Timbo’s Return from the Lake; his Logic; he takes the Law
in his own Hands.—Calf of Author’s Leg goes astray.—A
troop of Elephants.—Author is charged by one of them, and
narrowly escapes Death.—He shoots a white Rhinoceros.—He
disables a black Rhinoceros.—He is charged and desperately
bruised and wounded by the latter.—He saves the Life of his
Attendant, Kamapyu.—Author again charged by the Rhinoceros,
and escapes Destruction only by the opportune Death of his
Antagonist.—Reflections.—He starts for the Ngami.
After about a week’s absence Timbo returned. I learned from him that,
previously to his arrival at the Ngami, Lecholètébè, the chief, had
not, contrary to my expectations, been made aware of my approach, and
the sudden appearance of strangers, therefore, created no small degree
of surprise and consternation both to him and his people, who fled
precipitately with their flocks.
Many years before, when my friends, the Damaras, extended their migration
to the neighborhood of the lake in question, the Bechuanas were in
the habit of robbing them of their cattle. “How does it happen,” said
Lecholètébè to Timbo, “that the Damaras are your servants? They are a
mighty nation, rich in cattle, which I know well, because my father
fought many a bloody battle with them. We invariably came off victorious,
though often at the cost of numbers of our warriors, who were slain by
the broad assegai of the Damaras. All is not right! Is your master richer
than they?”
To this query Timbo logically replied, “No, my master no rich; master
very poor; but master has something, and Damaras nothing; therefore
master more rich than Damaras.”
Timbo then explained the way in which that tribe had been impoverished
and nearly exterminated, as also the motives of our journey. On hearing
all this, the apprehensions of the chief gradually subsided, and he
became more communicative and friendly, urging Timbo to return to me
without delay and hurry on my departure, being anxious, as he said,
for my arrival; he moreover hinted that he would forthwith send men to
meet and assist us in our progress. But here ended his courtesy; for
subsequently he allowed our party, while at his town, all but to starve.
It seems a characteristic of black chieftains to be avaricious.
Previously to reaching Lecholètébè’s residence it was necessary to cross
the Zouga, his town having been removed to the north side of the river,
from fear, as it is said, of Sekomo, another Bechuana chieftain. When
Timbo and his party were on their return to me, the natives refused to
ferry them over the river without payment. “Me have no money,” said
Timbo; “but me soon make Caffres do it for nothing: me say, ‘So you will
not row me across!’ And with that me lay hold of big stick, and me pitch
into the rascals. Oh, master, such fun! me now get plenty of boats.” “But
were you not afraid of resorting to such severe measures?” I inquired.
“Me frightened!” he exclaimed; “no, me flog natives very well; it do them
plenty good; the fellows too lazy to do work.”
I now resolved to lose no more time, but to push on at once to the Lake.
My leg had in some degree recovered its strength, but, unobserved by
me, it had received a somewhat ugly twist. Little George first drew my
attention to the fact: “Sir,” said he, “your leg has grown crooked.”
“Crooked!” echoed I, somewhat angrily. “What do you mean?”
“Only,” he wickedly replied, “the calf is nearly where the shin ought to
be.”
The boy’s remark was not without foundation; but in time the leg assumed
its proper shape.
Notwithstanding my anxious desire to reach the Ngami—the goal of my
wishes—I determined, before finally leaving Kobis, to devote one more
day, or rather night, to the destruction of the denizens of the forest.
But the adventure nearly terminated fatally; and the night of the 15th of
July will ever be remembered by me as one of the most eventful epochs of
my life; for, in the course of it, I was three several times in the very
jaws of death, and only escaped destruction by a miracle.
From the constant persecution to which the larger game had of late been
subjected at Kobis, it had become not only scarce, but wary; and hearing
that elephants and rhinoceroses still continued to resort to Abeghan, I
forthwith proceeded there on the night in question. Somewhat incautiously
I took up my position—alone, as usual—on a narrow neck of land dividing
two small pools, the space on either side of my “skärm” being only
sufficient for a large animal to stand between me and the water. I was
provided with a blanket and two or three spare guns.
It was one of those magnificent tropical moonlight nights when an
indescribable soft and enchanting light is shed over the slumbering
landscape; the moon was so bright and clear that I could discern even a
small animal at a considerable distance.
I had just completed my arrangements, when a noise that I can liken only
to the passage of a train of artillery broke the stillness of the air; it
evidently came from the direction of one of the numerous stony paths, or
rather tracks, leading to the water, and I imagined it was caused by some
wagons that might have crossed the Kalahari. Raising myself partially
from my recumbent posture, I fixed my eyes steadily on the part of the
bush whence the strange sounds proceeded, but for some time I was unable
to make out the cause. All at once, however, the mystery was explained by
the appearance of an immense elephant, immediately followed by others,
amounting to eighteen. Their towering forms told me at a glance that they
were all males. It was a splendid sight to behold so many huge creatures
approaching with a free, sweeping, unsuspecting, and stately step. The
somewhat elevated ground whence they emerged, and which gradually sloped
toward the water, together with the misty night air, gave an increased
appearance of bulk and mightiness to their naturally giant structures.
Crouching down as low as possible in the “skärm,” I waited with beating
heart and ready rifle the approach of the leading male, who, unconscious
of peril, was making straight for my hiding-place. The position of his
body, however, was unfavorable for a shot; and, knowing from experience
that I had little chance of obtaining more than a single good one, I
waited for an opportunity to fire at his shoulder, which, as before said,
is preferable to any other part when shooting at night. But this chance,
unfortunately, was not afforded till his enormous bulk towered above my
head. The consequence was, that, while in the act of raising the muzzle
of my rifle over the “skärm,” my body caught his eye, and, before I
could place the piece to my shoulder, he swung himself round, and with
trunk elevated and ears spread, desperately charged me. It was now too
late to think of flight, much less of slaying the savage beast. My own
life was in imminent jeopardy; and seeing that, if I remained partially
erect, he would inevitably seize me with his proboscis, I threw myself on
my back with some violence, in which position, and without shouldering
the rifle, I fired upward at random toward his chest, uttering at the
same time the most piercing shouts and cries. The change of position,
in all human probability, saved my life; for, at the same instant, the
trunk of the enraged animal descended precisely on the spot where I had
been previously couched, sweeping away the stones (many of a large size)
that formed the fore part of my “skärm” like so many pebbles. In another
moment his broad fore feet passed directly over my face.
[Illustration: MORE CLOSE THAN AGREEABLE.]
I now expected nothing short of being crushed to death. But imagine my
relief when, instead of renewing the charge, he swerved to the left, and
moved off with considerable rapidity, most happily without my having
received other injuries than a few bruises, occasioned by the falling of
the stones. Under Providence, I attribute my extraordinary escape to the
confusion of the animal, caused by the wound I had inflicted on him, and
to the cries elicited from me when in my utmost need.
Immediately after the elephant had left me I was on my legs, and,
snatching up a spare rifle lying at hand, I pointed at him as he was
retreating, and pulled the trigger; but, to my intense mortification, the
piece missed fire. It was matter of thankfulness to me, however, that
a similar mishap had not occurred when the animal charged; for, had my
gun not then exploded, nothing, as I conceive, could have saved me from
destruction.
During this incident the rest of the elephants retreated into the bush;
but by the time I had repaired my “skärm,” they reappeared with stealthy
and cautious steps on the opposite side of the pool, though so distant
that I could not fire with any prospect of success. As they did not
approach nearer, I attempted to stalk them, but they would not allow me
to come to close quarters, and after a while moved off altogether.
While pondering over my late wonderful escape, I observed, at a little
distance, a huge white rhinoceros protrude his ponderous and misshapen
head through the bushes, and presently afterward he approached to within
a dozen paces of my ambuscade. His broadside was then fully exposed to
view, and notwithstanding I still felt a little nervous from my conflict
with the elephant, I lost no time in firing. The beast did not at once
fall to the ground, but from appearances I had every reason to believe he
would not live long.
Scarcely had I reloaded when a black rhinoceros of the species Keitloa
(a female, as it proved) stood drinking at the water; but her position,
as with the elephant in the first instance, was unfavorable for a good
shot. As, however, she was very near me, I thought I was pretty sure of
breaking her leg and thereby disabling her, and in this I succeeded. My
fire seemed to madden her: she rushed wildly forward on three legs, when
I gave her a second shot, though apparently with little or no effect. I
felt sorry at not being able to end her sufferings at once; but, as I
was too well acquainted with the habits of the rhinoceros to venture on
pursuing her under the circumstances, I determined to wait patiently for
daylight, and then destroy her with the aid of my dogs. But it was not to
be.
As no more elephants or other large game appeared, I thought, after
a time, it might be as well to go in search of the white rhinoceros
previously wounded; and I was not long in finding his carcass; for my
ball, as I supposed, had caused his almost immediate death.
In heading back to my “skärm,” I accidentally took a turn in the
direction pursued by the black rhinoceros, and by ill luck, as the event
proved, at once encountered her. She was still on her legs, but her
position, as before, was unfavorable. Hoping, however, to make her change
it for a better, and thus enable me to destroy her at once, I took up a
stone, and hurled it at her with all my force; when, snorting horribly,
erecting her tail, keeping her head close to the ground, and raising
clouds of dust by her feet, she rushed at me with fearful fury. I had
only just time to level my rifle and fire before she was upon me; and
the next instant, while instinctively turning round for the purpose of
retreating, she laid me prostrate. The shock was so violent as to send
my rifle, powder-flask, and ball-pouch, as also my cap, spinning in the
air; the gun, indeed, as afterward ascertained, to a distance of fully
ten feet. On the beast charging me, it crossed my mind that, unless gored
at once by her horn, her impetus would be such (after knocking me down,
which I took for granted would be the case) as to carry her beyond me,
and I might thus be afforded a chance of escape. So, indeed, it happened;
for, having tumbled me over (in doing which her head, and the fore part
of her body, owing to the violence of the charge, was half buried in the
sand), and trampled on me with great violence, her fore quarter passed
over my body. Struggling for life, I seized my opportunity, and, as she
was recovering herself for a renewal of the charge, I scrambled out from
between her hind legs.
[Illustration: DESPERATE SITUATION.]
But the enraged beast had not yet done with me. Scarcely had I regained
my feet before she struck me down a second time, and with her horn ripped
up my right thigh (though not very deeply) from near the knee to the hip;
with her fore feet, moreover, she hit me a terrific blow on the left
shoulder, near the back of the neck. My ribs bent under the enormous
weight and pressure, and for a moment I must, as I believe, have lost
consciousness—I have, at least, very indistinct notions of what afterward
took place. All I remember is, that when I raised my head I heard a
furious snorting and plunging among the neighboring bushes. I now arose,
though with great difficulty, and made my way, in the best manner I was
able, toward a large tree near at hand for shelter; but this precaution
was needless; the beast, for the time at least, showed no inclination
further to molest me. Either in the _mêlée_, or owing to the confusion
caused by her wounds, she had lost sight of me, or she felt satisfied
with the revenge she had taken. Be that as it may, I escaped with life,
though sadly wounded and severely bruised, in which disabled state I had
great difficulty in getting back to my “skärm.”
During the greater part of the conflict I preserved my presence of mind;
but after the danger was over, and when I had leisure to collect my
scattered and confused senses, I was seized with a nervous affection,
causing a violent trembling. I have since killed many rhinoceroses, as
well for sport as food, but several weeks elapsed before I could again
attack those animals with any coolness.
About sunrise, Kamapyu, my half-caste boy, whom I had left on the
preceding evening about half a mile away, came to the “skärm” to convey
my guns and other things to our encampment. In few words I related to him
the mishap that had befallen me. He listened with seeming incredulity,
but the sight of my gashed thigh soon convinced him I was not in joke.
I afterward directed him to take one of the guns and proceed in search of
the wounded rhinoceros, cautioning him to be careful in approaching the
beast, which I had reason to believe was not yet dead. He had only been
absent a few minutes when I heard a cry of distress. Striking my hand
against my forehead, I exclaimed, “Good God! the brute has attacked the
lad also!”
Seizing hold of my rifle, I scrambled through the bushes as fast as my
crippled condition would permit, and, when I had proceeded two or three
hundred yards, a scene suddenly presented itself that I shall vividly
remember to the last days of my existence. Among some bushes, and within
a couple of yards of each other, stood the rhinoceros and the young
savage, the former supporting herself on three legs, covered with blood
and froth, and snorting in the most furious manner; the latter petrified
with fear—spell-bound, as it were—and riveted to the spot. Creeping,
therefore, to the side of the rhinoceros opposite to that on which the
boy was standing, so as to draw her attention from him, I leveled and
fired, on which the beast charged wildly to and fro without any distinct
object. While she was thus occupied I poured in shot after shot, but
thought she would never fall. At length, however, she sank slowly to the
ground, and, imagining that she was in her death agonies, and that all
danger was over. I walked unhesitatingly close up to her, and was on the
point of placing the muzzle of my gun to her ear to give her the _coup
de grace_, when, to my horror, she once more rose on her legs. Taking
a hurried aim, I pulled the trigger, and instantly retreated, with the
beast in full pursuit. The race, however, was a short one, for, just as
I threw myself into a bush for safety, she fell dead at my feet, so near
me, indeed, that I could have touched her with the muzzle of my rifle!
Another moment, and I should probably have been impaled on her murderous
horn, which, though short, was sharp as a razor.[81]
When reflecting on the wonderful and providential escapes I recently
experienced, I could not help thinking that I had been spared for
some good purpose, and my heart was lifted in humble gratitude to the
Almighty, who had thus extended over me His protecting hand.
The second day after the scenes described my bruises began to show
themselves, and on the third day they were fully developed, giving my
body a black and yellow hue. So far as I was aware, none of my bones were
broken; but burning and agonizing pains in the region of the chest were
clearly symptomatic of severe internal injury. Indeed, at first, serious
apprehensions were entertained for my life. After great suffering,
however, I recovered; and, as my shooting mania had by this time somewhat
cooled down, my whole thoughts were bent on seeing the Ngami. Though my
frame was quite unequal to bear fatigue, my spirit would not brook longer
delay.
With the assistance of my men, I therefore mounted my steed on the 23d
of July, and was off for the Lake, leaving my hunting spoils and other
effects under the care of the Bushman-chief at Kobis.