To all appearance, Congo had some secret method of communicating to the
dog Spoor'em what was required of him. The animal ran to the right and
left, keeping a little in the advance, and with its muzzle close down to
the surface, as if searching for a spoor. Most of the time it was out
of sight, hidden by the darkness, but every now and then it would flit
like a shadow across their track, and they could hear an occasional
sniff as it lifted the scent from the ground.
They had not proceeded more than half a mile in this manner when
Spoor'em expressed a more decided opinion of something that interested
him, by giving utterance to a short, sharp bark.
"He's found the spoor," exclaimed Congo, hastening forward. "I told um
do that, and I knowed he would."
They were all soon up with the dog, which kept moving forward at a slow
trot, occasionally lowering its snout to the grass, as though to make
sure against going astray. Unlike most other hounds, Spoor'em would
follow a track without rushing forward on the scent, and leaving the
hunters behind.
Arend and Hendrik knew this, though still uncertain about being on the
traces of Groot Willem.
The night was so dark they could not distinguish footmarks, and they had
not the slightest evidence of their own for believing that they were on
the tracks of Willem's horse.
"How do you know that we are going right, Cong?" asked Hendrik.
"We follow Spoor'em; he know it," answered the Kaffir. "He find
anything that go over the grass."
"But can you be sure that he is following the spoor of Willem's horse?"
"Yaas, Master Hendrik, very sure of it. Spoor'em is no fool. He knows
well what we want."
With blind confidence in the sagacity both of the Kaffir and his dog,
the two hunters rode on at a gentle trot, taking more than an hour to
travel the same distance that Willem had gone over in a few minutes.
There was a prospect that the trail they were following might conduct
them back to the camp, and that there would be found the man they were
in search of. Willem would be certain not to return over the same
ground where he had pursued the giraffes, and they might be spending the
night upon his tracks, while he was waiting for them at the camp.
This thought suggested a return.
Another consideration might have counselled them to it. A thunder-storm
was threatening, and the difficulties of their search would be greatly
increased.
But all inclinations to go back were subdued by the reflection that
possibly Willem might be in danger, and in need of their assistance, and
with this thought they determined to go on.
The dog was now urged forward at a greater speed. The storm was rapidly
approaching; and they knew that, after the ground had been saturated by
a fall of rain, the scent would be less easily taken up, and their
tracking might be brought to an end.
The elements soon after opened upon them, but still they kept on in the
midst of the pelting rain, consoling themselves for what was
disagreeable, by the reflection that they were performing their duty to
their lost friend.
It was not until the thunder-shower had passed over, that Spoor'em began
to show some doubt as to the course he was pursuing. The heavy rain had
not only destroyed the scent but the traces of the footmarks, and the
dog was no longer able to make them out. For the last half hour, they
had been moving through an atmosphere dark as Erebus itself. They had
been unable to see each other, except when the universe seemed illumed
by the flashes of lightning.
The night had now become clear. The moon had made her appearance in the
western sky; and the search might have been continued with less
difficulty than before, but for the obliteration of the spoor. The dog
seemed bewildered, and ran about in short broken circles, as though
quite frantic at the thought of having lost the use of the most
important of his senses.
"We shall have to return at last," said Hendrik, despairingly. "We can
do nothing more to-night."
They were about to act according to this advice, when the loud roar of a
lion was heard some half mile off, and in the direction from which they
had just ridden. In going back that way they might encounter the fierce
creature.
"I have kept the lock of my rifle as dry as possible," said Arend, "but
it may not be safe to trust it. I think I shall reload."
Drawing the rifle out of the piece of leopard skin with which the lock
had been covered, Arend pointed the muzzle upwards and pulled trigger.
The gun went off.
As the report fainted away in the distance, the far-off sound of a human
voice could be heard as if shouted back in answer to the shot. What
they heard was the word "Hilloo."
They hastened in the direction from whence the sound seemed to proceed.
Even the dog appeared suddenly relieved from its perplexity, and led the
way. In less than ten minutes they were standing around Willem,
delighted at finding him in safety, and in the possession of a live
giraffe.
"How long have you been here?" asked Hendrik, after the first moments of
their joyful greeting had passed.
"Ever since noon," was Willem's reply.
"And how much longer would you have stayed, had we not found you?"
"Until either this giraffe or I should have died," answered Willem. "I
should not have abandoned it before."
"But supposing you had died first, how would it have been then?" asked
Arend.
"No doubt," replied Willem, "something would very soon have taken me
away. But why don't you take my place here, one of you? I must stretch
my legs, or I shall never be able to stand upright again."
Hendrik placed his hands on the head of the giraffe, and Willem with
some difficulty arose, and, after walking around the prostrate animal,
declared that he had never been happy until that moment.
It was decided that they should not attempt to stir from the place until
morning; and the rest of the night, with the exception of an hour or two
devoted to sleep, was passed in asking questions and giving
explanations. Willem was a little woeful about the loss of his
riding-horse, and also on learning of the robbery of the cattle; but
these misfortunes could not entirely counteract the joy he felt at
having taken the young giraffe.
"This creature is quite tame now," said he; "and if I cannot find my
horse again, I shall ride it to Graaf Reinet. Before I do that,
however, I shall use it in catching another. I must and shall have two,
and we can easily find another chance. You and Hans ought to be ashamed
of yourselves. The three of you have not done so well as I. You have
allowed two or more young giraffes to escape, while I, single-handed,
captured all the young that were in the herd I followed."
Arend and Hendrik glanced significantly at one another while Congo
stared at both of them. A shake of the head given by Hendrik was
understood by the two who were in the secret, for Congo had been told of
the capture of the second giraffe, and of course not a word was said to
Willem of that affair. His companions preferred giving him a surprise.