In the manner of the African there was a certain hauteur which had not
escaped the observation of his hearers.
This was explained on their learning who and what he was; for his story
began by his giving a true and particular account of himself.
His name was Macora, and his rank that of a chief. His tribe belonged
to the great nation of the Makololo, though living apart, in a "kraal"
by themselves. The village, so-called, was at no great distance from
the spot where the hunters were now encamped.
The day before, he had come up the river in a canoe, accompanied by
three of his subjects. Their object was to procure a plant which grew
in that place,--from which the poison for arrows and spears is obtained.
In passing a shallow place in the river, they had attempted to kill a
hippopotamus which they saw walking about on the bottom of the stream,
like a buffalo browsing upon a plain. Rising suddenly to the surface,
the monster had capsized the canoe, and Macora was compelled to swim
ashore with the loss of a gun which once cost him eight elephant's
tusks.
He had seen nothing of his three companions, since parting with them in
the water.
On reaching the shore, and a few yards from the bank, he encountered a
herd of buffaloes, cows and young calves, on their way to the river.
These turned suddenly to avoid him, when a calf was knocked down by one
of the old ones, and so severely injured that it could not accompany the
rest in their flight. The mother, seeing her offspring left behind,
turned back and selected Macora as the object of her resentment. The
chief retreated towards the nearest tree, hotly pursued by the animal
eager to revenge the injury done to her young.
He was just in time to ascend among the branches as the cow came up.
The calf, with much difficulty, succeeded in reaching the tree. Once
there, it could not move away, and the mother would not leave it. This
accounted for Macora's having been found among the branches of the
pandanus. He went on to say, that, during the time he had been detained
in the tree, he had made several attempts to get down and steal off, but
on each occasion had found the buffalo waiting to receive him upon her
horns. He was suffering terribly with thirst when he heard the first
shot fired by Groot Willem, and perceived that assistance was near.
The chief concluded his narrative by inviting the hunters to accompany
him the next morning to his kraal; where he promised to show them such
hospitality as was in his power. On learning that his home was down the
river, and at no great distance from it, the invitation was at once
accepted.
"One thing this man has told us," remarked Willem, "which pleases me
very much. We have learnt that there is or has been a hippopotamus near
our camping-ground, and perhaps we shall not have far to travel before
commencing our premeditated war against them."
"Question him about sea-cows, Cong," said Hendrik. "Ascertain if there
are many of them about here."
In answer to the Kaffir's inquiries, the chief stated that hippopotami
were not often seen in that part of the river; but that, a day's journey
farther down, there was a large lagoon, through which the stream ran;
there, sea-cows were as plentiful as the stars in the sky.
"That is just the place we have been looking for," said Willem; "and
now, Congo, question him about camelopards."
Macora could hold out but little hopes of their meeting giraffes
anywhere on that part of the Limpopo. He had heard of one or two having
been occasionally seen; but it was not a giraffe country, and they were
stray animals.
"Ask him if he knows where there is such a country," demanded Willem,
who seemed more interested in learning something about giraffes than
either of his companions.
Macora could not or would not answer this question without taking his
own time and way of doing it. He stated that the native country of
himself and his tribe was far to the north and west; that they had been
driven from their home by the tyranny of the great Zooloo King,
Moselekatse, who claimed the land and levied tribute upon all the petty
chiefs around him.
Macora further stated that, having in some mysterious manner lost the
good opinion of Sekeletu and other great chiefs of the Makololo,--his
own people,--they would no longer protect him, and that he and his tribe
were compelled to leave their homes, and migrate to the place where he
was now about to conduct his new acquaintances.
"But that is not what I wish to know," said Groot Willem, who never
troubled himself with the political affairs of his own country, and
therefore cared little about those of an African petty chief.
On being brought back to the question, Macora stated that he was only
giving them positive proof of his familiarity with the camelopards,
since nowhere were these more abundant than in the country from which he
had been expatriated by the tyranny of the Zooloo chief. It was his
native land, where he had hunted the giraffe from childhood.
Swartboy here interrupted the conversation by announcing that he had
enough meat cooked for them to begin their meal with; and about ten
pounds' weight of buffalo veal cutlets were placed before the hunters
and their guest.
Macora, who, to all appearance, had been waiting very patiently while
the cutlets were being broiled, commenced the repast with some show of
self-restraint. This, however, wholly forsook him before it was
finished. He ate voraciously, consuming more than the four young
hunters together. This, however, he did not do without making an
apology for his apparent greed; stating that he had been nearly two days
without having tasted food.
The supper having at length come to an end, all stretched themselves
around the fire and went to sleep.
The night passed without their being disturbed; and soon after sunrise
they arose,--not all at the same time,--for one of the party had risen
and taken his departure an hour earlier than the rest. It was Macora,
whom they had entertained the evening before.
"Here, you Swart and Cong!" exclaimed Arend, when he discovered that the
chief was no longer in the camp, "see if any of the horses are missing.
It is just possible we have been tricked by a false tale and robbed into
the bargain."
"By whom?" asked Groot Willem.
"By your friend, the chief. He has stolen himself away, if nothing
else."
"I'll bet my life," exclaimed Willem, in a more positive tone than the
others had ever yet heard him use, "that that man is an honest fellow,
and that all he has told us is true, though I can't account for his
absence. He is a chief, and has the air of one."
"Yes, he is a chief, no doubt," said Hendrik, sneeringly. "Every
African in this part of the world is a chief, if he only has a family.
Whether his story be true or not, it looks ugly, his leaving us in this
clandestine manner."
Hans, as usual, had nothing to say upon a subject of which he knew
nothing; and Swartboy, after making sure that no horses, guns, or other
property were missing, expressed the opinion that he was never so
mystified in his life.
Nothing was gone from the camp; and yet he was quite certain that any
one speaking a native African language understood by Congo, could not be
capable of acting honestly if an opportunity was allowed him for the
opposite.
Having allowed their horses an hour to graze, while they themselves
breakfasted upon buffalo veal, our adventurers broke up their bivouac,
and continued their march down the bank of the river.