Watch was set in the usual manner, so that the fire might be well kept
up, and after a good dry, and a hearty meal--such a one as is made by
those who have toiled all day in the open air--those who were at liberty
so to do soon sought their blankets, and slept soundly and well.
To Dick and Jack it seemed that they had only just lain down, when there
was a firm hand laid upon them, and they were awakened by the General,
who signed to them in the grey morning light to get up.
They crept out of the waggon yawning, but that sign of slothfulness was
soon chased away, and their father joining them, they took their guns
and followed the General, leaving Dinny with orders to wake the boys,
and to get breakfast ready by their return.
"Where are we going, father?" asked Dick.
"I can't say, my boy. The Zulu awakened me as he did you. He has
something to show us, I suppose."
Their way lay up a woodland slope, where the trees had a park-like
aspect, and beneath their shade it was still quite dim, but here and
there they caught glimpses of the sky, which was flecked with little
clouds of orange, and vermilion, and gold, while the light was rapidly
growing in the east.
The General went on rapidly, as if quite sure of his route, and it
seemed that the point at which he was aiming was the highest part of a
ridge.
And so it proved, for when he had reached the summit the Zulu chief
walked cautiously along for a short distance, and then stopped and
stooped down, motioning to those who followed to do the same.
They obeyed him implicitly, preparing their pieces at the same time.
Then creeping up to him cautiously, they found that they were on a ridge
looking down into a widespread valley, flooded with the light of the
approaching sunrise.
It was a glorious scene, and worth all the trouble and patience of their
long journey to see. It was almost breathlessly that they gazed at the
broad, grassy valley, with its clumps of trees, patches of wood, and
portions dotted with masses of rock, whose tops were bathed in the amber
morning tints, while in the direction where the little party gazed the
shadows of tree and stone lay dark.
Facing them in the east the clouds were now gorgeous in their hues, one
layer forming a grand arch of light, towards which darted upwards the
rays of the coming sun.
But it was not only the sunrise that was glorious in the extreme, nor
the beauty of the broad valley that held the spectators' eyes, but the
occupants of the scene below.
The General had undertaken to guide them to what he called the great
game country, and he had kept his word. For below them--to right, to
left, and away towards the golden burst of glory where the sun was about
to rise--the land was literally alive with game.
Down to their right spread broad marshy lagoon after lagoon, in which
swam, dived or waded, countless ducks and crane. Here, writhing its
snaky neck and curious head and beak, was the flamingo, all white and
rose; there, soft grey cranes and others, with a lovely crest, as if in
imitation of the rays of the rising sun.
But it was not the wondrous variety of birds alone that took their
attention, but the large game, feeding, gambolling, and careering in
countless herds. To the left were zebras, and beyond some quaggas, or
wild asses, the peculiar bray or cry of _quay-gah_! _quay-gah_! reaching
to their ears. On their right there were gnus, or wildebeestes, as the
Boers called them, brindled and the blue--curiously fierce-looking
little animals, partaking both of the character of the deer and the
buffalo. Some grazed placidly in the morning light, others were engaged
in tilting at each other with their horns, while their companions looked
on as if waiting for their turn; and every now and then the sound of the
striking horns ascended to the woody ridge with a loud crash.
But while these creatures contended together, groups of antelopes were
dotted here and there, while others careered at lightning speed over the
plain.
The sight was wonderful, and the boys felt as if they would never tire
of watching the evolutions of the graceful creatures, which, with their
skins glistening and horns looking golden in the morning light, seemed
to be going through a series of military evolutions with the greatest
precision.
"Koodoo, pronghorn," said Mr Rogers, looking at the herd through his
glass. "There are a dozen elands too," he continued, and then passed
the glass to his sons.
"Oh, this is grand," cried Dick enthusiastically. "I could stay here
for ever watching the graceful creatures."
"So could I," said Jack, after breakfast. "I say, father, hadn't we
better shoot something--the stock's getting low?"
"Yes," said Mr Rogers quietly; and he longed to go himself and bring
down a good fat buck for the replenishment of the larder; but the
expedition was for his sons, and he gave place to them. "Now, Dick," he
continued, "here is a chance for you to try and stalk one of those
hartebeestes; or better still, a nice fat antelope. Pick out one with a
fine head of horns, and then aim straight at the shoulder, and be sure
and bring him down."
"At what distance would you fire, father?" asked Dick.
"I'd get as close as I could, my boy, but I'd fire at six or seven
hundred yards sooner than miss a shot. Now go!"
Dick crept off, his father giving him a warning word about not losing
his way, but to impress the land-marks upon his memory, so as to
recognise them if he went astray.
As he disappeared down the valley side of the slope, Mr Rogers turned
to Jack.
"Well, my boy, would you like a try as well?"
Jack's whole face, as well as his tongue, said yes, and Mr Rogers
smilingly pointed down into the valley, in the other direction.
"Be careful," he said, "and don't fire either in our direction or in
your brother's, for a rifle-bullet flies far."
"All right, father," cried Jack; and he too crept down the slope from
bush to bush, to try and stalk one of the bok that came nearest to the
clump of wood upon his right.
"So this is the game country?" said Mr Rogers.
"Yes, boss, this the game country, but only bit outside. I show you big
game yet--elephant, lion, all the big animal, only wait."
Mr Rogers was ready to set self aside in every way in his efforts to
educate his sons, so he took out his glass and sat down beside the
General, watching the various herds of wild animals in the glowing
morning light, and thinking how grateful he ought to be to see his boys
daily growing in health, strength, and confidence. For it was
unmistakable; Dick, the weak, half-consumptive lad, was altering
rapidly, and the anxious father's heart rejoiced as the dark shadow that
had hovered over his life seemed to be chased away.
As he sat there thinking, and bringing his glass to bear upon the
various herds, while waiting for them to take the alarm, he could not
help feeling that Dick and Jack were managing uncommonly well to have
gone on so long without alarming the game. It showed thoughtfulness,
and ability in the hunter's craft; not, of course, that he wished them
to turn out hunters, but he believed in thoroughness, and he used to say
that if it was only play it ought to be done well.
He was letting the glass rest upon his knees, with his eyes running
dreamily over the landscape, when he became aware of the fact that the
Zulu was watching him intently, as he sat there with a couple of
assegais across his knees.
"I am sorry I was so unjust to him that night," thought Mr Rogers. "It
is a pity one's nature prompts one to be so hasty and suspicious."
Then as his eyes met those of the General, as it was fast becoming the
custom to call him, he cudgelled his brains for some way of showing his
confidence in him, who was so completely their guide.
Suddenly a soft smile beamed on the Zulu's fierce countenance, and he
said gently,--
"Boss thinking about his boys. Fine brave boys; make big warriors and
chiefs. Zulu wish his boys here too. Love his boys same as white man."
Mr Rogers stretched out his hand to the Zulu on the instant, for he had
touched the chord of their common humanity, and white man and black man,
as their hands joined in one firm grip, felt that henceforth they would
be friends who could trust each other to the end.
"Look!" cried the Zulu suddenly; and he pointed down into the plain,
where the alarm had been taken in the direction taken by Dick.
Antelopes that had been feeding, suddenly threw up their heads and
galloped together, seeming to form square--first with horns outward to
resist attack; then they reformed, and charged in one direction; halted,
turned, and charged in another--as if alarmed, and yet not knowing which
way to go.
The wildebeestes that had been fighting stopped, erected their tails,
pawed the ground, and then, throwing their heads side-wise, began to
plough it with one horn, but only to snort loudly and tear over the
plain; while the zebras and quaggas began to toss their heads and tear
about over the grassy wild, kicking and plunging, and scattering the
light antelopes like the wind.
Suddenly there was a puff of smoke from a clump of bushes quite a mile
away, and after an interval the faint crack of a rifle.
"That's Dick's gun, General," said Mr Rogers, bringing his glass to
bear upon a little herd of antelopes that must have formed the object of
the shot; but not one of them fell, neither did either of them seem to
be lamed.
"Miss, this time," said the General, quietly.
Just then there was another report, evidently a shot at long range; but
the only effect was to drive the game more in the direction of Jack's
position, or what they supposed to be Jack's position.
Seeing then that Dick was not likely to get another shot, Mr Rogers
turned his glass in the other direction; but there was nothing to see
but the great herds of game, going more and more towards a clump of
timber--trees that were of glorious shades of green in the morning sun.
But, all at once, as a troop of gnus were trotting by, three or four
large birds came rushing out, as if alarmed, and the gnus took fright,
tearing off at a frantic pace. But before they had gone far there was a
white puff of smoke from the end of the clump.
"Well done!" cried Mr Rogers. "He did well to get so far. But it is
another miss. We must not depend on the boys yet for our dinners."
The whole plain seemed to be now alive, and herd after herd of game,
that had been hidden from them by the trees, had rushed into sight, and
was now careering onward, and away from the dangerous proximity to the
woods.
"Poor boys! All their trouble for nothing," said Mr Rogers, closing
his glass. "I wish I had gone too. I might have hit something."
"Boss Jack has hit," said the Zulu, pointing.
And just then, to the father's great delight, he saw one of the curious
antelopes suddenly stop short, the rest of the herd galloping onwards.
Then it shook its head, turned, and seemed giddily to gallop back, and
finally fell dead.
Almost at the same moment they saw Jack run out from the clump of
timber, gun in one hand, cap in the other, which latter he began to wave
frantically above his head.
"Well done, boy! A good shot," cried Mr Rogers. "Ah, there's Dick."
For Dick now showed himself, a mile away to the left, and began to cross
the open to join his brother, whose success he must have seen.
"The next thing is to get the game home," said Mr Rogers. "We'll go
back, and send Peter and Dirk."
He placed a shrill little whistle to his lips as he spoke, and as its
piercing note rang out, the boys, who had been making for the fallen
gnu, turned to come back.
"I'll go!" said the General. "Mustn't leave the game. Look, boss."
He pointed, and in the distance there was a great vulture winging its
way towards the fallen gnu; and, directly after, another and another
came into sight, sailing heavily along upon its great dusky flapping
wings.
It seemed as if telegrams had been sent in all directions to the
vultures' roosting-places that there had been a wildebeeste slain; and
it was so evident that, if steps were not taken to save it, the vultures
would destroy the provisions of three or four days, that Mr Rogers
rapidly blew twice upon his whistle--a preconcerted signal, which made
the boys turn and go towards the game.
As it was, a vulture would have reached the fallen animal before them
but for a shot from Dick's gun, which had the effect of more than
scaring it as it was just alighting, for, evidently hit by the bullet,
it flew a few yards, and then fell, flapping its wings for a few
moments, and then lay still.
This checked the others for the time, and Mr Rogers waited till the
General should set the boys at liberty, when he meant to return to the
waggon.