THE PRISONERS ARE FREE--THE PURSUIT--THE HORSES SICK--THE RIDE FOR
LIFE--THE CONCEALMENT.
The morning following that on which Hans and his companions had escaped,
broke with all the splendour of an African day. The dew had fallen
heavily during the night, and thus the first rays of the sun produced a
mist which hung like steam over the valleys; but this soon clearing
away, left the atmosphere clear and transparent; so that distance could
not be measured by atmosphere, as in our misty climate, but a far-off
range of mountains seemed within a short ride of the observers, whereas
it was distant at feast fifty miles. This clearness had a great
advantage for Hans' party, as it rendered surprise less likely than if a
dense fog or cloudy weather had prevailed.
No sooner did the slightest sign of daylight appear, than Hans, by the
aid of some loose powder and a piece of rag, with a flint and steel
lighted a fire, and commenced preparations for a breakfast. Victor and
Bernhard, like the others of the party, had merely lain down under the
shelter of some bushes to obtain a few hours' rest; but all had gone
supperless to bed, if bed it could be termed. But in such a climate a
night passed in the open country was not a very great hardship, even to
young girls like Katrine and her sister. That very unromantic feeling,
hunger, was however demanding attention; and when Victor and Bernhard,
suddenly awaking at the sound of Hans' flint and steel, started up and
observed daylight beginning to dawn, and Hans making a fire, they, with
an air of surprise, said--
"You have fire, Hans, but where is the food?"
"I did not like to fire a gun, lest I might disturb the country, and let
some strange Matabili know we were hereabouts; so I have procured
breakfast with a Matabili's assagy."
"What have you?" eagerly asked the hungry hunters.
"A young vleck vark and a porcupine," replied Hans. "The porcupine I
found out on the plains, and speared him before he got to his hole. The
pig I saw run into a jackall's hole, so I waited quietly over it with my
assagy till it came out to peep where I had gone. I stabbed it in the
neck, and held it down till I killed it with my assagy. So we shall not
starve yet, Victor; and the girls can eat pork, if they object to
porcupine."
"Ah! Hans," said Victor, "though I am an old hunter, I know I should
starve in the desert where you would keep fat and sleek."
It was a strange breakfast, that which took place on the mountain-spur,
between the five white people on the morning in question. It is seldom
that lovers pass through such scenes as those in which were Hans and
Katrine. Artificial life is now so much more general than is natural
life, that few people are aware how very false is much that surrounds
them. A well-bred English lady would probably imagine that she would
rather starve than make a meal off a porcupine, when no plate or fork
enabled her to eat, as some would term it, "like a Christian." It is
surprising, however, how soon we learn to dispense with these ornaments
of the feast, as we may term them. The writer of this tale cannot
recall to mind any more enjoyable feasts, though flavoured with the best
of wines and the most intellectual society, and amidst scenes of
richness or splendour, than some repasts eaten amidst the dense bush of
an African forest, with no other companion than the one black follower
whose duty it was to spoor or carry the game, and where the cooking was
simply toasting on a ramrod over the camp-fire some of the steaks from
the buck which an hour previously was roaming freely in the forest.
That unrivalled sauce, "hunger," gave an additional flavour to the
venison, whilst the most robust health and the purest air supplied the
want of many of those addenda which are considered necessities in
civilised dining-rooms.
Thus the breakfast of porcupine and wild pig, though no bread or salt
were added, no tea or sugar, and nothing but a draught of pure water
from a tiny mountain stream near, was relished by those who with a brief
but refreshing sleep had passed the night under the cloudless canopy of
heaven.
Hans had selected the halting-place for the night under some trees on a
spur of a range of mountains which skirted the plains, so that as the
morning dawned he might be able to see around, and thus possibly
discover if any parties of the enemy were out in search of him. He
found none, however, and therefore immediately breakfast was finished,
the horses were mounted, and the party continued their journey, changing
their direction now to the westward, in order to ride towards the
district in which they believed their friends would be most likely to be
found.
The sun had nearly attained his meridian altitude before Hans decided to
halt, to off-saddle the horses, and to refresh the party, by partaking
of the remainder of his morning's captures. The place that he had
selected for the halt was a slightly wooded ravine, amidst the rocks of
which a clear stream ran over a grassy or pebbly bed, behind him was a
range of rocky hills, the summit of which was crowned by huge masses of
rock, looking from the distance like vast slabs placed by giant strength
in their present position. Before them was an undulating plain, on
which detached clumps of bushes and trees were scattered; tiny
mountain-born streams flowed in various parts of this plain, and could
be seen like silver threads winding about amongst trees, shrubs, and
ferns, until two or three joining together formed a fair-sized river.
On these plains herds of antelope were grazing, and seemed undisturbed
by any enemy; ostriches were stalking here and there, whilst the grim
circling vulture was wheeling in the air, watching for carrion on which
to feast.
"This is a beautiful district," exclaimed Hans, as he examined the
various attractive features of the scene; "it is too good for a black
savage to own. What more could a man wish for than what he finds here?
There is water in abundance, plenty of grass for his cattle and horses,
a soil that would yield if the seed were merely thrown down, game in
abundance, and a climate as good as any in Africa. I have heard, but
can scarcely believe, that in England there are men, strong men, who
pass their whole lives in crowded places, in a country too where the sun
is rarely seen, and all for the sake of getting more money than they
want for their necessities, but which they thus slave for in order to
make a show in the way of ornaments. Can you believe, Victor, that such
men know what life really is?"
"It is strange, Hans, at least to us who know how to live by hunting,
and whose cattle increase rapidly, if left to themselves; but perhaps
these men you speak of would not be happy unless they were thus slaving
all their lives. We are not all alike, Hans, and few men know how to
love nature."
"If we live to get back to our friends, Victor, I will marry Katrine,
and join the first party that _treks_ for a new station, whenever that
may be. See those springbok, Victor, by the tall acacias there, they
scent an enemy, what is it? Oh, for my far-seer! the rascally Matabili
have that, and won't know how to use it."
"No need of a telescope, Hans," said Bernhard, who had joined the other
two; "there is the cause for the springbok running away. Those are
Matabili coming over the plain, and we had better be prepared for a
gallop, for if they see us we shall have to try what four legs can do
against two."
"I don't believe they would openly attack us, for there are not more
than forty men," replied Hans, "and thirteen to one is scarcely enough
odds to tempt them. They will follow us though, undoubtedly, and will
endeavour to surprise us. We had better saddle up and be ready for a
start at once."
"Katrine," said Hans, "are you ready to go on? there are enemies on the
plains below, and we had better ride forward."
"Yes, I am ready, Hans, but are the horses fit?" replied Katrine; "they
seem very tired."
Hans walked towards the horses, and for nearly a minute watched them
closely, particularly a well-bred hardy chestnut that had been ridden by
Katrine. This horse was standing with its head low, but did not feed,
though the grass was in plenty close to its mouth.
"Victor," said Hans at length, "come here."