Our heroes were encamped within the "umbrageous wilderness," as Ned had
named it.
A howling wilderness they discovered it to be, where constant vigilance
had to be exercised, and thinkers-out of verbose phrases had no place.
Each moment of the day and night they had to be on the qui vive, for it
swarmed with hostile enemies, both human, inhuman, and climatical. It
was lovely in its tropic luxuriance and lushness. They cut their path
through a labyrinth of juicy greens and vegetable parasites which
untravelled Europeans see only in the hothouses of their botanic
gardens. Great trunks festooned with tendrils rose and spread over
their heads hundreds of feet. They were able only at rare intervals to
see the lower limbs, for all above was so interlaced and covered, that
an everlasting twilight of green reigned even on the brightest day.
Sometimes a slender shaft of sunlight penetrated to the canopy over them
and illumined a patch of leaves, making them gleam like old stained
glass, but that was all they saw of the sun. As for moon or stars, they
were perpetually shut out from these secluded glens and avenues.
Round, as above them, the same mystical shadow prevailed. They could
see an intricacy of snaky rope work and leaves intermingling, the
creepers crossing and recrossing in all directions as they drooped or
sprung up from the dank undergrowth, or threw themselves from tree to
tree in bewildering arches. Through these tough tendrils they were
forced to cut their path.
The compass was their only guide, and Ned carried it in his hand and
kept his eyes upon it constantly while they were on the march.
Under their feet they squashed through oozy slime and rank vegetation,
or tripped over spreading roots. They skirted deadly looking pools,
black, and suggestive of unknown horrors where the fluid was visible.
This was, they knew, only visible when it had been disturbed by the
monsters who made it their noisome lair. The other portions were
covered with flowering reeds and treacherous emerald bright grasses.
There were paths intersecting this malarious dankness, some worn by
human feet, others trampled by the ravenous beasts with which the forest
teemed.
They passed well-made, fresh-cut, and straight paths at times, but they
did not use these tempting ways, for they knew the traps which they led
to, as well as they knew that murderous eyes were watching them from the
closely woven thickets and impenetrable canopy that covered them.
They crossed streams where the clear water ran noisily over sandy
shallows or flowed smoothly beneath waving leaves. Sometimes the ground
became elevated and rocky, then again it dipped into dark hollows that
made them shudder at what lay below them. At times they had to surmount
precipices and listen to cataracts thundering down unknown depths. At
times they drew back with horror at the covered edges of inky chasms.
At night the blackness was palpable, except when it was rent up by the
most vivid lightning-flashes and appalling thunder-peals. Then they
heard all round them the splitting of limbs and crashing of giant trees
which had been struck, while the tornado shrieked high up and the rain
poured down solidly.
The atmosphere was as airless, moist, and sultry as that within a
Turkish bath. Whether they walked or stood during the day they were
always wet with perspiration and gasping for breath. At night cold
exhalations rose from the slimy soil and chilled them to the marrow.
It was the dry season, or none of them could have survived this march.
Yet it is never dry in those forests.
In the mornings the densest of fogs shrouded everything, and clung to
them like a vast grey muffler. This entered their lungs and nearly
choked them with its thickness and heavy effluvia. While it lay round
nothing stirred. Nature seemed dead, animal and insect life asleep; a
weird and ominous hush brooded over the scene like the sombre stillness
of a grave. They were entombed and spell-bound with the universal and
dim death-silence.
When this vapour dispersed, the labyrinth would suddenly start into life
and swarm with motion and sounds. Birds would shriek at the welcome
light, baboons chatter and swing themselves aloft with merry and noisy
antics; butterflies would flutter and gleam with gorgeous colours as
they sported through the open spaces.
Swarms of fierce mosquitoes and other venomous insects buzzed and flew
about, stinging viciously. Ants dropped down their necks or rushed up
their trousers in countless hordes and with maddening effect. These
tormentors never left them alone day or night. Under the deadly bite of
the tsetse fly their most seasoned horses fell one by one, and had to be
left behind before they had gone very far. This, however, did not
discourage them, and when they came to the rock climbing they felt they
were better without these poor beasts.
All night long the forest resounded with the roaring, trumpeting, and
other strange cries of wild beasts, while round their fires they could
see at times an outer circle of flaming phosphorescent eyes. During the
day they could see sometimes what they took to be a stout tendril or
limb detach itself from the tree and glide noiselessly out of their
path. Sometimes also what they thought was a mud-covered log in their
path would suddenly gape horribly at them, showing serrated rows of
gleaming teeth inside the ugly long snout, while the seedy monster
wallowed ponderously into the turbid bog.
These were only a few of the countless perils which beset them every
foot of their leafy journey. The reptile, animal, and insect world
encompassed them with as deadly intent as the noxious vapours. But what
they had to look out for and dread more than these were the human
savages who infested and disputed the upper branches with the man-like
apes.
But our heroes were resolute, and held on undauntedly day after day.
They kept to one course with the dogged perseverance of Englishmen, and
their followers followed after them with blind confidence.
The wild beasts and savages they scared with their gunpowder and
bullets. The malaria they fought with their medicine chest. The insect
pests they endured with philosophy.
They went along happy and fearlessly, for it was their nature to enjoy
danger and exertion. Their youth, buoyant spirits, and cheerful
confidence not only supported them, but inspired their followers with
the same fortitude, while their pure constitutions, unimpaired by any
excess, rendered them almost invulnerable to the insidious grip of the
fever. In this their patrons had made no mistake. Where older men
would have succumbed they passed on unscathed.
"I tell you what, boys, I call this jolly fine experience, and I
consider us lucky to have it," cried Ned one night, as he carefully took
a bead at one of a pair of glowing green eyes which were shining out of
the darkness.
He fired, and immediately a wild stampede took place from all sides with
thunderous roarings, while a bulky body leapt into the firelight and
rolled over, clawing the ground in its death-throes.
He had made no false aim this time, but had brought down a
well-developed leopard.
"A pity we cannot take those skins with us. The people outside won't
believe in our stories when we have nothing to show on our return. But
we cannot cart any more luggage. Never mind, we have something to boast
about all the same, whether we are credited or not, when we get back."
"If we get back," murmured Clarence, gloomily.
Since his knock on the head by the Boers, Clarence had suffered now and
again from depressed spirits. The organ of hope must have been damaged
somehow on that occasion. At the present moment, however, he had a
touch of malarial fever, which always makes one feel very morbid and
despairing.
"Hallo, Clarence!" cried Ned. "I see you require some more quinine.
Never mind, old fellow, we shall soon be out of this swamp; then you
will be all right."
No one paid any attention to the dead leopard as yet. They had grown
used to incidents of this sort, therefore felt little excitement.
However, seeing that it was a magnificent specimen, and appeared jet
black as it lay stretched out, Cocoeni rose and went over to skin it.
While he was so engaged, the others kept a close watch over him with
their guns, ready to shoot any covetous molester. As they watched the
thickets round, they could see dark forms gliding about. These were
wolves and hyenas waiting to devour the carcase when Cocoeni was done
with it.
From all sides resounded the howlings, sharp cries, and vibrating
roarings of hungry animals on the prowl. These never ceased all through
the night.
Neither did the everlasting and varied croaking of the frogs, that kept
up an increasing chorus, running up and down the scale of notes, from
the deep bass of the bull to the reed-like treble of the tender froglet.
Through this orchestra sounded the irritating and brisk humming of the
indefatigable mosquitoes. As Ned remarked merrily, "No one could feel
lonely while this concert went on."
They had no stint of fresh meat, for as they camped mostly where they
found a running stream, the beasts generally had their choice of the
menagerie as they came down to drink. Sometimes they would pot a fine
young elephant or a hippopotamus, while they could always rely upon some
variety of the antelope family for their larder.
Each morning and night Ned served out regularly to each man two grains
of quinine. If any showed symptoms of fever, he repeated this mild dose
every half-hour until they were better. Clarence had been under this
treatment for the past two days.
"How much longer do you think we shall be in this earthly paradise?"
asked Fred, as he brought his Metford up to his shoulder, and took a
careful aim to the left of where Cocoeni was kneeling.
Ned waited until the bullet had sped on its deadly mission, then he
answered--
"Not many days now, I reckon, Fred. We have been gradually ascending
for the last day and a half, as you may know from the more solid state
of the soil under our feet. That stream also, which has kept with us,
shows that it comes from high lands by its speed. I expect we shall
have some climbing to do very soon; then we shall begin to see the sun
and have a breath of clear air."
"Where are you going to, baas?" asked Cocoeni, who had finished his
skinning, and now returned to his place by the blazing fire. He spread
the hide on the ground, and flung himself upon it as he spoke.
"Straight ahead, wherever that may take us to," answered Ned. "We will
keep a bee-line as much as possible until we discover something worth
reporting. This course is out of the ordinary track, as any one can
tell from the absence of humans; so that we are sure to find out
something new."
"Plenty humans by-and-by, you bet, baas; more than you may care to
meet."
"Still we shall go on, Cocoeni, as far as we can. We shall be friendly
with them, and spare them all we can; but if we have to fight, then we
must do so."
"That all right, baas. Go ahead, and we will follow, never fear."
Ned knew this without one of his men assuring him. There wasn't one of
them who would turn and leave him in the lurch. They were all picked
fighters as well as hunters, whose glory and occupation had been battle
from their boyhood, while their pastime was the chase. The oldest man
amongst them was not yet twenty-eight, while the others ranged from
eighteen upwards to that glorious period of manhood and strength. They
were also all tall fellows, belonging to the Matabele and Basuto races,
who were absolutely fearless and disdainful of death in any aspect.
They were devoted friends of Rhodes, who had won their fealty by
courage, and their devotion by kindness afterwards. None would have
turned back if they could, but now retreat was impossible, even if any
would have entertained such a thought. Each man carried his own share
of the load. In this duty our heroes also took their equal part, for
these men were men-at-arms, not henchmen.
They had cleared an open space, and made a huge fire in the centre,
round which all now lay, except those appointed to keep watch and attend
to the fire.
High above, the smoke roared and filtered through the canopy of leafage.
For a dozen yards on either side the ruddy flames lit up the massy
trunks, tendrils, and drooping leaves which hemmed them in, with the
fringe of close undergrowth which gave solidity to the thickets.
They were camped near the bank of a torrent that rushed with impetuous
force over rocks, foaming and swirling over and round these impediments,
and covering the deep pools with curds and bubbles. This was the most
cheerful sound of the many that filled their ears, and it lulled them to
sleep. They had come upon it the day before, and as it was in their
course, they had kept as close to it as they could.
By-and-by only the watchers were awake, among whom stood Fred, with his
rifle ready for emergencies. He, with Ned, had enjoyed perfect health
since the start; only Clarence gave them any uneasiness.
He was lying now on three folds of skins stretched face upwards, with
his mouth open, and very wan and sallow. Fred occasionally looked at
him with tender anxiety. He also attended to giving him his medicine
regularly. Doubtless he would be all right when they got out of this
fever-infested valley. He was still able to keep up with them, although
he had not carried anything for the past two days.
While Fred was looking at his sleeping friend and listening to the
forest outcry, all at once he was startled by the most furious bellowing
and hoarse shrieking, accompanied by the crashing and tearing of some
huge body bursting through the thicket.
Instantly his rifle was at his shoulder, and the barrel pointed in the
direction of the advancing turmoil.
Nor had he many seconds to wait before he saw a buffalo, with a leopard
on his neck, rushing at full speed along the open avenue which they had
made in coming straight towards their camp.
He fired instantly, as did also the other watchers, and before they
could get in second shots, the infuriated beasts had thundered past them
into the other side of the forest. The buffalo had swerved aside at
sight of the fire, and passed just within a couple of feet of where
Cocoeni lay stretched on his new skin. As the pair rushed past, Fred
had a passing glimpse of the red blood glistening ruddily on the sides
of the bull as it gushed out of his wounds.
Fred calmly reloaded and stood once more at attention, for this was but
one of many such incidents which might be expected before the morning
fog rose and enveloped them.