THE BIVOUAC--HOTMAN'S STORY--TERRIBLE MISFORTUNE--BOTH SIDES OF THE
STORY--HOW TO FIND WATER--KEMP'S STORY--DEATH OF MABILI--SINGLE
ELEPHANTS TO BE AVOIDED--HENDRICK AND THE LEOPARD--A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE--
A WEARY NIGHT--A POISONOUS COMPANION--THE RESCUE--SAVAGE HERMITS--THE
"TREK-BOKEN."
One evening the Boers wished me to tell them something about England,
but by a little tact I changed the subject to their own adventures, and
at length persuaded one of these men to relate what had happened to
himself. I listened to his words with great interest, for the locality
was good for a tale of thrilling adventure. The only noises that
disturbed the stillness of the silvery moonlight night, were the
language of the Kaffirs, with its low harmonious expressions, the
crackling of the bivouac-fire as fresh fuel was added, and the distant
shriek of the jackal, and laugh of the hyaena, which seemed in this
demon-like language to hold communion with the restless spirits who
dwelt in the wild regions around us.
"Water is a fine thing, and none know its value who have not suffered
for want of it," said Hotman, one of our party.
"Tell us your story about the elephants," asked another.
"I was shooting," said Hotman, "some years back near the Pongola, and
had had very good sport; the season was very dry, and we had been for
two days with very little water, and that was rather brackish. The vlei
being nearly exhausted, and the oxen having sore feet, I determined to
go out and have a look for some water, and if I found any, to lead the
waggons to it at once. I climbed up a tree near the outspan, and
thought that I saw a line of bushes some distance off that showed like
the presence of water. Taking with me Karl, a Hottentot,--who was worth
his weight in gold, spoored and rode well, a steady hand with elephants,
and seldom got drunk or told lies, all great recommendations for a
Totty,--we started away to the bushy place which I had seen, leaving my
other Hottentot and three Kaffirs with the waggons.
"All my horses had died of the sickness, and several of the oxen were
very bad with the same disease. I gave directions that my Kaffirs were
not to leave the waggons until I returned, as elephants were near them,
and I wished them to keep a fire burning night and day, as a protection.
Enough water was in the vlei to last two or three days, with care. We
had scooped out a hole, and to obtain water, dipped the small tin cans
in it till we got a pailful, which we gave then to the oxen. I had
ordered the Kaffirs to drive the oxen far away, and to make them fast
when they came near, so that the vlei might not be trampled in, and the
water consequently spoiled.
"Karl and I trudged on for some miles to a little `kop,' where we hoped
to get a better view round. There was still an appearance of water in
the direction where I had first expected, and we made towards it; we
arrived there about sundown, and found not a drop--a few stunted bushes
were all that could be seen. We lighted a fire, and had a little
biltong meat dried in the sun for supper. The day had been very hot,
and I was thirsty already, but was obliged to manage without drinking.
I knew that I should lose my oxen if I did not find water on the morrow.
"During the night several animals came round the fight of our fire, and
once I saw a lion: I shouted, and he went away.
"Early in the morning we were off again, taking a sweep round towards
the waggons. I thought that we were certain of finding water this day;
so, although very thirsty, I was not at all alarmed. We walked until
long past mid-day, without getting a glimpse of any likely-looking
place. The dry salt meat that I had eaten caused me to suffer very much
from thirst; the heat of the day was also very great. I kept a bullet
in my mouth and bit it; but this soon ceased to be of any use, and my
tongue was rattling in my mouth like a stone. I felt growing savage,
gave up the idea of water for the oxen, and thought only of myself.
"We had to sleep out another night, as I was so much exhausted I could
not walk fast. Karl suffered nearly as much as I did; but I think that
a Hottentot is by nature more seasoned than a white man, and endures
privations better.
"On the following morning I could not swallow anything,--thus took no
breakfast. I was looking forward with joy to the prospect of even a
mouthful of the brackish water that, was at the vlei, which I trusted
was not yet all exhausted. We neared the place where the waggon was
left just as it was getting light. I fired my gun to let my Kaffirs
know that I was coming, but received no answer, nor could I see anything
of the white waggon-top. We began to think that we must have mistaken
our bearings; but upon getting nearer, we saw an object that looked like
the waggon lying on its side: no one was near it, and there was no sign
of a fire. What could be the matter? We walked up quickly to the spot,
but first went to the vlei, for a little water. Here the catastrophe
was explained. Instead of water, a thick mud-paste covered the ground;
large circular holes, nearly a foot deep, and two feet in diameter,
were, as it seemed, dug all over it; one or two large flat places looked
as if the vlei had been rolled with the trunks of trees; these had been
baked with the sun, and were nearly hard and dry,--not so much as a drop
of water.
"A troop of bull-elephants had rolled in the mud and trodden all the
water away.
"Not content with that, they had either through rage or curiosity upset
the waggon, broken one wheel off, and scattered everything about. My
Hottentot and Kaffirs no doubt had bolted on the first appearance of the
elephants, without so much as firing a shot to try and drive them away.
The oxen had also fled; and there we were, with a few biscuits, biltong,
powder, shot, and guns, a hundred miles from help. This distance would
have been `nix' (nothing) if we could only have procured water; but I
knew of none within forty miles, and we had now been forty-eight hours
without quenching our thirst.
"I lay down on the ground in despair. The ivory I had collected was
scattered all about; I thought I never should convey half of it to my
home.
"Home! How was _I_ ever to reach home?
"I said to Karl, `You are stronger than I am, you go on, _you_ may get
to water soon, but I am so weak I must stop here and die.'
"`Ne, bas,' (no, sir), said Karl; `let us try on the other side.'
"I thought, if I could only shoot a buck, I would not hesitate a moment
about drinking his blood; in this idea a hope dawned upon me, and I
struggled on.
"Towards the middle of the day Karl pointed out a moving object some
distance from us. We stopped to look at it, when Karl exclaimed,
`Wasser soon, bas.'
"`Why, how?' I asked.
"`That is reitbok,' he said: `where reitbok is, there are reits (reeds);
where reits, there wasser.'
"I saw his reasoning, and that it was not likely that a reitbok would be
very far from water.
"This hope gave me fresh strength to go on: we followed the slight
traces of this buck, and soon came to a regular beaten track that the
buck had made in going to and returning from water. We soon came to the
vlei: there was not much water, but still it was worth more than gold to
me; I drank as I never drank before.
"We stopped beside it all night, and I began to feel hungry, and to want
something more than the dry biltong; when, just at daybreak, a reitbok
came to drink; Karl was going to shoot him, but I would not let him,
explaining that it appeared as though Providence had sent the buck
yesterday to save us from dying of thirst.
"`Perhaps He sent him to-day to save us from dying of hunger too, bas,'
was Karl's irreverent answer. He was, however, allowed to retreat
unharmed.
"After four days' travelling on foot, I came to fresh waggon-spoor; we
followed it up, when I found it was Eus and Maritz returning from a
shooting-journey. They had some spare oxen, which they lent me; I
returned with this help, mended my waggon, and had my revenge on the
herd of elephants, killing three of them before I left."
"Well," said Kemp, "when I go into a country where there is not much
water, I always take my baboon."
"You don't drink him, do you?"
"No, but I make him show me water."
"How do you do that?"
"In this way:--When water gets scarce, I give the Bavian none: if he
does not seem thirsty, I rub a little salt on his tongue; I then take
him out with a long string or chain. At first it was difficult to make
him understand what was wanted, for he always wished to go back to the
waggons. Now, however, he is well-trained.
"When I get him out some distance, I let him go; he runs along a bit,
scratches himself, shows his teeth at me, takes a smell up-wind, looks
all round, picks up a bit of grass, smells or eats it, stands up for
another sniff, canters on, and so on. Wherever the nearest water is,
there he is sure to go." This anecdote was corroborated by others
present.
I think a tame baboon to point water is a new phrase to our
non-travelled sporting friends.
"These elephants must have been very angry," said Kemp. "One never
knows in what temper to find them: they are on one day quiet, and seem
scarcely to object to being shot at, while on another they will not
allow you to come within a quarter of a mile of them without charging
you. I have been very careful how I approached elephants, ever since my
Kaffir was killed by them last year, near the Um Volozie." Another
story was here called for, and Kemp told us the following:--Whilst up
the country shooting, he came on the fresh spoor of a very large
bull-elephant: the traces were quite fresh, the game having passed early
that morning. His Kaffir, who was named Mabili, was a capital shot,
very cool when near large and dangerous game, and brave as a lion. This
man was walking beside the Dutchman, who rode a small pony.
It had been arranged between these two, that Mabili was to be entitled
to half the game if he put the first bullet into the elephant. This was
to give him a greater interest in the hunting, and make him keep a sharp
lookout. If, however, he only assisted at the death of an elephant, he
was to receive whatever the Boer thought that he deserved.
They followed the spoor of the elephant through an open park-like
country, a few scattered bushes and trees being the only cover.
They had proceeded about four miles on the traces, when the elephant was
seen standing under a large tree. I will describe the scene as nearly
in the Dutchman's manner as I can remember:--
"He swung his trunk a little every now and then, or I could not have
distinguished him from a large rock, he stood so still. We made our
plan immediately. I was to leave my horse where we were, and stalk with
my Kaffir up to the elephant, for he seemed so quiet that I had no fear
that I should not surprise him, surprise being half the battle with an
elephant. Mabili had a single-barrelled heavy rifle of mine, that threw
a three-ounce bullet, while I was armed with the gun I have with me now
(a double-barrelled, eight to the pound). We took advantage of every
tree and bush on the ground to conceal our approach, and we arrived to
within fifty yards apparently unnoticed. Just as we were going to fire,
the hitherto sleepy-looking brute turned quickly round with ears
extended, gave a tremendously shrill trumpet, and charged straight at
us. We both fired at him, and both hit him; but he never even shook his
head, and continued dashing along after us. I turned and ran towards my
horse, but had little hope of reaching him, as the distance was great.
I therefore dodged sharp to the right, in the direction of a big tree
that I had noticed near. I did not know what had become of Mabili, but,
on looking round, saw that he had turned in the opposite direction; he
was quite right to do this, as it generally puzzles an elephant when
those he may be chasing separate. It seemed, however, as if the animal
had got its eye well on poor Mabili, as it turned after him, and soon
was close on him, I feared that there was no chance for my poor Kaffir,
but shouted as loud as I could and fired, that I might take off the
elephant's attention. It was useless; in the next instant he had caught
Mabili with his trunk, with which he seemed to press him to the ground,
dropping on his knees at the same time so as to thrust his tusks into
him. I thought I heard a faint shriek, but, instantly getting on my
horse, I galloped up to the scene, and sent a couple of bullets into the
savage monster. He had taken up the mangled body of poor Mabili, and
was slowly walking away with it, held by his trunk; when I wounded him,
he dropped the body, and, giving one of his shrill trumpets, came at me.
I did not care much for him now, as I could gallop away from him
easily, and, loading quickly, repeated the dose. Six double shots did I
give that fellow all about the shoulder before he showed any sign of
their hurting him; he then seemed a little weak, and sent a good deal of
blood out of his trunk. I was determined to kill that elephant, if I
followed him for a week. Upon giving him three more shots, he swung his
trunk about a little and fell.
"I now looked for the remains of my Kaffir, and found him crushed to
pieces; his death must have been quick, as a tusk had gone quite through
him, breaking in his chest.
"We buried him next day under the tree near which we had first seen the
elephant. This man was the best hunting Kaffir I ever had. Always take
care how you go near single bull-elephants--they are always very savage:
but of all things mind cow-elephants without tusks; they are not common,
but if you do come across a `_poes-kop_' like this, `_pas-op_' (take
care)."
Many other tales were told at the time, in which I took great interest.
The place was a good one in which to listen to such stirring relations,
and they were told without any wish of boasting or display, but merely
related as by no means unusual occurrences to those present. Another
story was told, which I remember, from the visible proof that was given
me of the relator's veracity. The relator of the story, who was called
Hendrick, was a short dark man, but had plenty of sinews, and a look of
determination about the eye and lip, evidently showing that upon
occasion he could make good his words by deeds. He was asked to tell me
the story, and did not appear at all unwilling to comply with the
request:--
"When I was a youngster about seventeen, I was staying at the house of a
neighbour, who had suffered from the visits of a leopard, which had
killed nearly twenty chickens during two nights. No one at the house
was much of a shot, and they did not like meddling with this fellow.
Now, for reasons of my own, I wanted to shoot him."
"Tell the truth, Hendrick; you wanted to show the pretty Katrine you
were a man," said one of the party.
"Well, I did wish it," said Hendrick; "so I started one morning quite
early, without telling any one what I was going to do; and mounting my
pony, I rode to a kloof about four miles off, where I knew the
chicken-killer would most probably be found. My gun was only a
single-barrelled, but I did not care much for that.
"I went down the ravine on foot, and looked all about for spoor. When I
had walked some distance in the kloof and amongst some trees, I found
the remains of a buck partly eaten. I saw that it had been seized by
the neck, and therefore knew that a leopard had killed it, a hyaena or
wolf generally seizing by the flank. I looked carefully all round, but
could see nothing of the leopard; but at last I happened to look up in
the trees, and there he was leaning over a large branch and eyeing me
most viciously. When he saw that I had discovered him, he sprung
quickly to the ground, and darted away through the long grass. I had
just time to fire at him as he went, and saw by the twist of his body
that I had wounded him; but he jumped along like a cat, and as though
not much damaged. I ran up the ravine to my horse, and galloped after
the leopard, which I could see going along very fast. He was making for
a much larger ravine, where some tall trees showed their tops above the
banks.
"Leaving my horse outside, I went into the ravine on the spoor, which I
had great difficulty in following, as the briers and wait-a-bit thorns
were troublesome to push through.
"After a little way I saw some blood, and could now get on better; my
gun had a good charge of powder in it, and I held it ready for a shot,
and felt that my knife was loose in the sheath. I did not much like the
work, now I was really at it; but it would never do to go back and say I
had not looked to see if my leopard were dead.
"I sat still a little while to collect my pluck and listen for any sign:
not discerning any noise, I moved on again.
"When I was down nearly at the bottom of the ravine, I suddenly saw
close to me the wounded leopard: he did not run away this time, but
crouched down and spit at me like a spiteful cat, laying his ears back
and showing his teeth. I fired straight at him at once, and must have
hit him; but he still did not move for about an instant. Then with a
bound he came close to me, and, just as I was drawing my knife, sprung
on me, at the same time seizing the arm with which I tried to keep him
off, and fixing his claws into my shoulders. The pain was so great that
I shrieked out; but there was no one within five miles to help me, and I
knew that I must fight the battle myself for my life. My right arm
being free, I plunged my long knife into the brute's stomach and ripped
him up to the chest, and gave him one or two digs behind the shoulder,
which must have found his heart, as he suddenly relaxed his hold and
fell down from me. The flesh on my thighs was badly torn, as he had
fixed his hind-legs there and scratched me, as I have seen two kittens
do to each other at play. This struggle was all over in a few seconds,
but I had been knocked down, torn, and my arm broken during the time. I
tried to get up, but felt giddy and queer, and fell back on the ground
insensible.
"When I again came to myself, and knew all that had happened, it was
quite dark, and I found myself very cold. I tried to get up, but came
again to the ground, from pain and weakness. I was in great agony, and
felt dreadfully thirsty. A little stream ran down the kloof, and I
could hear the water rippling along merrily within a few yards, and yet
I could not move. I must have bled very much, as my legs were awfully
torn as well as my shoulders, and my arm broken. I could not judge at
all what time it was, as, where I lay, the trees prevented my getting
much of a view of the stars, and there was no moon to judge by. I lay
thinking whether I should live or die, and what my friends and Katrine
would think had become of me. The only probable chance of any one
coming to help me seemed to be that my pony would go home when he found
I did not return to him. A Hottentot then might see him, think
something was the matter, and perhaps spoor me to where I lay. I was
hoping anxiously for daylight, as I would then try and load my gun, and
fire some shots, which would probably be heard at a distance. I so
frequently went away for a day or so and stopped at my brother's, that I
did not think the people at the house would be at all alarmed at my
absence during the night. I thought over all that had happened to me,
and could not blame myself for having been foolhardy, although I was
unlucky, and ought to have killed the leopard dead at once. I never
knew how it was that he escaped the second shot, for I aimed straight
between the eyes, and rarely missed a steady shot. I felt certain that
the leopard was dead,--there was that satisfaction at least, and I hoped
I should get credit for my courage. I was very anxious for the arrival
of day, as I thought help might come then. I had several times tried to
move, but the attempt had caused such pain in the wounds, that I could
not stir an inch. I thought I felt close against my shoulder a movement
of something or other crawling: I did not notice it at first, but once
or twice I felt a slight pressure against my arm, which still had a
little sensation left. I could not get up, so lay quiet, and did not
worry myself about it.
"A long time seemed to pass before the daylight came; I lay almost
fainting and stupid from the pain and cold, but at last determined to
try and load my gun. I turned my head with difficulty, and looked down
for my weapon and powder-horn. As I looked at my broken arm," which was
lying uselessly beside me, I saw a great brown-looking thing lying over
it. It was an instant or so before I knew what was there; but then I
saw that it was the fat bloated body of a hideous puff-adder, lying
close against me, evidently for the sake of the warmth. Why I did not
shriek out I don't know; but I never moved. This adder, then, was the
thing that I had felt pressing against me for some time, and this
poisonous reptile had been my companion for hours.
"I kept my eyes on him, and could see a slight muscular motion in his
body every now and then like breathing; the idea came across me that he
was drinking the blood of my wounds, and had perhaps already bitten me.
I felt that I must watch him, and could not look in any other direction;
I dared not attempt another trial to get up, as I might fall back on
this brute, and get at once a dose of his poison, and be dead in an
hour. At last the joyful sound of voices came upon my ear, and there
was shouting; I dared not answer, lest the movement in doing so might
enrage the adder. I had the fear that the people might not come down to
look for me if they heard nothing, and might go on, leaving me to die
where I was. I listened, and could hear people talking, but could not
make out the words or to whom the voices belonged, but had no doubt that
they were some people come in search of me. I at length was certain
that, whoever it was, they were now spooring me up, and at last heard
their steps come nearer, as they pushed the branches on one side. New
hope seemed to come into my heart at these sounds, and I breathed more
freely.
"As the steps approached, the puff-adder moved; he raised his broad
head, not quite two feet from me, and looked in the direction of the new
comers; then dropping down, he glided away through the brushwood. I
watched him retire, and saw the leopard lying dead within a yard of me.
But now that I was comparatively safe, I could no longer bear my
situation, and drawing in a long breath, I sent forth a loud cry. The
people were immediately around me, and perceived what had happened, with
the exception that the puff-adder had been my bed-fellow.
"The party consisted of my brother and three Hottentots. These men had
informed him that they feared something had happened to me, from the
fact of my pony returning alone in the evening. The whole party had
spoored me from the first kloof to where I lay. The Hottentots, finding
the blood-spoor of the wounded leopard, feared that I had attacked him
again, and that he had killed me.
"They carried me on the boughs of trees, which they fastened together
with reims [strips of untanned leather], and at last managed to convey
me home.
"I was three months before I could move out of my bed, and all my
friends thought that I should die.
"Look at my arm! look at my shoulder, where the leopard's claws tore me;
the wounds were given thirteen years ago; see the scars even now!"
Saying which he bared his arm and shoulder, where the terrible marks
were yet apparent.
"When you come across a wounded leopard, you `_pas-op_,'" (take care),
was Hendrick's moral.
I thought over this story frequently during the night, and impressed on
my mind that I would always be careful of leopards; another instance
having occurred, in which a bombardier of artillery was much torn by a
wounded leopard close beside his barracks at Natal. With the usual
bravery, but want of sporting skill, of the British soldier, he went
into the bush, armed with a sword to finish a leopard that had crawled
in badly wounded. The savage animal sprang upon him, seized his hand,
and would have killed him, had not a fortunate shot from a civilian, who
had followed the soldier, laid the leopard low. The loss of the use of
his hand was the only damage this man suffered, fortunately for him.
These Dutchmen seemed to think that the black rhinoceros was the most
formidable customer in South Africa. The lion, which is considered in
England so far to exceed all other animals as dangerous game, did not
seem to be held in greater awe than either the rhinoceros or a solitary
old bull-buffalo. The latter is sometimes sent from a herd by a
combination of young bulls, who, disliking his monopoly of the ladies,
combine, and turn him out; he then seeks some deep ravine, and buries
himself amongst the bushes. He is always sly and vindictive, and will
suddenly rush out upon an intruder. One of these brutes once sprang
upon a gallant friend of mine, tumbling horse and rider over with a
charge that came and was past in an instant.
The Boers gave very interesting accounts of the enormous herds of game
in the interior. They acknowledged that a large herd of eland such as
we had seen was a fine sight, but said that the whole face of the
country covered for miles with a densely-packed body of blesbok,
bontebok, springbok, and wildebeest, was a still finer one. They said
in that the great "trek-boken," or journey of the springbok, the numbers
were inconceivable; that they destroyed all the grass, leaving the plain
like a vast cattle-fold; that hundreds died from being in the rear, and
not getting anything to eat, while those in front were fat, but from
this very cause became at last lazy, and gradually fell in the rear, to
become thin in their turn, and again move to the front.