 them were free from such feelings. With so much 
 disposition to commit havoc and ruin in his moments 
 of quietude, what would such a creature be in the 
 hour of excitement and anger ? No wonder there 
 was fear in the hearts of the hunters, unpractised as 
 some of them were. 
 
 Still another consideration had its effect, upon their 
 minds, particularly on that of the Bushman. There 
 was every reason to believe that the animal was a 
 " rover " (rodeur), what among Indian hunters is 
 termed a " rogue." Elephants of this kind are far 
 more dangerous to approach than their fellows. In 
 fact, under ordinary circumstances, there is no more 
 danger in passing through a herd of elephants, than 
 
UPON THE SPOOK. 205 
 
 there would be in going among a drove of tame oxen. 
 It is only when the elephant has been attacked, or 
 wounded, that he becomes a dangerous enemy. 
 
 With regard to the " rover/ 7 or " rogue," the 
 case is quite different. He is habitually vicious ; 
 and will assail either man or any other animal on 
 sight, and without the slightest provocation. He 
 seems to take a pleasure in destruction ; and woe to 
 the creature who crosses his path and is not of 
 lighter heels than himself I 
 
 The rover leads a solitary life, rambling alone 
 through the forest, and never associating with others 
 of his kind. He appears to be a sort of outlaw from 
 his tribe, banished for bad temper or some other 
 fault, to become more fierce and wicked in his out- 
 lawry. 
 
 There were good reasons for fearing that the ele- 
 phant they were spooring was a " rover." His 
 being alone was of itself a suspicious circumstance, 
 as elephants usually go from two to twenty, or 
 even fifty, in a herd. The traces of ruin he had left 
 behind him, his immense spoor, all seemed to mark 
 him out as one of these fierce creatures. That such 
 existed in that district they already had evidence. 
 Swartboy alleged that the one killed by the rhinoce- 
 ros was of this class, else he would not have attacked 
 the latter as he had done. There was a good deal 
 of probability in this belief of the Bushman. 
 
 Under these impressions, then, it is less to be 
 wondered that our hunters felt some apprehensions 
 of danger from the game they were pursuing. 
 
 The spoor grew fresher and fresher. The hunters 
 
206 UPON THE SPOOR. 
 
 saw trees turned bottom upward, the roots exhibiting 
 the marks of the elephant's teeth, and still wet with 
 the saliva from his vast mouth. They saw broken 
 branches of the mimosas giving out their odor, that 
 had not had time to waste itself. They concluded 
 the game could not be distant. 
 
 They rounded a point of timber, the Bushman 
 being a little in the advance. 
 
 Suddenly Swartboy stopped and fell back a pace. 
 He turned his face upon his companions. His eyes 
 rolled faster than ever; but, although his lips ap- 
 peared to move, and his tongue to wag, he was too 
 excited to give utterance to a word. A volley of 
 clicks and hisses came forth, but nothing articulate. 
 
 The others, however, did not require any words to 
 tell them what was meant. They knew that Swart- 
 boy intended to whisper that he had seen " da 
 oliphant ; " so both peeped silently around the bush, 
 and with their own eyes looked upon the mighty 
 quadruped. 
 
A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 20f 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 
 
 THE elephant was standing in a grove of mokhalar 
 trees. These, unlike the humbler mimosas, have tall 
 naked stems, with heads of thick foliage, in form 
 resembling an umbrella or parasol. Their pinnate 
 leaves of delicate green are the favorite food of the 
 giraffe ; hence their botanical appellation of Acacia 
 giraffes ; and hence also their common name among 
 the Dutch hunters of " cameeldoorns " (camel- 
 thorns). 
 
 The tall giraffe, with his prehensile lip raised 
 nearly twenty feet in the air, can browse upon these 
 trees without difficulty. Not so the elephant, whose 
 trunk cannot reach so high ; and the latter would 
 often have tp , imitate the fox in the fable, were he 
 not possessed of a means whereby he can bring the 
 tempting morsel within reach that is, simply by 
 breaking down the tree. This his vast strength 
 enables him to do, unless when the trunk happens to 
 be one of the largest of its kind. 
 
 When the eyes of our hunters first rested upon the 
 elephant, he was standing by the head of a prostrate 
 mokhala, which he had just broken off near the root. 
 He was tearing away at the leaves, and filling his 
 capacious stomach. 
 
 .M- 
 
208 A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 
 
 As Boon as Swartboy recovered the control over 
 his tongue, he ejaculated, in a hurried whisper 
 
 "Pas op! (take care!) baas Bloom, hab good 
 care don't go near um he da skellum ole klow. 
 My footy ! he wicked ! I know de ole bull duy- 
 vel." 
 
 By this volley of queer phrases Swartboy meant 
 to caution his master against rashly approaching the 
 elephant, as he knew him to be one of the wicked 
 sort in short, a " rogue." 
 
 How Swartboy knew this would appear a mys- 
 tery, as there were no particular marks about the 
 animal to distinguish him from others of his kind. 
 But the Bushman, with his practised eye, saw some- 
 thing in the general physiognomy of the elephant 
 just as one may distinguish a fierce and dangerous 
 bull from those of milder disposition, or a bad from 
 a virtuous man, by some expression that one cannot 
 define. 
 
 Von Bloom himself, and even Hendrik, saw that 
 the elephant had a fierce and ruffian look. 
 
 They did not stand in need of Swartboy 's advice 
 to act with caution. 
 
 They remained for some minutes gazing through 
 the bushes at the huge quadruped. The more they 
 gazed, the more they became resolved to make an 
 attack upon him. The sight of his long tusks was 
 too tempting to Von Bloom to admit for a moment 
 the thought of letting him escape without a fight. 
 A couple of bullets he should have into him, at all 
 events ; and, if opportunity offered, a good many 
 more, should these not be sufficient. Von Bloom 
 
A RUG UK. ELEPHANT. 209 
 
 would not relinquish those fine tusks without a 
 struggle. 
 
 He at once set about considering the safest mode 
 of attack ; but was not allowed time to mature any 
 plan. The elephant appeared to be restless, and 
 was evidently about to move forward. He might be 
 off in a moment, and carry them after him for miles ; 
 or, perhaps, in the thick cover of wait-a-bits get lost 
 to them altogether. 
 
 These conjectures caused Yon Bloom to decide at 
 once upon beginning the attack, and without any 
 other plan than to stalk in as near as would be safe, 
 and deliver his fire. He had heard that a single 
 bullet in the forehead would kill any elephant ; and 
 if he could only get in such a position as to have a 
 fair shot at the animal's front, he believed he was 
 marksman enough to plant his bullet in the right 
 place. 
 
 He was mistaken as to killing an elephant with a 
 shot in the forehead. That is a notion of gentlemen 
 who have hunted the elephant in their closets, 
 though other closet gentlemen, the anatomists, to 
 whom give all due credit, have shown the thing to 
 be impossible, from the peculiar structure of the ele- 
 phant's skull and the position of his brain. 
 
 Von Bloom at the time was under this wrong 
 impression, and therefore committed a grand mistake. 
 Instead of seeking a side shot, which he could have 
 obtained with far less trouble, he decided on creep- 
 ing round in front of the elephant, and firing right in 
 the animal's face. 
 
 Leaving Hendrik and Swartboy to attack him 
 14 
 
210 A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 
 
 from behind, he took a circuit under cover of the 
 bushes ; and at length arrived in the path the 
 elephant was most likely to take. 
 
 He had scarcely gained his position, when he saw 
 the huge animal coming towards him with silent and 
 majestic tread ; and, although the elephant only 
 walked, half-a-dozen of his gigantic strides brought 
 him close up to the ambushed hunter. As yet the 
 creature uttered no cry ; but as he moved Von 
 Bloom could hear a rumbling, gurgling sound, as of 
 water dashing to and fro in his capacious stomach. 
 
 Von Bloom had taken up his position behind the 
 trunk, of a large tree. The elephant had not yet 
 seen him, and perhaps would have passed on with- 
 out knowing that he was there, had the hunter 
 permitted him. The latter even thought of such a 
 thing ; for, although a man of courage, the sight of 
 the great forest giant caused him for a moment to 
 quail. 
 
 But again the curving ivory gleamed in his eyes 
 again he remembered the object that had brought 
 him into that situation ; he thought of his fallen^for- 
 tunes of his resolve to retrieve them of his 
 children's welfare. 
 
 These thoughts resolved him. His long roer was 
 laid over a knot in the trunk, its muzzle pointed at 
 the forehead of the advancing elephant ; his eye 
 gleamed through the sights; the loud detonation 
 followed, and a cloud of smoke for a moment hid 
 everything from his view. 
 
 He could hear a hoarse, bellowing, trumpet-like 
 sound ; he could hear the crashing of branches 
 
A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 211 
 
 and the gurgling of water ; and, when the smoke 
 cleared away, to his chagrin he saw that the elephant 
 was still upon his feet, and evidently not injured in 
 the least. 
 
 The shot had struck the animal exactly where the 
 hunter had aimed it ; but, instead of inflicting a 
 mortal wound, it had only excited the creature to 
 extreme rage. He was now charging about, striking 
 the trees with his tusks, tearing branches ofi' and 
 tossing them aloft with his trunk, though all the 
 while evidently in ignorance of what had tickled him 
 so impertinently upon the forehead. 
 
 Fortunately for Von Bloom, a good thick tree 
 sheltered him from the view of the elephant. Had 
 the enraged animal caught sight of him at that 
 moment, it would have been all up with him ; but 
 the hunter knew this, and had the coolness to remain 
 close and quiet. 
 
 Not so with Swartboy. When the elephant moved 
 forward, he and Hendrik had crept after through the 
 grove of mokhalas. They had even followed him 
 across the open ground into the bush, where Yon 
 Bloom awaited him. On hearing the shot, and see- 
 ing that the elephant was still unhurt, Swartboy 's 
 courage gave way ; and, leaving Hendrik, he ran 
 back towards the mokhala grove, shouting as he 
 went. 
 
 His cries reached the ears of the elephant, that at 
 once rushed off in the direction in which he heard 
 them. In a moment he emerged from the bush, and, 
 seeing Swartboy upon the open ground, charged furi- 
 ously after the flying Bushman. Hendrik who had 
 
212 A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 
 
 stood his ground, and in the shelter of the bushes 
 was not perceived delivered his shot as the animal 
 passed him. His ball told upon the shoulder, but 
 it only served to increase the elephant's fury. With- 
 out stopping, he rushed on after Swartboy, believing, 
 no doubt, that the poor Bushman was the cause of 
 the hurts he was receiving, and the nature of which 
 he but ill understood. 
 
 It was but a few moments from the firing of the 
 first shot until things took this turn. Swartboy 
 was hardly clear of the bushes before the elephant 
 emerged also ; and, as the former struck out for the 
 mokhala-trees he was scarce six steps ahead of his 
 pursuer. 
 
 Swartboy's object was to get to the grove, in the 
 midst of which were several trees of large size. 
 One of these he proposed climbing, as that seemed 
 his only chance for safety. 
 
 He had not got half over the open ground, when 
 he perceived he would be too late. He heard the 
 heavy rush of the huge monster behind him ; he 
 heard his loud and vengeful bellowing; he fancied 
 he felt his hot breath. There was still a good dis- 
 tance to be run. The climbing of the tree,*beyond 
 the reach of the elephant's trunk, would occupy 
 time. There was no hope of escaping to the tree. 
 
 These reflections occurred almost instantaneously. 
 In ten seconds Swartboy arrived at the conclusion 
 that running to the tree would not save him ; and all 
 at once he stopped in his career, wheeled round, and 
 faced the elephant ! 
 
 Not that he had formed any plan of saving himself 
 
A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 213 
 
 in that way. It was not bravery, but only despair, 
 that caused him to turn upon his pursuer. He knew 
 that, by running on, he would surely be overtaken. 
 It could be no worse if he faced round ; and, per- 
 haps, he might avoid the fatal charge by some dex- 
 terous manoeuvre. 
 
 The Bushman was now right in the middle of the 
 open ground ; the elephant rushing straight towards 
 him. 
 
 The former had no weapon to oppose to his gigan- 
 tic pursuer. He had thrown away his bow his 
 axe too to run the more nimbly. But neither 
 would have been of any avail against such an an- 
 tagonist. He carried nothing but his sheepskin 
 kaross. That had encumbered him in his flight ; but 
 he had held on to it for a purpose. 
 
 His purpose was soon displayed. 
 
 He stood until the extended trunk was within 
 three feet of his face ; and then, flinging his kaross 
 so that it should fall over the long cylinder, he 
 sprang nimbly to one side, and started to run back. 
 
 He would, no doubt, have succeeded in passing to 
 the elephant's rear, and thus have escaped ; but as 
 the kaross fell upon the great trunk it was seized in 
 the latter, and swept suddenly around. Unfortu- 
 nately Swartboy's legs had not yet cleared the circle 
 the kaross lapped around them and the Bush- 
 man was thrown sprawling upon the plain. 
 
 In a moment the active Swartboy recovered his 
 feet, and was about to make off in a new direction. 
 But the elephant, having discovered the deception 
 of the kaross, had dropped it, and turned suddenly 
 
214 A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 
 
 after him. Swartboy had hardly made three steps, 
 when the long ivory curve was inserted between his 
 legs from behind, and the next moment his body 
 was pitched high into the air. 
 
 Von Bloom and Hendrik, who had just then 
 reached the edge of the glade, saw him go up ; but, 
 to their astonishment, he did not come to the ground 
 again ! Had he fallen back upon the elephant's 
 tusks, and was he held there by the trunk ? No. 
 They saw the animal's head. The Bushman was not 
 there, nor upon his back, nor anywhere to be seen. 
 In fact, the elephant seemed as much astonished as 
 they at the sudden disappearance of his victim. The 
 huge beast was turning his eyes in every direction, 
 as if searching for the object of his fury. 
 
 Where could Swartboy have gone ? Where ? At 
 this moment the elephant uttered a loud roar, and 
 was seen rushing to a tree, which he now caught in 
 his trunk, and shook violently. Yon Bloom and 
 Hendrik looked up towards its top, expecting to see 
 Swartboy there. 
 
 Sure enough he was there, perched among the 
 leaves and branches where he had been projected. 
 Terror was depicted in his countenance, for he felt 
 that he was not safe in his position. But he had 
 scarce time to give utterance to his fears ; for the 
 next moment the tree gave way with a crash, and 
 fell to the ground, bringing the Bushman down among 
 its branches. 
 
 It happened that the tree, dragged down by the 
 elephant's trunk, fell towards the animal. Swartboy 
 even touched the elephant's body in his descent, and 
 
A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 215 
 
 slipped down over his hind quarters. The branches 
 had broken the fall, and the Bushman was still 
 unhurt, but he felt that he was now quite, at the 
 mercy of his antagonist. He saw no chance of 
 escape by flight. He was lost ! 
 
 Just at that moment an idea entered his mind, 
 a sort of despairing instinct, and, springing at one 
 of the hind legs of the quadruped, he slung his arms 
 around it, and held fast. He at the same time 
 planted his naked feet upon the sabots of those of 
 the animal ; so that, by means of this support, he 
 was enabled to keep his hold, let the animal move as 
 it would. 
 
 The huge mammoth, unable to shake him off, 
 unable to get at him with his trunk, and, above 
 all, surprised and terrified by this novel mode of 
 attack, uttered a shrill . scream, and, with tail erect 
 and trunk high in air, dashed off into the jungle. 
 
 Swartboy held on to the leg until fairly within the 
 bushes ; and then, watching his opportunity, he 
 slipped gently off. As soon as he touched terra 
 firma again, he rose to his feet, and ran with all his 
 might in an opposite direction. 
 
 He need not have run a single step ; for the ele- 
 1 phant, as much frightened as he, kept on through 
 the jungle, laying waste the trees and branches 
 in his onward course. The huge quadruped did not 
 stop till he had put many miles between himself and 
 the scene of his disagreeable adventure. 
 
 Von Bloom and Hendrik had by this time reloaded, 
 and were advancing to Swartboy's rescue ; but they 
 
21 G A ROGUE ELEPHANT. 
 
 were met right in the teeth by the swift-flying Bush- 
 man, as he returned from his miraculous escape. 
 
 The hunters, who were now warmed to their work, 
 proposed to follow up the spoor ; but Swartboy, who 
 had had enough of that " old rogue," declared that 
 there would be not the slightest chance of again 
 coming up with him without horses or dogs ; and, as 
 they had neither, spooring him any further would be 
 quite useless. 
 
 Von Bloom saw that there was truth in the remark, 
 and now more than ever did he regret the loss of his 
 horses. The elephant, though easily overtaken on 
 horseback, or with dogs to bring him to bay, can as 
 easily escape from a hunter on foot ; and once he has 
 made up his mind to flight, it is quite a lost labor to 
 follow him further. 
 
 It was now too late in the day to seek for other 
 elephants ; and with a feeling of disappointment the 
 hunters gave up the chase, and turned their steps in 
 the direction of the camp. 
 
THE MISSING HUNTER, AND THE WILDEBEESTS. 21 Y 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 THE MISSING HUNTER, AND THE WILDEBEESTS. 
 
 A WELL-KNOWN proverb say s that "misfortunes 
 seldom come single. 7 ' 
 
 On nearing the camp, the hunters could perceive 
 that all was not right there. They saw Totty with 
 Truey and Jan standing by the head of the ladder ; 
 but there was something in their manner that told 
 that all was not right. Where was Hans ? 
 
 As soon as the hunters came in sight, Jan and 
 Truey ran down the rounds, and out to meet them. 
 There was that in their glances that bespoke ill 
 tidings, and their words soon confirmed this con- 
 jecture. 
 
 Hans was not there he had gone away hours 
 ago they knew not where, they feared something 
 had happened to him they feared he was lost. 
 
 "But what took him away from the camp?" 
 asked Von Bloom, surprised and troubled at the 
 news. 
 
 That, and only that, could they answer. A num- 
 ber of odd-looking animals very odd-looking, the 
 children said had come to the vley to drink. Hans 
 had taken his gun and followed them in a great hurry, 
 telling Triiey and Jan to keep in the tree, and not 
 
218 THE MISSING HUNTER, AND WILDEBEESTS. 
 
 come down until he returned. He would be gone 
 only a very little while, and they needn't fear. 
 
 This w3s all they knew. They could not even tell 
 what direction he had taken. He went by the lower 
 end of the vley ; but soon the bushes hid him from 
 their view, and they saw no more of him. 
 
 " At what time was it ? " 
 
 It was many hours ago, in the morning, in fact, 
 not long after the hunters themselves had started. 
 When he did not return the children grew uneasy ; 
 but they thought he had fallen in with papa and 
 Hendrik, and was helping them to hunt, and that 
 was the reason why he stayed so long. 
 
 " Had they heard any report of a gun ? " 
 
 No they had listened for that, but heard none. 
 The animals had gone away before Hans could get 
 his gun ready ; and they supposed he had to follow 
 some distance before he could overtake them that 
 might be the reason they had heard no shot. 
 
 " What sort of animals were they ? " 
 
 They had all seen them plain enough, as they 
 drank. They had never seen any of the kind before. 
 They were large animals, of a yellow-brown color, 
 with shaggy manes, and long tufts of hair growing 
 out of their breasts, and hanging down between their 
 fore legs. They were as big as ponies, said Jan, 
 and very like ponies. They curveted and capered 
 about just as ponies do sometimes. Triiey thought 
 that they looked more like lions. 
 
 " Lions ! " ejaculated her father and Hendrik, 
 with an accent that betokened alarm. 
 
THE MISSING HUNTER, AND WILDEBEESTS. 219 
 
 Indeed, they reminded her of lions, Triiey- again 
 affirmed, and Totty said the same. 
 
 " How many were there of them ? " 
 
 " ! a great drove not less than fifty." They 
 could not have counted them, as they were con- 
 stantly in motion, galloping from place to place, 
 and butting each other with their horns. 
 
 "Ha! they had horns then?" interrogated Von 
 Bloom, relieved by this announcement. 
 
 Certainly they had horns, replied all three. 
 
 They had seen the horns, sharp-pointed ones, 
 which first came down, and then turned upwards in 
 front of the animals' faces. They had manes, too, 
 Jan affirmed ; and thick necks that curved like that 
 of a beautiful horse ; and tufts of hair like brushes 
 upon their noses ; and nice round bodies like ponies ; 
 and long, white tails that reached near the ground, 
 just like the tails of ponies ; and finely-shaped limbs, 
 as ponies have. 
 
 "I tell you," continued Jan, with emphasis, "if 
 it hadn't been for their horns and the brushes of 
 long hair upon their breasts and noses, I'd have 
 taken them for ponies before anything. They gal- 
 loped about just like ponies when playing, and ran 
 with their heads down, curving their necks and toss- 
 ing their manes, ay, and snorting, too, as I ; ve 
 heard ponies ; but sometimes they bellowed more 
 like bulls ; and, I confess they looked a good deal 
 like bulls about the head ; besides, I noticed they had 
 hoofs split like cattle. ! I had a good look at them 
 while Hans was loading his gun. They stayed by 
 the water till he was nearly ready ; and when they 
 
220 THE MISSING HUNTER, AND WILDEBEESTS. 
 
 galloped off, they went in a long string, one behind 
 the other, with the largest one in front, and another 
 large one in the rear." 
 
 " Wildebeests I " exclaimed Hendrik. 
 
 " Gnoos ! " cried Swartboy. 
 
 " Yes, they must have been wildebeests," said 
 Yon Bloom ; " Jan's description corresponds exactly 
 to them." 
 
 This was quite true. Jan had correctly given 
 many of the characteristic points of that, perhaps, 
 the most singular of all ruminant animals, the wilde- 
 beest, or gnoo (Catoblepas gnoo). The brush-like 
 tuft over the muzzle, the long hair between the fore 
 legs, the horns curving down over the face, and then 
 sweeping abruptly upward, the thick curving neck, 
 the rounded, compact, horse-shaped body, the long 
 whitish tail, and full flowing mane all were de- 
 scriptive of the gnoo. 
 
 Even Triiey had not made such an unpardonable 
 mistake. The gnoos, and particularly the old bulls, 
 bear a very striking resemblance to the lion ; so much 
 so that the sharpest hunters at a distance can scarce 
 tell one from the other. 
 
 Jan, however, had observed them better than 
 Triiey ; and, had they been nearer, he might have 
 further noticed that the creatures had red, fiery eyes, 
 and a fierce look ; that their heads and horns were 
 not unlike those of the African buffalo ; that their 
 limbs resembled those of the stag, while the rest 
 corresponded well enough to his " pony." He might 
 have observed, moreover, that the males were larger 
 than the females, and of a deeper brown. Had there 
 
THE MISSING HUNTER, AND WILDEBEESTS. 221 
 
 been any " calves " with the herd, he would have 
 seen these were still lighter colored in fact, of a 
 white or cream color. 
 
 The gnoos that had been seen were the common 
 kind, called by the Dutch colonists "wildebeests," 
 or wild oxen, and by the Hottentots " gnoo," or 
 " gnu," from a hollow moaning sound to which these 
 creatures sometimes give utterance, and which is 
 represented by the word "gnoo-o-oo." 
 
 They roam in vast flocks upon the wild karoos of 
 South Africa ; are inoffensive animals, except when 
 wounded ; and then the old bulls are exceedingly 
 dangerous, and will attack the hunter both with 
 horns and hoof. They can run with great swiftness, 
 though they scarce ever go clear off, but, keeping at 
 a wary distance, circle around the hunter, curveting 
 in all directions, menacing with their heads lowered 
 to the ground, kicking up the dust with their heels, 
 and bellowing like bulls, or indeed like lions for 
 their "rout" bears a' resemblance to the lion's 
 roar. 
 
 The old bulls stand sentry while the herd is feed- 
 ing, and protect it both in front and rear. When 
 running off they usually go in single file, as Jan had 
 represented. 
 
 Old bulls hang between the rear of the herd and 
 the hunter; and these caper back and forward, but- 
 ting each other with their horns, and often fighting 
 apparently in serious earnest. Before the hunter 
 comes within range, however, they drop their con- 
 flict, and gallop out of his way. Nothing can exceed 
 
222 THE MISSING HUNTER, AND WILDEBEESTS. 
 
 the capricious antics which these animals indulge in, 
 while trooping over the plain. 
 
 There is a second species of the same genus com- 
 mon in South Africa, and a third inhabits still fur- 
 ther to the north ; but of the last very little is 
 known. Both species are larger than the wilde- 
 beest, individuals of either being nearly five feet in 
 height, while the common gnoo is scarce four. 
 
 The three kinds are quite distinct, and never herd 
 together, though each of them is often found in com- 
 pany with other animals. All three are peculiar to 
 the continent of Africa, and are not found else- 
 where. 
 
 The "brindled gnoo' 7 (Catoblepas gorgon) is the 
 other species that inhabits the south of Africa. It is 
 known among the hunters and colonists as " blauw 
 wildebeest" (blue wild ox). It is of a bluish color, 
 hence the name, and " brindled " or striped along 
 the sides. Its habits are very similar to those of 
 the common gnoo, but it is altogther a heavier and 
 duller animal, and still more eccentric and ungainly 
 in its form. 
 
 The third species (Catoblepas taurina) is the 
 " ko-koon " of the natives. It approaches nearer 
 to the brindled gnoo in form and habits ; but, as it 
 is not found except in the more central and less- 
 travelled portions of Africa, less is known about it 
 than either of the others. It is, however, of the 
 same kind ; and the three species, differing widely 
 from any other animals known, are entitled to form 
 a distinct and separate genus. 
 
 They have hitherto generally been classed with 
 
THE MISSING HUNTER, AND WILDEBEESTS. 223 
 
 the antelopes, though for what reason it is hard to 
 tell. They have far less affinity with the antelope 
 than with the ox ; and the every-day observations of 
 the hunter and frontier boor have guided them to a 
 similar conclusion as their name for these animals 
 (wild oxen) would imply. Observation of this class 
 is usually worth far more than the "speculations" 
 of the closet-naturalist. 
 
 The gnoo has long been the favorite food of the 
 frontier farmer and hunter. Its beef is well flavored, 
 and the veal of a gnoo-calf is quite a delicacy. The 
 hide is manufactured into harness and straps of dif- 
 ferent sorts ; and the long silky tail is an article of 
 commerce. Around every frontier farm-house large 
 piles of gnoo and spring-bok horns may be seen 
 the remains of animals that have been captured in 
 the chase. 
 
 " Jaging de wildebeest " (hunting the gnoo) is 
 a favorite pastime of the young boors. Large herds 
 of these animals are sometimes driven into valleys, 
 where they are hemmed in, and shot down at will. 
 They can also be lured within range, by exhibiting 
 a red handkerchief, or any piece of red cloth to 
 which color they have a strong aversion. They may 
 be tamed and domesticated easily enough ; but they 
 are not favorite pets with the farmer, who dreads 
 their communicating to his cattle a fatal skin dis- 
 ease, to which the gnoos are subject, and which car- 
 ries off thousands of them every year. 
 
 Of course Yon Bloom and his companions did not 
 stay to talk over these points. They were too 
 
224 THE MISSING HUNTER, AND WILDEBEESTS. 
 
 anxious about the fate of the missing Hans, to think 
 of anything else. 
 
 They were about to start out in search of him, 
 when just at that moment my gentleman was seen 
 coming around the end of the lake, trudging very 
 slowly along, under the weight of some large and 
 heavy object, that he carried upon his shoulders. 
 
 A shout of joy was raised, and in a few moments 
 Hans stood in their midst. 
 
THE ANT-EATER OP AFRICA. 225 
 
 CHAPTEK XXXI. 
 
 THE ANT-EATER OF AFRICA. 
 
 HANS was saluted by a volley of questions, "Where 
 have you been ? What detained you ? What has 
 happened to you ? You 're all safe and sound ? Not 
 hurt, I hope ? " These and a few others were asked 
 in a breath. 
 
 " 1 'm sound as a bell/' said Hans ; " and, for the 
 rest of your inquiries, I '11 answer them all as soon 
 as Swartboy has skinned this ' aard-vark,' and Totty 
 has cooked a piece of it for supper ; but I 'm too 
 hungry to talk now, so pray excuse me." 
 
 As Hans gave this reply, he cast from his shoul- 
 ders an animal nearly as big as a sheep, covered 
 with long bristly hair of a reddish-gray color, and 
 having a huge tail, thick at the root, and tapering 
 like a carrot ; a snout nearly a foot long, but quite 
 slender and naked ; a very small mouth ; erect pointed 
 ears, resembling a pair of horns ; a low, flattish body ; 
 short, muscular legs, and claws of immense length, 
 especially on the fore feet, where, instead of spread- 
 ing out, they were doubled back like shut fists, or 
 the fore hands of a monkey. Altogether a very odd 
 animal was that which Hans had styled an " aard- 
 vark/' and which he desired should be cooked for 
 supper. 
 
 15 
 
226 THE ANT-EATER OF AFRICA. 
 
 " Well, my boy," replied Von Bloom, " we '11 ex- 
 cuse you, the more so that we are all of us about as 
 hungry as yourself, I fancy. But I think we may 
 as well leave the ' aard-vark ' for to-morrow's din- 
 ner. We 've a couple of peacocks here, and Totty 
 will get one of them ready sooner than the aard- 
 vark." 
 
 " As for that," rejoined Hans, " I don't care which ; 
 I 'm just in the condition to eat anything, even a 
 steak of tough old quagga, if I had it ; but I think 
 it would be no harm if Swartboy that is, if you 're 
 not too tired, old Swart would just peel the skin 
 off this gentleman." 
 
 Hans pointed to the "aard-vark." 
 
 " And dress him so that he don't spoil," he con- 
 tinued ; " for you know, Swartboy, that he 's a tit- 
 bit, a regular bonne louche, and it would be a 
 pity to let him go to waste in this hot weather. An 
 aard-vark 's not to be bagged every day." 
 
 " You spreichen true, Mynheer Hans, Swartboy 
 know all dat. Him skin an dress da goup." 
 
 And, so saying, Swartboy out knife and set to 
 work upon the carcass. 
 
 Now, this singular-looking animal, which Hans 
 called an "aard-vark," and Swartboy a "goup," 
 was neither more nor less than the African ant-eater 
 (Orycteropus Capensis). 
 
 Although the colonists term it " aard-vark," which 
 is the Dutch for "ground-hog," the animal has but 
 little in common with the hog kind. It certainly 
 bears some resemblance to a pig about the snout 
 and cheeks ; and that, with its bristly hair and bur- 
 
THE ANT-EATER OF AFRICA. 22 1 
 
 rowing habits, has, no doubt, given rise to the mis- 
 taken name. The " ground " part of the title is from 
 the fact that it is a burrowing animal, indeed, one 
 of the best "terriers' 7 in the world. It can make 
 its way under ground faster than the spade can fol- 
 low it, and faster than any badger. In size, habits, 
 and the form of many parts of its body, it bears a 
 striking resemblance to its South American cousin, 
 the "tamanoir" (Myrmecophaga jubata), which of 
 late years has become so famous as almost to usurp 
 the title of "ant-eater." But the "aard-vark" is 
 just as good an ant-eater as he, can "crack" as 
 thick-walled a house, can rake up and devour as 
 many termites as any " ant-bear" in the length and 
 breadth of the Amazon valley. He has got, more- 
 over, as "tall" a tail as the tamanoir, very nearly 
 as long a snout, a mouth equally small, and a tongue 
 as extensive and extensile. In claws he can com- 
 pare with his American cousin, any day ; and can 
 walk just as awkwardly upon the sides of his fore 
 paws, with " toes turned in." 
 
 Why, then, may I ask, do we hear so much talk 
 of the "tamanoir," while not a word is said of the 
 "aard-vark"? Every museum and menagerie is 
 bragging about having a specimen of the former, 
 while not one cares to acknowledge their possession 
 of the latter. Why this envious distinction ? I say 
 it 's all Barnum. It '& because the " aard-vark " ; s a 
 Dutchman a Cape boor and the boors have been 
 much bullied of late. That 's the reason why zoolo- 
 gists and showmen have treated my thick-tailed boy 
 BO shabbily. But it shan't be so any longer ; I 
 
228 THE ANT-EATER OF AFRICA. 
 
 stand up for the aard-vark ; and, although the tama- 
 noir has been specially called Myrmecopliaga, or ant- 
 eater, I say that the Orycteropus is as good an ant- 
 eater as he. He can break through ant-hills quite 
 as big, and bigger, some of them twenty feet high, 
 he can project as long and as gluey a tongue, 
 twenty inches long, he can play it as nimbly, and 
 "lick up" as many white ants, as any tamanoir. 
 He can grow as fat, too, and weigh as heavy, and, 
 what is greatly to his credit, he can provide you 
 with a most delicate roast when you choose to kill 
 and eat him. It is true he tastes slightly of formic 
 acid, but that is just the flavor that epicures admire. 
 And when you come to speak of "hams," ah ! try 
 his ! Cure them well and properly, and eat one, and 
 you will never again talk of " Spanish," or " West- 
 phalian." 
 
 Hans knew the taste of those hams well he did, 
 and so, too, Swartboy ; and it was not against his 
 inclination, but con amore, that the latter set about 
 butchering the "goup." 
 
 Swartboy knew how precious a morsel he held be- 
 tween his fingers, precious not only on account 
 of its intrinsic goodness, but from its rarity ; for 
 although the aard-vark is a common animal in South 
 Africa, and in some districts even numerous, it is 
 not every day the hunter can lay his hands upon 
 one. On the contrary, the creature is most difficult 
 to capture ; though not to kill, for a blow on the 
 snout will do that. 
 
 But, just as he is easily killed when you catch 
 him, in the same proportion is he hard to catch. He 
 
THE ANT-EATER OF "AFRICA. 229 
 
 is shy and wary ; scarce ever comes out of his bur- 
 row but at night, and, even then, skulks so silently 
 along, and watches around him so sharply, that no 
 enemy can approach without his knowing it. His 
 eyes are very small, and, like most nocturnal ani- 
 mals, he sees but indifferently ; but in the two senses 
 of smell and hearing he is one of the sharpest. His 
 long erect ears enable him to catch every sound that 
 may be made in his neighborhood, however slight. 
 
 The " aard-vark" is not the only ant-eating quad- 
 ruped of South Africa. There is another four-footed 
 creature as fond of white ants as he ; but this is an 
 animal of very different appearance. It is a creature 
 without hair ; but, instead, its body is covered all 
 over with a regular coat of scales, each as large as 
 a half-crown piece. These scales slightly overlie 
 each other, and can be raised on end at the will of 
 the animal. In form it resembles a large lizard, or 
 a small crocodile, more than an ordinary quadruped, 
 but its habits are almost exactly like those of the 
 aard-vark. It burrows, digs open the ant-hills by 
 night, projects a long, viscous tongue among the 
 insects, and devours them with avidity. 
 
 When suddenly overtaken, and out of reach of its 
 underground retreat, it " clews " up like the hedge- 
 hog, and some species of the South American arma- 
 dillos, to which last animal it bears a considerable 
 resemblance, on account of its scaly coat of mail. 
 
 This ant-eater is known as the "pangolin," or 
 " manis ; " but there are several species of " pan- 
 golin " not African. Some are met with in Southern 
 Asia and the Indian islands. That which is found 
 
230 THE ANT-EATER OF AFRICA. 
 
 in South Africa is known among naturalists as the 
 "long-tailed," or " Temminck," pangolin (Manis 
 TemmincJcii) . 
 
 Totty soon produced a roasted "peacock," or 
 rather a hastily-broiled bustard. But, although, per- 
 haps, not cooked " to a turn," it was sufficiently well 
 done to satisfy the stomachs for which it was in- 
 tended. They were all too hungry to be fastidious, 
 and without a word of criticism they got through 
 their dinner. 
 
 Hans then commenced relating the history of his 
 day's adventure. 
 
HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST. 231 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST. 
 
 ," began Hans, "you had not been gone 
 more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was 
 seen approaching the vley. They came on in single 
 file ; but they had broken rank, and were splashing 
 about in the water, before I thought of molesting 
 them in any way. 
 
 " Of course I knew what they were, and that they 
 were proper game ; but I was so interested in watch- 
 ing their ludicrous gambols that I did not think 
 about my gun until the whole herd had nearly fin- 
 ished drinking. Then I remembered that we were 
 living on dry biltongue, and would be nothing the 
 worse of a change. I noticed, moreover, that in the 
 herd of gnoos there were some young ones, which I 
 was able to tell from their being smaller than the 
 rest, and also by their lighter color. I knew that 
 the flesh of these is most excellent eating, and there- 
 fore made up my mind we should all dine upon it. 
 
 " I rushed up the ladder for my gun, and then dis- 
 covered how imprudent I had been in not loading it 
 at the time you all went away. I had not thought 
 of any sudden emergency, but that was very fool- 
 ish, for how knew I what might happen in a single 
 hour, or minute, even ? 
 
232 HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST. 
 
 " I loaded the piece in a grand hurry, for I saw 
 the wildebeests leaving the water ; and, as soon as 
 the bullet was rammed home, I ran down the ladder. 
 Before I had reached the bottom I saw that I had 
 forgotten to bring either powder-horn or pouch. I 
 was in too hot haste to go back for them, for I saw 
 the last of the wildebeests moving off, and I fancied 
 I might be too late. But I had no intention of going 
 any great distance in pursuit. A single shot at 
 them was all I wanted, and that in the gun would do. 
 
 " I hastened after the game, keeping as well as I 
 could under cover. I found, after a little time, that 
 I need not have been so cautious. The wildebeests, 
 instead of being shy, as I had seen them in our 
 old neighborhood, appeared to have very little fear 
 of me. This was especially the case with the old 
 bulls, who capered and careered about within a 
 hundred yards 7 distance, and sometimes permitted 
 me to approach even nearer. It was plain they had 
 never been hunted. 
 
 " Once or twice I was within range of a pair of 
 old bulls, who seemed to act as a rear-guard. But I 
 did not want to shoot one of them. I knew their 
 flesh would turn out tough. I wished to get some- 
 thing more tender. I wished to send a bullet into a 
 heifer, or one of the young bulls, whose horns had 
 not yet begun to curve. Of these I saw several in 
 the herd. 
 
 " Tame as the animals were, I could not manage 
 to get near enough to any of these. The old bulls 
 at the head always led them beyond my range ; and 
 
HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST. 233 
 
 the two that brought up the rear seemed to drive 
 them forward as I advanced upon them. 
 
 "Well, in this way they beguiled me along for 
 more than a mile ; and the excitement of the chase 
 made me quite forget how wrong it was of me to go 
 so far from the camp. But, thinking about the meat, 
 and still hopeful of getting a shot, I kept on. 
 
 " At length the hunt led me into ground where 
 there was no longer any bush ; but there was good 
 cover, notwithstanding, in the ant-hills, that, like 
 great tents, stood at equal distances from each other 
 scattered over the plain. These were very large, 
 some of them more than twelve feet high, and 
 differing from the dome-shaped kind so common 
 everywhere. They were of the shape of large cones, 
 or rounded pyramids, with a number of smaller cones 
 rising around their bases, and clustering like turrets 
 along their sides. I knew they were the hills of a 
 species of white ant, called by entomologists Termes 
 bellicosus. 
 
 "There were other hills, of cylinder shape and 
 rounded tops," that stood only about a yard high, 
 looking like rolls of unbleached linen set upright, 
 each with an inverted basin upon its end. These 
 were the homes of a very different species, the Ter- 
 mes mordax of the entomologists ; though still 
 another species of Termes (T. atrox) build their 
 nests in the same form. 
 
 " I did not stop then to examine these curious 
 structures. I only speak of them now to give you 
 an idea of the sort of place it was, so that you may 
 understand what followed. 
 
234 HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST. 
 
 " What with the cone-shaped hills and the cylin- 
 ders, the plain was pretty well covered. One or the 
 other was met with every two hundred yards ; and 
 I fancied, with these for a shelter, I should have but 
 little difficulty in getting within shot of the gnoos. 
 
 " I made a circuit to head them, and crept up be- 
 hind a large cone-shaped hill, near which the thick 
 of the drove was feeding. When I peeped through 
 the turrets, to my chagrin, I saw that the cows and 
 younger ones had been drawn off beyond reach, and 
 the two old bulls were, as before, capering between 
 me and the herd. 
 
 " I repeated the manoeuvre, and stalked in behind 
 another large cone, close to which the beasts were 
 feeding. When I raised myself for a shot, I was 
 again disappointed. The herd had moved off as 
 before, and the brace of bulls still kept guard in the 
 rear. 
 
 " I began to feel provoked. The conduct of the 
 bulls annoyed me exceedingly, and I really fancied 
 that they knew it. Their manoeuvres were of the 
 oddest kind, and some of them appeared to be made 
 for the purpose of mocking me. At times they 
 would charge up very close, their heads set in a 
 menacing attitude ; and I must confess that, with 
 their black shaggy fronts, their sharp horns, and 
 glaring red eyes, they looked anything but pleasant 
 neighbors. 
 
 " I got so provoked with them, at last, that I re- 
 solved they should bother me no longer. If they 
 would not permit me to shoot one of the others, I 
 was determined they themselves^ should not escape 
 
HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST. 235 
 
 scot-free, but should pay dearly for their temerity 
 and insolence. I resolved to put a bullet through 
 one of them, at least. 
 
 "Just as I was about raising my gun to fire, I 
 perceived that they had placed themselves in atti- 
 tude for a new fight. This they did by dropping on 
 their knees, and sliding forward until their heads 
 came in contact. They would then spring up, make 
 a sudden bound forward, as if to get uppermost, and 
 trample one another with their hoofs. Failing in 
 this, both would rush past, until they were several 
 yards apart ; then wheel round, drop once more to 
 their knees, and advance as before. 
 
 "Hitherto I had looked upon these conflicts as 
 merely playful ; and so, I fancy, most of them were. 
 But this time the bulls seemed to be in earnest. The 
 loud cracking of their helmet-covered foreheads 
 against each other, their fierce snorting and bellow- 
 ing, and, above all, their angry manner, convinced 
 me that they had really quarrelled, and were serious 
 about it. 
 
 " One of them at length seemed to be getting 
 knocked over repeatedly. Every time he had par- 
 tially risen to his feet, and before he could quite 
 recover them, his antagonist rushed upon him and 
 butted him back upon his side. 
 
 " Seeing them so earnestly engaged, I thought I 
 might as well make a sure shot of it, by going a 
 little nearer; so I stepped -from behind the ant-hill, 
 and walked towards the combatants. Neither took 
 any notice of my approach, the one because he 
 had enough to do to guard himself from the terrible 
 
236 HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST. 
 
 blows, and the other because he was so occupied in 
 delivering 1 them. 
 
 " When within twenty paces I levelled my gun. 
 I chose the bull who appeared victor, partly as a 
 punishment for his want of feeling in striking a fallen 
 antagonist, but perhaps more because his broadside 
 was towards me, and presented a fairer mark. 
 
 " I fired. 
 
 " The smoke hid both for a moment. When it 
 cleared off, I saw the bull that had been conquered 
 still down in a kneeling attitude ; but, to my great 
 surprise, the one at which I had aimed was upon his 
 feet, apparently as brisk and sound as ever ! I knew 
 I had hit him somewhere, as I heard the ' thud ' of 
 the bullet on his fat body ; but it was plain I had 
 not crippled him. 
 
 " I was not allowed time for reflection as to where 
 I had wounded him. Not an instant, indeed, for the 
 moment the smoke cleared away, instead of the bulls' 
 clearing off also, I saw the one I had shot at fling up 
 his tail, lower his shaggy front, and charge right 
 towards me. 
 
 " His fierce eyes glanced with a revengeful look, 
 and his roar was enough to have terrified one more 
 courageous than I. I assure you I was less fright- 
 ened the other day when I encountered the lion. 
 
 " I did not know what to do for some moments. 
 I thought of setting myself in an attitude of defence, 
 and involuntarily had turned my gun, which was now 
 empty, intending to use it as a club. But I saw at 
 once that the slight blow I could deliver would not 
 stop the onset of such a strong, fierce animal, and 
 
HANS CHASED BY THE WILDEBEEST. 237 
 
 that he would butt me over, and gore me, to a cer- 
 tainty. 
 
 " I turned my eyes to see what hope there lay in 
 flight. Fortunately they fell upon an ant-hill the 
 one I had just emerged from. I saw at a glance 
 that by climbing it I would be out of reach of the 
 fierce wildebeest. Would I have time to get to it 
 before he could overtake me ? 
 
 " I ran like a frightened fox. You, Hendrik, can 
 beat me running upon ordinary occasions. I don't 
 think you could have got quicker to that ant-hill 
 than I did. 
 
 " I was not a second too soon. As I clutched at 
 the little turrets, and drew myself up, I could hear 
 the rattle of the wildebeest's hoofs behind me, and I 
 fancied I felt his hot breath upon my heels. 
 
 " But I reached the top cone in safety ; and then 
 turned and looked down at my pursuer. I saw that 
 he could not follow me any further. Sharp as his 
 horns were, I saw that I was safe out of their reach. 
 
238 BESIEGED BY THE BULL. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 BESIEGED BY THE BULL. 
 
 " WELL," continued Hans, after a pause, " I be- 
 gan to congratulate myself on my fortunate escape ; 
 for I was convinced that but for the ant-hill I would 
 have been trampled and gored to death. The bull 
 was one of the largest and fiercest of his kind, and a 
 very old one too, as I could tell by the bases of his 
 thick black horns nearly meeting over his forehead, 
 as well as by his dark color. I had plenty of time 
 to note these things. I felt that I was now safe 
 that the wildebeest could not get near me ; and I sat 
 perched upon the top of the central cone, watching 
 his movements with perfect coolness. 
 
 "It is true he did everything to reach my posi- 
 tion. A dozen times he charged up the hill, and 
 more than once effected a lodgment among the tops 
 of the lower turrets, but the main one was too steep 
 for him. No wonder ! It had tried my own powers 
 to scale it. 
 
 " At times he came so close to me, in his desperate 
 efforts, that I could have touched his horns with the 
 muzzle of my gun ; and I had prepared to give him 
 a blow whenever I could get a good chance. I never 
 saw a creature behave so fiercely. The fact was, 
 that I had hit him with my bullet the wound was 
 
BESIEGED BY THE BULL. 239 
 
 there along his jaw, and bleeding freely. The pain 
 of it maddened him ; but that was not the only cause 
 of his fury, as I afterwards discovered. 
 
 " Well. After several unsuccessful attempts to 
 scale the cone, he varied his tactics, and commenced 
 butting the ant-heap as though he would bring it 
 down. He repeatedly backed, and then charged 
 forward upon it with all his might ; and, to say the 
 truth, it looked for some time as though he would 
 succeed. 
 
 " Several of the lesser cones were knocked over 
 by his powerful blows ; and the hard, tough clay 
 yielded before his sharp horns, used by him as 
 inverted pickaxes. In several places I could see 
 that he had laid open the chambers of the insects, or 
 rather the ways and galleries that are placed in the 
 outer crust of the hill. 
 
 "With all this I felt no fear. I was under the 
 belief 'that he would soon exhaust his rage and go 
 away ; and then I could descend without danger. 
 But, after watching him a good long spell, I was not 
 a little astonished to observe that, instead of cooling 
 down, he seemed to grow more furious than ever. I 
 had taken out my handkerchief to wipe the perspira- 
 tion off my face. It was as hot as an oven where I 
 sat. Not a breath of air was stirring, and the rays 
 of the sun, glaring right down and then reflecting up 
 again from the white clay, brought the perspiration 
 out of me in streams. Every minute I was obliged 
 to rub my eyes clear of it with the handkerchief. 
 
 " Now, before passing the kerchief over my face, 
 I always shook it open ; and each time I did so, I 
 
240 BESIEGED BY THE BULL. 
 
 noticed that the rage of the wildebeest seemed to be 
 redoubled. In fact, at such times he would leave 
 off goring the heap, and make a fresh attempt to 
 rush up at me, roaring his loudest as he charged 
 against the steep wall. 
 
 " I was puzzled at this, as well as astonished. 
 What could there be in my wiping my face to pro- 
 voke the wildebeest anew ? And yet such was 
 clearly the case. Every time I did so, he appeared 
 to swell with a fresh burst of passion. 
 
 " The explanation came at length. I saw that it 
 was not the wiping off the perspiration that provoked 
 him. It was the shaking out of my handkerchief. 
 This was, as you know, of a bright scarlet color. I 
 thought of this, and then, for the first time, remem- 
 bered having heard that anything scarlet has a most 
 powerful effect upon the wildebeest, and excites him 
 to a rage resembling madness. 
 
 " I did not wish to keep up his fury. I crumpled 
 up the handkerchief and buried it in my pocket ; 
 preferring to endure the perspiration rather than 
 remain there any longer. By hiding the scarlet, I 
 conceived a hope he would the sooner cool down, 
 and go away. 
 
 " But I had raised a devil in him too fierce to be 
 so easily laid. He showed no signs of cooling down. 
 On the contrary, he continued to charge, butt, and 
 bellow, as vengefully as ever though the scarlet 
 was no longer before his eyes. 
 
 " I began to feel really annoyed. I had no idea 
 the gnoo was so implacable in his rage. The bull 
 evidently felt pain from his wound. I could perceive 
 
BESIEGED BY THB BULL. 241 
 
 that he moaned it. He knew well enough it was I 
 who had given him this pain. 
 
 " He appeared determined not to let me escape 
 retribution. He showed no signs of an intention to 
 leave the place ; but labored away with hoof and 
 horns, as if he would demolish the mound. 
 
 " I was growing very tired of my situation. Though 
 not afraid that the bull could reach me, I was troubled 
 by the thought of being so long absent from our camp. 
 I knew I should have been there. I thought of my 
 little sister and brother. Some misfortune might 
 befall thejp. I was very sad about that, though up 
 to that time I had little or no fears for myself. I 
 was still in hopes the wildebeest would tire out and 
 leave me, and then I could soon run home. 
 
 " I say, up to that time I had no very serious fears 
 for myself, excepting the moment or two when the 
 bull was chasing me to the hill ; but that little fright 
 was soon over. 
 
 " But now appeared a new object of dread ; another 
 enemy, as terrible as the enraged bull, that almost 
 caused me to spring down upon the horns of the 
 latter in my first moments of alarm. 
 
 " I have said that the wildebeest had broken down 
 several of the lesser turrets, the outworks of the ant- 
 hill, and had laid open the hollow spaces within. 
 He had not penetrated to the main dome, but only 
 the winding galleries and passages that perforate the 
 outer walls. 
 
 " I noticed, that, as soon as these were broken 
 open, a number of ants had rushed out from each. 
 Indeed, I had observed many of the creatures crawl- 
 16 
 
242 BESIEGED BY THE BULL. 
 
 ing outside the hill, when I first approached it ; and 
 had wondered at this, as I knew that they usually 
 keep under ground when going and coming from 
 their nests. I had observed all this, without taking 
 note of it at the time, being too intent in my stalk 
 to think of anything else. For the last half-hour I 
 was too busy watching the manoeuvres of the wilde- 
 beest bull to take my gaze off him for a moment. 
 
 " Something in motion directly under me at length 
 caught my eye, and I looked down to see what it 
 was. The first glance caused me to jump to my 
 feet ; and, as I have already said, very nearly im- 
 pelled me to leap down upon the horns of the bull. 
 
 " Swarming all over the hill, already clustering 
 upon my shoes, and crawling still higher, were the 
 crowds of angry ants. Every hole that the bull had 
 made was yielding out its throng of spiteful insects ; 
 and all appeared moving towards me. 
 
 " Small as the creatures were, I fancied I saw 
 design in their movements. They seemed all actu- 
 ated with the same feeling, the same impulse that 
 of attacking me. I could not be mistaken in their 
 intent. They moved all together, as if guided and led 
 by intelligent beings ; and they advanced towards 
 the spot on which I stood. 
 
 " I saw, too, that they were the soldiers. I knew 
 these from the workers, by their larger heads, and 
 long horny mandibles. I knew they could bite 
 fiercely and painfully. 
 
 " The thought filled me with horror. I confess it, 
 I never was so horrified before. My late encounter 
 with the lion was nothing to compare with it. 
 
BESIEGED BY THE BULL. 248 
 
 "My first impression was that I would be destroyed 
 by the termites. I had heard of such things I 
 remembered that I had. It was that, no doubt, that 
 frightened me so badly. I had heard of men in their 
 sleep being attacked by the white ants, and 
 to death. Such memories came crowding upon 
 at the moment, until I felt certain that, if I did not 
 soon escape from that spot, the ants would sting me 
 to death and eat me up. 
 
244 A HELPLESS BEAST. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 A HELPLESS BEAST. 
 
 " WHAT was to be done ? How was I to avoid 
 both enemies ? If I leaped down, the wildebeest 
 would kill me to a certainty. He was still there, 
 with his fierce eye bent upon me continually. If I 
 remained where I was, I would soon be covered with 
 the swarming hideous insects, and eaten up like an 
 old rag. * 
 
 " Already I felt their terrible teeth. Those that 
 had first crawled to my feet I had endeavored to 
 brush off; but some had got upon my ankles, and 
 were biting me through my thick woollen socks. 
 My clothes would be no protection. 
 
 " I had mounted to the highest part of the cone, 
 and was standing upon its apex. It was so sharp I 
 could scarcely balance myself, but the painful stings 
 of the insects caused me to dance upon it like a 
 mountebank. 
 
 " But what signified those that had already stung 
 my ankles, to the numbers that were likely soon to 
 pierce me with their venomous darts ? Already 
 these were swarming up the last terrace. They 
 would soon cover the apex of the cone upon which I 
 was standing. They would crawl up my limbs in 
 myriads they would 
 

HANS BESIEGED BY A WILDEBEEST. Page 245 
 
A HELPLESS BEAST. 245 
 
 " I could reflect no longer on what they would do. 
 I preferred taking my chance with the wildebeest. 
 I would leap down. Perhaps some lucky accident 
 might aid me. I would battle with the gnoo, using 
 my gun. Perhaps I might succeed in escaping to 
 some other hill. Perhaps 
 
 " I was actually on the spring to leap down, when 
 a new thought came into my mind ; and I wondered 
 I had been so silly as not to think of it before. 
 What was to hinder me from keeping off the termites ? 
 They had no wings; the soldiers have none nor 
 the workers neither, for that matter. They could not 
 fly upon me. They could only crawl up the cone. 
 With my jacket I could brush them back. Certainly 
 I could why did I not think of it before ? 
 
 " I was not long in taking off my jacket. I laid 
 aside my useless gun, dropping it upon one of the 
 lower terraces. I caught the jacket by the collar ; 
 and, using it as a duster, I cleared the sides of tho 
 cone in a few moments, having sent thousands of 
 the termites tumbling headlong below. 
 
 "Pshaw! how simply the thing was done! why 
 had I not done it before ? It cost scarcely an effort 
 to brush the myriads away, and a slight effort would 
 keep them off as long as I pleased. 
 
 " The only annoyance I felt now was from the few 
 that had got under my trousers, and that still con- 
 tinued to bite me ; but these I would get rid of in 
 time. 
 
 " Well ; I remained on the apex, now bending 
 down to beat back the soldiers that still swarmed 
 upward, and then occupying myself in trying to get 
 
246 A HELPLESS BEAST. 
 
 rid of the few that crawled upon me. I felt no longer 
 any uneasiness on the score of the insects, though I 
 was not a bit better off as regarded the bull, who 
 still kept guard below. I fancied, however, that he 
 now showed symptoms of weariness, and would soon 
 raise the siege ; and this prospect made me feel more 
 cheerful. 
 
 " A sudden change came over me. A new thrill 
 of terror awaited me. 
 
 " While jumping about upon the top of the cone, 
 my footing suddenly gave way the baked clay 
 broke with a dead crash, and I sank through the 
 roof. My feet shot down into the hollow dome, till 
 I thought I must have crushed the great queen in 
 her chamber and I stood buried to the neck. 
 
 " I was surprised, and a little terrified, not by the 
 shock I had experienced in the sudden descent ; that 
 was natural enough, and a few moments would have 
 restored my equanimity ; but it was something else 
 that frightened me. It was something that moved 
 under my feet as they ' touched bottom ; ' some- 
 thing that moved and heaved under them, and then 
 passed quickly away, letting me still further down. 
 
 " What could it be ? Was it the great swarm of 
 living ants that I pressed upon ? I did not think it 
 was. It did not feel like them. It seemed to be 
 something bulky and strong, for it held up my whole 
 weight for a moment or two, before it slipped from 
 under me. 
 
 " Whatever it was, it frightened me very consid- 
 erably ; and I did not leave my feet in its company for 
 five seconds' time. No ; the hottest furnace would 
 
A HELPLESS BEAST. 241. 
 
 scarce have scorched them during the time they 
 remained inside the dark dome. In five seconds 
 they were on the walls again ; on the broken edges, 
 where I had mounted up, and where I now stood 
 quite speechless with surprise. 
 
 " What next ? I could keep the ants off no longer. 
 I gazed down the dark cavity ; they were swarming 
 up that way in thick crowds. I could brush them 
 down no more. 
 
 " My eyes at this moment chanced to wander to 
 the bull. He was standing at three or four paces' 
 distance from the base of the hill. He was standing 
 sideways, with his head turned to it, and regarding 
 it with a wild look. His attitude was entirely 
 changed, and so, I thought, was the expression of 
 his eye. He looked as if he had just run off to his 
 new position, and was ready to make a second start. 
 He looked as if something had also terrified him. 
 
 "Something evidently had; for, in another mo- 
 ment he uttered a sharp rout, galloped several 
 paces further out, wheeled again, halted, and stood 
 gazing as before. 
 
 " What could it mean ? Was it the breaking 
 through of the roof and my sudden descent that had 
 frightened him ? 
 
 " At first I thought so, but I observed that he did 
 not look upward to the top. His gaze seemed bent 
 on some object near the base of the hill, though 
 from where I stood I could see nothing there to 
 frighten him. 
 
 " I had not time to reflect what it could be, 
 before the bull uttered a fresh snort, and, raising 
 
248 A HELPLESS BEAST. 
 
 his tail high into the air, struck off at full gallop over 
 the plain. 
 
 "Rejoiced at seeing this, I thought no more of 
 what had relieved me of his company. It must have 
 been my curious fall, I concluded ; but no matter 
 now that the brute was gone. So, seizing hold of my 
 gun, I prepared to descend from the elevated posi- 
 tion, of which I was thoroughly tired. 
 
 "Just as I had got half down the side, I chanced 
 to look below ; and there was the object that terrified 
 the old bull. No wonder. It might have terrified 
 anything the odd-looking creature that it was. 
 From out a hole in the clay wall protruded a long, 
 naked, cylindrical snout, mounted by a pair of ears 
 nearly as long as itself, that stood erect like the 
 horns of a steinbuck, and gave to the animal that 
 bore them a wild and vicious look. It would have 
 badly frightened me, had I not known what it was ; 
 but I recognized it at once as one of the most 
 inoffensive creatures in the world the ' aard-vark.' 
 
 " His appearance accounted for the retreat of the 
 bull, and also explained why the ants had been 
 crawling about on my first reaching their hill. 
 
 " Without saying a word, or making the slightest 
 noise, I clubbed my gun, and, bending downward, 
 struck the protruded snout a blow with the butt. It 
 was a most wicked blow ; and, considering the ser- 
 vice the creature had just done me in frightening off 
 the wildebeest, a most ungrateful return. But I was 
 not master of my feelings at the moment. I did not 
 reflect only that I liked aard-vark flesh and the 
 blow was given. 
 
A HELPLESS BEAST. 249 
 
 " Poor fellow ! It did the job for him. With scarce 
 a kick, he dropped dead in the opening he had scraped 
 with his own claws. 
 
 " Well, my day's adventures were not yet ended. 
 They seemed as though they were never to end. I 
 had got the aard-vark over my shoulders, and was 
 about heading homeward, when, to my astonishment, 
 I observed that the bull-gnoo not the one that had 
 besieged me, but his late antagonist was still out 
 upon the plain where I had last seen him I I ob- 
 served, moreover, that he was still in a sort of half- 
 lying, half-kneeling attitude, with his head close to 
 the ground. 
 
 "His odd movements seemed stranger than any- 
 thing else. I fancied he had been badly hurt by the 
 other, and was not able to get away. 
 
 " At first I was cautious about going near him, 
 remembering my late narrow escape, and I thought 
 of giving him a wide berth, and leaving him alone. 
 Even though wounded, he might be strong enough 
 to charge upon me ; and my empty gun, as I had 
 already proved, would be but a poor weapon with 
 which to defend myself. 
 
 " I hesitated about going near him ; but curiosity 
 grew strong within me, as I watched his queer ma- 
 noeuvres ; until at length I walked up within a dozen 
 yards of where he was kneeling. 
 
 "Fancy my surprise on discovering the cause of 
 his oblique movements. No hurt had he received of 
 any kind not even a scratch ; but, for all that, he 
 was as completely crippled as if he had lost his best 
 pair of legs. 
 
250 A HELPLESS BEAST. 
 
 " In a very singular manner was he rendered thus 
 helpless. In his struggle with the other bull, one of 
 his fore legs had, somehow or other, got passed over 
 his horn ; and there it stuck, not only depriving him 
 of the use of the limb itself, but holding his head so 
 close to the ground that he was quite unable to stir 
 from the spot ! 
 
 " At first I designed helping him out of his diffi- 
 culty, and letting him go. On second thoughts, I 
 remembered the story of the husbandman and the 
 frozen snake, which quite changed my intention. 
 
 " I next thought of killing him for venison ; but, 
 having no bullet, I did not like to beat him to death 
 with my gun. Besides, the aard-vark was my load to 
 camp, and I knew that the jackals would eat the bull 
 up before we could go back for him. I thought it 
 probable he would be safer left as he was as these 
 ravenous brutes, seeing him alive, might not so 
 readily approach him. 
 
 "So I left him with his 'head under his arm/ in 
 hopes that we may find him there to-morrow. " 
 
 So ended Hans' narrative of his day's adventures. 
 
THE ELEPHANT'S SLEEPING-BOOM. 251 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE field-cornet was far from satisfied with his 
 day's work. His first attempt at elephant-hunting 
 had proved a failure. Might it not be always so ? 
 
 Notwithstanding the interest with which he lis- 
 tened to Hans' narrative of the day's adventures, he 
 felt uneasy in his mind when he reflected upon his 
 own. 
 
 The elephant had escaped so easily. Their bullets 
 seemed to have injured him not the least. They had 
 only served to render him furious and dangerous. 
 Though both had hit him in places where their 
 wounds should have been mortal, no such effect was 
 produced. The elephant seemed to go off as un- 
 scathed as if they had fired only boiled peas- at him. 
 
 Would it be always so ? 
 
 True, they had given him but two shots. Two, if 
 well directed, may bring down a cow-elephant, and 
 sometimes a bull, but oftener it requires ten times 
 two before a strong old bull can be made to " bite 
 the dust." 
 
 But would any elephant wait until they could load 
 and fire a sufficient number of shots ? 
 
 That was an Undecided point with our tyro ele- 
 phant-hunters. If not, then they would be helpless 
 
 
252 THE ELEPHANT'S SLEEPING-ROOM. 
 
 indeed. It would be a tedious business spooring the 
 game afoot, after it had once been fired upon. In 
 such cases the elephant usually travels many miles 
 before halting again ; and only mounted men can 
 with any facility overtake him. 
 
 How Von Bloom sighed when he thought of his 
 poor horses ! Now more than ever did he feel the 
 want of them now more than ever did he regret 
 their loss. 
 
 But he had heard that the elephant does not 
 always make off when attacked. The old bull had 
 shown no intention of retreating, after receiving 
 their shots. It was the odd conduct of Swartboy 
 that had put him to flight. But for that, he would 
 no doubt have kept the ground until they had given 
 him another volley, and perhaps his death-wound. 
 
 The field-cornet drew consolation from this last 
 reflection. Perhaps their next encounter would have 
 a different ending. Perhaps a pair of tusks would 
 reward them. 
 
 The hope of such a result, as well as the anxiety 
 about it, determined Yon Bloom to lose no time in 
 making a fresh trial. Next morning, therefore, be- 
 fore the sun was up, the hunters were once more 
 upon the trail of their giant game. 
 
 One precaution they had taken, which they had 
 not thought of before. All of them had heard that 
 an ordinary leaden bullet will not penetrate the 
 tough, thick skin of the great " pachyderm. 77 Per- 
 haps this had been the cause of their failure on the 
 preceding day. If so, they had provided against the 
 recurrence of failure from such a cause. They had 
 
THE ELEPHANT'S SLEEPING-ROOM. 253 
 
 moulded a new set of balls, of harder material, 
 solder, it should have been, but they had none. They 
 chanced, however, to be in possession of what 
 served the purpose equally well the old "plate" 
 that had often graced the field-cornet's table in his 
 better by-gone days of the Graaf Reinet. This con- 
 sisted of candlesticks, and snuffer-trays, and dish- 
 covers, and cruet-stands, and a variety of articles of 
 the real " Dutch metal." 
 
 Some of these were condemned to the alembic of 
 the melting-pan ; and, mixed with the common lead, 
 produced a set of balls hard enough for the hide of 
 the rhinoceros itself ; so that this day the hunters 
 had no fears of failure upon the score of soft bullets. 
 
 They went in the same direction as upon the pre- 
 ceding day, towards the forest, or "bush" (bosch), 
 as they termed it. 
 
 They had not proceeded a mile when they came 
 upon the spoor of elephants nearly fresh. It passed 
 through the very thickest of the thorny jungle 
 where no creature but an elephant, a rhinoceros, or 
 a man with an axe, could have made way. A fam- 
 ily must have passed, consisting of a male, a female 
 or two, and several young ones of different ages. 
 They had marched in single file, as elephants usually 
 do ; and had made a regular lane several feet wide, 
 which was quite clear of bushes, and trampled by 
 their immense footsteps. The old bull, Swartboy 
 said, had gone in advance, and had cleared the way 
 of all obstructions, by means of his trunk and tusks. 
 This had evidently been the case ; for the hunters 
 observed huge branches broken off, or still hanging 
 
254 THE ELEPHANT S SLEEPING-ROOM. 
 
 and turned to one side, out of the way just as if 
 the hand of man had done it. 
 
 Swartboy further affirmed that such elephant- 
 roads usually led to water ; and by the very easiest 
 and shortest routes, as if they had been planned 
 and laid open by the skill of an engineer, showing 
 the rare instinct or sagacity of these animals. 
 
 The hunters, therefore, expected soon to arrive at 
 some watering-place ; but it was equally probable 
 the spoor might be leading them from the water. 
 
 They had not followed it more than a quarter of a 
 mile, when they came upon another road of a similar 
 kind, that crossed the one they were spooring upon. 
 This had also been made by a number of elephants, 
 a family, most likely, and the tracks upon it 
 were as recent as those they had been following. 
 
 They hesitated for a moment which to take ; but 
 at length concluded upon keeping straight on ; and 
 so they moved forward as before. 
 
 To their great disappointment the trail at last led 
 out into more open ground, where the elephants had 
 scattered about ; and after following the tracks of 
 one and then another without success, they got 
 bewildered, and lost the spoor altogether. 
 
 While casting about to find it in a place where the 
 bush was thin and straggling, Swartboy suddenly 
 ran off to one side, calling to the others to follow 
 him. Von Bloom and Hendrik went after to see 
 what the Bushman was about. They thought he 
 had seen an elephant; and both, considerably ex- 
 cited, had already pulled the covers off their guns. 
 
 There was no elephant, however. When they 
 
THE ELEPHANT'S SLEEPING-ROOM. 255 
 
 came up with Swartboy, he was standing under a 
 tree, and pointing to the ground at its bottom. 
 
 The hunters looked down. They saw that the 
 ground upon one side of the tree was trampled, as 
 though horses or some other animals had been tied 
 there for a long time, and had worn off the turf, and 
 worked it into dust with their hoofs. The bark of 
 the tree a full-topped shady acacia for some dis- 
 tance up was worn smooth upon one side, just as 
 though cattle had used it for a rubbing-post. 
 
 "What has done it?" asked the field-cornet and 
 Hendrik, in a breath. 
 
 "Da olifant's slapen-boom " (the elephant's sleep- 
 ing-tree), replied Swartboy. 
 
 No further explanation was necessary. The hunt- 
 ers remembered what they had been told about a 
 curious habit which the elephant has of leaning 
 against a tree while asleep. This, then, was one of 
 the sleeping-trees of these animals. 
 
 But of what use to them, further than to gratify a 
 little curiosity ? The elephant was not there. 
 
 "Da ole karl come again/' said Swartboy. 
 
 " Ha ! you think so, Swart ? " inquired Von 
 Bloom. 
 
 " Ya, baas, lookee da I spoor fresh da groot oli- 
 fant hab slap here yesterday." 
 
 " What then ? you think we should lie in wait, and 
 shoot him when he returns ?" 
 
 "No, baas, better dan shoot, we make him bed 
 den wait see um lie down." 
 
 Swartboy grinned a laugh as he gave this piece of 
 advice. 
 
256 THE ELEPHANT'S SLEEPING-ROOM. 
 
 " Make his bed ! what do you mean ? " inquired 
 his master. 
 
 " I tell you, baas, we get da olifant sure, if you 
 leave da job to ole Swart. I gib you de plan for 
 take him, no waste powder, no waste bullet." 
 
 The Bushman proceeded to communicate his plan, 
 to which his master remembering their failure of 
 yesterday readily gave his consent. 
 
 Fortunately they had all the implements that 
 would be necessary for carrying it out, a sharp 
 axe, a strong rope, or "rheim" of raw-hide, and 
 their knives, and they set about the business 
 without loss of time. 
 
257 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 To the hunters time was a consideration. If the 
 elephant should return that day, it would be just 
 before the hottest hours of noon. They had, there- 
 fore, scarce an hour left to prepare for him to 
 " make his bed," as Swartboy had jocosely termed 
 it. So they went to work with alacrity, the Bush- 
 man acting as director-general, while the other two 
 received their orders from him with the utmost 
 obedience. 
 
 The first work which Swartboy assigned to them 
 was, to cut and prepare three stakes of hard wood. 
 They were to be each about three feet long, as thick 
 as a man's arm, and pointed at one end. 
 
 These were soon procured. The iron-wood ( Olea 
 undulata), which grew in abundance in the neighbor- 
 hood, furnished the very material ; and after three 
 pieces of sufficient length had been cut down with 
 the axe, they were reduced to the proper size, and 
 pointed by the knives of the hunters. 
 
 Meanwhile Swartboy had not been idle. First, 
 with his knife he had cut a large section of bark 
 from the elephant's tree, upon the side against which 
 the animal had been in the habit of leaning, and 
 about three feet from the ground. Then with the 
 17 
 
258 
 
 axe he made a deep notch, where the bark had been 
 removed ; in fact, such a notch as would have caused 
 the tree to fall, had it been left to itself. But it was 
 not, for, before advancing so far in his work, Swart- 
 boy had taken measures to prevent that. He had 
 stayed the tree by fastening the rheim to its upper 
 branches, on the opposite side, and then carrying the 
 rope to the limbs of another tree that stood out in 
 that direction. 
 
 Thus adjusted, the elephant's tree was only kept 
 from falling by the rheim-stay, and a slight push in 
 the direction of the latter would have thrown it 
 over. 
 
 Swartboy now replaced the section of bark, which 
 he had preserved ; and, after carefully collecting the 
 chips, no one, without close examination, could have 
 told that the tree had ever felt the edge of an axe. 
 
 Another operation yet remained to be performed, 
 that was, the planting of the stakes already pre- 
 pared by Von Bloom and Hendrik. To set these 
 firmly, deep holes had to be made. But Swartboy 
 was just the man to make a hole ; and in less than 
 ten minutes he had sunk three, each over a foot 
 deep, and not a half-inch wider than the thickness 
 of the stakes ! 
 
 You may be curious to know how he accomplished 
 this. You would have dug a hole with a spade, and, 
 necessarily, as wide as the spade itself. But Swart- 
 boy had no spade, and would not have used it if 
 there had been one, since it would have made the 
 holes too large for his purpose. 
 
 Swartboy sunk his holes by "crowing/' which 
 
MAKING THE ELEPHANTS BED. 259 
 
 process he performed by means of a small pointed 
 stick. With this he first loosened the earth in a 
 circle of the proper size. He then took out the de- 
 tached mould, flung it away, and used the point of 
 the " cro wing-stick " as before. Another clearing 
 out of mould, another application of the stick ; and 
 so on, till the narrow hole was deemed of sufficient 
 depth. That was how Swartboy " crowed " the 
 holes. 
 
 They were sunk in a kind of triangle, near the bot- 
 tom of the tree, but on the side opposite to that 
 where the elephant would stand, should he occupy 
 his old ground. 
 
 In each hole Swartboy now set a stake, thick end 
 down and point upwards ; some small pebbles, and 
 a little mould worked in at the sides, wedged them 
 as firmly as if they had grown there. 
 
 The stakes were now daubed over with soft earth, 
 to conceal the white color of the wood ; the remain- 
 ing chips were picked up, and all traces of the work 
 completely obliterated. This done, the hunters with- 
 drew from the spot. 
 
 They did not go far, but, choosing a large bushy 
 tree to leeward, all three climbed up into it, and sat 
 concealed among its branches. 
 
 The field-cornet held his long " roer " in readiness, 
 and so did Hendrik his rifle. In case the ingenious 
 trap of Swartboy should fail, they intended to use 
 their guns, but not otherwise. 
 
 It was now quite noon, and the day had turned 
 out one of the hottest. But for the shade afforded 
 by the leaves, they would have felt it very distress- 
 
260 MAKING THE ELEPHANT'S BED. 
 
 ing. Swartboy prognosticated favorably from this. 
 The great heat would be more likely than anything 
 else to send the elephant to his favorite sleeping- 
 place under the cool, shady cover of the cameeldoorn. 
 
 It was now quite noon. He could not be long in 
 coming, thought they. 
 
 Sure enough, he came, and soon, too. 
 
 They had not been twenty minutes on their perch, 
 when they heard a strange, rumbling noise, which 
 they knew proceeded from the stomach of an ele- 
 phant. The next moment they saw one emerge from 
 the jungle, and walk with sweeping step straight up 
 to the tree. He seemed to have no suspicion of any 
 danger ; but placed himself at once alongside the 
 trunk of the acacia, in the very position and on the 
 side Swartboy had said he would take. From his 
 spoor the Bushman knew he had been in the habit 
 of so standing. 
 
 His head was turned from the hunters, but not so 
 much as to prevent them from seeing a pair of 
 splendid tusks, six feet long, at the least. 
 
 While gazing in admiration at these rich trophies, 
 they saw the animal point his proboscis upward, and 
 discharge a vast shower of water into the leaves, 
 which afterwards fell dripping in bright globules 
 over his body. 
 
 Swartboy said that he drew the water from his 
 stomach. Although closet-naturalists deny this, it 
 must have been so ; for, shortly after, he repeated 
 the act again and again, the quantity of water at 
 each discharge being as great as before. It was 
 
MAKING THE ELEPHANTS BED. 261 
 
 plain that his trunk, large as it was, could not have 
 contained it all. 
 
 He seemed to enjoy this " shower-bath ; " and the 
 hunters did not wonder at it, for they themselves, 
 suffering at the time from heat and thirst, would 
 have relished something of a similar kind. As the 
 crystal drops fell back from the acacia-leaves, the 
 huge animal was heard to utter a low grunt, express- 
 ive of gratification. The hunters hoped that this 
 was the prelude to his sleep, and watched him with 
 intense earnestness. 
 
 It proved to be so. 
 
 As they sat gazing, they noticed that his head 
 sunk a little, his ears ceased their flapping, his tail 
 hung motionless, and his trunk, now twined around 
 his tusks, remained at rest. 
 
 They gaze intently. Now they see his body droop 
 a little to one side now it touches the tree there 
 is heard a loud crack, followed by a confused crash- 
 ing of branches, and the huge dark body of the ele- 
 phant sinks upon its side. 
 
 At the same instant a terrible scream drowns all 
 other sounds, causing the forest to echo, and the 
 very leaves to quake. Then follows a confused roar- 
 ing, mingled with the noise of cracking branches, 
 and the struggles of the mighty brute where he lies, 
 kicking his giant limbs along the earth in the agonies 
 of death ! 
 
 The hunters remain in the tree. They see that 
 the elephant is down that he is impaled. There 
 will be no need for their puny weapons. Their game 
 has already received the death- wound. 
 
262 MAKING THE ELEPHANT'S BED. 
 
 The struggle is of short duration. The painful 
 breathing that precedes death is heard issuing from 
 the long proboscis ; and then follows a deep, ominous 
 silence. 
 
 The hunters leap down and approach the prostrate 
 body. They see that it still lies upon the terrible 
 chevaux de frise, where it had fallen. The stakes 
 have done their work most effectively. The elephant 
 breathes no more. He is dead ! 
 
 It was the work of an hour to cut out those splen- 
 did tusks. But our hunters thought nothing of that ; 
 and they were only the more pleased to find each of 
 them a heavy load, as much as a man could carry ! 
 
 Von Bloom shouldered one, Swartboy the other, 
 while Hendrik loaded himself with the guns and im- 
 plements ; and all three, leaving the carcass of the 
 dead elephant behind them, returned triumphantly 
 to camp. 
 
THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA. 263 
 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA. 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING the success of the day's hunt, 
 the mind of Von Bloom was not at rest. They had 
 " bagged " their game, it was true, but in what 
 manner? Their success was a mere accident, and 
 gave them no earnest of what might be expected in 
 the future. They might go long before finding 
 another " sleeping-tree " of the elephants, and re- 
 peating their easy capture. 
 
 Such were the not very pleasant reflections of the 
 field-cornet, on the evening after returning from their 
 successful hunt. 
 
 But still less pleasant were they, two weeks later, 
 at the retrospect of many an unsuccessful chase from 
 which they had returned, when, after twelve days 
 sjpent in "jaging" the elephant, they had added 
 only a single pair of tusks to the collection, and 
 these the tusks of a cow-elephant, scarce two feet in 
 length, and of little value. 
 
 The reflection was not the less painful, that nearly 
 every day they had fallen in with elephants, and had 
 obtained a shot or two at these animals. That did 
 not mend the matter a bit. On the contrary, it 
 taught the hunter how easily they could run away 
 from him, as they invariably did. It taught him 
 
 
 
264 THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA. 
 
 how small his chances were of capturing such game, 
 so long as he could only follow it afoot. 
 
 The hunter on foot stands but a poor chance with 
 the elephant. Stalking in upon one is easy enough, 
 and perhaps obtaining a single shot ; but when the 
 animal trots off through the thick jungle, it is tedious 
 work following him. He may go miles before halt- 
 ing, and even if the hunter should overtake him, it 
 may be only to deliver a second shot, and see the 
 game once more disappear into the bushes, perhaps 
 to be spoored no further. 
 
 Now, the mounted hunter has this advantage. His 
 horse can overtake the elephant; and it is a pecu- 
 liarity of this animal, that the moment he finds that 
 his enemy, whatever it be, can do that thing, he dis- 
 dains to run any further, but at once stands to bay ; 
 and the hunter may then deliver as many shots as 
 he pleases. 
 
 Herein lies the great advantage of the hunter on 
 horseback. Another advantage is the security the 
 horse affords, enabling his rider to avoid the charges 
 of the angry elephant. 
 
 No wonder Von Bloom sighed for a horse. No 
 wonder he felt grieved at the want of this noble 
 companion, that would have aided him so much in 
 the chase. 
 
 He grieved all the more, now that he had become 
 acquainted with the district, and had found it so full 
 of elephants. Troops of a hundred had been seen; 
 and these far from being shy, or disposed to make 
 off after a shot or two. Perhaps they had never 
 
THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA. 265 
 
 heard the report of a gun before that of his own long 
 roer pealed in their huge ears. 
 
 With a horse, the field-cornet believed he could 
 have killed many, and obtained much valuable ivory. 
 Without one, his chances of carrying out his design 
 were poor indeed. His hopes were likely to end in 
 disappointment. 
 
 He felt this keenly. The bright prospects he had 
 so ardently indulged in became clouded over, and 
 fears for the future once more harassed him. He 
 would only waste his time in this wilderness. His 
 children would live without books, without educa- 
 tion, without society. Were he to be suddenly called 
 away, what would become of them? His pretty 
 Gertrude would be no better off than a little savage ; 
 his sons would become, not in sport, as he was wont 
 to call them, but in reality, a trio of " Bush-boys." 
 
 Once more these thoughts filled the heart of the 
 father with pain. 0, what would he not have given 
 at that moment for a pair of horses, of any sort 
 whatever ! 
 
 The field-cornet, while making these reflections, 
 was seated in the great nwana-tree, upon the plat- 
 form that had been built on the side towards the 
 lake, and from which a full view could be obtained 
 of the water. From this point a fine view could also 
 be obtained of the country which lay to the eastward 
 of the lake. At some distance off it was wooded, 
 but nearer the vley a grassy plain lay spread before 
 the eye like a green meadow. 
 
 The eyes of the hunter were turned outward on 
 this plain, and just then his glance fell upon a troop 
 
266 THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA. 
 
 of animals crossing the open ground, and advancing 
 towards the vley. 
 
 They were large animals, nearly of the shape and 
 size of small horses ; and, travelling in single file, as 
 they were, the troop at a distance presented some- 
 thing of the appearance of a " cafila," or caravan. 
 There were, in all, about fifty individuals in the line ; 
 and they marched along with a steady, sober pace, 
 as if under the guidance and direction of some wise 
 leader. How very different from the capricious and 
 eccentric movements of the gnoos ! 
 
 Individually, they bore some resemblance to these 
 last-named animals. In the shape of their bodies 
 and tails, in their general ground color, and in the 
 "brindled" or tiger-like stripes that could be per- 
 ceived upon their cheeks, neck, and shoulders. These 
 stripes were exactly of the same form as those upon 
 a zebra ; but far less distinct, and not extending to 
 the body or limbs, as is the case with the true zebra. 
 In general color, and in some other respects, the 
 animals reminded one of the ass ; but their heads, 
 necks, and the upper part of their bodies, were of 
 darker hue, slightly tinged with reddish brown. In 
 fact, the new-comers had points of resemblance to 
 all four, horse, ass, gnoo, and zebra, and yet 
 they were distinct from any. To the zebra they bore 
 the greatest resemblance, for they were in reality a 
 species of zebra they were quaggas. 
 
 Modern naturalists have divided the Equidce, or 
 horse family, into two genera the horse (equus) 
 and the ass (asinas) the principal points of distinc- 
 tion being, that animals of the horse kind have long 
 
THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA. 267 
 
 flawing manes, full tails, and warty callosities on 
 both hind and fore limbs ; while asses, on the con- 
 trary, have short, meagre, and upright manes, tails 
 slender, and furnished only with long hairs at the 
 extremity, and their hind limbs wanting the callosi- 
 ties. These, however, are found on the fore legs, as 
 upon horses. 
 
 Although there are many varieties of the horse 
 genus, scores of them, widely differing from each 
 other, they can all be easily recognized by these 
 characteristic marks, from the " Suffolk Punch/ 7 the 
 great London drayhorse, down to his diminutive 
 little cousin, the "Shetland Pony." 
 
 The varieties of the ass are nearly as numerous, 
 though this fact is not generally known. 
 
 First, we have the common ass (Asinus vulgaris), 
 the type of the genus ; and of this there are many 
 breeds in different countries, some nearly as elegant 
 and as highly prized as horses. Next there is the 
 "onagra," " koulan," or "wild-ass" (A. onager], 
 supposed to be the origin of the common kind. This 
 is a native of Asia, though it is also found in the 
 north-eastern parts of Africa. There is also the 
 " dziggetai," or " great wild-ass ;; (A. hemionus), of 
 Central and Southern Asia, and another smaller spe- 
 cies, the "ghur" (A. Hamar], found in Persia. 
 Again, there is the "kiang" (A kiang}, met with in 
 Ladakh, and the "yo-totze" (A. equulus), an inhab- 
 itant of Chinese Tartary. 
 
 All these are Asiatic species, found in a wild state, 
 and differing from one another in color, size, form, 
 
268 THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA. 
 
 and even in habits. Many of them are of elegant 
 form, and swift as the swiftest horses. 
 
 In this little book we cannot afford room for a 
 description of each, but must confine our remarks to 
 what is more properly our subject the wild asses 
 of Africa. Of these there are six or seven kinds, 
 perhaps more. 
 
 First, there is the " wild ass " (A. onager), which, 
 as already stated, extends from Asia into the north- 
 eastern parts of Africa, contiguous to the former 
 continent. 
 
 Next there is the "koomrah," of which very little 
 is known, except that it inhabits the forests of 
 Northern Africa, and is solitary in its habits, unlike 
 most of the other species. The koomrah has been 
 described as a " wild horse," but most probably it 
 belongs to the genus asinus. 
 
 Now, there are four other species of " wild asses " 
 in Africa, wild horses, some call them, and a fifth 
 reported by travellers, but as yet undetermined. 
 These species bear such a resemblance to one another 
 in their form, the peculiar markings of their bodies, 
 size, and general habits, that they may be classed 
 together under the title of the zebra family. First, 
 there is the true zebra (Equus zebra), perhaps the 
 most beautiful of all quadrupeds, and of which no 
 description need be given. Second, the "dauw," 
 or " Burchell's zebra," as it is more frequently 
 called (E. Burchellii). Third, the " congo dauw " (E. 
 hippotigris), closely resembling the dauw. Fourth, 
 the "quagga" (E. quagga) ; and fifth, the undeter- 
 mined species known as the "white zebra" (E. Isa- 
 
THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA. 269 
 
 bellinus], so called from its pale yellow, or Isabella 
 color. 
 
 These five species evidently have a close affinity 
 with each other, all of them being more or less marked 
 with the peculiar transversal bands or "stripes" 
 which are the well-known characteristics of the 
 zebra. Even the quagga is so banded upon the head 
 and upper parts of its body. 
 
 The zebra proper is "striped 7 ' from the tip of 
 the nose to its very hoofs, and the bands are of a 
 uniform black, while the ground color is nearly white, 
 or white tinged with a pale yellow. The " dauws," 
 on the other hand, are not banded upon the legs ; 
 the rays are not so dark or well-defined, and the 
 ground color is not so pure or clean-looking. For 
 the rest, all these three species are much alike ; and 
 it is more than probable that either "BurchelPs" 
 or the " congo dauw " was the species to which the 
 name of "zebra" was first applied; for that which 
 is now called the "true zebra" inhabits those parts 
 of Africa where it was less likely to have been the 
 first observed of the genus. At all events, the 
 " congo dauw " is the " hippotigris," or tiger-horse, 
 of the Romans ; and this we infer from its inhabiting 
 a more northerly part of Africa than the others, all 
 of which belong to the southern half of that conti- 
 nent. The habitat of the zebra is said to extend as 
 far north as Abyssinia; but, perhaps, the "congo 
 dauw," which certainly inhabits Abyssinia, has been 
 mistaken for the true zebra. 
 
 Of the four species in South Africa, the zebra is a 
 mountain animal, and dwells among the cliffs, while 
 
270 THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA. 
 
 the dauw and quagga rove over the plains and wild 
 karoo deserts. In similar situations to these has 
 the "white zebra" been observed, though only by 
 the traveller Le Vaillant, and hence the doubt 
 about its existence as a distinct species. 
 
 None of the kinds associate together, though each 
 herds with other animals. The quagga keeps com- 
 pany with the gnoo, the " dauw " with the " brindled 
 gnoo," while the tall ostrich stalks in the midst of 
 the herds of both. 
 
 There is much difference in the nature and dispo- 
 sition of the different species. The mountain zebra 
 is very shy and wild ; the dauw is almost untama- 
 ble ; while the quagga is of a timid, docile nature, 
 and may be trained to harness with as much facility 
 as a horse. 
 
 The reason why this has not been done is simply 
 because the farmers of South Africa have horses in 
 plenty, and do not stand in need of the quagga, 
 either for saddle or harness. 
 
 But, though Von Bloom the farmer had never 
 thought of "breaking in " a quagga, Von Bloom the 
 hunter now did. 
 
PLANNING THE CAPTURE OF THE QUAGGAS. 271 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 PLANNING THE CAPTURE OF THE QUAGGAS. 
 
 UP to this time the field-cornet had scarce deigned 
 to notice the quaggas. He knew what they were, 
 and had often seen a drove of them perhaps the 
 same one approach the vley and drink. Neither 
 he nor any of his people had molested them, though 
 they might have killed many. They knew that the 
 yellow oily flesh of these animals was not fit for food, 
 and is only eaten by the hungry natives ; that their 
 hides, although sometimes used for grain-sacks and 
 other common purposes, are of very little value. 
 For these reasons, they had suffered them to come 
 and go quietly. They did not wish to waste powder 
 and lead upon them ; neither did they desire wantonly 
 to destroy such harmless creatures. 
 
 Every evening, therefore, the quaggas had drunk 
 at the vley and gone off again, without exciting the 
 slightest interest. 
 
 Not so upon this occasion. A grand design now 
 occupied the mind of Von Bloom. The troop of 
 quaggas became suddenly invested with as much in- 
 terest as if it had been a herd of elephants ; and the 
 field-cornet had started to his feet, and stood gazing 
 upon them, his eyes sparkling with pleasure and ad- 
 miration. 
 
272 PLANNING THE CAPTURE OF THE QUAGGAS. 
 
 He admired their prettily-striped heads, their 
 plump, well-turned bodies, their light, elegant 
 limbs ; in short, he admired everything about them, 
 size, color, and proportions. Never before had 
 quaggas appeared so beautiful in the eyes of the vee- 
 boor. 
 
 But why this new-born admiration for the despised 
 quaggas ? for despised they are by the Cape farmer, 
 who shoots them only to feed his Hottentot servants. 
 Why had they so suddenly become such favorites 
 with the field-cornet ? That you will understand by 
 knowing the reflections that were just then passing 
 through his mind. 
 
 They were as follows : 
 
 Might not a number of these animals be caught and 
 
 broken in ? Why not ? Might they not be trained 
 
 to the saddle ? Why not ? Might they not serve 
 
 him for hunting the elephant just as well as horses ? 
 
 - Why not ? 
 
 Von Bloom asked these three questions of him- 
 self. Half a minute served to answer them all in the 
 affirmative. There was neither impossibility nor 
 improbability in any of the three propositions. It 
 was clear that the thing could be done, and without 
 difficulty. 
 
 A new hope sprang up in the heart of the field- 
 cornet. Once more his countenance became radiant 
 with joy. 
 
 He communicated his thoughts both to the Bush- 
 man and " Bush-boys," all of whom highly approved 
 of the idea, and only wondered that none of them 
 had thought of it before. 
 
PLANNING THE CAPTURE OP THE QUAGGAS. 273 
 
 And now the question arose as to how the quaggas 
 were to be captured. This was the first point to be 
 settled, and the four Von Bloom himself, Hans, 
 Hendrik, and Swartboy sat deliberately down to 
 concoct some plan of effecting this object. 
 
 Of course they could do nothing just then, and the 
 drove that had come to drink was allowed to depart 
 peacefully. The hunters knew they would return on 
 the morrow about the same hour, and it was towards 
 their return that the thoughts of all were bent. 
 
 Hendrik advised "creasing," which means send- 
 ing a bullet through the upper part of the neck, near 
 the withers, and by this means a quagga can be 
 i knocked over and captured. The shot, if properly 
 directed, does not kill the animal. It soon recovers, 
 and may be easily "broken," though its spirit is 
 generally broken at the same time. It is never " it- 
 self again." Hendrik understood the mode of " creas- 
 ing." He had seen it practised by the boor-hunters. 
 He knew the spot where the bullet should hit. He 
 believed he could do it easily enough. 
 
 Hans considered the " creasing " too cruel a mode. 
 They might kill many quaggas before obtaining one 
 that was hit in the proper place. Besides, there 
 would be a waste of powder and bullets, a thing to 
 be considered. Why could they not snare the ani- 
 mals ? He had heard of nooses being set for animals 
 as large as the quaggas, and of many being caught 
 in that manner. 
 
 Hendrik did not think the idea of snaring a good 
 one. They might get one in that way, the fore- 
 most of the drove, but all the others, seeing the 
 18 
 
274 PLANNING THE CAPTURE OP THE QUAGGAS. 
 
 leader caught, would gallop off, and return no more 
 to the vley i and where would they set their snare 
 for a second ? It might be a long time before they 
 should find another watering-place of these animals ; 
 whereas they might stalk and crease them upon the 
 plains at any time. 
 
 Swartboy now put in his plan. It was the pit-fall 
 That was the way by which Bushmen most generally 
 caught large animals, and Swartboy perfectly under- 
 stood how to construct a pit for quaggas. 
 
 Hendrik saw objections to this, very similar to 
 those he had urged against the snare. The foremost 
 of the quaggas might be caught, but the others would 
 not be fools enough to walk into the pit after their 
 leader had fallen in and laid the trap open. They 
 of course would gallop off, and never come back that 
 way again. 
 
 If it could be done at night, Hendrik admitted the 
 thing might be different. In the darkness several 
 might rush in before catching the alarm. But no ; 
 the quaggas had always come to drink in the day- 
 time. One only could be trapped, and then the 
 others, alarmed, would keep away. 
 
 There would have been reason in what Hendrik 
 said, but for a remarkable fact which the field-cornet 
 himself had observed when the quaggas came to the 
 lake to drink. It was that the animals had invariably 
 entered the water at one point, and gone out at 
 another. It was of course a mere accident that they 
 did so, and owing to the nature of the ground ; but 
 such was the case, and Von Bloom had observed it 
 on several occasions. They were accustomed to en- 
 
PLANNING THE CAPTURE OF THE QUAGGAS. 275 
 
 ter by the gorge already described, and, after drink- 
 ing, wade along the shallow edge for some yards, 
 and then pass out by another break in the bank. 
 
 The knowledge of this fact was of the utmost im- 
 portance, and all saw that at once. A pit-fall dug 
 upon the path by which the animals entered the lake 
 would no doubt operate as Hendrik said ; one 
 might be caught, and all the rest frightened off. But 
 a similar trap placed upon the trail that led outward 
 would bring about a very different result. Once the 
 quaggas had finished drinking, and just at the mo- 
 ment they were heading out of the water, the hunt- 
 ers could show themselves upon the opposite side, 
 set the troop in quick motion, and gallop them into the 
 trap. By this means not only one, but a whole pit- 
 full, might be captured at once. 
 
 All this appeared so feasible that not another sug- 
 gestion was offered ; the plan of the pit-fall was at 
 once and unanimously adopted. 
 
 It remained only to dig the pit, cover it properly, 
 and then wait the result. 
 
 During all the time their capture was being planned, 
 the herd of quaggas had remained in sight, disport- 
 ing themselves upon the open plain. It was a tan- 
 talizing sight to Hendrik, who would have liked 
 much to have shown his marksman skill by " creas- 
 ing " one. But the young hunter saw that it would 
 be imprudent to fire at them there, as it would pre- 
 vent them from returning to the vley ; so he re- 
 strained himself, and, along with the others, remained 
 watching the quaggas, all regarding them with a 
 
276 PLANNING THE CAPTURE OF THE QUAGGAS. 
 
 degree of interest which they had never before felt 
 in looking at a drove of these animals. 
 
 The quaggas saw nothing of them, although quite 
 near to the great nwana-tree. They, the hunters, 
 were up among the branches, where the animals did 
 not think of looking, and there was nothing around 
 the bottom of the tree to cause them alarm. The 
 wagon-wheels had long ago been disposed of in the 
 bush, partly to shelter them from the sun, and partly 
 because game animals frequently came within shot 
 of the tree, and were thus obtained without any 
 trouble. There were scarce any traces upon the 
 ground that would have betrayed the existence of a 
 " camp " in the tree ; and a person might have passed 
 very near without noticing the odd aerial dwelling 
 of the hunter family. 
 
 All this was design upon the part of the field-cor- 
 net. As yet he knew little of the country around. 
 He did not know but that it might contain worse 
 enemies than either hyenas or lions. 
 
 While they sat watching the manoeuvres of the 
 quaggas, a movement was made by one of these 
 creatures more singular than any that had yet been 
 witnessed. 
 
 The animal in question was browsing quietly along, 
 and at length approached a small clump of bushes 
 that stood out in the open ground. When close to the 
 copse, it was observed to make a sudden spring for- 
 ward, and almost at the same instant a shaggy creat- 
 ure leaped out of the bushes, and ran off. This last 
 was no other than the ugly "striped" hyena. In- 
 stead of turning upon the quagga and showing fight, 
 

THE QUAGGA AND THE HYENA. Page 277. 
 
PLANNING THE CAPTURE OF THE QUAGGA3. 277 
 
 as one might have supposed so strong and fierce a 
 brute would have done, the hyena uttered a howl of 
 alarm, and ran off as fast as its legs would carry it. 
 
 They did not carry it far. It was evidently mak- 
 ing for a larger tract of bush that grew near ; but 
 before it had got half-way across the open 'ground, 
 the quagga came up behind, and, uttering his shrill 
 " couaag," reared forward, and dropped with his 
 fore-hoofs upon the hyena's back. At the same in- 
 stant the neck of the carnivorous animal was clutched 
 by the teeth of the ruminant, and held as fast as if 
 grasped by a vice. 
 
 All looked to see the hyena free itself and run off 
 again. They looked in vain. It never ran another 
 yard. It never came alive out of the clutch of those 
 terrible teeth. 
 
 The quagga still held his struggling victim with 
 firm hold, trampling it with his hoofs, and shaking it 
 in his strong jaws, until in a few minutes the screams 
 of the hyena ceased, and his mangled carcass lay 
 motionless upon the plain. 
 
 One would think that this incident might have 
 been enough to warn our hunters to be cautious 
 in their dealings with the quagga. Such a sharp 
 biter would be no pleasant horse to "bit and 
 bridle." 
 
 But all knew the antipathy that exists between 
 the wild horse and the hyena, and that the quagga, 
 thoiigh roused to fury at the sight of one of these 
 animals, is very different in its behavior towards 
 man. So strong, in fact, is this antipathy, and so 
 complete is the mastery of the ruminant over the 
 
278 PLANNING THE CAPTURE OF THE QUAGGAS. 
 
 carnivorous animal, that the frontier farmers often 
 take advantage of these peculiar facts, and keep the 
 hyenas from their cattle by bringing up with the 
 herd a number of quaggas, who act as its guards 
 and protectors. 
 
 
 
THE PIT-TRAP. 279 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 THE PIT-TRAP. 
 
 WHILE they were watching the movements of the 
 quaggas, Von Bloom rose suddenly to his feet. All 
 turned their eyes upon him as he did so. They saw 
 by his manner that he was about to propose some- 
 thing. What could it be ? 
 
 The thought had just occurred to him that they 
 should at once set about digging the pit. 
 
 It was near sunset wanting only half an hour of 
 it ; and one would suppose he would have done 
 better to leave the work till next morning. But no. 
 There was a good reason why they should set about 
 it at once ; and that was, that they might not be 
 able to complete it in time if they did not do part of 
 it that night. 
 
 It would be no slight undertaking to dig a pit of 
 proper size, for they would require one that would 
 at least hold half a dozen quaggas at a time. Then 
 there was the carrying away the earth that should 
 come out of it, the cutting the poles and branches 
 to cover it, and the placing of these in a proper 
 manner. 
 
 To do all these things would take up a great deal 
 of time ; and they must be all done against the 
 return of the quaggas, else the whole scheme would 
 
280 THE PIT-TRAP. 
 
 be a failure. Should the animals arrive upon the 
 ground before the pit was covered in and all traces 
 of the work removed, they would make off without 
 entering the water, and perhaps never visit that 
 vley again. 
 
 Such were the conjectures of the field-cornet. 
 Hans, Hendrik, and Swartboy, acknowledged their 
 justice. All saw the necessity of going to work at 
 once, and to work they all went. 
 
 Fortunately, among the " implements " were two 
 good spades, a shovel, and a pick-axe, and all of 
 them could be busy at the same time. There were 
 baskets in which the dirt could be carried off, and 
 thrown into the deep channel close by, where it 
 would not be seen. This was also a fortunate cir- 
 cumstance ; for to have carried the stuff any great 
 distance would have made the job still heavier, and 
 more difficult to execute in proper time. 
 
 Having marked the outlines of the pit, they went 
 to work with spade, shovel, and pick. The ground 
 proved tolerably loose, and the pick was but little 
 needed. The field-cornet himself handled one of the 
 spades, Hendrik the other, while Swartboy acted as 
 shoveller, and filled the baskets as fast as Hans and 
 Totty, assisted by Truey and little Jan, could empty 
 them. These last carried a small basket of their 
 own, and contributed very materially to the progress 
 of the work, by lightening the labors of Hans and 
 Totty. 
 
 And so the work went merrily on until . midnight, 
 and even after that hour, under the light of a full 
 
THE PIT-TRAP.. 281 
 
 moon ; by which time the diggers were buried to 
 their necks. 
 
 But they were now fatigued. They knew they 
 could easily complete the pit next day ; and so they 
 laid down their implements, and, after performing 
 their ablutions in the crystal water of the stream, 
 retired to their sleeping-quarters in the tree. 
 
 By early dawn they were at it again, busy as 
 bees ; and the pit progressed so rapidly that before 
 they stopped to take breakfast Von Bloom could 
 scarce see out of it standing on his toes, and the 
 crown of Swartboy's woolly head was nearly two 
 feet below the surface. A little more digging would 
 do. 
 
 After breakfast they went to work as briskly as 
 ever, and labored away until they considered- that 
 the hole was sunk to a sufficient depth. It would 
 have taken a springbok to have leaped out of it ; and 
 no quagga could possibly have cleared itself from 
 such a pit. 
 
 Poles and bushes were now cut ; and the pit was 
 neatly covered with these, and strewed over, as well 
 as a large tract of the adjoining ground, with rushes 
 and grass. The most sagacious animal would have 
 been deceived by the appearance ; even a fox could 
 not have discovered the trap before, tumbling into it. 
 
 They had completed the work before going to 
 dinner, which, consequently, fell late on that day, 
 so nothing more remained to be done but to dine, 
 and await the coming of the quaggas. 
 
 At dinner they were all very merry, notwithstand- 
 ing the immense fatigue they had gone through. 
 
282 THE PIT-TRAP. 
 
 The prospect of capturing the quaggas was very 
 exciting, and kept the party in high spirits. 
 
 Each offered a prognostication as to the result. 
 Some said they would trap three quaggas, at the 
 least ; while others were more sanguine, and believed 
 they might take twice that number. Jan did not see 
 why the pit should not be full ; and Hendrik thought 
 this probable enough, considering the way they in- 
 tended to drive the quaggas into it. 
 
 It certainly seemed so. The pit had been made 
 of sufficient width to preclude the possibility of the 
 animals leaping over it, while it was dug lengthwise 
 across the path, so that they could not miss it. The 
 lay of the ground would guide them directly into it. 
 
 It is true that, were they to be left to themselves, 
 and permitted to follow their usual method of march- 
 ing, that is, in single file, only one, the leader, 
 might be caught. The rest, seeing him fall in, would 
 be sure to wheel round, and gallop off in a different 
 direction. 
 
 But it was not the intention of the hunters to leave 
 things thus. They had planned a way by which the 
 quaggas, at a certain moment, would be thrown into 
 a complete panic, and thus forced pell-mell upon the 
 pit. In this lay their hopes of securing a large num- 
 ber of the animals. 
 
 Four was as many as were wanted. One for each 
 of the hunters. Four would do ; but of course it 
 mattered not how many more got into the pit. The 
 more the better, as a large number would give them 
 the advantage of "pick and choose. 77 
 
 Dinner over, the hunters set about preparing for 
 
THE PIT-TRAP.. 283 
 
 the reception of their expected visitors. As already 
 stated, the dinner had been later than usual ; and it 
 was now near the hour when the quaggas might be 
 looked for. 
 
 In order to be in time, each took his station. 
 Hans, Hendrik, and Swartboy, placed themselves 
 in ambush around the lake at intervals from one 
 another ; but the lower end, where the animals 
 usually approached and went out, was left quite 
 open. Yon Bloom remained on the platform in the 
 tree, so as to mark the approach of the quaggas, and 
 give warning by a signal to the other three. The 
 positions taken by these were such that they could 
 guide the herd in the direction of the pit, by merely 
 coming out of the bushes where they lay concealed. 
 In order that they should show themselves simulta- 
 neously, and at the proper moment, they were to 
 wait for a signal from the tree. This Was to be the 
 firing of the great " roer," loaded blank. Hans and 
 Hendrik were also to fire blank shots on discovering 
 themselves, and by this means the desired panic 
 would be produced. 
 
 The whole scheme was well contrived, and suc- 
 ceeded admirably. The herd appeared filing over 
 the plain, just as on the preceding days. Von Bloom 
 announced their approach to the three in ambush, by 
 repeating, in a subdued tone, the words, 
 
 " Quaggas are coming ! " 
 
 The unsuspecting animals filed through the gorge, 
 scattered about in the water, drank their fill, and 
 then commenced retiring by the path on which lay 
 the trap. 
 
 
284 THE PIT-TRAP. 
 
 The leader, having climbed the bank, and seeing 
 the fresh grass and rushes strewed upon the path, 
 uttered a snorting bark, and seemed half inclined to 
 wheel round. But just at that moment boomed the 
 loud detonation of the roer ; and then, like lesser 
 echoes, the reports of the smaller guns on the right 
 and left, while Swartboy shouted, at the top pitch of 
 his voice, from another quarter. 
 
 A look back showed the quaggas that they were 
 well-nigh surrounded by strange enemies. But one 
 course appeared open to them the way they were 
 wont to go ; and, barking with affright, the whole 
 drove dashed up the bank, and crowded on towards 
 the pit. 
 
 Then was heard a confused noise the cracking 
 of the poles the trampling of many hoofs the 
 dull sounds of heavy bodies falling together, and 
 mingling in % continuous struggle and the wild 
 snorting, as the creatures hurried forward in affright. 
 Some were seen springing high in the air, as if to 
 overleap the pit. Others poised themselves on their 
 hind hoofs, and, wheeling round, ran back into the 
 lake. Some dashed off through the bushes, and 
 escaped in that way ; but the great body of the 
 drove came running back, and, plunging through the 
 water, made off by the gorge through which they 
 had come. In a few minutes not one was in sight. 
 
 The boys thought they had all escaped ; but Von 
 Bloom, from his more elevated position in the tree, 
 could perceive the snouts of several protruding 
 above the edge of the pit. 
 
 On arriving at the spot, to their great satisfaction 
 
THE PIT-TRAP. 285 
 
 the hunters discovered no less than eight full-grown 
 quaggas in the trap just twice the number required 
 to mount the party. 
 
 ****** 
 
 In less than two weeks from that time four of the 
 quaggas were broken to the saddle, and perfectly 
 obedient to the bit. Of course there was a good deal 
 of kicking, and plunging, and flinging, and many hard 
 gallops, and some ugly falls, before it came to this ; 
 but both the Bushman Swartboy and the Bush-boy 
 Hendrik were expert in the manege of horses, and 
 soon tamed the quaggas to a proper degree of 
 docility. 
 
 Upon the very first occasion when these animals 
 were used in the hunt of the elephant, they rendered 
 the very service expected of them. The elephant, as 
 usual, bolted after receiving the first shot ; but the 
 hunters on ' ' quagga-back ;; were enabledto keep him 
 in sight, arid follow rapidly upon his heels. As soon 
 as the elephant discovered that, run as he would, his 
 pursuers had the power of overtaking him, he dis- 
 dained to fly further, and stood to bay ; thus giving 
 them the opportunity of delivering shot after shot, 
 until a mortal wound brought his huge body to the 
 earth. 
 
 Von Bloom was delighted. His hopes were high ; 
 his benignant star was once more in the ascendant. 
 
 He would yet accomplish his design. He would 
 yet be rich. A few years would enable him to build 
 up his fortune to construct a pyramid of ivory. 
 
 
286 DRIVING IN THE ELAND. 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 DRIVING IN THE ELAND. 
 
 OP all the family Hendrik was the hunter par 
 excellence. It was he who habitually stored the 
 larder ; and upon days when they were not engaged 
 in the chase of the elephant, Hendrik would be 
 abroad alone in pursuit of antelopes, and other 
 creatures, that furnished their usual subsistence. 
 Hendrik kept the table well supplied. 
 
 Antelopes are the principal game of South Africa 
 for Africa is the country of the antelope above all 
 others. You may be surprised to hear that there are 
 seventy different species of antelopes over all the earth ; 
 that more than fifty of these are African, and that 
 thirty, at least, belong to South Africa tnat is, the 
 portion of the continent lying between the Cape of 
 Good Hope and the Tropic of Capricorn. 
 
 It would require the space of a whole book, there- 
 fore, to give a fair account a monograph of the 
 antelopes alone ; and I cannot afford that space here. 
 At present I can only say that Africa is the great 
 antelope country, although many fine species exist 
 also in Asia ; that in America there is but one kind, 
 the prong-horn, with which you are already well 
 acquainted ; and that in Europe there are two, 
 
DRIVING IN THE ELAND. 287 
 
 though one of these, the well-known " chamois," is 
 as much goat as antelope. 
 
 I shall further remark that the seventy species of 
 animals by naturalists classed as antelopes differ 
 widely from one another in form, size, color, pelage, 
 habits ; in short, in so many respects, that their 
 classification under the name of Antelope is very 
 arbitrary indeed. Some approximate closely to the 
 goat tribe , others are more like deer ; some resemble 
 oxen ; others are closely allied to the buffalo ; while 
 a few species possess many of the characteristics of 
 wild sheep. 
 
 As a general thing, however, they are more like 
 to deer than any other animals ; and many species 
 of them are, in common parlance, called deer. 
 Indeed, many antelopes are more like to certain 
 species of deer than to others of their own kind. 
 The chief distinction noted between them and the 
 deer is, that the antelopes have horny horns, that 
 are persistent or permanent, while those of the deer 
 are osseous or bony, and are annually cast. 
 
 Like the deer, the different species of antelope 
 possess very different habits. Some frequent the 
 wide open plains ; some the deep forest ; some wan- 
 der by the shady banks of streams ; while others 
 love to dwell upon the rocky steep, or the dry 
 ravines of the mountains. Some browse upon the 
 grass ; while others, goat-like, prefer the leaves and 
 tender twigs of trees. In fact, so different are these 
 creatures in habits, that whatever be the natural 
 character of a district of country, it will be found the 
 favorite home of one or more species. Even the very 
 
288 DRIVING IN THE ELAND. 
 
 desert has its antelopes, that prefer the parched 
 and waterless plain to the most fertile and verdant 
 valley. 
 
 Of all antelopes the "eland," or "caana" (A. 
 oreas), is the largest. It measures full seventeen 
 hands at the shoulder, being thus equal in height 
 to a very large horse. A large eland weighs one 
 thousand pounds. It is a heavily-formed animal, and 
 an indifferent runner, as a mounted hunter can gallop 
 up to one without effort. Its general proportions are 
 not unlike those of a common ox, but its horns are 
 straight, and rise vertically from the crown, diverging 
 only slightly from one another. These are two feet 
 in length, and marked by a ridge that passes spirally 
 around them nearly to the tips. The horns of the 
 female are longer than those of the male. 
 
 The eyes of the eland, like those of most antelopes, 
 are large, bright, and melting, without any expres- 
 sion of fierceness ; and the animal, though so very 
 large and strong, is of the most innocuous dis- 
 position, showing fight only when driven to despe- 
 ration. 
 
 The general color of this antelope is dun, with 
 a rufous tinge. Sometimes ashy gray touched with 
 ochre is the prevailing hue. 
 
 The eland is one of those antelopes that appear to 
 be independent of water. It is met with upon the 
 desert plains, far from either spring or stream ; and 
 it even seems to prefer such situations, perhaps 
 from the greater security it finds there, though it 
 is also a denizen of the fertile and wooded districts. 
 
DRIVING IN THE ELAND. 289 
 
 It is gregarioug, the sexes herding separately, and 
 in groups of from ten to a hundred individuals. 
 
 The flesh of the eland is highly esteemed, and does 
 not yield in delicacy to that of any of the antelope, 
 deer, or bovine tribes. It has been compared to 
 tender beef with a game flavor ; and the muscles of 
 the thighs when cured and dried produce a bonne 
 bouche, known under the odd appellation of "thigh- 
 tongues." * 
 
 Of course the eland, affording such excellent meat, 
 and in so large a quantity, is zealously hunted for his 
 spoils. Being only a poor runner, and always very 
 fat, the hunt is usually a short one ; and ends in the 
 eland being shot down, skinned, and cut up. There 
 is no great excitement about this chase, except 
 that it is not every day an eland can be started. 
 The ease with which they can be captured, as well 
 as the value of their venison, has led to the thinning 
 off of these antelopes ; and it is only in remote dis- 
 tricts where a herd of them can be found. 
 
 Now, since their arrival, no elands had been seen, 
 though now and then their spoor was observed ; and 
 Hendrik, for several reasons, was very desirous of 
 getting one. He had never shot an eland in his life 
 that was one reason ; and another was, that he 
 wished to procure a supply of the fine venison which 
 lies in such quantities over the ribs of these animals. 
 
 It was, therefore, with great delight that Hendrik 
 one morning received the report that a herd of elands 
 had been seen upon the upper plain, and not far off. 
 Swartboy, who had been upon the cliffs, brought this 
 report to camp. 
 
 19 
 
290 DRIVING IN THE ELAND. 
 
 Without losing any more time than sufficed to get 
 the direction from Swartboy, Hendrik mounted his 
 quagga, shouldered his rifle, and rode off in search 
 of the herd. 
 
 Not far from the camp there was an easy pass, 
 leading up the cliff to the plain above. It was a 
 sort of gorge, or ravine ; and from the numerous 
 tracks of animals in its bottom, it was evidently 
 much used as a road from the upper plain to that in 
 which were the spring and stream. Certain animals, 
 such as the zebras and quaggas, and others that fre- 
 quent the dry desert plains from preference, were in 
 the habit of coming by this path when they required 
 water. 
 
 Up the gorge rode Hendrik ; and no sooner had he 
 arrived at its top, than he discovered the herd of 
 elands seven old bulls about a mile off upon the 
 upper plain. 
 
 There was not cover enough to have sheltered a 
 fox. The only growth near the spot where the 
 elands were consisted of straggling aloe-plants, 
 euphorbias, with some stunted bushes, and tufts of 
 dry grass, characteristic of the desert. There was 
 no clump large enough to have sheltered a hunter 
 from the eye of his game ; and Hendrik at once came 
 to the conclusion that the elands could not be 
 " stalked ;; in the situation they then occupied. 
 
 Now, though Hendrik had never hunted this ante- 
 lope, he was well acquainted with its habits, and 
 knew how it ought to be chased. He knew that it 
 was a bad runner ; that any old horse could bring 
 
DRIVING IN THE ELAND. 291 
 
 up with it ; and that his quagga the fastest of the 
 four that had been tamed could do the same. 
 
 It was only a question of " start, " therefore. 
 Could he get near enough the bulls to have a fair 
 start, he would run one of them down, to a certainty. 
 The result might be different should the elands take 
 the alarm at a long distance off, and scour away over 
 the plain. 
 
 To get within fair starting distance, that was the 
 point to be attempted. 
 
 But Hendrik was a wary hunter, and soon accom- 
 plished this. Instead of riding direct for the elands, 
 he made a grand circuit, until he had got the herd 
 between him and the cliff, and then, heading his 
 quagga for them, he rode quietly forward. 
 
 He did not sit erect in the saddle, but held him- 
 self bent down, until his breast almost touched the 
 withers of the quagga. This he did to deceive the 
 elands, who would otherwise have recognized him 
 as an enemy. In such a fashion they could not 
 make out what kind of creature was coming tow- 
 ards them ; but stood for a long while gazing at 
 Hendrik and his quagga with feelings of curiosity, 
 and of course some little alarm. 
 
 They, however, permitted the hunter to get within 
 five hundred yards' distance near enough for him 
 before they broke off in their heavy, lumbering 
 gallop. 
 
 Hendrik now rose in his saddle, put spurs to his 
 quagga, and followed the herd at full speed. 
 
 As he had designed, so it came to pass. The 
 elands ran straight in the direction of the cliff, not 
 
292 DRIVING IN THE ELAND. 
 
 where the pass was, but where there was none, 
 and, on reaching the precipice, were of course forced 
 to turn into a new direction, transverse to their 
 former one. This gave Hendrik the advantage, who, 
 heading his quagga diagonally, was soon upon the 
 heels of the herd. 
 
 It was Hendrik's intention to single out one of the 
 bulls, and run him down, leaving the others to gal- 
 lop off wherever they wished. 
 
 ^His intention was carried out ; for, shortly after, 
 the fattest of the bulls shot to one side, as if to 
 escape in that way, while the rest ran on. 
 
 The bull was not so cunning as he thought him- 
 self. Hendrik' s eye was upon him, and in a moment 
 the quagga was turned upon his track. 
 
 Another burst carried both game and pursuer 
 nearly a mile across the plain. The eland had turned 
 from a rufous dun color to that of a leaden blue, 
 the saliva fell from his lips in long streamers, foam 
 dappled his broad chest, the tears rolled out of his 
 big eyes, and his gallop became changed to a weary 
 trot. He was evidently " blown. " 
 
 In a few minutes more the quagga was close upon 
 his heels ; and then the huge antelope, seeing that 
 further running could not serve him, halted in des- 
 pair, and faced round towards his pursuer. 
 
 Now, Hendrik had his loaded rifle in his hand, and 
 you expect to hear that he instantly raised it to his 
 shoulder, took aim, fired, and brought down the 
 eland. 
 
 I must disappoint you, then, by telling you that he 
 did no such thing. 
 
DRIVING IN THE ELAND. 293 
 
 Hendrik was a real hunter neither rash nor 
 wasteful of his resources. He knew a better plan 
 than to kill the eland upon the spot. He knew that 
 the animal was now quite in his power ; and that he 
 could drive him wherever he pleased, just like a 
 tame ox. To have killed the creature on the spot 
 would have been a waste of powder and shot. More 
 than that, it would have rendered necessary all the 
 trouble of transporting its flesh to camp a double 
 journey, at least, and with the risk of the hyenas 
 eating up most of it in his absence. Whereas he 
 could save all this trouble by driving the eland to 
 camp ; and this was his design. 
 
 Without firing a shot, therefore, he galloped on 
 past the blown bull, headed him, turned him round, 
 and then drove him before him in the direction of 
 the cliff. 
 
 The bull could make neither resistance nor oppo- 
 sition. Now and again he would turn and trot off 
 in a contrary direction ; but he was easily headed 
 again, and at length forced forward to the top of the 
 pass. 
 
294 A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 
 
 HENDRIK was congratulating himself on his suc- 
 cess. He anticipated some pleasure in the surprise 
 he was about to create at camp when he should 
 march in with the eland for he had no doubt that 
 he would succeed in doing so. 
 
 Indeed, there appeared no reason to doubt it. The 
 bull had already entered the gorge, and was moving 
 down it, while Hendrik and his quagga were hurry- 
 ing forward to follow. 
 
 The hunter had arrived within a few yards of the 
 top, when a loud trampling noise sounded in his 
 ears, as if a band of heavy-footed animals were 
 coming up the gorge. 
 
 He spurred his quagga forward, in order to reach 
 the edge, and get a view down the ravine. Before 
 he was able to do so, he was surprised to see the 
 eland gallop up again, and try to pass him upon the 
 plain. It had evidently received fresh alarm* from 
 something in the gorge, and preferred facing its 
 old enemy to encountering the new. 
 
 Hendrik did not give his attention to the eland. 
 He could ride it down at any time. He was more 
 anxious first to know what had given it the start 
 
A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 295 
 
 backward ; so he continued to press forward to the 
 head of the ravine. 
 
 He might have thought of lions, and acted with 
 greater prudence ; but the trampling of hoofs, which 
 still echoed up the pass, told him that lions were not 
 the cause of the eland's alarm. 
 
 He at length reached a point where he could see 
 down the declivity. He had not far to look, for 
 already the animals that were making the noise were 
 close up to him ; and he perceived they were nothing 
 more than a troop of quaggas. 
 
 He was not over-pleased at this interruption to 
 his drive ; and the less did he like it, that the intruders 
 were quaggas ill-conditioned brutes that they were ! 
 Had they been game animals, he would have shot 
 one ; but the only motive that would have induced 
 him to shoot one of the quaggas would have been a 
 feeling of anger for, at that moment, he was really 
 angry at them. 
 
 Without knowing it, poor brutes I they had likely 
 given him cause for a good deal of trouble ; for it 
 would cost him a .good deal before he could head 
 the eland again, and get it back into the pass. No 
 wonder, then, he was vexed a little. 
 
 But his vexation was not so grievous as to cause 
 him to fire upon the approaching herd ; and, turning 
 aside, he rode after the eland. 
 
 He had hardly left the spot, when the quaggas 
 came out of the pass, following each other to the 
 number of forty or fifty. Each, as he saw the mounted 
 hunter, started with affright, and bolted off, until the 
 whole drove stretched out in a long line over the 
 
296 A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 
 
 plain, snorting and uttering their loud " coua-a-g " 
 as they ran. 
 
 Hendrik would hardly have regarded this move- 
 ment, under ordinary circumstances. He had often 
 seen herds of quaggas, and was in no way curious 
 about them. But his attention was drawn to this 
 herd, from his noticing, as they passed him, that 
 four of them had their tails docked short ; and from 
 this circumstance he recognized them as the four 
 that had been caught in the pit-trap and afterwards 
 set free. Swartboy, for some purpose of his own, 
 had cut off the hair before letting them go. 
 
 Hendrik had no doubt it was they, and that the 
 herd was the same that used to frequent the vley, 
 but that, on account of the ill-treatment they had 
 met with, had never since shown themselves in the 
 neighborhood. 
 
 Now, these circumstances, coming into Hendrik's 
 mind at the moment, led him to regard the quaggas 
 with a certain feeling of curiosity. The sudden 
 fright which the animals took on seeing him, and the 
 comic appearance of the four with the stumpqd tails, 
 rather inclined Hendrik towards merriment, and he 
 laughed as he galloped along. 
 
 As the quaggas went off in the same direction 
 which the eland had taken, of course Hendrik's road 
 and theirs lay ^o far together ; and on galloped he 
 at their heels. He was curious to try the point 
 much disputed in regard to horses how far a 
 mounted quagga would be able to cope with an un- 
 mounted, one. He was curious, moreover, to find 
 out whether his own quagga was quite equal to any 
 
A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 291 
 
 of its old companions. So on swept the chase the 
 eland leading-, the quaggas after, and Hendrik bring- 
 ing up the rear. 
 
 Hendrik had no need to ply the spur. His gallant 
 steed flew like the wind. He seemed to feel that his 
 character was staked upon the race. He gained 
 upon the drove at every spring. 
 
 The heavy-going eland was soon overtaken, and 
 as it trotted to one side, was passed. It halted, but 
 the quaggas kept on. 
 
 Not only the drove kept on, but Hendrik's quagga 
 followed close at their heels ; and in less than five 
 minutes they had left the eland a full mile in their 
 rear, and were still scouring onward over the wide 
 plain. 
 
 What was Hendrik about ? Was he going to for- 
 sake the eland, and let it escape ? Had he grown 
 so interested in the race ? Was he jealous about 
 his quagga' s speed, and determined it should beat all 
 the others ? 
 
 So it would have appeared to any one witnessing 
 the race from a distance. But one who could have 
 had a nearer view of it would have given a different 
 explanation of Hendrik's conduct. 
 
 The fact was, that as soon as the eland halted, 
 Hendrik intended to halt also ; and for that purpose 
 pulled strongly upon his bridle. But, to his aston- 
 ishment, he found that his quagga did not share his 
 intention. Instead of obeying the bit, the animal 
 caught the steel in his teeth, and, laying his ears 
 back, galloped straight on ! 
 
 Hendrik then endeavored to turn the quagga to 
 
298 A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 
 
 one side, and for this purpose wrenched his right 
 rein, but with such fierceness that the old bit-ring 
 gave way, the bit slipped through the animal's jaws, 
 the head-stall came off with the jerk, and the quagga 
 was completely unbridled. 
 
 Of course the animal was now free to go just as 
 he liked, and it was plain that he liked to go with 
 his old comrades. His old comrades he well knew 
 them to be, as his snorting and occasional neigh of 
 recognition testified. 
 
 At first Hendrik was disposed to look upon the 
 breaking of his bit as only a slight misfortune. For 
 a boy he was one of the best riders in South Africa, 
 and needed no rein to steady him. He could keep 
 his seat without one. The quagga would soon stop, 
 and he could then repair the bit, and readjust the 
 bridle, which he still held in his hands. Such were 
 his reflections at first. 
 
 But their spirit began to alter when he found that 
 the quagga, instead of lessening his pace, kept on as 
 hard as ever, and the herd still ran wildly before him, 
 without showing the slightest signs of coming to a 
 halt. 
 
 In fact, the quaggas were running through fear. 
 They saw the mounted hunter behind them in hot 
 pursuit, and, although their old comrade knew who 
 they were, how were they to tell what he was, with 
 such a tall hunch upon his back ? No quagga he, 
 but some terrible monster, they imagined, thirsting 
 for their lives, and eager to devour one and all of 
 them I 
 
 No wonder they showed their heels in the best 
 
A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 299 
 
 style they knew how ; and BO well did they show 
 them, that Hendrik's quagga notwithstanding his 
 keen desire to get forward among them, and explain 
 away the awkward business upon his back was 
 not able to come an inch closer. 
 
 He did not lose ground, however. His eagerness 
 to regain his old associates, to partake once more 
 of their wild freedom for he was desperately tired 
 of civilized society, and sick of elephant-hunting 
 all these ideas crowded into his mind at the moment, 
 and nerved him to the utmost exertion. Could he 
 only get up into the body of the crowd, for the 
 herd now ran in a crowd, a few whimpers would 
 suffice to explain ; they would come to a halt at 
 once, they would gather around him, and assist 
 both with hoofs and teeth to get " shed" of the ugly 
 two-legged thing that clung so jtightly to his dorsal 
 vertebrae. 
 
 It was "$LO go," however. Although he was so 
 close to their heels that they flung dust in his face, 
 and small pebbles in the face of his rider, to the no 
 slight inconvenience of the latter, although he 
 " whighered " whenever he could spare breath, and 
 uttered his " couag, couag I " in reality, calling them 
 by name, it was "no go," " They would not stay, 
 they would not hear." 
 
 And what did Hendrik during all this time ? 
 Nothing he could do nothing. He could not stay 
 the impetuous flight of his steed. He dared not dis- 
 mount. He would have been hurled among sharp 
 rocks had he attempted such a thing. His neck 
 
300 A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 
 
 would have been broken. He could do nothing 
 nothing but keep his seat. 
 
 What thought he ? At first, not much. At first 
 he regarded the adventure lightly. When he was 
 about completing his third mile, he began to deem it 
 more serious ; and as he entered upon the fifth, he 
 became convinced that he was neither more nor less 
 than in a very awkward scrape. 
 
 But the fifth mile was left behind, and then a sixth, 
 and a seventh ; and still the quaggas galloped wildly 
 on the drove actuated by the fear of losing their 
 liberty, and their old comrade by the desire of regain- 
 ing his. 
 
 Hendrik now felt real uneasiness. Where were 
 they going ? Where was the brute carrying him ? 
 Perhaps off to the desert, where he might be lost, and 
 perish of hunger or thirst I Already he was many 
 miles from the cliffs, and he could no longer tell their 
 direction. Even had he halted then and there, he 
 could not tell which way to turn himself. He would 
 be lost ! 
 
 He grew more than anxious. He became fright- 
 ened in earnest. 
 
 What was he to do ? Leap down, and risk his 
 neck in the fall ? He would lose his quagga and his 
 saddle as well, he regarded the eland as already 
 lost, he would have to walk back to camp, and get 
 laughed at on his return. 
 
 No matter for all that ; his life was" in danger if he 
 kept on. The quaggas might gallop twenty, ay, 
 fifty miles, before halting. They showed no symp- 
 toms of being blown no signs of giving out. He 
 

 A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 301 
 
 must fling himself to the ground, and let quagga and 
 saddle go. 
 
 He had formed this resolution, and was actually 
 about to put it in practice. He was just considering 
 how he might best escape an ugly fall looking for 
 a soft spot when, all at once, a grand idea rushed 
 into his mind. 
 
 He remembered that in taming this same quagga, 
 and breaking him to the saddle, he had been vastly 
 aided by a very simple contrivance that was a 
 "blind." The blind was nothing more than a piece 
 of soft leather tied over the animal's eyes ; but so 
 complete had been its effect, that it had transformed 
 the quagga at once from a kicking, screaming creat- 
 ure, into a docile animal. 
 
 Hendrik now thought of the blind. 
 
 True, he had none. Was there nothing about him 
 that would serve as one ? His handkerchief? No, 
 it would be too thin. Hurra ! His jacket would 
 do! 
 
 His rifle was in the way. It must be got rid of. 
 It must be dropped to the ground. He could return 
 for it. 
 
 It was let down as gently as possible, and soon 
 left far behind. 
 
 In a twinkling Hendrik stripped off his jacket. 
 How was it to be arranged so as to blind the quag- 
 ga ? It would not do to drop it. 
 
 A moment's consideration served the ready boy to 
 mature his plan. After a moment he bent down, 
 passed a sleeve upon each side under the quagga' s 
 throat, and then knotted them together. The jacket 
 
302 A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 
 
 thus rested over the animal's mane, with the collar 
 near its withers, and the peak or skirt upon the small 
 of its neck. 
 
 Hendrik next leaned as far forward as he could, 
 and with his extended arms pushed the jacket up the 
 animal's neck, until the skirt passed over its ears, 
 and fell down in front of its face. 
 
 It was with some difficulty that the rider, bent 
 down as he was, could retain his seat ; for as soon 
 as the thick flap of cloth came down over the eyes 
 of the quagga, the latter halted as if he had been 
 shot dead in his tracks. He did not fall, however, 
 but only stood still, quivering with terror. His gal- 
 lop was at an end ! 
 
 Hendrik leaped to the ground. He was no longer 
 afraid that the quagga, blinded as he now was, would 
 make any attempt to get off; nor did he. 
 
 Jn a few minutes the broken bit-ring was replaced 
 by a strong rheim of raw leather, the bit inserted 
 between the quagga's teeth, the head-stall safely 
 buckled, and Hendrik once more in the saddle, with 
 his jacket upon his back. 
 
 The quagga felt that he was conquered. His old 
 associates were no longer in sight to tempt him from 
 his allegiance ; and with these considerations, aided 
 by a slight dose of bit and spur, he turned his head, 
 and moved sullenly upon the back track. 
 
 Hendrik knew nothing about the route he should 
 take. He followed back the spoor of the quaggas to 
 the place where he had dropped his gun, which after 
 riding a mile or two he recovered. 
 
 As there was no sun in the sky, nor other object 
 
A WILD RIDE ON QUAGGA-BACK. 303 
 
 to guide him, he thought he could not do better than 
 trace back the spoor ; and, although it led him by 
 many a devious route, and he saw nothing more of 
 his eland, before night he reached the pass in the 
 cliff, and was soon after sitting under the shadow of 
 the nwana-tree, regaling a most interested audience 
 with the narrative of his day's adventures. 
 
304 THE GUN-TRAP. 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 THE GUN-TRAP. 
 
 IT was about this time that the field-cornet and his 
 people were very much annoyed by beasts of prey. 
 The savory smell which their camp daily sent forth, 
 as well as the remains of antelopes, killed for their 
 venison, attracted these visitors. Hyenas and jack- 
 als were constantly skulking in the neighborhood, 
 and at night came around the great nwana-tree in 
 scores, keeping up their horrid chorus for hours 
 together. It is true that nobody feared these ani- 
 mals, as the children at night were safe in. their 
 aerial home, where the hyenas could not get at them. 
 But, for all that, the presence of the brutes was very 
 offensive, as not a bit of meat not a hide, nor 
 rheim, nor any article of leather could be left be- 
 low without their getting their teeth upon it, and 
 chewing it up. Quarters of venison they had fre- 
 quently stolen, and they had eaten up the leathern 
 part of Swartboy's saddle, and rendered it quite use- 
 less for a while. In short, so great a pest had the 
 hyenas grown to be, that it became necessary to adopt 
 some mode of destroying them. 
 
 It was not easy to get a shot at them. During the 
 day they were wary, and either hid themselves in 
 caves of the cliff or in the burrows of the ant-eater. 
 
THE GUN-TRAP. 305 
 
 At night they were bold enough, and came into the 
 very camp ; but then the darkness hindered a good 
 aim, and the hunters knew too well the value of pow- 
 der and lead to waste it on a chance shot, though 
 now and then, when provoked by the brutes, they 
 ventured one. 
 
 But some way must be thought of to thin the num- 
 bers of these animals, or get rid of them altogether. 
 This was the opinion of everybody. 
 
 Two or three kinds of traps were tried, but with- 
 out much success. A pit they could leap out of, and 
 from a noose they could free themselves by cutting- 
 the rope with their sharp teeth. 
 
 At length the field-cornet resorted to a plan much 
 practised by the boors of Southern Africa for ridding 
 their farms of these and similar "vermin/' It was 
 the "gun-trap." 
 
 Now, there are several ways of constructing a gun- 
 trap. Of course, a gun is the principal part of the 
 mechanism, and the trigger pulled by a string is the 
 main point of the contrivance. In some countries 
 the bait is tied to the string, and the animal on seiz- 
 ing the bait tightens the string, draws the trigger, 
 and shoots itself. In this way, however, there is 
 always some uncertainty as to the result. The ani- 
 mal may not place its body in the proper position 
 with regard to the muzzle, and may either escape the 
 shot altogether, or may be only " creased, " and of 
 course get off. 
 
 The mode of setting the " gun-trap " in South 
 Africa is a superior plan ; and the creature that is so 
 unfortunate as to' draw the trigger rarely escapes, 
 20 
 
306 THE GUN-TRAP. 
 
 but is either killed upon the spot, or so badly 
 wounded as to prevent its getting away. 
 
 Von Bloom constructed his trap after the approved 
 fashion, as follows : Near the camp he selected a spot 
 where three saplings, or young trees, grew, stand- 
 ing in a line, and about a yard between each two of 
 them. Had he not found three trees so disposed, 
 stakes firmly driven into the ground would have 
 answered his purpose equally well. 
 
 Thorn-bushes were now cut, and a kraal built in 
 the usual manner that is, with the tops of the 
 bushes turned outwards. The size of the kraal was 
 a matter of no consequence, and, of course, to save 
 labor, a small one was constructed. 
 
 One point, however, was observed in making the 
 kraal. Its door or opening was placed so that two of 
 the three saplings stood like posts, one on each side 
 of it, and an animal going into the enclosure must 
 needs pass between these two trees. 
 Now for the part the gun had to play. 
 The weapon was placed in a horizontal position 
 against two of the saplings, that is, the stock 
 against the one outside the kraal, and the barrel 
 against one of the door-posts, and there firmly lashed. 
 In this position the muzzle was close to the edge of 
 the entrance, and pointing directly to the sapling on 
 the opposite side. It was at such a height as to have 
 ranged with the heart of a hyena standing in the 
 opening. 
 
 The next move was to adjust the string. Already 
 a piece of stick, several inches in length, had been 
 fixed to the small of the stock, and, of course, be- 
 
THE GUN-TRAP. 30t 
 
 hind the trigger. This was fastened transversely, but 
 not so as to preclude all motion. A certain loose- 
 ness in its adjustment gave it the freedom required 
 to be worked as a lever for that was its design. 
 
 To each end of this little stick was fastened a 
 string. One of these strings was attached to the 
 trigger ; the other, after being carried through the 
 thimbles of the ramrod, traversed across the entrance 
 of the kraal, and was knotted upon the opposite side 
 to the sapling that stood there. This string followed 
 the horizontal direction of the barrel, and was just 
 "taut," so that any further strain upon it would act 
 upon the little lever, and by that means pull the trig- 
 ger, and then of course "bang" would go the roer. 
 
 When this string was adjusted, and the gun loaded 
 and cocked, the trap was set. 
 
 Nothing remained to be done but bait it. This 
 was not a difficult task. It consisted simply in plac- 
 ing a piece of meat or carcass within the enclosure, 
 and there leaving it to attract the prowling beasts to 
 the spot. 
 
 When the gun had been set, Swartboy carried up 
 the bait, the offal of an antelope killed that day, 
 and flung it into the kraal ; and then the party went 
 quietly to their beds, without thinking more of the 
 matter. 
 
 They had not slept a wink, Jiowever, before they 
 were startled by the loud " crack " of the roer, fol- 
 lowed by a short stifled cry, that told them the gun- 
 trap had done its work. 
 
 A torch was procured, and the four hunters pro- 
 ceeded to the spot. There they found the dead body 
 
308 THE GUN-TRAP. 
 
 of a huge "tiger-wolf lying doubled up in the en- 
 trance, and right under the muzzle of the gun. He 
 had not gone a step after receiving the shot, in 
 fact, had hardly kicked before dying, as the bullet, 
 wad, and all, had gone quite through his ribs and 
 entered his heart, after making a large ugly hole in 
 his side. Of course he must have been within a few 
 inches of the muzzle, when his breast, pressing 
 against the string, caused the gun to go off. 
 
 Having again loaded the roer, the hunters returned 
 to their beds. One might suppose they would have 
 dragged the suicidal hyena away from the spot, 
 lest his carcass should serve as a warning to his com- 
 rades, and keep them away from the trap. But 
 Swartboy knew better than that. Instead of being 
 scared by the dead body of one of their kind, the 
 hyenas only regard it as proper prey, and will devour 
 it as they would the remains of a tender antelope ! 
 
 Knowing this, Swartboy did not take the dead 
 hyena away, but only drew it within the kraal, to 
 serve as a further inducement for the others to 
 attempt an entrance there. 
 
 Before morning they were once more awakened by 
 the "bang" of the great gun. This time they lay 
 still ; but when day broke they visited their trap, and 
 found that a second hyena had too rashly pressed 
 his bosom against the fatal string. 
 
 Night after night they continued their warfare 
 against the hyenas, changing the trap-kraal to dif- 
 ferent localities in the surrounding neighborhood. 
 
 At length these creatures were nearly extermi- 
 nated, or, at all events, became so rare and shy that 
 
THE GUN-TRAP. 309 
 
 their presence in the camp was no longer an annoy- 
 ance one way or the other. 
 
 About this time, however, there appeared another 
 set of visitors, whose presence was far more to be 
 dreaded, and whose destruction the hunters were 
 more anxious to accomplish. That was a family of 
 lions. 
 
 The spoor of these had been often seen in the 
 neighborhood, but it was some time before they began 
 to frequent the camp. However, about the time the 
 hyenas had been fairly got rid of, the lions took their 
 place, and came every night, roaring about the camp 
 in a most terrific manner. 
 
 Dreadful as these sounds were, the people were not 
 so much afraid of them as one might imagine. They 
 well knew that the lions could not get at them in the 
 tree. Had it been leopards they might have felt 
 less secure, as the latter are true tree-climbers ; but 
 they had seen no leopards in that country, and did 
 not think of them. 
 
 They were not altogether without fear of the lions, 
 however. They were annoyed, moreover, that they 
 could not with safety descend from the tree after 
 nightfall, but were every night besieged from sunset 
 till morning. Besides, although the cow and the quag- 
 gas were shut in strong kraals, they dreaded each 
 night that the lions would make a seizure of one or 
 other of these animals ; and the loss of any one of 
 them, but especially their valuable friend "Old Graaf," 
 would have been a very serious misfortune. 
 
 It was resolved, therefore, to try the gun-trap upon 
 the lions, as it had succeeded so well with the hyenas. 
 
310 THE GUN-TRAP. 
 
 There was no difference in the construction or con- 
 trivance of the trap. The gun only had to be placed 
 upon a higher level, so that its muzzle might be op- 
 posite the lion's heart, and the proper range was 
 easily obtained. The bait, however, was not carcass, 
 but an animal freshly killed ; and for this purpose an 
 antelope was procured. 
 
 The result was as desired. On the first night tho 
 old male lion " breasted " the fatal string, and bit the 
 dust. Next night the lioness was destroyed in a sim- 
 ilar way, and shortly after a full-grown young male. 
 
 The trap then lay idle for a while ; but about a 
 week after a half-grown " cub " was shot near the 
 camp by Hendrik, no doubt the last of that family, 
 as no lions were seen for a long time after. 
 
 A great enemy to night-plunderers was that same 
 gun-trap. 
 
THE WEAVER-BIRDS. 311 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 THE WEAVER-BIRDS. 
 
 Now that the beasts of prey had been destroyed, 
 or driven from about the camp, there was no longer 
 any danger in that quarter, and the children could be 
 left by themselves. Totty of course always stayed 
 with them, while the four hunters went forth upon 
 the chase of the elephant, each mounted upon his 
 quagga. 
 
 They had done so many a time, and as no harm 
 had happened to the children in their absence, such 
 a course became habitual with them. Jan and Truey 
 were cautioned not to stray far from the nwana, and 
 always to climb to the tree should they perceive any 
 animal that might be dangerous. Before the destruc- 
 tion of the hyenas and lions, they had been used to 
 remain altogether in the tree, while the hunters were 
 absent. But this had been quite an imprisonment to 
 them, and, now that the danger was not considered 
 much, they were allowed to come down and play 
 upon the grassy plain, or wander along the shore of 
 the little lake. 
 
 On one occasion when the hunters were abroad, 
 Truey had strayed down to the edge of the water. 
 She was alone, if we except the company of the ga- 
 zelle, which followed at her heels wherever she went. 
 
312 THE WEAVER-BIRDS. 
 
 This pretty creature had grown to full size, and had 
 turned out a great beauty, with large round eyes, that 
 had a lovely, melting expression, like the eyes of 
 Truey herself. 
 
 Well, as I have said, Truey was alone. Jan was 
 busy near the bottom of the tree, working a new rod 
 into his bird-cage, and Totty was out upon the plain 
 herding " old Graaf," so Truey and the pet spring- 
 bok went strolling along by themselves. 
 
 Now, Truey had not gone down to the water with- 
 out an object. She had one. She had gone to give 
 her pet a drink, and collect some blue lilies for a 
 bouquet. All this she had done, and still continued 
 to walk along the shore. 
 
 On one side of the lake, and that the furthest from 
 the nwana-tree, a low spit of land projected into the 
 water. It had once been but a sand-bar, but grass 
 had grown upon it, until a green turf was formed. 
 There was not over a square perch of it altogether, 
 but it was not square in shape. On the contrary, it 
 was of oval form, and much narrower nearest the 
 land, where it formed a neck, or isthmus, not more 
 than three feet in width. It was, in short, a minia- 
 ture peninsula, which by a very little work with the 
 spade could have been converted into a miniature 
 island, had that been desired. 
 
 Now, there is nothing very remarkable about a little 
 peninsula projecting into a lake. In nearly every 
 lake such a thing may be seen. But about this one 
 there was something remarkable. 
 
 Upon its extreme end grew a tree of singular form 
 and foliage. It was not a large tree, and its branches 
 

 THE WEAVER-BIRDS. 313 
 
 drooped downwards until their tips almost touched the 
 water. The pendulous boughs, and long lanceolate 
 silvery leaves, rendered it easy to tell what sort of tree 
 it was. It was the weeping or Babylonian willow 
 so called because it was upon trees of this species 
 that the captive Jews hung their harps when they 
 " sat and wept by the streams of Babel. " This 
 beautiful tree casts its waving shadow over the 
 streams of South Africa, as well as those of Assyria ; 
 and often is the eye of the traveller gladdened by the 
 sight of its silvery leaves, as he beholds them, 
 sure indications of water, shining afar over the 
 parched and thirsty desert. If a Christian, he fails 
 not to remember that highly poetical passage of 
 sacred writing, that speaks of the willow of Babylon. 
 Now, the one which grew upon the little peninsula 
 had all these points of interest for little Triiey but 
 it had others as well. Upon its branches that over- 
 hung the water a very singular appearance presented 
 itself. Upon these was suspended one upon the 
 end of each branch a number of odd-shaped ob- 
 jects, that hung drooping down until their lower ends 
 nearly rested upon the surface of the water. These 
 objects, as stated, were of a peculiar shape. At the 
 upper ends where they were attached to the 
 branches they were globe-shaped, but the lower 
 part consisted of a long cylinder of much smaller 
 diameter, and at the bottom of this cylinder was the 
 entrance. They bore some, resemblance to salad- 
 oil bottles inverted, with their necks considerably 
 lengthened ; or they might be compared to the glass 
 retorts seen in the laboratory of the chemist. 
 
314 THE WEAVER-BIRDS. 
 
 They were each twelve or fifteen inches in length, 
 and of a greenish color nearly as green as the 
 leaves of the tree itself. Were they its fruit ? 
 
 No. The weeping willow bears no fruit of that 
 size. They were not fruit. They were nests of birds ! 
 
 Yes ; they were the nests of a colony of harmless 
 finches of the genus Ploceus, better known to you 
 under the appellation of "weaver-birds. 77 
 
 I am sure you have heard of weaver-birds be- 
 fore this, and you know that these creatures are so 
 called on account of the skill which they exhibit in 
 the construction of their nests. They do not build 
 nests, as other birds, but actually weave them, in a 
 most ingenious manner. 
 
 You are not to suppose that there is but one spe- 
 cies of weaver-bird one kind alone that forms these 
 curious nests. In Africa which is the principal 
 home of these birds there are many different kinds, 
 forming different genera, whose hard names I shall 
 not trouble you with. Each of these different kinds 
 builds a nest of peculiar shape, and each chooses a 
 material different from the others. Some, as the 
 Proceus icterocephalus, make their nests of a kidney- 
 shape, with the entrance upon the sides, and the lat- 
 ter not circular, but like an arched doorway. Others 
 of the genus Plocepasser weave their nests in such a 
 manner that the thick ends of the stalks stick out all 
 around the outside, giving them the appearance of 
 suspended hedgehogs ; while the birds of another 
 genus, closely allied to the latter, construct their 
 nests of slender twigs, leaving the ends of these to 
 project in a similar manner. The " social gros-beak " 
 
THE WEAVER-BIRDS. 315 
 
 (Loxia soda) fabricates a republic of nests in one 
 clump, and all under one roof. The entrances are in 
 the under surface of this mass, which, occupying the 
 whole top of a tree, has the appearance of a hay- 
 stack, or a dense piece of thatch. 
 
 All these weaver-birds, though of different genera, 
 bear a considerable resemblance to each other in 
 their habits. They are usually granivorous, though 
 some are insectivorous; and one species, the "red- 
 billed weaver-bird " (Textor erythrorhynchus) , is a 
 parasite of the wild buffaloes. 
 
 It is a mistake to suppose that weaver-birds are 
 only found in Africa and the Old World, as stated in 
 the works of many naturalists. In tropical America 
 birds of this character are found in many species of 
 the genera Cassicus and Icterus, who weave pensile 
 nests of a similar kind upon the trees of the Amazon 
 and Orinoco. But the true weaver-birds, that is to 
 say, those which are considered the type of the class, 
 are those of the genus Ploceus ; and it was a species 
 of this genus that had hung their pendulous habita- 
 tions upon the weeping willow. They were of tho 
 species known as the " pensile weaver-bird " (Plo- 
 ceus pensilis). 
 
 There were full twenty of their nests in all, shaped 
 as already described, and of green color ; for the 
 tough " Bushman's grass," out of which they had 
 been woven, had not yet lost its verdant hue, nor 
 would it for a long time. Being of this color, they 
 actually looked like something that grew upon the 
 tree like great pear-shaped fruits. No doubt from 
 this source have been derived the tales of ancient 
 
316 THE WEAVER-BIRDS. 
 
 travellers, who represented that in Africa were trees 
 with fruits upon them, which, upon being broken 
 open, disclosed to view either living birds or their 
 eggs. 
 
 Now, the sight of the weaver-birds and their 
 nests was nothing new to Triiey. It was some time 
 since the colony had established itself upon the 
 willow-tree, and she and they had grown well 
 acquainted. She had often visited the birds, had 
 collected seeds, and carried them down to the tree ; 
 and there was not one of the whole colony .that 
 would not have perched upon her wrist or her pretty 
 white shoulders, or hopped about over her fair locks, 
 without fear. It was nothing unusual to her to see 
 the pretty creatures playing about the branches, or 
 entering the long vertical tunnels that led upward 
 to their nests ; nothing unusual for Triiey to listen 
 for hours to their sweet twittering, or watch their 
 love-gambols around the borders of the vley. 
 
 She was not thinking of them at the moment, but 
 of something else, perhaps of the blue water-lilies, 
 perhaps of the springbok, but certainly not of them, 
 as she tripped gayly along the edge of the lake. 
 
 Her attention, however, was suddenly attracted to 
 the birds. 
 
 All at once, and without any apparent cause, they 
 commenced screaming and fluttering around the tree, 
 their cries and gestures betokening a high state of 
 excitement or alarm.. 
 
THE SPITTING-SNAKK. 317 
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 THE SPITTING-SNAKE. 
 
 " WHAT can be the matter with my pretty birds ? " 
 asked Triiey of herself. " Something wrong surely ! 
 I see no hawk. Perhaps they are fighting among 
 themselves. I shall go round and see. I shall soon 
 pacify them." 
 
 . And, so saying, she mended her pace ; and, passing 
 round the end of the lake, walked out upon the 
 peninsula until she stood under the willow. 
 
 There was no underwood. The tree stood alone 
 upon the very end of the spit of land, and Triiey 
 went close in to its trunk. Here she stopped and 
 looked up among the branches, ^ta ascertain what 
 was causing so much excitement among the 
 birds. 
 
 As she approached, several of the little creatures 
 had flown towards her, and alighted upon her arms 
 and shoulders ; but not as was their "wont when 
 desiring to be fed.. They appeared to be in a state 
 of alarm, and had come to her for protection. 
 
 Some enemy certainly must be near, thought 
 Triiey, though she could see none. 
 
 She looked around and above. There were no 
 hawks in the air, nor on the neighboring trees no 
 birds of prey of any kind. Had there been one in 
 
318 THE SPITTING-SNAKE. 
 
 the willow, she could easily have seen it, as the 
 foliage was light and thin ; besides, a hawk would 
 not have remained in the tree with her standing so 
 near. What, then, caused the trouble among the 
 birds ? What was still causing it, for they were 
 as noisy and terrified as ever ? Ha ! At last the 
 enemy appears ; at last Triiey's eyes have fallen 
 upon the monster who has disturbed the peaceful 
 colony of weavers, and roused them to such a pitch 
 of excitement. 
 
 Slowly gliding along a horizontal branch, grasp- 
 ing the limb in its many spiral folds, appeared the 
 body of a large serpent. Its scales glittered as it 
 moved, and it was the shining of these that had 
 caught Triiey's eyes, and directed them upon the 
 hideous reptile. 
 
 When she first saw it, it was gliding spirally 
 along one of the horizontal branches of the willow, 
 and coming, as it were, from the nests of the birds. 
 Her eyes, howev^P, had scarce rested upon it, before 
 its long slippery body passed from the branch, and 
 the next moment it was crawling head-foremost down 
 the main trunk of the tree. 
 
 Triiey had scarce time to start back, before its 
 head was opposite the spot where she had stood. 
 No doubt, had she kept her place, she would have 
 been bitten by the serpent at once ; for the reptile, 
 on reaching that point, detached its head from the 
 tree, spread its jaws wide open, projected its forked 
 tongue, and hissed horribly. It was evidently 
 enraged, partly because it had failed in its plunder- 
 ^ing intentions, not having been able to reach the 
 
THE SPITTING-SNAKE. 319 
 
 nests of the birds, and partly that the latter had 
 repeatedly struck it with their beaks no doubt 
 causing it considerable pain. It was further pro- 
 voked by the arrival of Triiey, in whom it recognized 
 the rescuer of its intended victims. 
 
 Whatever were its thoughts at that moment, it 
 was evidently in a rage, as the motion of its head 
 and the flashing of its eyes testified ; and it would 
 have sprung upon any creature that had unfortu- 
 nately come in its way. 
 
 Triiey, however, had no intention of getting in 
 its way, if she could avoid it. It might be a harm- 
 less serpent, for all she knew ; but a snake nearly 
 six feet in length, whether it be harmless or venom- 
 ous, is a terrible object to be near ; and Triiey had 
 instinctively glided to one side, and stood off from 
 it as far as the water would allow her. 
 
 She would have run back over the narrow isthmus ; 
 but something told her that the snake was about to 
 take that direction, and might overtake her ; and 
 this thought induced her to pass to one side of the 
 peninsula, in hopes the reptile would follow the path 
 that led out to the mainland. 
 
 Having got close to the water's edge, she stood 
 gazing upon the hideous form, and trembled as she 
 gazed. 
 
 Had Triiey known the character of that reptile, 
 she would have trembled all the more. She saw 
 before her one of the most venomous of serpents, the 
 black naja, or " spitting-snake," the cobra of Africa ; 
 far more dangerous than its congener the cobra de 
 
 
320 THE SPITTING-SNAKE. 
 
 capello of India, because far more active in its 
 movements, and equally fatal in its bite. 
 
 Truey knew not this. She only knew that there 
 was a great ugly snake, nearly twice her own length, 
 with a large open mouth and glistening tongue, 
 apparently ready to eat her up. That was fearful 
 enough for her, poor thing ! and she gazed and trem- 
 bled, and trembled and gazed again. 
 
 Angry as the cobra appeared, it did not turn aside 
 to attack her. Neither did it remain by the tree. 
 After uttering its long loud hiss, it descended to the 
 ground, and glided rapidly off. 
 
 It made directly for the isthmus, as if intending 
 to pass it, and retreat to' some bushes that grew at a 
 distance off on the mainland. 
 
 Truey was in hopes that such was its design, and 
 was just beginning to feel safe again, when, all at 
 once, the snake coiled itself upon th6 narrow neck 
 of land, as if ft intended to stay there. 
 
 It had executed this manoeuvre so suddenly, and 
 so apparently without premeditation, that Truey 
 looked to discover the cause. The moment before, 
 it was gliding along in rapid retreat, its glistening 
 form stretched to its full length along the earth. 
 The next instant it had assumed the appearance of 
 a coiled cable, over the edge of which projected its 
 fierce head, with the scaly skin of its neck broadly 
 extended, into that hood-like form which characterizes 
 the cobra. 
 
 Truey, we have said, looked for the cause of this 
 sudden change in the tactics of the reptile. She 
 learnt it at the first glance. 
 
THE SPITTING-SNAKE. 321 
 
 There stretched a piece of smooth sloping ground 
 from the edge of the lake back into the plain. By 
 this the little peninsula was approached. As she 
 glanced outward, she saw the springbok advancing 
 down this slope. It was the approach of the 
 antelope that had interrupted the retreat of the 
 serpent. 
 
 Triiey, on first discovering the snake, had uttered 
 a cry of alarm. This cry had summoned her pet, 
 that had lingered behind browsing upon the grass, 
 and it was now bounding forward, with its white 
 tail erect, and its large brown eyes glistening with 
 an expression of inquiry. 
 
 It saw its mistress out upon the peninsula. Had 
 she called it ? Why had she uttered that strange 
 cry ? They were not sounds of joyful import it had 
 heard. Was anything amiss ? Yonder she stood. 
 It would gallop to her, and see what was wanted ; 
 and, with such thoughts passing through its brain, 
 the bright little creature bounded down the bank 
 towards the edge of the lake. 
 
 Triiey trembled for her pet. Another spring, and 
 
 it would be upon the lurking serpent another 
 
 " Ha ! it is safe 1 " 
 
 These words escaped from the lips of the young 
 girl, as she saw the springbok rise high into the air, 
 and leap far and clear over the coiled reptile. 
 The antelope had observed the snake in time, and 
 saved itself by one of those tremendous bounds, 
 such as only a springbok can make. The fond 
 creature, having passed the danger, now ran on to 
 21 
 
322 THE SPITTING-SNAKE. 
 
 its mistress, and stood with its big shining eyes bent 
 upon her inquiringly. 
 
 But the cry that Truey had uttered had summoned 
 another individual. To her horror, she now saw 
 little Jan running down the slope, and coming 
 directly upon the path where the cobra lay coiled. 
 
THE SERPENT-EATER. 323 
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 THE SERPENT-EATER. 
 
 JAN'S danger was imminent. He was rushing im- 
 petuously forward upon the coiled serpent. He 
 knew not that it was before him. No warning would 
 reach him in time to stay his haste. In another 
 moment he would be on the narrow path, and then 
 no power could save him from the deadly bite. It 
 would be impossible for him to leap aside or over the 
 reptile, as the antelope had done ; for even then Triiey 
 had noticed that the cobra had darted its long neck 
 several feet upwards. It would be certain to reach 
 little Jan, perhaps coil itself around him. Jan would 
 be lost ! 
 
 For some moments Triiey was speechless. Terror 
 had robbed her of the power of speech. She could 
 only scream, and fling her arms wildly about. 
 
 But these demonstrations, instead of warning Jan 
 of the danger, only rendered it the more certain. 
 He connected the cries which Triiey now uttered 
 with that which had first summoned him. She was 
 in some trouble, he knew not what ; but, as she con- 
 tinued to scream, he believed that something had 
 attacked her. A snake he thought it might be ; but, 
 whatever it was, his first impulse was to hurry 
 up to her rescue. He could do no good until close 
 
 
324 THE SERPENT-EATER. 
 
 to her ; and, therefore, he did not think of halting 
 until he should reach the spot where she stood. 
 
 Her screams, therefore, and the wild gestures that 
 accompanied them, only caused him to run the 
 faster ; and as his eyes were bent anxiously on 
 Triiey, there was not the slightest hope that he 
 would perceive the serpent until he had either trod- 
 den upon it, or felt its fatal bite. 
 
 Triiey uttered one last cry of warning, pronouncing 
 at the same time the words 
 
 "0, brother ! back ! The snake ! the snake ! " 
 
 The words were uttered in vain. Jan heard them, 
 but did not comprehend their meaning. He heard 
 the word " snake. " He was expecting as much. It 
 had attacked Triiey ; and although he did not see 
 it, it- was no doubt wound about her body. He 
 hurried on. 
 
 Already he was within six paces of the dread 
 reptile, that had erected its long spread neck to 
 receive him. Another moment, and its envenomed 
 fangs would pierce deep into his flesh. 
 
 With a despairing scream Triiey rushed forward. 
 She hoped to attract the monster upon herself. She 
 would risk her own life to save that of her brother. 
 
 She had got within six feet of the threatening 
 reptile. Jan was about the same distance from it 
 on the opposite side. They were equally in peril ; 
 and one or the other, perhaps both, would have 
 fallen a sacrifice to the deadly cobra ; but at that 
 moment their savior was nigh. A dark shadow 
 passed under their eyes, in their ears was a rushing 
 sound like the " whish " of a falling body ; and at 
 
THE SERPENT AND THE SERPENT-EATER. P age 335. 
 

THE SERPENT-EATER. 325 
 
 the same instant a large bird darted down between 
 them. 
 
 It did not stay to alight. For a moment its strong 
 broad wings agitated the air in their faces ; but the 
 next moment the bird made a sudden effort, -and rose 
 vertically upwards. 
 
 Truey's eyes fell upon the ground. The cobra 
 was no longer there. 
 
 With an exclamation of joy she sprang forward, 
 and, throwing her arms around Jan, cried out 
 
 " We are saved, brother ! we are saved ! " 
 
 Jan was somewhat bewildered. As yet he had 
 seen no snake. He had seen the bird dart down 
 between them ; but so adroitly had it seized the 
 cobra and carried it off, that Jan, looking only at 
 Triiey, had not perceived the serpent in its beak. 
 He was bewildered and terrified, for he still fancied 
 that Triiey was in danger. 
 
 When he heard her exclaim, "We are saved!" 
 he was bewildered' all the more. 
 
 " But the snake ! " he cried out. " Where is the 
 snake ? " 
 
 As he put these questions, he kept examining 
 Triiey from head to foot, as if expecting to see a 
 reptile twined around some part of her body. 
 
 "The snake, Jan! Did you not see it? It was 
 just there, at our feet ; but now, see ! yonder it is. 
 The secretary has got it. See I They are fighting ! 
 Good bird ! I hope it will punish the villain for 
 trying to rob my pretty weavers. That '& it, good 
 bird ! Give it to him ! See, Jan ! What a fight ! " 
 
 " 0, ah ! " said Jan, now comprehending the 
 
326 THE SERPENT-EATER. 
 
 situation. " 0, ah ! Sure enough, yonder is a snake, 
 and a wopper, too. Ne'er fear, Triiey ! Trust my 
 secretary. He '11 give the rascal a taste of his claws. 
 There 's a lick well put in ! Another touch like that, 
 and there won't be much life left in the scaly villain. 
 There again wop ! " 
 
 With these and similar exclamations, the two 
 children stood watching the fierce conflict that raged 
 between the bird and the reptile. 
 
 Now, this bird was a very peculiar one ; so much 
 so, that in all the world there is no other of the same 
 kind. In form it resembled a crane, having very 
 long legs, and being about the height and size of a 
 crane. Its head and beak, however, were more like 
 those of an eagle or vulture. It had well-developed 
 wings, armed with spurs ; and a very long tail, with 
 the two middle feathers longer than the rest. Its 
 general color was bluish-gray, with a white throat 
 and breast, and a reddish tinge upon the wing-feath- 
 ers. But, perhaps, the most remarkable thing about 
 the bird was its " crest." This consisted of a num- 
 ber of long, blackish plumes growing out of its 
 occiput, and extending down the back of its neck 
 nearly to the shoulders. These gave the bird a very 
 peculiar appearance ; and the fancied resemblance to 
 a secretary of the olden time with his long quill 
 behind his ear, before steel pens came into fashion, 
 is the reason why the bird has received the very in- 
 appropriate name of the " Secretary-bird." 
 
 It is more properly named the "serpent-eater," 
 and naturalists have given it the title Gypogeranus, 
 or "crane-vulture." It is sometimes also called 
 
THE SERPENT-EATEK. 327 
 
 " the messenger/ 7 from the staid, solemn manner of 
 its walk, as it stalks over the plain. 
 
 Of all its names that of " serpent-eater " is the 
 best adapted to the character of the bird. It is true 
 there are other birds that kill and eat serpents, as 
 the " guaco " bird of South America, and many 
 hawks and kites ; but the secretary is the only winged 
 creature that makes reptiles of this class exclusively 
 its prey, and carries on a constant war against them. 
 It is not strictly correct to say that it feeds exclu- 
 sively upon snakes. It will also eat lizards, tor- 
 toises, and even locusts ; but snakes are certainly 
 its favorite food, and to obtain these it risks its life 
 in many a deadly encounter with those of a very 
 large kind. 
 
 The serpent-eater is an African bird, and is not 
 peculiar to South Africa alone, as it is foujid in the 
 Gambia country. It is also a native of the Philippine 
 Isles. There is some doubt whether the species of 
 the Philippine Isles is identical with that of Africa. 
 A difference is noted in the plumage, though very 
 slight. The disposition of the crest-plumes differs in 
 the two, and the tail-feathers are differently arranged. 
 In the African species the two middle ones are the 
 longest, while in the serpent-eater of the Philippines 
 it is the two outside feathers that project, giving the 
 bird the appearance of having a " fork " or " swal- 
 low 77 tail. Some points of distinction have also 
 been observed between the South African bird and 
 that of the Gambia. 
 
 The serpent-eater is, however, a very unique bird ; 
 and naturalists, failing to class it with either hawks, 
 
328 THE SERPENT-EATER. 
 
 eagles, vultures, gallinae, or cranes, have elevated 
 it, so as to form a distinct tribe, family, genus, and 
 species, of itself. 
 
 In South Africa it frequents the great plains and 
 dry karoos, stalking about in search of its prey. It 
 is not gregarious, but lives solitary or in pairs, mak- 
 ing its nest in trees, usually those of a thick, 
 thorny species, which renders the nest most dif- 
 ficult of approach. The whole edifice is about three 
 feet in diameter, and resembles the nests of the tree- 
 building eagles. It is usually lined with feathers 
 and down, and two or three eggs are the number 
 deposited for a single hatching. 
 
 The serpent-eater is an excellent runner, and 
 spends more time on foot than on the wing. It is a 
 shy, wary bird, yet, notwithstanding, it is most 
 easily domesticated ; and it is not uncommon to see 
 them about the houses of the Cape farmers, where 
 they are kept as pets, on account of their usefulness 
 in destroying snakes, lizards, and other vermin. 
 They have been long ago introduced into the French 
 West India Islands, and naturalized there, in order 
 that they should make war upon the dangerous 
 "yellow serpent" (Trigonocephalus lanceolalus) , the 
 plague of the plantations in those parts. 
 
 Now, the bird which had so opportunely appeared 
 between Jan and Triiey, and had no doubt saved one 
 or the other, or both, from the deadly bite of the 
 spuugh-slang, was a serpent-eater, one that had 
 been tamed, and that made its home among the 
 branches of the great nwana-tree. The hunters had 
 found it upon the plain, wounded by some animal, 
 
THE SERPENT-EATER. 329 
 
 perhaps a very large snake, and had brought it 
 home as a curiosity. In time it quite recovered from 
 its wounds ; but the kindness it had received during 
 the period when it was an invalid was not thrown 
 away upon it. When it recovered the use of its 
 wings, it refused to leave the society of its protect- 
 ors, but remained habitually in the camp, although 
 it made frequent excursions into the surrounding 
 plains, in search of its favorite food. It always, 
 however, returned at night, and roosted among the 
 branches of the great nwana-tree. Of course it was 
 Jan's pet, and Jan was very good to it ; but it now 
 repaid all his kindness in saving him from the fangs 
 of the deadly cobra. 
 
 The children, having recovered from their alarm, 
 stood watching the singular conflict between serpent 
 and serpent-eater. 
 
 On first seizing the reptile, the bird had caught it 
 by the neck in its beak. It might not have accom- 
 plished this so readily, had not the attention of the 
 snake been occupied by the children, thus throwing 
 it off its guard. 
 
 Having succeeded in seizing the reptile, the bird 
 rose nearly in a vertical direction to a height of many 
 yards, and then, opening his beak, permitted the 
 serpent to fall to the ground. His object was to 
 stun the latter by a fall ; and, the more effectually 
 to do this, he would have carried the cobra still 
 higher, had not the latter prevented it by attempting 
 to coil itself around his wings. 
 
 Upon letting fall his prey, the serpent-eater did 
 not remain in the air. On the contrary, he darted 
 
330 THE SERPENT-EATER. 
 
 after the falling reptile, and the moment the latter 
 touched the ground, and before it could put itself in 
 an attitude of defence, the bird "pounced" upon it 
 with spread foot, striking it a violent blow near the 
 neck. The snake was still but slightly damaged, 
 and, throwing itself into a coil, stood upon its de- 
 fence. Its mouth was opened to its widest extent, 
 its tongue protruded, its fangs were erect, and its 
 eyes flashing with rage and poison. A terrible an- 
 tagonist it appeared, and, for a moment, the secre- 
 tary seemed to think so, as he stood on the ground 
 confronting it. 
 
 But the bird soon began to advance upon it for a 
 renewal of the attack, though this advance was made 
 in a cautious manner. With the pinions of one of 
 his strong wings spread broadly out for a shield, he 
 approached the reptile sideways, and, when near 
 enough, suddenly wheeled, turning upon his leg as 
 on a pivot, and struck sharply out with his other 
 wing. The blow was delivered with good effect. 
 It reached the head of the snake, and seemed to stun 
 it. Its neck drooped, and the coils became loosened. 
 Before it could recover itself it was once more in 
 the beak of the serpent-eater, and trailing through 
 the air. 
 
 This time the bird rose to a much greater height 
 than before, as he was not hampered by the writhing 
 of the serpent, and, as before, suffered the reptile to 
 fall, and then darted suddenly after. 
 
 When the snake came to the ground a second 
 time, it lay for a moment stretched at full length, as 
 if stunned, or dead. It was not dead, however, and 
 
THE SERPENT-EATER. 331 
 
 would once more have coiled itself; but, before it 
 could do so, the bird had repeatedly " pounced ;; 
 upon its neck with his spread and horny feet ; and, 
 at length, watching his opportunity when the head 
 of the serpent lay flat, he struck a blow with his 
 sharp beak so violent that it split the skull of the 
 reptile in twain ! Life was now extinct, and the 
 hideous form, extended to its full length, lay lithe 
 and motionless upon the grass. 
 
 Jan and Triiey clapped their hands, and uttered 
 exclamations of joy. 
 
 The serpent-eater took no heed of their demonstra- 
 tions, but, approaching the dead cobra, bent over it, 
 and coolly set about making his dinner. 
 
332 TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS. 
 
 CHAPTER XL VI. 
 
 TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS. 
 
 VON BLOOM and his family had now been months 
 without bread. They were not without a substitute, 
 however, as various roots and nuts supplied them 
 with a change of food. Of the latter, they had the 
 ground or pig nut (Arachis hypogea) , which grows in 
 all parts of Southern Africa, and which forms a staple 
 food of the native inhabitants. For vegetables they 
 had the bulbs of many species of Ixias and Mesembry- 
 anthemums; among others the " Hottentot fig " (Mes- 
 embryanthemum edule). They had the " Caffir bread " 
 the inside pith of the stems of a species of Zamia ; 
 and the " Caffir chestnut," the fruit of the Brabeium 
 stellatum ; and last, not least, the enormous roots of 
 the "elephant's foot" (Testudinaria elephantipes) . 
 They had wild onions and garlic, too ; and in the 
 white flower-tops of a beautiful floating plant (Apono- 
 geton distachys) they found a substitute for asparagus. 
 All these roots and fruits were to be obtained in 
 the neighborhood, and no man knew better how to 
 find them, and "crow" them up when found, than 
 did Swartboy, the Bushman. Well might he, for in 
 Swartboy's early days he had often been compelled 
 to subsist for weeks, and even months, on roots 
 alone. 
 
TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS. 333 
 
 But, although they could procure a constant sup- 
 ply of these natural productions, they considered 
 them but a poor substitute for bread ; and all of them 
 longed to eat once more what is usually termed the 
 "staff of life" though in South Africa, where so 
 many people live exclusively upon the flesh of ani- 
 mals, bread is hardly entitled to that appellation. 
 
 Bread they were likely to have, and soon. When 
 treking from the old kraal, they had brought with 
 them a small bag of maize. It was the last of their 
 previous year's stock ; and there was not in all over 
 a bushel of it. But that was enough for seed, and 
 would produce many bushels if properly planted and 
 carefully tended. 
 
 This had been done shortly after their arrival at 
 their present home. A fertile spot of ground had 
 been selected, only a few hundred yards from the 
 nwana-tree. It had been turned up with the spade, 
 for want of a plough, and the seeds planted at proper 
 distances. 
 
 Many an hour had been given to the weeding and 
 hoeing of it ; and around every plant a little hill of 
 soft mould had been raised, to nourish the roots and 
 protect them from the heat of the sun. The plants 
 were even watered, now and then. 
 
 Partly on account of this attention, and partly 
 from the richness of the virgin soil, a splendid growth 
 was the result ; and the stalks stood full twelve feet 
 high, with ears nearly a foot long. They had almost 
 ripened, and the field-cornet intended in about a week 
 or ten days to gather in the crop. 
 
 Both he and all his people were anticipating pleas- 
 
334 TOTTY AND THE CHACMA3. 
 
 ant feasts 4 of maize-bread, and "hominy," with 
 "mash and milk," and various other dishes, that, 
 with Totty's skill, could be manufactured out of the 
 Indian corn. 
 
 About this time an incident occurred that nearly 
 deprived them, not only of their whole plot of maize- 
 plants, but also of their valuable housekeeper, Totty. 
 It was as follows : 
 
 Totty was on the platform in the great nwana-tree, 
 which commanded a view of the corn-patch, and also 
 of the plain beyond, as far as the bottom of the cliffs. 
 She was busied about " house " affairs, when her at- 
 tention was called off by some singular noises that 
 came from that direction. She parted the branches 
 and looked through. A singular scene was before 
 her eyes a spectacle of no common kind. 
 
 A body of odd-looking animals, to the number of 
 two hundred or more, was coming from the direction 
 of the cliffs. They were creatures of ungainly forms, 
 in make and size not unlike large, ill-shaped dogs, 
 and of a greenish-brown color. Their faces and ears 
 only were black, and these were naked, while their 
 bodies were covered with harsh, coarse hair. They 
 had long tails, which some of them carried high in 
 the air, and flourished about in a very eccentric 
 manner. 
 
 Totty was by no means alarmed. She knew what 
 sort of animals they were ; she knew they were 
 baboons. They were of the species known as the 
 "pig-faced" baboon, or "chacma" (Cynocephalus 
 porcarius), which is found in nearly every part of 
 South Africa where there are high cliffs with caves 
 
TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS. 335 
 
 and crevices, the favorite dwelling-places of the 
 baboon. 
 
 Of all the monkey tribe, the baboons, or dog- 
 headed monkeys (cynocephali) , are the most disgust- 
 ing in form and features. Who does not feel dis- 
 gust when regarding the hideous mandrill, the drill, 
 the hamadryas, or even the chacma ? And all these 
 are baboons. 
 
 The baboons are peculiar to Africa, and there are 
 six well-known species of them : the common baboon 
 of North Africa, the "papion" of the south 'and 
 western coast, the "hamadryas," or "tartarin," of 
 Abyssinia, the " mandrill " and " drill " of Guinea, 
 and the " chacma" of the Cape colony. 
 
 The habits of these animals are as disgusting as 
 their appearance. They may be tamed and made 
 " pets "of; but dangerous pets they are, as they 
 will, upon the slightest provocation, bite the hand 
 that feeds them. 
 
 Their great strength of body and jaw, and their 
 long canine teeth, give them a dangerous power, 
 which they often make use of. No dog is a match 
 for one, and^ the hyena and leopard often come off 
 second-best in an encounter with a baboon. 
 
 They are not carnivorous, however, and only tear 
 their enemy to pieces, without eating it. Their food 
 consists of fruits and bulbous roots, which they well 
 understand to dig out of the ground with the sharp 
 nails of their hands. 
 
 Although they will not attack man if left alone, 
 they become dangerous assailants when hunted and 
 brought to bay. 
 
336 TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS. 
 
 Many odd stories are told of the chacma baboon 
 among the settlers of Southern Africa ; such as their 
 robbing the traveller of his food, and then going off 
 to some distance and mocking him while they devour 
 it. The natives also say that they sometimes use a 
 stick in walking, " crowing " for roots, and in self- 
 defence. Also, when a young one has succeeded in 
 finding a choice root, and is observed by an older 
 and stronger one, that the latter takes it away ; but, 
 should the young one have already swallowed it, 
 then the bully picks him up, turns him head down- 
 ward, and shakes him until he is forced to " dis- 
 gorge " I Many such tales are current in the country 
 of the boors, and they are not all without founda- 
 tion, for these animals most certainly possess the 
 power of reflection in a high degree. 
 
 Totty from her perch saw enough to convince her 
 of this, had she been herself inclined to philosophize. 
 But she was not. She was only a little curious 
 about the manoeuvres of the animals, and she called 
 Triiey and little Jan up into the tree, in order that 
 they might share the spectacle with her. All the 
 others were off hunting. 
 
 Jan was delighted, and ran up the ladder at once. 
 So did Truey, and all three stood watching the odd 
 movements of the four-handed creatures. 
 
 They perceived that the troop was actually march- 
 ing in order ; not in line, but with some understood 
 arrangement. There were scouts upon the wings, 
 and leaders in front. These were baboons of greater 
 age and size than the others. There were calls and 
 signals, and the change of accent and tone would 
 
TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS. 337 
 
 have convinced any one that a regular conversation 
 was going on. The females and younger ones 
 marched in the middle, for better security. The 
 mothers carried their infants upon their backs, or 
 over their shoulders. Now a mother would stop to 
 suckle her little offspring, dressing its hair at the 
 same time, and then gallop forward to make up 
 for the loss. Now one would be seen beating her 
 child, that had in some way given offence. Now 
 two young females would quarrel, from jealousy or 
 some other cause ; and then a terrible chattering 
 would ensue, to be silenced by the loud threatening 
 bark of one of the chiefs. 
 
 Thus proceeded they across the plain, chattering, 
 and screaming, and barking, as only monkeys can. 
 
 What were they after ? 
 
 That question was answered very soon. Triiey, 
 and Jan, and Totty, saw, to their dismay, that the 
 baboons were not out upon an idle errand. They 
 were after the maize-plants ! 
 
 In a few minutes most of the troop had entered 
 the corn-field, and were hidden from view by the tall 
 stems and broad leaves of the plants. A few only 
 could be seen, large old fellows, that stationed 
 themselves outside as sentinels, and were keeping 
 up a constant interchange of signals. The main 
 body was already stripping the plants of their pre- 
 cious fruit. 
 
 But a singular appearance presented itself beyond 
 
 the corn-field, where a line of baboons, stationed at 
 
 equal distance from one another, extended away to 
 
 the very bottom of the cliff. These had been left by 
 
 22 
 
338 TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS. 
 
 a regular manoeuvre a deployment as the troop 
 traversed the plain in coming to the field. For what 
 purpose ? 
 
 That was soon apparent. In less than two minutes 
 after the crowd disappeared under the shelter of the 
 maize-plants, the long heads in their husks were 
 seen showering out towards the line, as if flung by 
 the hand of man ! Those placed at the near end of 
 the line immediately took them up, pitched them to 
 the next, and these to the next, and so on, until, in 
 a very short while from the time a head was plucked 
 from the stalk, it was delivered to the storehouse of 
 the baboons, far off among the cliffs ! 
 
 Had this work gone on much longer, the field- 
 cornet would have had but a poor gathering in har- 
 vest-time. The baboons thought the corn ripe 
 enough, and would soon have made a crop of it, but 
 at this moment their operations were interrupted. 
 
 Totty knew but little of the danger she underwent, 
 when she ran forth with nothing but that long broom- 
 handle to drive off a troop of chacmas. She only 
 thought of the loss her kind master was sustaining, 
 and down the ladder she hurried, and ran straight 
 out to the corn-field. 
 
 Several sentinels met her by its edge, grinned, 
 chattered, screamed, barked, and showed their long 
 canine teeth ; but they only received a blow over 
 their ugly snouts from the broom-handle. Their 
 cries summoned the others, and in a few moments 
 the poor Hottentot was standing in the midst of an 
 angry circle of chacmas, that were only prevented 
 
TOTTY IN TROUBLE. 
 
 Page 338. 
 
TOTTY AND THE CHACMAS. 339 
 
 from springing in upon her by the expert manner in 
 which she continued to ply the broom-stick. 
 
 But this slight weapon would not have served 
 much longer, and Totty's fate that of being torn 
 to pieces would soon have been sealed, had not 
 four horsemen, or rather " quagga-men," at that 
 moment galloped up to her rescue. 
 
 These were the hunters returning from the chase ; 
 and a volley from their guns at once scattered the 
 ugly chacmas, and sent them howling back to their 
 caves. 
 
 After that, the field-cornet looked well to his maize 
 until it was ready for gathering, when it was all 
 brought home, and deposited in safety out of the 
 reach of either birds, reptiles, quadrupeds, or quad- 
 rumana. 
 
340 THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 
 
 SINCE the taming of the quaggas, the hunting had 
 been attended with tolerable success. Not a week 
 passed without adding a pair of tusks sometimes 
 two or three pairs to the collection, which now 
 began to assume the form of a little pyramid of ivory 
 standing near the bottom of the nwana. 
 
 Von Bloom, however, was not quite satisfied with 
 his progress. He thought they might do far better 
 if they only had a few dogs. 
 
 Though the quaggas were of great service to 
 them, and with these they were often able to over- 
 take the elephant, yet they as often lost their great 
 game, and it is more easy to do so than most persons 
 imagine. 
 
 But, with dogs to join in the hunt, the result 
 would be quite different. It is true these animals 
 cannot pull down an elephant, nor do him the slight- 
 est injury ; but they can follow him whithersoever 
 he may go, and by their barking bring him to a 
 stand. 
 
 Another valuable service which the dogs per- 
 form is in drawing the attention of the elephant 
 away from the hunters. The huge quadruped when 
 enraged is, as we have already seen, exceedingly 
 
THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 341 
 
 dangerous. On such occasions he will charge upon 
 the noisy dogs, mistaking them for his real assail- 
 ants. This, of course, gives the hunter a good op- 
 portunity of delivering his fire, and avoiding the 
 deadly encounter of the elephant. 
 
 Now, in several elephant-hunts which they had 
 lately made, our hunters had run some very narrow 
 risks. Their quaggas were neither so manageable 
 nor so quick in their movements as horses would 
 have been, and this rendered the hazard still greater. 
 Some of them might one day fall a victim. So feared 
 Yon Bloom ; and he would gladly have given for a 
 number of dogs an elephant's tusk apiece, even 
 though they were the most worthless of curs. In- 
 deed, their quality is but of slight importance. Any 
 dogs that can trace the elephant and pester him with 
 their barking would do. 
 
 Von Bloom even thought of taming some hyenas, 
 and training them to the hunt. This idea was by no 
 means quixotic. The hyena is often used for such 
 a purpose, and performs even better than many kinds 
 of dogs. 
 
 One day Von Bloom was pondering over this sub- 
 ject. He was seated on a little platform that had 
 been constructed very high up, near the top of the 
 nwana-tree, from which a view could be had of the 
 whole country around. It was a favorite resort of 
 the field-cornet his smoking-room, in fact where 
 he went every evening to enjoy a quiet pull out of 
 his great meerschaum. His face was turned upon 
 the plain that stretched from the border of the bosch 
 as far as the eye could reach. 
 
 
342 THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 
 
 While quietly puffing away, his attention was at- 
 tracted by some animals standing at a distance off 
 upon the plain. .The brilliant color of their bodies 
 had caught his eye. 
 
 They were of a lively sienna-color over, the back 
 and sides, and white underneath, with a list of black 
 upon the outside of the legs, and some black stripes 
 upon the face, as regularly defined as if laid on by 
 the brush of a painter. They had horns of very ir- 
 regular shape, roughly knotted each curved into 
 something of the shape of a reaping-hook, and rising 
 directly from the top of one of the straightest and 
 longest heads ever carried by an animal These ani- 
 mals were far from being gracefully formed. They 
 had drooping hind-quarters, like the giraffe, though 
 in a much less degree ; shoulders greatly elevated, 
 and long narrow heads. For the rest, their forms 
 were bony and angular. Each stood five feet high 
 from the fore-hoof to the shoulder, and full nine feet 
 in length. 
 
 They were antelopes, of course that species 
 known among Cape colonists as the " hartebeest" 
 (Acronotus caama). There were in all about fifty of 
 them in the herd. 
 
 When first observed by Von Bloom, they were 
 quietly browsing upon the plain. The next moment, 
 however, they were seen to run to and fro, as if sud- 
 denly alarmed by the approach of an enemy. 
 
 And an enemy there certainly was ; for, in a mo- 
 ment more, the herd had taken to flight, and Von 
 Bloom now saw that they were followed by a pack of 
 hounds! I say a "pack of hounds," for the creatures 
 
THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 343 
 
 in the distance exactly resembled hounds more than 
 anything in the world. Nay, more than resembled, 
 for it actually was a pack of hounds of wild hounds ! 
 
 Of course Von Bloom knew what they were. He 
 knew they were the "wilde-honden," very absurdly 
 named by sapient naturalists "Hyena venatica," or 
 "hunting hyena," and by others, with equal absurd- 
 ity, the "hunting dog." I pronounce these names 
 " absurd/' first, because the animal in question bears 
 no more resemblance to a hyena than it does to a 
 hedgehog; and, secondly, because "hunting dog" 
 is a very ridiculous appellation, since any dog may 
 merit a similar title. 
 
 Now, I would ask, why could these naturalists not 
 let the nomenclature of the boors alone ? If a better 
 name than " wilde-honden" (wild hounds) can be 
 given to these animals, I should like to hear it. 
 Why, it is the very perfection of a name, and ex- 
 actly expresses the character of the animal to which 
 they apply it that character, which, coming under 
 their every-day observation, suggested the name. 
 
 It is quite a libel to call this beautiful creature a 
 hyena. He has neither the ugly form, the harsh 
 pelage, the dull color, nor the filthy habits, of one. 
 Call him a "wolf," or "wild dog," if you please, 
 but he is at the same time the handsomest wolf or 
 wild dog in creation. But we shall name him, as the 
 boors have done, a " wild hound." That is his true 
 title, let naturalists class him as they may. 
 
 His size, shape, his smooth, clean coat, as well as 
 his color, approximate him more to the hound than 
 to any other animal. In the last which is a ground 
 
 
344 THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 
 
 of " tan" blotched and mottled with large spots of 
 black and gray he bears a striking resemblance to 
 the common hound ; and the superior size of his 
 ears would seem to assimilate him still more to this 
 animal. The ears, however, as in all the wild species 
 of Canis, are, of course, not hanging, but erect. 
 
 His habits, however, crown the resemblance. In 
 his natural state the wild hound never prowls alone, 
 but boldly runs down his game, following it in large 
 organized packs, just as hounds do ; and in his hunt- 
 ing he exhibits as much skill as if he had Tom Moody 
 riding at his heels, to guide with whip and horn. 
 
 It was the field-cornet's good fortune to witness 
 an exhibition of this skill. 
 
 The hounds had come unexpectedly upon the 
 hartebeest herd ; and almost at the first dash one 
 of the antelopes became separated from the rest, and 
 ran in an opposite direction. This was just what the 
 cunning dogs wanted ; and the whole pack, instead 
 of following the herd, turned after the single one, 
 and ran " tail on end." 
 
 Now, this hartebeest, although an ill-shaped ante- 
 lope, is one of the very swiftest of the tribe ; and 
 the wild hound does not capture it without a severe 
 chase. In fact, he could not capture it at all, if 
 speed were the only point between the two animals. 
 But it is not. The hartebeest has a weakness in its 
 character, opposite to which the wild hound pos- 
 sesses a cunning. 
 
 The former, when chased, although it runs in a 
 straight line, does not keep long in a direct course. 
 Now and then it diverges to one side or the other, 
 
THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 345 
 
 led perhaps by the form of the ground, or some other 
 circumstance. In this habit lies its weakness. The 
 wild hound is well aware of it, and takes advantage 
 of it by a manoeuvre, which certainly savors strongly 
 of reflection on his part. 
 
 Our field-cornet had a proof of this as he watched 
 the chase. His elevated position gave him a view 
 of the whole ground, and he could note every move- 
 ment both of pursuer and pursued. 
 
 On breaking off, the hartebeest ran in a right 
 line, and the hounds followed straight after. They 
 had not gone far, however, when Yon Bloom per- 
 ceived that one hound was forging ahead of the rest, 
 and running much faster than any of them. He 
 might have been a swifter dog than the others, but 
 the hunter did not think it was that. He appeared 
 rather to be running harder than they, as if sent 
 forward to push the hartebeest, while the rest saved 
 their wind. 
 
 This proved to be really the case ; for the dog, by 
 a desperate effort, having gained upon the antelope, 
 caused the latter to turn slightly from its original 
 course ; and the pack, perceiving this, changed their 
 direction at the same time, and held along a diagonal 
 line, as if to head the game. By this means they 
 avoided the detour which both the antelope and 
 their companion had made. 
 
 The hartebeest was now running upon a new line ; 
 and, as before, one of the hounds was soon seen to 
 head the pack, and press forward at the top of his 
 speed. The one that first led, as soon as the ante- 
 lope turned from its original course, fell back, re- 
 
346 THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 
 
 joined the pack, and was now lagging among the 
 hindmost! His "turn" of duty was over. 
 
 Again the hartebeest verged from its course. 
 Again the pack ran obliquely, and made a second 
 "cut" upon him ; again a fresh dog took the lead, 
 and on swept the chase as before the wild hounds 
 uttering their yelping notes as they ran. 
 
 Several times was this manoeuvre executed by the 
 cunning dogs, until the desired result was accom- 
 plished, and the antelope was completely "blown." 
 
 Then, as if they felt that it was in their power, and 
 that further strategy was not needed, the whole pack 
 rushed forward simultaneously, and closed rapidly 
 upon the game. 
 
 The hartebeest made one last despairing effort to 
 escape ; but, finding that speed would no longer 
 avail, the creature wheeled suddenly round, and 
 placed itself in an attitude of defiance the foam 
 falling from its lips, while its red eyes sparkled like 
 coals of fire. 
 
 In another moment the dogs were around it. 
 
 " What a splendid pack ! " exclaimed Von Bloom. 
 " 0, that I had such an one 1 
 
 "Ha!" he continued, as a new thought struck 
 him, " and why not just such an one ? why 
 not?" 
 
 Now, the train of reflections that passed through 
 the mind of the field-cornet was as follows : 
 
 That the wild hounds might be tamed, and trained 
 to hunting, easiest of all, to the chase of the ele- 
 phant. He knew that this could be done ; for boor- 
 hunters had often done it. True, the dogs must be 
 
THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEJBEEST. 347 
 
 taken young, but where were young ones to be 
 obtained ? It is not so easy to capture the pups of 
 the wild hound. Until they are able to run well, 
 their mothers do not permit them to stray far from 
 the caves in which they are littered ; and these are 
 usually crevices among rocks, quite inaccessible to 
 man. How could he obtain a set of them ? He had 
 already formed such an intention. Where could be 
 their breeding-place ? 
 
 His reflections were interrupted at this point by 
 very singular behavior on the part of the wild 
 hounds, and which gave him a new idea of their 
 intelligence, that quite electrified him. 
 
 *When the hartebeest stood to bay, and the hounds 
 came up, Von Bloom very naturally expected to see 
 the latter run in upon their game, and at once pull it 
 to the ground. Thisjhe knew was their usual habit. 
 What was his astonishment at seeing the whole pack 
 standing off to one side, as if they intended to leave 
 the antelope alone ! Some of them even lay down 
 to rest themselves, while the others stood with open 
 jaws and lolling tongues, but without showing any 
 signs that they intended further to molest the pant- 
 ing quarry. 
 
 The field-cornet could observe the situation well ; 
 for the antelope was on his side that is, towards 
 the cliffs while the dogs were further out upon the 
 plain. Another circumstance that astonished him 
 was, that the dogs, after running up and around the 
 hartebeest, had actually drawn off to their present 
 position. 
 
 What could it mean ? Were they afraid of its ugly 
 
318 THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 
 
 horns ? Were they resting themselves before they 
 should make their bloody onslaught ? 
 
 The hunter kept his gaze intently fixed upon the 
 interesting group. 
 
 After a while the antelope, having recovered its 
 wind a little, and seeing the pack so distant, made a 
 fresh start. 
 
 This time it ran in a side direction, apparently 
 with the intention of gaining a hill that lay in that 
 way, and up the sides of which it no doubt calculated 
 upon gaining some advantage. But the creature 
 had hardly stretched itself, when the hounds struck 
 out after it ; and, in five hundred yards' running, 
 once more brought it to a stand. Again the paf k 
 took station at a distance, and the hartebeest stood 
 upon the plain alone. 
 
 Once more it essayed to escape, and started off 
 with all the speed that was left in its legs the 
 hounds, as before, trooping after. 
 
 This time the antelope headed in a new direction, 
 making for a point in the cliffs ; and, as the chase 
 now passed very near to the nwana-tree, everybody 
 had a fine view of it. 
 
 The hartebeest seemed to be going faster than 
 ever, or, at all events, the dogs did not now appear 
 to gain upon it ; and the field-cornet, as well as all 
 the young people, were in hopes the poor creature 
 would escape from its tireless pursuers. 
 
 They watched the chase, until they could just see 
 the bright body of the hartebeest afar off, appearing 
 like a yellow spot upon the face of the rocks, but the 
 dogs were no longer visible. Then the yellow spot 
 
THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 349 
 
 suddenly disappeared like the going out of a candle, 
 and they could see it no more. 
 
 No doubt the antelope was pulled down ! 
 
 A strange suspicion entered the mind of Von 
 Bloom, and, calling upon them to saddle the quag- 
 gas, he, with Hans and Hendrik, rode off towards 
 the place where the hartebeest had been last seen. 
 
 They approached the ground with caution ; and 
 under the shelter of some bushes were enabled to 
 get within two hundred yards of the spot without 
 being observed. A singular spectacle rewarded 
 their pains. 
 
 Within a dozen yards of the cliff lay the -body of 
 the hartebeest, where it had been " pulled down " by 
 the dogs. It was already half eaten, not by the 
 hounds that had hunted it, but by their puppies of 
 all ages, that to the number of more than three-score 
 were now standing around the carcass, tugging 
 away at its flesh, and snarling at one another. Some 
 of the grown dogs that had taken part in the chase 
 could be seen lying upon the ground, still panting 
 after their hard run ; but most of them had disap- 
 peared, no doubt into the numerous small caves and 
 crevices that opened along the bottom of the cliffs. 
 
 There was no room left to doubt the singular fact 
 that the wild hounds had regularly driven the harte- 
 beest up to their breeding-place to feed their young, 
 and that they had abstained from killing it out upon 
 the plain to save themselves the labor of dragging it 
 from a distance ! 
 
 Indeed, these animals unlike the Felidce have 
 not the power of transporting a large mass to any 
 
350 THE WILD HOUNDS AND THE HARTEBEEST. 
 
 considerable distance ; hence the wonderful instinct 
 which led them to guide the antelope to the very 
 spot where its flesh was wanted ! 
 
 That they were in the constant practice of this 
 singular habit was attested, by the numerous bones 
 and horns of large antelopes of different kinds, that 
 lay strewed around the place. 
 
 Von Bloom had his eye upon the young puppies, 
 and all three made a rush towards them. But it was 
 to no purpose. Cunning as their fathers and moth- 
 ers, the little fellows forsook their meal at first sight 
 of the intruders, and darted off into their caves. 
 
 But they were not cunning enough to escape the 
 snares which were laid for them every day for a 
 week after ; and, before the end of that time, more 
 than a dozen of them were safely domiciled in a lit- 
 tle kennel built especially for their use, under the 
 
 shadow of the great nwana-tree. 
 
 ***:&** 
 
 In less than six months from that time, several of 
 them were in the field, and trained to the chase of 
 the elephant ; which duty they performed with all 
 the courage and skill that could have been shown by 
 hounds of the purest breed. 
 
CONCLUSION'. 351 
 
 CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 FOR several years Von Bloom led the life of an 
 elephant-hunter. For several years the great nwana- 
 tree was his home, and his only companions his 
 children and domestics. But, perhaps, these were 
 not the least happy years of his existence, since 
 during all the time both he and his family had en- 
 joyed the most estimable of earthly blessings 
 health. 
 
 He had not allowed his children to grow up with- 
 out instruction. He had not permitted them to lapse 
 into the character of mere " Bush-boys." He had 
 taught them many things from the book of nature, 
 many arts that can be acquired as well on the karoo 
 as in the college. He had taught them to love God, 
 and to love one another. He had planted in their 
 minds the seeds of the virtuous principles, honor 
 and morality, without which all education is worth- 
 less. He had imbued them with habits of industry 
 and self-reliance, and had initiated them into many 
 of the accomplishments of civilized life ; so that 
 upon their return to society they might be quite 
 equal to its claims. Upon the whole, those years of 
 the exile's life, spent in his wilderness home, formed 
 
352 CONCLUSION. 
 
 no blank in his existence. He might look back upon 
 them with feelings of satisfaction and pleasure. 
 
 Man, however, is formed for society. The human 
 heart, properly organized, seeks communion with the 
 human heart ; and the mind, especially when refined 
 and polished by education, loves the intercourse of 
 social life, and, when deprived of it, will always 
 yearn to obtain it. 
 
 So was it with the field-cornet. He desired to re- 
 turn once more within the pale of civilized society. 
 He desired once more to revisit the scenes where he 
 had so long dwelt in peaceful happiness ; he desired 
 once more to establish himself among his friends and 
 acquaintances of former days, in the picturesque dis- 
 trict of the Graaf Reinet. Indeed, to have remained 
 any longer in his wilderness home could have served 
 no purpose. It is true he had grown very much at- 
 tached to his wild hunter-life, but it was no longer 
 likely to be profitable. The elephants had com- 
 pletely forsaken the neighborhood of the camp, and 
 not one was to be found within twenty miles of 
 the spot. They had become well acquainted with 
 the report of the long roer, and knew the dangerous 
 character of that weapon ; they had learnt that of 
 all their enemies man was the one to be especially 
 dreaded and shunned ; and they had grown so shy 
 of his presence, that the hunters frequently passed 
 whole weeks without setting their eyes upon a single 
 elephant. 
 
 But this was no longer an object of solicitude with 
 Von Bloom. Other considerations now occupied his 
 mind, and he did not care much if he should never 
 
CONCLUSION. 353 
 
 spoor another of these huge quadrupeds. To return 
 to the Graaf Reinet, and settle there, was now the 
 ultimatum of his wishes. 
 
 The time had at length arrived when he would be 
 able to carry out that design ; and nothing seemed 
 any longer to stand in the way of its full and com- 
 plete accomplishment. 
 
 The proscription against him had been long since 
 taken off. A general amnesty had been passed by 
 the government, and he had been pardoned among 
 the rest. 
 
 It is true his property was not restored to him ; 
 but that mattered little now. He had created a new 
 property, as was testified by the vast pyramid of 
 ivory that stood under the shadow of the great 
 nwana-tree. 
 
 Nothing remained but to transport this shining 
 pile to a market, and a splendid fortune would be 
 the result. 
 
 And Von Bloom's ingenuity found the means for 
 bringing it to market. 
 
 About this time there was dug another huge pit- 
 trap near the pass in the cliffs, in which many quag- 
 gas were trapped ; and then there were stirring 
 scenes, while these wild creatures were being broken 
 to harness, and trained to " trek " in a wagon. 
 
 They were trained, however, after a good deal of 
 trouble the old wheels, still in prime condition, 
 serving as the "break ; " and then the body of the 
 wagon was let down from the tree, and once more 
 renewed its acquaintance with its old companions 
 the wheels ; and the cap-tent spread its protecting 
 23 
 
354 CONCLUSION. 
 
 shadow over all ; and the white and yellow crescents 
 were stowed ; and the quaggas were "inspanned ; " 
 and Swartboy, mounting the "voor-kist," once more 
 cracked his long bamboo whip ; and the wheels, well 
 oiled with elephants' grease, again whirled gayly 
 along. 
 
 How surprised were the good people of Graaf 
 Reinet, when, one morning, a cap-tent wagon, drawn 
 by twelve quaggas, and followed by four riders 
 mounted upon animals of the same kind, pulled up 
 in the public square of their little town ! How as- 
 tonished they were on seeing that this wagon was 
 " chuck " full of elephants' teeth, all except a lit- 
 tle corner occupied by a beautiful girl with cherry 
 cheeks and fair flaxen hair ; and how joyed were 
 they, in fine, on learning that the owner of both the 
 ivory and the beautiful girl was no other than their 
 old friend, and much-esteemed fellow-citizen, the 
 field-cornet Von Bloom ! 
 
 A warm welcome met the elephant-hunter in the 
 square of Graaf Reinet, and, what was also of some 
 importance, a ready market for his ivory. 
 
 It chanced just at that time that ivory was selling 
 at a very high rate. Some article I do not remem- 
 ber what the principal part of which required to 
 be constructed of pure ivory, had come into fashion 
 and general use in European countries, and the con- 
 sequence was an increased demand for this valuable 
 commodity. It was a fortunate circumstance for the 
 returned hunter, who was at once enabled to dispose 
 of his stock, not only for ready money, but at such 
 
CONCLUSION. 355 
 
 a fine price as to yield him nearly twice the amount 
 he had calculated on receiving. 
 
 He had not brought it all with him, as there was 
 more than would have loaded any one wagon. A 
 second load had remained, hidden near the nwana- 
 tree ; and this required a journey to be made for it. 
 
 It was made in due time, and the remainder ar- 
 rived safely at Graaf Reinet, and was there delivered 
 to the ivory-dealers, who had already purchased it. 
 
 The result was a splendid fortune in ready money. 
 The field-cornet was once more a rich man ! 
 
 For the present we can follow his history no 
 further than to say, that the proceeds of his great 
 hunt enabled him to buy back his old estate, and to 
 stock it in splendid style, with the best breeds of 
 horses, horned cattle, and sheep ; that he rose rap- 
 idly in wealth and worldly esteem ; that the govern- 
 ment gave him its confidence; and, having first 
 restored him to his old office of field-cornet, soon 
 afterwards promoted him to that of " landdrost," or 
 chief magistrate of the district. 
 
 Hans returned to his college studies ; while the 
 dashing Hendrik was enabled to enter the profession 
 for which he was most fit, and the very one that 
 fitted him, by obtaining a cornetcy in the " Cape 
 Mounted Rifles." 
 
 Little Jan was packed off to school to study 
 grammar and geography ; while the beautiful Triiey 
 remained at home to grace the mansion of her hon- 
 ored father, and look after his household affairs. 
 
 Totty still ruled the kitchen ; and, of course, 
 Swartboy was the important man about the house, 
 

 356 CONCLUSION. 
 
 and for many a long year after cracked his great 
 whip and flourished his jambok among, the long- 
 horned oxen of the wealthy landdrost. 
 
 But enough for the present ; enough of adventure 
 for one year. Let us hope, boy -readers, that before 
 you and I have circled once more around the sun, 
 we shall make a fresh trip to the land of the boors, 
 and again encounter the worthy Yon Bloom, his 
 Bushman, and 
 
 " BUSH-BOYS. " 
 
 THE END.