Thus the travellers advanced day by day--sometimes in sunshine,
sometimes in rain, now successful in hunting and now unsuccessful--until
they reached the Zulu country and the banks of the river Umveloose.
Here they called a halt for a time, and began to hunt vigorously in all
directions, aiming at every species of game. Our hero's first
introduction to the river scenery was interesting, to himself at least,
and singular. Having placed himself at the disposal of his friends to
be appointed to whatever duty they pleased, he was sent off in the small
boat belonging to the party with plenty of ammunition and provisions;
Lieutenant Wilkins being his companion, and the tall Caffre, Mafuta, his
guide and instructor in African warfare against the brute creation.
Between Tom Brown and this man Mafuta there had sprung up a species of
friendship, which grew stronger the more they became acquainted with
each other. Mafuta was an unusually honest, affectionate and
straightforward Caffre, who had been much in the settlements, and could
speak a little English. He first drew forth our hero's regard by
nursing him with almost womanly tenderness during a three-days' severe
illness at the beginning of the journey. Thereafter Tom gained his
affection by repeated little acts of kindness, done in a quiet, offhand,
careless way, as though he had pleasure in being kind, and did not care
much whether the kindness were appreciated or not. He also excited his
admiration by the imperturbable coolness and smiling good-humour with
which he received every event in life; from the offer of an elephant
steak to the charge of a black rhinoceros. Mafuta was also fond of
Wilkins; but he worshipped Tom Brown.
On reaching the river the boat was launched on a part where there was
nothing particularly striking to merit notice, so Tom said: "D'you know,
Bob, I've taken a fancy to ramble alone for an hour along the banks of
this river; will you, like a good fellow, get into the boat with Mafuta,
and let me go along the banks on foot for a few miles. As your work
will only be dropping down stream, you won't find it hard."
"By all means, Tom; a pleasant journey to you but see that you don't
fall into the jaws of a lion or a crocodile!"
Our hero smiled as he waved his hand to his companions, and, turning
away, was soon lost to sight among the bushes.
Now the fact was that Tom Brown, so far from being the unromantic
creature that his name is erroneously supposed to imply, had such a
superabundance of romance in his composition that he had, for some time
past, longed to get away from his companions, and the noise and bustle
of the wagon train, and go off alone into the solitudes of the great
African wilderness, there to revel in the full enjoyment of the fact
that he was in reality far far away from the haunts of civilised men;
alone with primeval Nature!
The day happened to be delightful. Not too hot for walking, yet warm
enough to incline one of Tom's temperament to throw open his vest and
bare his broad bosom to any breeze that might chance to gambol through
the forest. With characteristic nonchalance he pushed his wideawake off
his forehead for the sake of coolness, and in so doing tilted it very
much on one side, which gave him a somewhat rakish air. He carried his
heavy double-barrelled gun on one of his broad shoulders with the butt
behind him, and his right hand grasping the muzzle, while in his left he
held a handkerchief, with which he occasionally wiped his heated brow.
It was evident that Tom experienced the effects of the heat much, but he
did not suffer from it. He perspired profusely, breathed heavily, and
swaggered unwittingly, while a beaming smile played on his ruddy
countenance, which told of peace with himself and with all mankind.
Not so, however, with brute kind, as became apparent after he had
advanced about half a mile in a dreamy state down the banks of the quiet
river, for, happening to observe something of a tawny yellow colour
among the bushes, he brought his gun to the "present" with great
precipitancy, cocked both barrels, and advanced with the utmost caution.
Up to this period he had not been successful in accomplishing his great
wish--the shooting of a lion. Many a time had he heard the strong
voices of the brutes, and once or twice had seen their forms dimly in
the night sneaking round the bullocks wagons, but he had not yet managed
to get a fair full view of the forest king, or a good shot at him. His
heart now beat high with hope, for he believed that he was about to
realise his ancient dream. Slowly, step by step, he advanced, avoiding
the dense bushes, stepping lightly over the small ones, insinuating
himself through holes and round stems, and conducting himself in a way
that would have done credit to a North American Indian, until he gained
a tree, close on the other side of which he knew the tawny object lay.
With beating heart, but steady hand and frowning eye, he advanced
another step and found--that the object was a yellow stone!
There was a sudden motion about Tom's jaws, as if he had gnashed his
teeth, and a short gasp issued from his mouth, but that was all. The
compressed steam was off; a smile wrinkled his visage immediately after,
and quietly uncocking his gun he threw it over his shoulder and resumed
his march.
On rounding a point a few minutes after, he was again arrested by a
scene which, while it charmed, amazed him. Often had he observed the
multitudes of living creatures with which the Creator has peopled that
great continent, but never before had he beheld such a concentrated
picture as was presented at that moment. Before him lay a wide stretch
of the river, so wide, and apparently currentless, that it seemed like a
calm lake, and so perfectly still that every object on and around it was
faithfully mirrored on its depths--even the fleecy clouds that floated
in the calm sky were repeated far down in the azure vault below.
Every part of this beautiful scene teemed with living creatures of every
sort and size, from the huge alligators that lay like stranded logs upon
the mud-banks, basking in the sun, to the tiny plover that waded in
cheerful activity among the sedges. There were tall reeds in many
places, and among these were thousands of cranes, herons, flamingoes,
and other members of that long-necked and long-legged family; some
engaged in solemnly searching for food, while others, already gorged,
stood gravely on one leg, as if that position assisted digestion, and
watched with quiet satisfaction the proceedings of their companions.
The glassy surface of the mirror was covered in places with a countless
host of geese, widgeons, teals and other water-fowl either gambolling
about in sport, or sleeping away a recent surfeit, and thousands of
other small birds and beasts swarmed about everywhere, giving a sort of
faint indication of the inconceivable numbers of the smaller creatures
which were there, though not visible to the observer. But Tom's
interest was chiefly centred on the huge animals--the crocodiles and
hippopotami--which sprawled or floated about.
Not far from the bush from behind which he gazed, two large crocodiles
lay basking on a mudbank--rugged and rough in the hide as two ancient
trees--the one using the back of the other as a pillow. A little beyond
these three hippopotami floated in the water, only the upper parts of
their heads and rotund bodies being visible. These lay so motionless
that they might have been mistaken for floating puncheons, and the
observer would have thought them asleep, had he not noticed an
occasional turn of the whites of their small eyes, and a slight puff of
steam and water from their tightly compressed nostrils.
Truly it was a grand sight; one calculated to awaken in the most
unthinking minds some thoughts about the infinite power of Him who made
them all. Tom's mind did rise upwards for a little. Although not at
that time very seriously inclined, he was, nevertheless, a man whose
mind had been trained to think with reverence of his Creator. He was
engaged in solemn contemplation of the scene before him, when a deep
gurgling plunge almost under the bush at his feet aroused him. It was a
hippopotamus which had been standing on the river-brink within six yards
of the muzzle of his gun. Tom cocked and presented, but thinking that
the position of the animal did not afford him a good chance of killing
it, he waited, feeling sure, at all events, of securing one of the
various huge creatures that were lying so near him.
It says much for Tom's powers of wood-craft that he managed to advance
as near as he did to these animals without disturbing them. Few hunters
could have done it; but it must be remembered that our hero, like all
other heroes, was a man of unusual and astonishing parts!
While he hesitated for a few moments, undecided whether to fire at the
crocodiles or the hippopotami, one of the latter suddenly uttered a
prolonged snort or snore, and opened a mouth of such awful dimensions
that Tom's head and shoulders would have easily found room in it. As he
gazed into the dark red throat he felt that the wild fictions of
untravelled men fell far short of the facts of actual life, in regard to
grandeur and horribility, and it struck him that if the front half of a
hippopotamus were sewed to the rear half of a crocodile there would be
produced a monster incomparably more grand and horrible than the
fiercest dragon St. George ever slew! While these ideas were passing
quickly through his excited brain, the boat, which he had totally
forgotten, came quietly round the bend of the river above him. But the
sharp-eared and quick-eyed denizens of the wilderness were on the alert;
it had scarcely shown its prow round the point of land, and the
hippopotamus had not quite completed its lazy yawn, when the entire
winged host rose with a rushing noise so thunderous, yet so soft and
peculiar, that words cannot convey the idea of the sight and sound. At
the same time, many grunts and snorts and heavy plunges told that sundry
amphibious creatures had been disturbed, and were seeking safety in the
clear stream.
Tom hesitated no longer. He aimed at the yawning hippopotamus and
fired, hitting it on the skull, but at such an angle that the ball
glanced off. If there was noise before, the riot and confusion now was
indescribable! Water-fowl that had not moved at the first alarm now
sprang in myriads from reeds and sedges, and darkened the very air. The
two alligators just under Tom's nose spun their tails in the air with a
whirl of awful energy that seemed quite incompatible with their sluggish
nature, and rushed into the river. The hippopotami dived with a splash
that covered the water around them with foam, and sent a wave of
considerable size to the shore. The sudden burst of excitement, noise,
splutter, and confusion was not less impressive than the previous calm
had been, but Tom had not leisure to contemplate it, being himself
involved in the whirl. Four shots from the boat told him that his
companions were also engaged. One of the crocodiles re-appeared
suddenly as if to have another look at Tom, who discharged his second
barrel at it, sent a ball into its brain, and turned it over dead. He
reloaded in great haste, and was in the act of capping when he heard a
loud shout in the direction of the boat, and looking up, observed that
Wilkins was standing in the bow gesticulating violently. He listened
for a moment, but could not make out what he said.
"Hallo!" he cried, "shout louder; I don't hear you."
Again Wilkins shouted at the top of his voice, and waved his arms more
frantically than before. Tom could not make out the words. He judged,
however, that no man would put himself to such violent physical exertion
without good reason, so he turned and looked cautiously around him.
Presently he heard a crashing sound in the bushes, and a few moments
afterwards observed three buffaloes tearing along the path in which he
stood. It was these that Wilkins had seen from the boat when he
attempted in vain to warn his friend. Tom jumped behind a bush, and as
they passed tried to fire, but the foliage was so dense that he failed
to get a good aim. Reserving his fire, therefore, he dashed after them
at full speed. After running some distance the buffaloes stood still,
and the nearest bull turned round and looked at Tom, who instantly sent
a two ounce ball crashing into his shoulder. This turned them, and they
all three made off at once, but the wounded one fell behind. Tom
therefore stopped to reload, feeling pretty sure of him. Starting off
in pursuit, he gained on the wounded animal at every stride, and was
about to fire again, when his limbs were for a moment paralysed, and his
heart was made almost to stand still at the sight of three full-grown
lions which sprang at the unfortunate brute from a neighbouring thicket.
They had no doubt gone there to rest for the day, but the sight of a
lame and bleeding buffalo was a temptation too strong for them. The
lions did not leap upon him, but, seizing him with their teeth and
claws, stood on their hind legs and tried to tear him down with terrible
ferocity.
Our hero, who, as we have said, was for a few moments bereft of the
power of action, could do nothing but stand and gaze in amazement. All
the dreams of his youth and manhood were as nothing to this! The poor
buffalo fought nobly, but it had no chance against such odds, and would
certainly have been torn to pieces and devoured had not Tom recovered
his self-possession in a few minutes. Creeping up to within thirty
yards he fired at one of the lions with such good aim that it fell dead
almost on the spot, having time only to turn and seize a bush savagely
with its teeth ere it died. The second barrel was discharged, but not
with the same effect. Another of the lions was wounded, and sprang into
the bushes with an angry roar. The third merely lifted his head, looked
at Tom for a moment as if with indignant surprise, and then went on
tearing at the carcass as hard as ever.
With a feeling of thankfulness that this particular king of the forest
had treated him so contemptuously, Tom slunk behind a tree and recharged
his gun, after which he advanced cautiously and sent a ball crashing
through the lion's shoulder. It _ought_ to have killed him, he thought,
but it did not, for he made off as fast as possible, just as Wilkins and
Mafuta arrived, panting, on the scene of action.
"What a magnificent fellow!" exclaimed Wilkins going up to the dead
lion. "Bravissimo, Tom, you've done it at last."
"Done _it_!" cried Tom, as he loaded hastily, "why, I've all but done
_three_. Follow up the trail, man, as fast as you can. I'll overtake
you in no time!"
Wilkins did not wait for more, but dashed into the thicket after Mafuta,
who had preceded him.
Tom was quickly on their heels, and they had not gone far when one of
the wounded lions was found lying on the ground quite dead. The other
was not overtaken, but, as Wilkins said, two lions, a buffalo, and a
hippopotamus, which latter he had shot from the boat, was not a bad
beginning!
That night they encamped under the shelter of a spreading tree, and as
they reclined at full length between two fires, which were kindled to
keep off the wild beasts, enjoying a pipe after having feasted
luxuriously on hippopotamus steaks and marrow bones, Tom Brown remarked:
"Well, my dream has been realised at last, and, upon my word, I have not
been disappointed."