Hendrik and Arend, who had imitated his movements, alone followed Groot
Willem from the house. The boer, after promising so much, appeared so
dilatory in his preparations that no dependence could be placed on his
aid and the three hunters galloped off without waiting for any of the
farm, or any of his servants, of whom they had seen several. His excuse
for not making more haste to provide help was, that no one could tell
the direction in which the runaways had gone, and that to search for
them in the north, when the animals might have strayed south, was sheer
silliness.
Much to the surprise or all, Congo had stayed behind instead of
accompanying Groot Willem, according to universal custom. The Kaffir's
solicitude for the safety of his young master had been so great on all
former occasions, and he had shown such an unwillingness to be separated
from him, that his present behaviour was a surprise to everybody who
knew him. He was allowed to have his own will and way, for it was known
that any efforts at making him useful, by denying him this privilege,
would be of no avail. True and faithful as he had ever shown himself,
his actions were seldom controlled by the others.
"As soon as we get a mile or two away from the house," said Hendrik, "we
may be able to discover their tracks. It is no use our examining the
ground over which so many cattle have passed. But supposing we should
learn that we are on the right course, what then, Willem?"
"Then we must follow it till the giraffes are retaken," answered Willem.
"I should have but little hope of catching them again," he continued,
"did I not know that they are now quite tame. I should as soon think of
my own horse absconding, and going a hundred miles into the wilderness,
to avoid me. We shall find the giraffes if we persevere; and, once
found, they won't hinder us from catching them."
From the quiet behaviour of the giraffes for the last three weeks, Arend
and Hendrik could not deny the truth of Willem's assertions; and all
three urged their horses forward, more anxious than ever to come upon
the spoor of the strays.
After passing beyond the ground tracked by the farm cattle, they once
more came out upon the so-called road, along which they had travelled
the day before. But for more than a mile, after the most careful
examination, no spoor of giraffe, old or young, was to be seen. Even
those made by them on the day before could no longer be distinguished in
the dust. The rain, with the tracks of other animals coming after, had
obliterated them. The state of the ground they were examining was now
favourable for receiving a permanent impression; and, as none appeared,
they became satisfied that the runaways had not returned that way.
After a long consultation which came near ending in a wrangle, Willem
being opposed by his companions, it was decided that they should ride
round in a circle of which the dwelling of the boer should be the
centre. By so doing, the spoor of the lost animals should be found. It
was the only plan for them to take, and slowly they rode on, feeling
very uncomfortable at the uncertainty that surrounded them.
The country over which they were riding was a poor pasture with patches
of thinly growing grass. A herd of cattle and horses, old and young,
had lately gone over the ground, and often would the eye catch sight of
tracks so like those made by a giraffe that one of the party would
dismount for a closer examination before being able to decide.
To Groot Willem this slow process was torturing in the extreme. He
believed that the giraffes were each moment moving farther away from the
place.
After the search had been continued for nearly two hours, a spoor was at
length found that was unmistakably that of a camelopard. With a shout
of joy Willem turned his horse and commenced taking it up. It was
fresh,--made but a few hours before.
Under the excitement of extreme fortune, whether it be good or bad,
people do not act with much wisdom.
So thought Hendrik as he called the attention of Willem to the fact that
they had started out for the purpose of finding the spoor but not
following it; that they would require the help of Congo and Spoor'em;
that they must provide themselves with food and other articles necessary
for a two or three days' journey.
Believing that, by the time they could go back to the house and return,
the giraffes would gain a distance of not less than ten or fifteen
miles, Hendrik's suggestions seemed absurd, and his companion, without
heeding them, kept on along the trail.
Hendrik and Arend could do nothing but follow. Before they had gone
very far, Arend made the observation that the tracks they were now
following appeared too large to have been made by the young giraffes.
"That's all a fancy of yours," rejoined Willem, as he hurried on.
"There appears to have been only one that went this way," said Hendrik,
after they had gone a little farther.
"Never mind," answered Willem, "we have no time to look for the other.
It won't be far away from its companion, and we shall probably find them
together."
Notwithstanding what Willem said, his comrades were convinced that they
were following the track of only one giraffe, and that larger than
either of those that had been lost. They again ventured to give their
opinion about it.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Willem. "There has not been a giraffe in this
part of the country for the last ten years, except the two we ourselves
brought here."
This statement would have been indorsed by every settler for a hundred
miles around. For all that, it was a wrong one, as our adventurers soon
had reason to be convinced.
Before they had gone another mile, the large body and lofty head of a
giraffe loomed up before their eyes! On seeing it, they put spurs to
their horses and rode straight toward it. They got within about three
hundred yards of it before their approach was discovered.
For the first ten minutes of the chase that then ensued, the distance
between the hunters and the retreating giraffe remained about the same.
Gradually it began to diminish. The giraffe appeared to become
exhausted with only a slight exertion; and on reaching a piece of marshy
ground, where its feet sunk into the mud, it made a violent struggle and
then fell over on its side.
On riding forward to the spot, the hunters had an explanation of why the
chase was so soon over. They were only surprised that the creature had
been able to run at all.
It proved to be an ancient male of which but little was left but the
skin and bones.
It looked as though it was the last of its race, about to become
extinct.
On its back and other parts of its body were lumps as large as walnuts,
the scars of old wounds, where musket-bullets had been lodged in its
body several years before!
The rusty head of an arrow was also seen protruding from its side.
It had the appearance of having been hunted for a score of years, and
hundreds of times to have been within an inch of losing its life.
Its enemy, man, had overtaken it at last, and was gazing upon its
struggling not with exultation, but rather with pity and regret.
They felt no triumph in having run down and captured a thing that had
been so long struggling with death. Groot Willem, who had been for a
time highly elated with the prospect of recovering the lost giraffes,
was again in great despondence. Much time had been squandered in this
purposeless pursuit.
He was not one to yield easily to despair; and yet despair was now upon
him. There was every symptom of a dark night coming down, and it was
now near. Inspired either by pity or revenge, he sent a bullet from his
roer into the head of the struggling skeleton; and, throwing himself
into the saddle, he turned the head of his horse once more towards the
house.
An attempt had been made to recover the lost giraffes. It had failed.
Night was close at hand. Nothing more could be done for that day, and
Willem now declared his willingness to return to Graaf Reinet and die.
Hope had departed from his heart, and he no longer felt a desire to
live.
Hendrik and Arend, although sympathising with him in their common
misfortune, exchanged looks of congratulation. They would now be
permitted to go home.