DETERMINED TO OVERCOME OUR DIFFICULTY, WE DECIDE ON BUILDING A CANOE,
WHEN UNLOOKED-FOR HELP ARRIVES, AND ABOH FINDS A RELATIVE--A PLEASANT
BREAKFAST--TOM TAKEN ACROSS THE LAKE BY THE BLACKS--WE PREPARE A PRESENT
OF GAME FOR THE KING--LOOKING OUT FOR THE RETURN OF THE CANOE--THE
CROCODILE AND ITS VICTIM--WE CAMP FOR THE NIGHT--AN UNWELCOME VISITOR--A
FORTUNATE SHOT--THE LEOPARD'S SKIN--RETURN OF THE CANOE--WE EMBARK--
STORM ON THE LAKE--SAFE AGAIN WITH TOM TUBBS--A NATIVE DOCTOR DECLARES
THE KING BEWITCHED--WE CHANGE THE BOWL OF POISON--PRESENTED TO KING
QUAGOMOLO--THE TEST OF THE "POISON-CUP" APPLIED--THE KING'S QUICK
RECOVERY CELEBRATED WITH REJOICINGS--TOM HAVING PERFECTLY RECOVERED, WE
DETERMINE TO RECOMMENCE OUR JOURNEY--THE KING FINDS MEANS TO DELAY AND
DETAIN US--I SAVE THE KING'S CHILD FROM A CROCODILE--PRISONERS.
The very evening on which we had determined to form a canoe, we
commenced our search for a tree suitable for the purpose. In vain,
however, we hunted in the neighbourhood of the lake. Aboh pointed to
the south. "Find him dere," he said.
We were, however, unwilling to go to a distance from our companion, for
we knew not to what dangers he might be exposed should he be left alone,
even although he was able to sit up and handle his rifle, and might
perhaps have hobbled to a short distance. Still he would have to do
that at the risk of again injuring his ankle.
"I will remain with him if you and Charley like to set off with Aboh as
a guide," said Harry. "If you can find a tree at no great distance, you
can cut it down and shape it where it falls, so that it will not give us
much trouble to transport it to the lake."
"More than you suspect, unless we can find a level path down to the
water," observed Charley.
Though I agreed with my brother, we notwithstanding made up our minds to
start early the following morning, and should we find a tree suitable
for a canoe within a mile or so, to cut it down; but if not, to give up
the undertaking. We had cooked overnight some waterfowl for provisions,
and Aboh, I should have said, had found some fruits, which were highly
acceptable. We rose at daybreak, summoned by Harry, who had kept the
morning watch, and at once set off, having determined not to wait for
breakfast, as we wished to have the whole day before us. Charley and I
directed our course to the shore of the lake, to which we had discovered
a path, formed probably by elephants, leading directly to the water.
Just as we were approaching the lake, we caught sight through the bushes
of a canoe paddled by a single rower skimming lightly over the surface
towards us. Wishing to open a communication with the man in the canoe
in order to obtain information from him as to the best course we could
take to get to the northward, or perhaps to induce him to ferry us
across, we hid behind the bushes. The stranger, by his movements,
appeared not to be aware that any one was in the neighbourhood, and came
on without hesitation to the shore, close to the spot where we were hid.
Aboh had remained behind to assist Tom in gathering sticks and lighting
the fire, while Harry had settled to come a short distance with us. The
black had on no other garment but the usual white cloth, showing that he
belonged to one of the wild tribes to the west. He ran his canoe right
up on the bank, and then without hesitation stepped out, carrying a
spear in one hand, a quiver of arrows on his back, and a bow in the
other. We allowed him to advance some distance, until suddenly he came
in sight of Tom and Aboh engaged in making up the fire. Immediately
stopping, he was about to fix an arrow in his bow, when Charley and I
showed ourselves. On seeing us he retreated a few paces, and then fell
to the ground overcome by terror. Charley and I, wishing to reassure
him, advanced as Harry came up to him.
The black, seizing his foot, placed it on his neck in token of
submission. So sudden was the movement that Harry, who could not
prevent him from doing this, was nearly upset, and would have been so
had not he supported himself by his rifle. On this I turned round and
shouted to Aboh to come and interpret for us. As Aboh approached,
Charley and I stooped down and lifted up the negro, who was still
trembling with alarm, though we endeavoured by the tone of our voices
and our gestures to reassure him.
"Come, Aboh, come; let him know that we are friends," cried my brother.
Aboh hurried up. As he got near he stopped, gazing with astonished
looks at the stranger, uttering a few words unintelligible to us. The
stranger answered in the same language. Soon they began to speak more
rapidly, stepping towards each other; then suddenly with loud
exclamations of delight they sprang forward, and throwing themselves
into each other's arms, burst out into tears.
"Brodder! him brodder!" shouted out Aboh, turning round to us to signify
that he had found a relative.
This was indeed satisfactory, as the stranger would be able to render us
all the assistance we required. His canoe, however, was but a small
one, and certainly would not convey all the party across the lake.
"We shall still have to build one, unless our friend here can find us
another," said Charley. "I think a better plan would be to get Aboh and
his brother to ferry Tom across the lake while we march round and find
our way to his village."
On explaining our proposal to Aboh, he had a long palaver with his
brother. The result was not satisfactory.
"Bad man dere," he said, pointing to the eastern end of the lake.
"What do you advise, then?" asked Charley.
"Stay here; Shimbo him go and bring back big canoe," was the answer.
When we suggested that Aboh and Shimbo should take Tom across, they at
once agreed to do so, Aboh observing that Shimbo's canoe would easily
carry three people, but that it would require two canoes of similar size
to paddle us all across. Tom had no objection to accompany the blacks,
and we were anxious that he should get under shelter as soon as
possible. We ourselves proposed remaining where we were and hunting, so
that we might carry a good supply of game with us as a present to our
friends' tribe.
Instead, therefore, of starting off to look for a tree to make a canoe
as we had intended, we all repaired to the fire which Tom had been
blowing into a blaze, and soon had a number of wildfowl roasting before
it. As soon as he saw our pot on the fire, Shimbo ran off to his canoe
and brought back some plantains, which he set to work to peel; he then
carefully washed them, and cutting them in several pieces, put them into
the saucepan. Then he half filled it with water and covered it over
with leaves, on the top of which he placed the banana peelings. The
vegetables were boiled by the time the ducks were roasted. He also
roasted a few ground-nuts, both of which were very acceptable to us
after not having tasted vegetables for so long a time. We thought the
boiled plantains were rather insipid, until Shimbo produced a bag full
of cayenne pepper, with which he sprinkled them as he hooked them out of
the pot, and placed them on some broad leaves to serve as plates.
Altogether, we had not had so satisfactory a meal for some time. We
told Aboh that we hoped to have plenty of game for his friends, and
urged him to come back as soon as possible. Tom looked rather grave as
we lifted him into the canoe. Perhaps he was not so confident as we
were that he would receive a friendly reception.
While watching the canoe as she skimmed over the calm surface of the
lake urged by Aboh's and Shimbo's paddles, we could just see the blue
outline of the opposite shore, with here and there what we supposed to
be tall trees rising above those of the usual forest growth, but they
might be hills or hillocks, so wide was the lake. It would evidently
have taken us many a day's march to get round the way we proposed. Then
we might have been stopped by the bad people of whom Aboh spoke.
Our meditations on the subject were interrupted by the appearance of the
snout of a crocodile, who, swimming by, had taken a fancy to have one of
us for his lunch. We shouted loudly; he beat a retreat, looking out,
while passing slowly on, for any unwary duck or other wildfowl floating
calmly on the smooth water.
"We must keep our promise and get as many birds as we can," said
Charley; "so come along. It will be as well, however, not to separate,
for we may fall in with a lion or leopard, or a herd of elephants. We
ought to be ready to support each other."
Harry and I of course agreed to this. We were very successful, and in
the course of a couple of hours had shot three dozen ducks. Our
difficulty, however, was to preserve them. Even though we hung them up
on the boughs of trees, the ants would manage to get at them, or birds
of prey were likely to carry them off, or, unless they were placed at a
considerable distance from the ground, a leopard or other wild animal
might do so; while it was necessary to look out for a shady spot, or
they would have become uneatable before the following day. We
accordingly set to work and made some baskets of vines, interwoven with
thick leaves, which would protect them from all other creatures with the
exception of the ants. This occupied us two hours or more, and we
agreed that it would be useless to expend a further amount of powder.
We then cooked a duck apiece, and the remainder of the roots and nuts
which Shimbo had left us.
After dinner we went down to the lake to look out for the canoes,
thinking that by this time Aboh might be returning; but none were to be
seen as far as our eyes could reach over the surface of the water. We,
therefore, walked along under the shade of the trees, though at a safe
distance to avoid danger from the sudden rush of a crocodile. After we
had gone some way, we caught sight of a beautiful deer gazing into the
waters of the lake, apparently admiring itself, and occasionally
stooping down to draw up a mouthful. Retiring behind the trees, we
advanced cautiously, hoping to get a shot, and to add the creature to
our larder. I was ahead, and having got well within distance, had just
raised my rifle, and was on the point of drawing my trigger, when I was
startled by seeing a huge crocodile literally leap out of the water, and
then, like a flash of lightning, spring back again, holding the
unfortunate deer struggling violently in its tremendous jaws. I fired,
but my bullet glanced off the side of the scaly monster, which
disappeared with its victim. It was much the same to the deer whether
it was eaten by us or the crocodile, but we were greatly disappointed at
losing it. However, the occurrence made us look out more carefully for
deer, as we might hope to catch one or two, and venison we calculated
would be highly prized by our friends. Besides which, we ourselves were
getting somewhat tired of duck every day.
As we thought it very likely that another deer would come down during
the afternoon to drink at the lake, we formed a screen of boughs, which
served as a favourable look-out. While two of us kept watch for the
deer, the third guarded the rear of our ambush lest a wild beast might
carry off one of us for his supper, instead of our supping off deer as
we hoped to do. It was very fortunate that we took these precautions.
We had not occupied our posts more than a quarter of an hour when Harry,
who was on the look-out, whispered--
"There's a creature crawling along not a hundred yards off."
Charley took a glance round. "It's a leopard, and it evidently sees us;
we must be ready to fire," he whispered.
"But if we do, we shall frighten the deer; so don't pull a trigger
unless it comes nearer," I observed.
The leopard slowly crept by, being apparently itself in search of prey.
It soon disappeared, and although we kept a bright look-out, it did not
return. After this we waited patiently for nearly an hour, when we saw
a small herd of deer coming down the glade. So anxious were we, that we
scarcely dared breathe lest we should alarm them. I remembered the
leopard, and thought that it might possibly be on the look-out for the
deer, and might put them to flight before they could come within shot.
On they trotted, however, as if thoughtless of danger. We allowed the
leader to reach the water. Charley signed to me to point out the one at
which I intended to aim. We each selected one.
The cracks of our three rifles were heard almost at the same moment.
Two of the deer fell killed. The third, at which Harry had aimed,
attempted to escape, while the rest, looking about them with a startled
glance, bounded off. Scarcely, however, had the leader gone a dozen
yards than a leopard sprang out, and seizing the creature in its
powerful jaws, carried it off through the forest.
"Load, quickly, load," cried Charley.
We did so, and then rushed out to secure the deer we had killed, fearing
that another leopard might have a feast off it. We were not, however,
molested, and with infinite satisfaction we dragged the animals one by
one up to the neighbourhood of our camp, where we commenced cutting them
up, although, I must confess, we were not expert in that part of the
huntsman's art. By the time we had finished our task, and hung up the
deer as near to our fire as possible, the sun had sunk below the
horizon.
We again went down to the lake, and were much disappointed at not seeing
the canoe Aboh had promised to bring us. As it was not likely,
therefore, that he would arrive that night, we made up our minds to camp
at the same spot as before. There was no time to lose, and so,
collecting firewood, we prepared to pass the night. It might seem an
easy task to get a supply of sticks, but it was a dangerous one. Not
only did we run the risk of disturbing some venomous snake, but were
nearly certain to find scorpions almost as deadly among the dried wood.
Our plan, therefore, was to scrape together the sticks with a long
staff, and turn them over before attempting to bind them up into faggots
for conveying to the camp. I had not long been thus employed, when a
big scorpion crept out from a mass of bark; I laid my stick, which it
bit severely, on its back, striking its sting into the wood before I
crushed it to death. Having collected a sufficient amount of fuel to
last for the night, we put up a lean-to, under which we could shelter
ourselves from the night dew, though it would afford but a slight
protection against any hungry animal which might venture near, as
leopards and lions might occasionally do. We filled our saucepan with
water, and made every preparation for the night, not forgetting to cook
as much venison as we could possibly eat. Having taken a plentiful
supper we were about to lie down, when Charley said that he would first
take a look round the camp. Not far off was the huge trunk of a fallen
tree, over which bushes had already begun to grow. I saw Charley
suddenly sink down behind it, and as I was following him, he made a sign
to me to creep along under its shelter. I did so, and presently caught
sight of a huge animal advancing in a stealthy fashion along the open
ground. I at once knew it to be a leopard. Charley put up his hand,
signing me to be cautious. The leopard approached, attracted, I have no
doubt, by the smell of the venison, or by the remainder of the carcasses
of the deer, which were not far off.
Whether or not it was the same leopard we had seen in the afternoon, I
could not tell. The creature moved on in its cat-like fashion, looking
cautiously around. Charley and I kept ourselves well concealed, still
it apparently suspected that an enemy was near. It got directly in
front of us. If Charley missed I must, I knew, take care to bring it
down, for if not, it would make nothing of a bound over the tree, and
would carry one of us off. Charley levelled his rifle; a sharp crack
was heard ringing through the night air, answered by the chattering of
numberless monkeys and the shrieks of flocks of parrots and other birds.
The smoke for a moment prevented me seeing the leopard; the next
instant, what was my horror to observe it approaching. In another
instant it would have been upon us. I fired; it leapt high in the air,
and rolled over close to the trunk of the tree.
"Well done, Dick!" cried Charley. "I hit it, but my bullet missed the
vital part."
The leopard was perfectly dead. We easily found the two bullet-holes.
Charley's bullet had struck the edge of a bone, and been slightly
deflected. Had he been alone, the result might have been fatal to him.
How thankful I felt that he had escaped! It was a lesson to us never to
go out hunting singly, and we agreed that we would keep to that rule.
The leopard had fallen just under the bough of a tree, and as we were
anxious to preserve its skin, and yet did not wish to spend time in
flaying the animal that night, we resolved to try and hoist it up to the
bough, where it would remain safe till the morning. We accordingly cut
a number of vines which grew near, and under Charley's directions formed
a series of tackles, by means of which we succeeded, all hoisting
together, in lifting it several feet off the ground. This done, we
returned to our camp. While we had been thus engaged, we had run the
risk, I suspect, of being attacked by another wild beast, either a
leopard or lion, as when I was on watch I heard the mutterings of the
last-named savage brutes in the distance. As I walked up and down in
front of our fire while my brother and Harry were asleep, I watched the
body of the leopard swinging in the air a few feet off, and kept my gun
on the cock ready to fire should a lion approach, as I thought would
very likely be the case, although I had no particular wish to have
another battle that night. However, it so happened that we were left at
rest. At early dawn we let down the carcase, and at once flayed it.
Our object in doing so was to present the skin to the chief of the
village we expected to visit, as we guessed it would be highly prized;
besides which, the fact that we had killed the creature being known,
would raise us in the estimation of the people. Having hung up the skin
to dry, Harry and I went down to the lake, hoping to see the canoe of
our friend, but we were again disappointed. Charley had, in the
meantime, been preparing breakfast, roasting some more ducks, and the
remainder of the ground-nuts left us by Shimbo. After this, we employed
our time in scraping the inside of the leopard's skin, which gave us
enough to do; we then made a sort of lye from the ashes of our fire,
which would have, we hoped, some effect in preserving the skin, though
we were aware that the process we adopted was very rude and imperfect.
As several hours had passed since Tubbs and the two blacks had left us,
we became somewhat anxious about them. If the natives had proved
treacherous, Tom would very likely be put to death or kept a prisoner,
and we should see nothing more of him. About noon, Harry and I had gone
down to the lake to get a saucepan of water, when we remarked a tiny
speck on the broad shining expanse of the lake, where nothing previously
had been visible.
"Hurrah! that must be the canoe at last," he exclaimed.
I was of the same opinion. "If Charley were to have a look at it, he
would be more certain about the matter," I observed; and running back, I
called my brother.
"Yes, there's no doubt about it; that must be the canoe," he said, after
he had watched it attentively.
We now hoped that we should at length get away from the spot where we
had spent so much time. After watching for several minutes, though it
was still at a great distance, and appeared to be approaching very
slowly, we could distinctly make out the canoe. We had gone back to eat
our dinners, as we had become hungry, when Harry said that he would go
down to the lake to see if the canoe was near the shore. Just as he
reached the water, we heard him cry out, "Here they are! here they are!"
Charley and I ran down to join him. The next minute Aboh and Shimbo,
with two other blacks, stepped out of a good-sized canoe, capable of
carrying us three in addition. It was formed very much like the one we
had intended to make out of the trunk of a tree. Aboh seemed as
delighted to see us as if he had been away for several weeks. Why he
had not returned sooner, we could not exactly make out, but we
understood that the king of the village, Quagomolo, was very ill, and as
the only large canoes belonged to him, Aboh could not see him to obtain
the one he wished for. Our friends had brought a supply of plantains
and several other things--manioc, sugar-cane, and squashes. There were
provisions enough for us and themselves for several days. Before
commencing the return voyage, they insisted we should cook them and have
a feast.
"We have already had our dinner," said Charley.
"Bery good! but we,--we empty stomach. No good go sea without eat,"
answered Aboh.
By which he let us understand that he and his companions required food,
and were not entirely disinterested in pressing us to have a feast on
the provisions they had brought. On seeing the deer and the ducks we
had shot, their eyes brightened. Aboh and Shimbo were both very good
cooks, and immediately set to work to dress both the venison and the
vegetables. Their only regret was, that we had not some rum to give
them, the taste of which they had acquired from the white traders who
occasionally came up to their village. I should have said that Aboh
gave us a good report of Tom, who was being well treated by the
inhabitants of the village, by whom we also expected to be received in a
friendly manner. Aboh and Shimbo were so long in preparing the viands,
that by the time they announced that all were sufficiently cooked, we
were perfectly ready to fall to. We enjoyed our meal, and as soon as it
was over, Charley proposed that we should start without delay.
The ducks and the venison were carried down to the canoe, as well as the
leopard skin. By the time we had taken our seats, it appeared to us
greatly overloaded; still our black friends were unwilling to leave any
provisions behind. Aboh, pointing to the leopard skin, exclaimed,
"King, him like much;" so that we hoped our gift would be acceptable to
his sable majesty. The day was pretty well advanced, but we hoped to
get across the lake before nightfall. All being ready, our black crew
seizing their paddles, the canoe began to glide across the lake.
Charley took a fifth paddle with which to steer, but he soon found that
the blacks could manage the canoe perfectly well without his assistance.
The heat was so great on the water that we were all thankful to avoid
any unnecessary exertion. The blacks as they paddled sang a low
monotonous song, more like a dirge. What it was about we could not
tell. By looking back we saw that we had got some distance from the
land, although we appeared not to have approached nearer the opposite
shore, which still remained as indistinct as before. After some time
the blacks ceased their song, and I saw them gazing round at the sky,
the appearance of which was rapidly changing. The sun suddenly
disappeared behind a dark bank of cloud coming up from the west, and a
leaden hue overspread the hitherto sparkling water, at the same time
that a strong wind began to blow. This soon broke the hitherto tranquil
lake into hissing wavelets, which continually toppled over into the
canoe. Aboh, turning round, handed to each of us a bason formed from a
gourd, and made signs that we should bale out the water as it came in.
He and his companions then redoubled their efforts. I caught a glimpse
of his countenance as he turned round; it showed that he was far from
satisfied with the appearance of the weather. I asked Charley what he
thought about the matter.
"I'm afraid that we are going to have a gale; and if so, a nasty sea
will get up, and we shall be obliged to heave our cargo overboard,
although we will not do so until it becomes absolutely necessary."
Every instant the wind increased, and the blacks paddled harder and
harder. At present it was on our beam, although, should it come ahead,
we should make but little progress, or perhaps be compelled to run back
to the place we had left. Notwithstanding the threatening aspect of the
weather, Aboh and his companions seemed determined to continue their
course. The water kept tumbling on board, but we continued baling it
out as fast as we could.
"I'm afraid that we must heave the birds and venison overboard," said
Charley.