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 Swartboy had kindled a large
fire at 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
occupied 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 supper, they found no occasion to risk themselves in the
neighbourhood 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 demonstrations, 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
suddenly interrupted by the stifling of the creature's utterance!
In these cries Von Bloom, as well as the others--who were now also
awake--recognised 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!
"O heaven! what could it mean?"
The child's voice first reached them in a sudden screech--then there was
a confused noise resembling 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 carrying him off_!
This idea occurred to Von 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 apprehensions.
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 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 picture 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 its 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 discovered upon his diminutive body. He had now come to
himself, and assured them all that he was not hurt a bit. Hurrah! Jan
was safe!
It now fell to Jan's lot to explain all this mysterious business.
He had been lying in the wagon along with the 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 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 noiselessly 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 image 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 moment 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 the poor ourebi--it had been sadly mangled, and was now of
no more value than a dead rat.