"An' if there was one there was over a thousand of thim, sor," cried
Dinny, a day or two later, when he had been out with Peter to bring back
a strayed ox. "Ye niver see such savage little men in yer loife, sor.
They came at us shouting bad language, and calling us all the blayguards
they could lay their tongues to; and then one avil-looking owld
reprobate ups wid a shtone and throws it at me. That was jist what the
others wanted--a bad patthern, sor--and they began shying shtones as
hard as they could, till Pater and me was obliged to re-threat."
"And you ran away, Dinny?" said Dick; "you let the baboons drive you
back?"
"The which, sor?"
"The baboons, Dinny; the apes."
"Ah, ye can call 'em by that name, Masther Dick, if ye loike; I calls
'em little stumpy men, and as ugly as anything I iver see."
"Well, we shall have to go and pepper them," said Jack. "Let's go and
tell father, Dick."
"Shure, ye may pepper and salt 'em too, Masther Jack," said Dinny,
grinning, "but ye'll niver make anything of 'em but the toughest mate ye
iver saw in yer loives."
"Ah, well, Dinny, we'll see," said Jack; and the two boys went and told
Mr Rogers of Dinny and Peter having been attacked by a troop of
baboons, that were close up to the camp amongst the rocks.
"How much of it is exaggeration?" said Mr Rogers, who was busy filling
out some choice bird-skins, the bright plumed coverings of some of the
natural history treasures he had secured.
"Some of it, of course, father," replied Dick. "But they are both cut
about the faces with stones."
This being the case, it was decided to try and scare off the little
vicious animals with a few charges of duck-shot, reserving the bullets
in their rifles in cases of extremity.
Dinny said he was too much hurt to go to the attack; but the rest of the
forces were collected, and, led by Peter, they made their way up over
the ridge into the next valley; but no baboons were in sight, and though
they went on their trail for some little distance, it seemed to be a
useless task; so, sending part of their little company back, Mr Rogers
went in one direction, the boys in another, to pass round a rocky hill
and meet upon the other side.
Everything was very silent in the stillness of the hot midday, and what
with the sun's torrid beams, and the reflection from the rocks, progress
was very slow, till a faint bleating noise, that seemed to come from
behind a patch of rocks, made the boys cock their pieces, and approach
cautiously.
They were so accustomed to hunting now, that they had no difficulty in
stalking up to the clump of rocks, and there, sheltered behind some
bushes, they stood with presented pieces, ready to fire, but hesitating
for a time before the novelty of the scene.
Just in a depression amongst the rocks, where there was an open patch of
fine grass, crouched an antelope, with a glossy black skin, and a pair
of the longest and most beautifully curved horns they had ever seen.
Dick knew it in a moment as the swart vitpense, or lion-killer, as it
was called by the Boers; and sure enough it was there at bay before a
large tawny lion, crouched ready to spring, but hesitating to bound and
impale itself upon those two finely pointed horns, which the antelope's
lowered head pointed straight for the charge.
Twice over the monster seemed about to spring, but each time it
hesitated, shuffling its feet beneath it, and altering its position more
to the right; but the antelope had no intention of being taken in flank,
and kept changing front so as to meet the attack.
Then for the first time, they saw that the antelope had its little one
beneath it, and with all a mother's instinct she was protecting it with
her horns.
This roused the boys on the instant. They had no sooner seen the head
of that antelope and its wondrously beautiful horns, than they made up
their minds to add it and its skin to their collection. But the brave
mother's defence of her offspring won the young hunters to her side, and
they had just levelled their rifles for a deadly shot at the lion, when
it took them unawares, making a sudden spring, meaning to seize the
antelope on the shoulder; but she had twisted a little round, so that
the great cat threw itself right upon the two keen points, which passed
completely through its body.
At the same moment the little antelope dashed away, and there was a
horrible struggle going on upon the patch of grass, the lion growling
and snarling hideously as it struck at the antelope, and then strove to
get free from the horns which the swart vitpense dragged out, and then
stood up shivering by its assailant, which, far from thinking of
attacking again, lay upon its side, biting the grass and tearing at the
ground in its impotent fury.
Dick would have fired, but the monster had evidently received its death
wound; and it was well he and his brother reserved their charges, for,
as the injured lion lay wallowing in its blood, making the rocks echo to
its agonised roar, and as the poor torn antelope stood shivering and
bleeding there, another fierce roar was heard, and a second lion bounded
into the depression, crouched, and sprang.
But quick as he was, the wounded antelope was quicker. Dropping upon
her knees, her head was lowered, and the second lion leaped right upon
her horns, dragging itself back, spitting and snarling with rage and
pain, and then rolling over with a couple of bullets through its
shoulder.
The boys loaded, and fired again at the second lion, which, though half
paralysed, strove furiously to get at its aggressors; but in vain, for a
third bullet made it roll over dead.
The first lion was already at its last gasp, and there was no longer any
need for caution; so, running forward, Dick made for the black antelope
that was lying upon its side, horribly torn, and with its eyes fast
glazing; for the weight of the second lion in its bound upon her horns
had dislocated her neck.
"Poor creature!" cried Dick. "Oh, Jack, I'd give something to be able
to bring the poor thing back to life."
"Why, Dick?" asked his father, who had heard the firing and ran with the
General to join them. "Yes," he said, when he had heard his sons'
narrative; "poor brave creature! I would gladly see it bounding over
the plains again. Why, boys, you are growing quite mighty hunters in
the land. Only," he added, smiling, "the antelope would have killed the
lions without your help. But what a head--what horns! That skin must
be taken off carefully, boys, and the head preserved as our greatest
trophy. Yes," he said, measuring, "the horns are quite--no--three
inches short of five feet long, and as sharp as needles at the points.
You know what it is, of course?"
"Yes," said Dick, admiring the jetty black skin and white underneath
parts, "the swart vitpense."
"Yes, or sable antelope," said Mr Rogers. And then all set to work
skinning, and a hard, hot, weary task they had before the two lions' and
the sable antelope's skins, were lying upon the ground, when the
vultures, patiently waiting at a distance, were allowed to come on to
their banquet.
By this time Coffee and Chicory had come up on their trail, and helped
to carry back the spoil.