All was bustle, noise, and activity in the village, or, more correctly
speaking, in the native town of his Majesty King Jambai, early in the
morning after our arrival. A great elephant-hunt had been resolved on.
The hunters were brushing up their spears and old guns--all of which
latter were flint-locks that had been procured from traders, and were
not worth more than a few shillings. The women were busy preparing
breakfast, and the children were playing around their huts.
These huts were of the simplest construction--made of bamboo, roofed
with large palm-leaves, and open in front. The wants of savages are
generally few; their household furniture is very plain, and there is
little of it. A large hut near to that of his sable majesty had been
set apart for the trader and his party during our residence at the town.
In this we had spent the night as pleasantly as we could, but the
mosquitoes kept up an unceasing warfare upon us, so that daylight was
welcomed gladly when it came.
On going to the hut of King Jambai, who had invited us to breakfast with
him, we found the Princess Oninga alone, seated in the king's armchair
and smoking her pipe with uncommon gusto. She had spent the early part
of the morning in preparing breakfast for her father and ourselves, and
was now resting from her labours.
"You are early astir, Princess Oninga," said the trader as we entered
and took our seats round the fire, for at that hour the air felt chilly.
The princess took her pipe from her lips and admitted that she was,
blowing a long thin cloud of smoke into the air with a sigh of
satisfaction.
"We are ready for breakfast," added the trader. "Is the king at home?"
"He is in the woods, but will be back quickly." With this remark the
princess rose, and knocking the ashes out of her pipe, left the tent.
"Upon my word, she's a cool beauty," said Peterkin.
"I should rather say a black one," remarked Jack.
"Perhaps an odd one would be the most appropriate term," said I. "Did
you ever see such a headdress?"
The manner in which the Princess Oninga had seen fit to dress her head
was indeed peculiar, I may say ludicrous. Her woolly hair had been
arranged in the form of a cocked hat, with a horn projecting in front,
and at a short distance off it might easily have been mistaken for the
headpiece of a general officer minus the feathers. There was little in
the way of artificial ornament about it, but the princess wore a number
of heavy brass rings on her arms and ankles. Those on the latter
reached half-way up to her knees, and they were so heavy that her walk
was little better than a clumsy waddle. Before we could pass further
comment on her appearance, King Jambai entered, and saluted us by taking
us each separately and rubbing noses with us. This done, he ordered in
breakfast, which consisted of roast and boiled plantains, ground nuts,
roast fowl, and roast pig; so we fell to at once, and being exceedingly
hungry after our long walk of the day before, made a hearty meal.
"Now, sir," said Jack, when our repast was about concluded, "as you are
going to leave us soon, you had better arrange with the king about
getting us an interpreter and supplying us with a few men to carry our
goods. I think you said there was once a man in the tribe who spoke a
little English. Have you found out whether he is alive?"
"Yes; I have heard that he is alive and well, and is expected in every
day from a hunting expedition. He is a splendid hunter and a capital
fellow. His name is Makarooroo, and if you get him you will be
fortunate."
"Then ask his black majesty," said Peterkin, "as quick as you please,
for, to say truth, I'm rather anxious on this point. I feel that we
should never get on without a good interpreter."
To our satisfaction we found that the king was quite willing to do all
that we wished and a great deal more. In fact, we soon perceived that
he felt highly honoured by our visit, and had boasted not a little of
"_his white men_" to the chiefs of neighbouring tribes, some of whom had
come a considerable distance to see us.
"You have made quite a conquest, gentlemen, of worthy Jambai," said the
trader, after translating the king's favourable reply. "The fact is he
is pleased with the liberality you have shown towards him in the way of
gifts, and is proud of the confidence you have placed in him. Had you
been bent on a trading expedition, he would have opposed your further
progress; but knowing that you are simply hunters, he is anxious to
assist you by all the means at his command. He is surprised, indeed, at
your taking so much trouble and coming so far merely to kill wild
animals, for he cannot understand the idea of sporting. He himself
hunts for the sake of procuring meat."
"Can he not understand," said Peterkin, "that _we_ hunt for fun?"
"No, he don't quite see through that. He said to me a few minutes ago,
`Have these men no meat at home, that they come all this long way to get
it?' I told him that you had plenty, and then endeavoured to explain
your idea of hunting `for fun.' But he shook his head, and I think he
does not believe you."
At this point in our conversation the king rose and gave the signal to
set out on the hunting expedition. Instantly the whole population of
the town turned out and rushed to the banks of the river, near which it
stood, where canoes were prepared for us. Suddenly there arose a great
shout, and the name "Makarooroo, Makarooroo," passed from mouth to
mouth. Presently a fine, tall, deep-chested and broad-shouldered negro
stepped up to the king and laid a leopard skin at his feet, while the
people shouted and danced with delight at the success of their
companion; for, as I have already stated, it is deemed a bold feat to
attack and slay a leopard single-handed.
While the commotion caused by this event was going on, I said to the
trader--
"How comes it that Makarooroo can speak English?"
"He spent a couple of years on the coast, in the service of a
missionary, and during that time attended the missionary school, where
he picked up a smattering of English and a trifle of geography and
arithmetic; but although a stout, sturdy hunter, and an intelligent man,
he was a lazy student, and gave the good missionary much trouble to
hammer the little he knows into his thick skull. At last he grew tired
of it, and returned to his tribe; but he brought his Bible with him, and
I am told is very diligent in the study of it. His education has gained
for him a great reputation as a fetishman, or doctor of mysteries, among
his people. I used often to see him at school hammering away at m-a,
ma-b-a, ba, and so on, amid a group of children. He used to sit beside
the king--"
"The king!" said I, in surprise.
"Ay; the king of that district became a Christian, and he and the queen,
with one or two others of the royal household, used to attend school
with the children every day, and their diligence in studying the A B C
was beyond all praise. But they were terribly stupid. The children
beat them easily, showing how true is the saying that `youth is the time
to learn.' The king was always booby, and Makarooroo was always beside
him."
As the trader spoke, Makarooroo came forward and shook hands with him in
the English fashion. He was then introduced to us, and expressed his
willingness to become our interpreter in somewhat curious but quite
comprehensible English. As I looked at his intelligent, good-natured
countenance, I could not help thinking that the trader had underrated
his intellectual powers.
"He's a funny dog that Makarooroo," said Peterkin, as our interpreter
hastened away to fetch his rusty old gun and spears; for he meant to
join our hunting expedition, although he had only that moment arrived
from a long and fatiguing chase.
"Do you think so?" said Jack.
"I don't agree with you," said I; "to me he seems rather of a grave and
quiet disposition."
"O Ralph, what a bat you are! He was grave enough just now, truly; but
did you not observe the twinkle in his eye when he spoke to us in
English? Depend on it he's a funny dog."
"There must be freemasonry, then, among funny dogs," I retorted, "for
Jack and I don't perceive it."
"Is this our canoe?" inquired Jack of the trader.
"It is."
"Then let's jump in."
In a few seconds the river was crowded with a fleet of small canoes, and
we all paddled quickly up the stream, which was sluggish at that part.
We did not intend to proceed more than a few miles by water, as the
place where game was expected was at some distance from the river. I
felt some regret at this, for the trip up the river was to me most
enchanting.
Every yard we advanced new beauties of scenery were revealed to view.
The richness of the tropical vegetation seemed in this place to
culminate, it was so rank and gorgeous. The day was fine, too, and all
the strange-looking creatures--ugly and beautiful, large and small--
peculiar to those regions, seemed to have resolved on a general peace in
order to bask in the sunshine and enjoy the glorious weather. Man alone
was bent on war, and our track, alas! was marked with blood wherever we
passed along. I pondered much on this subject, and wondered at the
bloodthirsty spirit which seems to be natural to man in all conditions
and climes. Then I thought of the difficulty these poor Africans have
at times in procuring food, the frequency with which they are reduced
almost to a state of starvation, and I ceased to wonder that they shot
and speared everything that came in their way.
We proceeded up the left bank of the river, keeping close in to the
shore in order to obtain the protection of the overhanging boughs and
foliage; for the sun soon began to grow hot, and in the middle of the
day became so intense that I sometimes feared that I or my companions
would receive a sunstroke. I confess that the subject of health often
caused me much anxiety; for although I knew that we were all old
experienced travellers--though young in years--and had become in a great
degree inured to hardships, I feared that the deadly climate of Central
Africa might prove too much for our European constitutions. By the free
use of quinine, however, and careful attention to the roles of health as
far as circumstances would permit, we were fortunate enough to keep in
excellent health and spirits during the whole course of our sojourn
there; for which, when I thought of the hundreds of Europeans who had
perished on that deadly coast without even venturing into the interior,
I felt very thankful. One of our chief delights, to which I in a great
degree attribute our uninterrupted health, was bathing daily in the
streams and ponds with which we fell in, or on which we paddled during
our travels. On these occasions we were fain, however, to be exceeding
careful in the selection of our bathing-pool, as crocodiles and
alligators, and I know not what other hideous animals, were constantly
on the lookout for prey, and I make no doubt would have been very ready
to try the flavour of a morsel of English food had we given them the
chance.
On these occasions, when we had made sure of our pool, we were wont to
paddle about in the cool refreshing stream, and recall to mind the
splendid dips we had had together six years before in the clear waters
of the coral island. Since that time Peterkin had learned to swim well,
which was not only a source of much satisfaction and gratification to
himself now, but, he told me, had been the means of preserving not only
his own life on more than one occasion, but the life of a little child
which he had the good fortune to rescue from drowning when cruising off
the island of Madagascar.
Peterkin used to speak very strongly when talking on this subject, and I
observed, from the unusual seriousness of his manner, that he felt
deeply too.
"Ralph," he said to me one day, "half the world is mad--I am not sure
that I might not say three-quarters of the world is mad--and I'm quite
certain that all the _ladies_ in the world are mad with the exception of
the brown ladies of the South Seas, and a few rare specimens elsewhere;
they're all mad together in reference to the matter of swimming. Now
that I have learned it nothing is so easy, and any one who is not as
blind as a rheumatic owl must see that nothing is more important; for
every one almost is subject to being pitched now and then into deep
water, and if he can't swim it's all up with him. Why, every time an
angler goes out to _fish_ he runs the chance of slipping and being swept
into a deep hole, where, if he cannot swim, he is certain to be drowned.
And yet five strokes would save his life. _Good_ swimming is by no
means what is wanted; swimming of any kind, however poor, is all that is
desiderated. Every time a lady goes to have a row on a lake she is
liable to be upset by the clumsiness of those who accompany her, and
although it may be close to shore, if she cannot swim, down she goes to
the bottom. And _floating_ won't do. Some ladies delude themselves
with the idea that floating is of great value. In nine cases out of ten
it is of no value at all; for unless water be perfectly smooth and
still, a person cannot float so as to keep the waves from washing over
the face, in which case choking is the certain result. There is no
excuse for not learning to swim. In most large cities there are
swimming-baths; if the sea is not available, a river is, everywhere. I
tell you what it is, Ralph: people who don't learn to swim are--are--I
was going to say asses, but that would be an insult to the much-maligned
long-eared animal; and parents who don't teach their offspring to swim
deserve to be drowned in butter-milk; and I wish I saw--no, I _don't_
quite wish I saw them all drowned in that way, but I do wish that I
could impress upon mankind over the length and breadth of this rotund
world the great, the immense, the intense importance of boys _and girls_
being taught to swim."
"You make use of strong language," said I.
"Quite a powerful orator," added Jack, laughing.
"Bah!" exclaimed Peterkin; "your reception of this grand truth is but a
type of the manner in which it will be received by the pig-headed world.
What's the use of preaching common sense? I'm a perfect donkey!"
"Nay, Peterkin," said Jack; "I appreciate what you say, and have no
doubt whatever that your remarks, if made public, would create quite a
revolution in the juvenile world, and convert them speedily into aquatic
animals. Did you ever think of sending your views on that subject to
the _Times_?"
"The _Times_!" cried Peterkin.
"Yes, the _Times_; why not?"
"Because," said Peterkin slowly, "I once sent a letter to that great but
insolent periodical, and what do you think it did?"
"Can't tell, I'm sure."
"_Took no notice of it whatever_!" said Peterkin, with a look of
ineffable disgust.
But to return from this digression. I was much struck with the splendid
contrast of colours that met my eye everywhere here. The rich variety
of greens in the different trees harmonised with the bright pink plums
and scarlet berries, and these latter were almost dimmed in their lustre
by the bright plumage of the birds, which I felt intense longing to
procure, many of them being quite new to me, and, I am certain, totally
unknown to naturalists, while others I recognised with delight as
belonging to several of the species of which I had read in
ornithological works. I tried hard to shoot several of these lovely
creatures, intending to stuff them, but, to my regret, was utterly
unable to hit them. Seeing this, Peterkin took pity on me, and sitting
down in the bow of our canoe, picked off all the birds I pointed out to
him as we passed, with unerring precision. Most of them fell into the
water, and were easily secured, while one or two toppled off the
branches into the canoe. Several of them he shot on the wing--a feat
which even filled Jack with surprise, and so astounded the natives that
they surrounded our canoe at last, and gazed open-mouthed at my friend,
whom they evidently regarded as the greatest fetishman that had ever
come amongst them.
He was obliged to stop at last and lay down his gun in order to make the
natives cease from crowding round us and delaying our voyage. A number
of iguanas were observed on the branches of the trees that overhung the
stream. They dropped into the water as we approached; but the natives
succeeded in spearing a good many, and I afterwards found that they
considered them excellent food.
If I was charmed with the birds, Peterkin was no less delighted with the
monkeys that chattered at us as we passed along. I never saw a man
laugh as he did that day. He almost became hysterical, so much was he
tickled with their antics; and the natives, who have a keen sense of the
ludicrous, seemed quite to sympathise with his spirit, although, of
course, what amused him could not have similarly affected them, seeing
that they were used to monkeys from infancy.
"There's something new!" exclaimed Jack, as we rounded a bend in the
river and came in view of an open flat where it assumed somewhat the
aspect of a pond or small lake. He pointed to a flock of birds standing
on a low rock, which I instantly recognised to be pelicans.
"Surely," said I, "pelicans are not new to you!"
"Certainly not; but if you look a little more attentively, I think you
will find material for your note-book."
Jack was right. I observed a very fine fish-hawk circling over the head
of one of the pelicans. Its head and neck were white, and its body was
of a reddish chocolate colour. Just as we came in sight, the pelican
caught a fine fish, which it stowed away safe in the pouch under its
chin. The sly hawk, which had been watching for this, immediately made
a descent towards its victim, making a considerable noise with its wings
as it came down. Hearing this, the pelican looked hastily up, and
supposing that a terrible and deadly assault was about to be made,
opened its mouth and screamed in terror. This was just what the hawk
wanted. The open bill revealed the fish in the pouch. Down he swooped,
snatched it out, and then soared away with his ill-gotten gains in his
talons.
"Oh, what a thief!" exclaimed Peterkin.
"And the pelican seems to take his loss in a remarkably philosophical
manner," observed Jack.
To my surprise the great stupid bird, instead of flying away, as I had
expected, quietly resumed his fishing as if nothing had happened. No
doubt he was well pleased to find himself still alive, and it is not
improbable that the hawk made several more meals at the expense of his
long-beaked friend after we had passed by.
We soon put him to flight, however, by landing near the spot where he
stood, this being the place where we were to quit our canoes and pass
through the jungle on foot. The hunters now prepared themselves for
action, for the recent tracks of elephants were seen on the bank of the
stream, and the natives said they could not be far off. Jack and
Peterkin were armed with immensely heavy rifles, which carried balls of
the weight of six-ounces. I carried my trusty, double-barrelled
fowling-piece, which is of the largest size, and which I preferred to a
rifle, because, not being a good shot, I resolved, on all occasions, to
reserve my fire until we should come to close quarters with game,
leaving my more expert comrades to take the longer shots. We had also
two natives--one being our guide, Makarooroo, who carried Jack and
Peterkin's double-barrelled guns as a reserve. These were loaded, of
course, with ball.
"This looks something like business," said Jack, as he leaned on his
heavy rifle and looked at the natives, who were selecting their spears
and otherwise making preparations.
"It does," replied Peterkin. "Are you loaded?"
"Ay, and I have just examined the caps to see that they are dry; for
it's not like grouse-shooting on the Scottish hills this African
hunting, depend upon it. A snapping cap might cost us our lives,--
Ralph, my boy, you must keep well in rear. I don't want to hurt your
feelings, but it won't do to go in front when you cannot depend on your
nerves."
I experienced a feeling of sadness not unmingled with shame as my friend
said this, but I could not question the justness of his remark, and I
knew well that he would not have made it at all, but for his anxiety
lest I should run recklessly into danger, which I might find myself,
when too late, unable to cope with. I was careful, however, to conceal
my feelings as I replied with a smile--
"You are right, Jack. I shall act the part of a support, while you and
Peterkin skirmish in advance."
"And be careful," said Peterkin, solemnly, "that you don't fire into us
by mistake."
Somewhat of Peterkin's own spirit came over me as I replied, "Indeed, I
have been thinking of that, and I'm not sure that I can restrain myself
when I see a chimpanzee monkey and a gorilla walking through the woods
before me."
"I think we'd better take his gun from him," suggested Jack.
At this moment the king gave the signal to advance, so we shouldered our
weapons and joined him. As we walked rapidly along, Jack suggested that
we should allow the natives to kill any elephants we might fall in with
in their own way, so as to observe how they managed it, rather than try
to push ourselves forward on this our first expedition. We all agreed
to this, and shortly after we came to the place which elephants were
known to frequent.
Here great preparations had evidently been made for them. A space of
more than a mile was partially enclosed by what might be termed a vine
wall. The huge, thorny, creeping vines had been torn down from the
trees and woven into a rude sort of network, through which it was almost
impossible for any animal except an elephant to break. This was
intended--not to stop the elephant altogether, but to entangle and
retard him in his flight, until the hunters could kill him with their
spears. The work, we were given to understand, was attended with
considerable danger, for some of the natives were occasionally caught by
the thorny vines when flying from the charge of the infuriated animal,
and were instantly stamped to death by his ponderous feet.
I felt a new and powerful excitement creep over me as I saw the natives
extend themselves in a wide semicircle of nearly two miles in extent,
and begin to advance with loud shouts and cries, in order to drive the
game towards the vines, and the flashing eyes and compressed lips of my
two companions showed that they were similarly affected. We determined
to keep together and follow close on that part of the line where the
king was.
"You no be 'fraid?" said Makarooroo, looking down at Peterkin, who, he
evidently supposed, was neither mentally nor physically adapted for an
African hunter.
Peterkin was so tickled with the question that he suddenly began to
tremble like an aspen leaf, and to chatter with his teeth and display
all the symptoms of abject terror. Pointing over Makarooroo's shoulder
into the bush behind him, he gasped, "The leopard!"
The negro uttered a hideous yell, and springing nearly his own height
into the air, darted behind a tree with the agility of a wild-cat.
Instantly Peterkin resumed his composure, and turning round with a look
of cool surprise, said--
"What! you're not afraid, Makarooroo?" The good-humoured fellow burst
into a loud laugh on perceiving the practical joke that had been passed
on him, and it was evident that the incident, trifling though it was,
had suddenly raised his estimation of Peterkin to a very exalted pitch.
We now began to draw near to the enclosure, and I was beginning to fear
that our hunt was to prove unsuccessful that day. A considerable
quantity of small game had passed us, alarmed by the cries of the
natives; but we purposely withheld our fire, although I saw that Jack
was sorely tempted once or twice, when several beautiful gazelles and
one or two wild pigs ran past within shot. Presently we heard a shrill
trumpeting sound, which Peterkin, who had hunted in the forests of
Ceylon, told us, in an excited voice, was the cry of the elephant. We
hastened forward with our utmost speed, when suddenly we were brought to
a stand by hearing a tremendous roar close in front of us. Immediately
after, a large male lion bounded from among the bushes, and with one
stroke of his enormous paw struck down a negro who stood not twenty
yards from us. The terrible brute stood for an instant or two, lashing
his sides with his tail and glaring defiance. It chanced that I
happened to be nearest to him, and that the position of the tangled
underwood prevented my companions from taking good aim; so without
waiting for them, being anxious to save, if possible, the life of the
prostrate negro, I fired both barrels into the lion's side. Giving
utterance to another terrible roar, he bounded away into the bush,
scattering the negroes who came in his way, and made his escape, to our
great disappointment.
We found, to our horror, on going up to the fallen hunter, that he was
quite dead. His skull had been literally smashed in, as if it had
received a blow from a sledge-hammer.
I cannot describe my feelings on beholding thus, for the first time, the
king of beasts in all the savage majesty of strength and freedom,
coupled with the terrible death of a human being. My brain was in a
whirl of excitement; I scarce knew what I was doing. But I had no time
to think, for almost immediately after firing the shots at the lion, two
elephants came crashing through the bushes. One was between ten and
eleven feet high, the other could not have been less than twelve feet.
I had never seen anything like this in the menageries of England, and
their appearance, as they burst thus suddenly on my vision, was
something absolutely appalling.
Those who have only seen the comparatively small and sluggish animals
that are wont to ring their bells to attract attention, and to feed on
gingerbread nuts from the hands of little boys, can form no idea of the
terrible appearance of the gigantic monsters of Africa as they go
tearing in mad fury through the forests with their enormous ears, and
tails, and trunks erect, their ponderous tusks glistening in the
sunshine, and their wicked little eyes flashing like balls of fire as
they knock down, rend asunder, and overturn all that comes in their way.
The two that now approached us in full career were flying before a crowd
of negroes who had already fixed a number of spears in their sides, from
which the blood was flowing copiously. To say that the bushes went down
before them like grass would not give a correct idea of the ponderous
rush of these creatures. Trees of three and four inches diameter were
run against and snapped off like twigs, without proving in any degree
obstructive.
By this time the negroes had crowded in from all sides, and as the
elephants approached the place where we stood, a perfect cloud of spears
and javelins descended on their devoted sides. I observed that many of
the active natives had leaped up into the trees and discharged their
spears from above, while others, crouching behind fallen trees or
bushes, threw them from below, so that in a few seconds dozens of spears
entered their bodies at every conceivable angle, and they appeared as if
suddenly transformed into monstrous porcupines or hedgehogs. There was
something almost ludicrous in this, but the magnitude and aspect of the
animals were too terrible, and our danger was too imminent, to permit
anything like comic ideas to enter our brains. I observed, too, that
the natives were perfectly wild with excitement. Their black faces
worked convulsively, and their white eyes and teeth glittered as they
leaped and darted about in a state of almost perfect nudity, so that
their aspect was quite demoniacal.
The suddenness and violence of the attack made near to us had the effect
of turning the elephants aside, and the next instant they were tearing
and wrenching themselves through the meshes of the tough and thorny
vines. The natives closed in with wild cries and with redoubled energy.
Nothing surprised me so much as to observe the incredible number of
spears that were sticking all over these creatures, and the amount of
blood that they lost, without any apparent diminution of strength
resulting. It seemed as if no human power could kill them, and at that
moment I almost doubted Peterkin's assertion that he had, while in
Ceylon, actually killed elephants with a single ball.
While Jack and Peterkin and I were gazing in deep interest and surprise
at the curious struggle going on before us, and holding ourselves in
readiness to act, should there be any chance of our game escaping, the
larger of the two elephants succeeded in disentangling himself by
backing out of the snare. He then wheeled round and charged straight at
King Jambai, who stood close to us, with incredible fury. The beast, as
it came on with the bristling spears all over it, the blood spirting
from its innumerable wounds, and trumpeting shrill with rage, seemed to
me like some huge unearthly phantom. It was with difficulty I could
believe the whole scene other than a hideous dream. Jambai launched his
javelin into the animal's chest, and then turned and fled. The other
natives also darted and scattered hither and thither, so that the
elephant could not make up its mind on which of its enemies to wreak its
vengeance. We, too, turned and took to our heels at once with right
good will. All at once I heard Jack utter a wild shout or yell, very
unlike to anything I ever heard from him before. I looked back, and saw
that his foot had got entangled in a thorny shrub, and that the elephant
was making at him.
To this day I have never been able to account for the remarkable
condition of mind and body that ensued on this occasion. Instead of
being paralysed as I had been when Peterkin was in imminent danger, all
sensation of fear or hesitancy seemed to vanish on thine instant. I
felt my nerves and muscles strung, as it were, and rendered firm as a
rock, and with calm deliberation, yet with the utmost rapidity of which
I was capable, I turned round, sprang between Jack and the enraged
beast, and presented my piece at his head.
"Right in the centre of his forehead," gasped Jack, as he endeavoured to
wrench his foot from the entanglement.
At that moment I observed Peterkin leap to my side; the next instant the
report of both our guns rang through the woods; the elephant bounded
completely over Jack, as Peterkin and I leaped to either side to let it
pass, and fell to the ground with such violence that a tree about six
inches thick, against which it struck, went down before it like a willow
wand.
We immediately assisted Jack to extricate himself; but we had no time to
congratulate ourselves on our narrow escape, for mingled shouts and
yells from the men in the bushes ahead apprised us that some new danger
menaced them in that direction.
Reloading as fast as we could, we hastened forward, and soon gained the
new scene of battle. Here stood the other elephant, trying to break
down a small tree up which King Jambai had climbed, partly for safety
and partly in order to dart a javelin down on the brute as it passed.
This was a common custom of the natives; but the king, who was a bold,
reckless man, had neglected to take the very necessary precaution of
selecting a strong tree. The elephant seemed actually to have observed
this, for instead of passing on, it suddenly rushed headlong against the
tree and began to break it down. When we came up the beast was heaving
and straining with all its might, the stout tree was cracking and
rending fearfully, so that the king could scarcely retain his position
on it. The natives were plying their spears with the utmost vigour; but
although mortally wounded, it was evident that in a few more seconds the
elephant would succeed in throwing down the tree and trample the king to
death.
Peterkin instantly sprang forward, but Jack laid his hand on his
shoulder.
"It's my turn this time, lad," he cried, and leaping towards the
monster, he placed the muzzle of his rifle close to its shoulder and
sent a six-ounce ball right through its heart.
The effect was instantaneous. The elephant fell to the ground, a
mountain of dead flesh.
The delight of the negroes at this happy termination of the battle was
excessive. They leaped and laughed and danced like insane men, and we
had much ado to prevent them seizing us in their arms and rubbing noses
with us.
As we had not commenced the hunt until well on in the day, evening was
now closing in; so the king gave orders to encamp on a dry rising ground
not far distant, where the jungle was less dense, and thither we all
repaired, the natives bringing in all the game, and cutting up the
elephants in a very short space of time.
"Your shot was not such a bad one this time, Ralph," observed Peterkin,
as we three stood looking at the large elephant which the natives were
cutting up. "There they are, just above the proboscis. But let me warn
you never again to venture on such a foolhardy thing as to fire in the
face of a charging elephant unless you are a dead shot."
"Thank you, Peterkin, for your advice, which, however, I will not take
when a comrade's life may depend on my doing so."
"I give you full credit for the excellence of your intention," rejoined
my friend; "but if Jack's life had depended on those two shots from your
double-barrel, he would have been but a dead man now. There is only one
vulnerable spot in the front of an elephant's head; that is, exactly in
the centre of the forehead. The spot is not bigger than a saucer, and
the bone is comparatively thin there. If you cannot make _sure_ of
hitting that, you simply face certain death. I would not have tried it
on any account whatever, had I not seen that both you and Jack would
have been killed had I not done so."
On examination we found that the heavy ball from Peterkin's rifle had
indeed penetrated the exact spot referred to, and had been the means of
killing the elephant, while my two bullets were found embedded in the
bone.
The tusks of this animal were magnificent. I do not know what their
exact weight was, not having the means wherewith to weigh them. They
were probably worth a considerable sum of money in the British market.
Of course we did not lay claim to any part of the spoil of that day,
with the exception of a few of the beautiful birds shot on the voyage up
the river, which were of no value to the natives, although priceless to
me. Alas! when I came to examine them next morning, I found that those
destructive creatures the white ants had totally destroyed the greater
part of them, and the few that were worth stuffing were very much
damaged.
Experience is a good though sometimes a severe teacher. Never again did
I, after that, put off the stuffing of any valuable creature till the
next day. I always stuffed it in the evening of the day on which it was
killed; and thus, although the practice cost me many a sleepless night,
I preserved, and ultimately brought home, many specimens of rare and
beautiful birds and beasts, which would otherwise have been destroyed by
those rapacious insects.
That night the scene of our camp was indescribably romantic and wild.
Numerous huge fires were lighted, and round these the negroes circled
and cooked elephant and venison steaks, while they talked over the
events of the day or recounted the adventures of former hunts with noisy
volubility and gesticulation.
The negro has a particular love for a fire. The nights in his warm
climate are chill to him, though not so to Europeans, and he luxuriates
in the heat of a fire as a cat does in the rays of the sun. The warm
blaze seems to draw out his whole soul, and causes his eyes to sparkle
with delight. A good supper and a warm fire render him almost perfectly
happy. There is but one thing wanting to render him supremely so, and
that is--a pipe! No doubt, under similar circumstances, the white man
also is in a state of enviable felicity, but he does not show his joy
like the negro, who seems to forget his cares and sorrows, the miseries
which his gross superstitions entail on him, the frequency with which he
is exposed to sudden destruction; everything, in short, is forgotten
save the present, and he enjoys himself with unmitigated fervour.
It really did my heart good as I sat with my comrades beside our fire
and looked around me on their happy faces, which were rendered still
happier by the gift from us of a small quantity of tobacco, with which
we had taken care to provide ourselves for this very purpose.
I could scarcely believe that the jovial, kindly, hearty fellows were
the very men who are well-known to be such cruel, bloodthirsty fiends
when under the influence of their dreadful superstitions, and who, but a
few hours before, had been darting through the woods besmeared with
blood and yelling like maniacs or demons. In fact, the whole scene
before me, and the day's proceedings, seemed to me, at that time, like a
vivid dream instead of a reality. Moreover, after I lay down, the
reality became a dream, and I spent that night, as I had spent the day,
shooting gazelles, lions, wild pigs, and elephants in imagination.