The successful commencement of this part of the day's hunt was somewhat
curiously brought about by the major.
Most people have a distinct and strong antipathy for some creature which
has the power of inspiring them with a species of loathing, amounting
almost to terror. Some who would face a mad bull coolly enough spring
with disgust from a cockroach or a centipede. Others there are who
would permit a mouse to creep about their person with indifference, but
would shudder at the bare idea of a frog happening to get under their
bedclothes. Now Major Garret's peculiar horror was a serpent. He was a
daring man by nature, and experience had made him almost foolhardy. He
would have faced a lion, or an enraged elephant, any day without
flinching, and cared nothing for a buffalo-bull, however mad, provided
he had a trustworthy gun in his hand; but a serpent would cause him to
leap into the air like a kangaroo, and if it chanced to come at him
unawares he would fly from it like the wind, in a paroxysm of horror--if
not fear!
There was no lack of serpents in that region to trouble the worthy
major. Numbers of them, of all kinds and sizes, were to be seen. One
in particular, which Mafuta killed with an assegai, was eight feet three
inches long, and so copiously supplied with poison that one of the dogs
which attacked it, and was bitten, died almost instantaneously, while
another died in about five minutes. Tom Brown, on another occasion,
knocked over one of the same species, and it continued to distil pure
poison from the fangs for hours after its head was cut off. Besides
these there were the puff-adders, which were very dangerous; and several
vipers, as well as many other kinds which were comparatively harmless.
But the poor major's horror was so great as to cause him to regard the
whole family in one light. He never paused to observe whether a serpent
was poisonous. Enough for him that it was one of the hated race, to be
killed in a violent hurry or fled from in tremendous haste!
This being the case, it is not to be regarded as a wonder that, when the
party, early in the day, were passing a thicket out of which glided a
very large serpent, the major should give a shout and incontinently
discharge both barrels at it simultaneously. It chanced to be a python
of great size, full fifteen feet long, and thicker than a man's thigh,
but a really harmless species of serpent. The major, however, did not
know this, or did not care. His shots, although fired at random, hit
the creature in the spine; nevertheless it retained power to raise its
head fully five feet in the air, and to open its mouth in a very
threatening manner within a few feet of the major's face. This was more
than he could bear. He turned, dropped his gun, and fled like a maniac,
while his comrades, who had recognised the species of serpent, stood
laughing at him heartily. He did not stop until he dashed headlong into
a thicket, far away to the right of their line of march. Here the
"wait-a-bit" thorns effectually checked his progress.
Now it chanced that in this very thicket, which would have been passed
by unnoticed but for the python, there was a portly young female
elephant with a very stout little daughter. Amazed at the very sudden
and reckless intrusion of the sportsman, this anxious mother at once
sounded her war-trumpet and charged. The major turned and fled back to
his friends as fast as he had run away from them. The elephant did not
follow, but the hunters, having discovered her retreat, were not slow to
follow and attack her.
As they drew near, the mother elephant set herself on the danger side of
her little one, and putting her proboscis over it, as if to assure it of
protection, urged it to run, which it did pretty smartly. But neither
of them galloped; their quickest pace was only a sharp walk, which,
however, was quick enough to oblige the pursuers to run at full speed.
The big one frequently glanced back, apparently to see if she were
gaining ground, and then looked at her young one and ran after it,
sometimes sideways, as if her feelings were divided between anxiety to
protect her offspring and desire to revenge the temerity of her
persecutors. The hunters kept about a hundred yards in her rear, and as
they were pretty sure of securing her, the European sportsmen held back,
in order to have an opportunity of witnessing the method of attack
practised by the band of natives who were with them.
Presently they came to a rivulet, and the time spent by the elephants in
descending and getting up the opposite bank enabled the natives to get
within twenty yards of them, when they discharged their spears at them.
The old one received the most of these in various parts of her body, for
she did her best to shield the young one; but the latter received a few
notwithstanding. After the first discharge the old one's sides ran down
with blood, and in a short time she bristled all over with spears like a
monstrous porcupine. She soon seemed to give up all thought of
defending her young, and began to flee for her life, so that the calf
was quickly killed; but no sooner did the mother observe this, than all
fear forsook her; she stopped in her career, turned round, and, with a
shriek of rage, charged her pursuers, who fled right and left like a
band of huge black monkeys. The elephant ran straight on and went right
through the whole party, but came near no one. She then continued her
flight, in the course of which she crossed several rivulets, and at each
of these received fresh spears. Several times she turned and charged,
but never in any ease did she run more than a hundred yards.
Gradually she grew weak from loss of blood, which poured from her like
rain; and at last, when she was making a charge, she staggered round and
sank down dead in a kneeling posture.
The natives were overjoyed of course at their success, and at the
prospect of a baked elephant's foot for supper, and Hicks was much
pleased with the tusks, which were large and valuable. He surveyed them
with a complacent smile, and observed that he had much need of a little
ivory like that, for the expenses of a trading expedition were very
heavy.
"But you have reason to expect a good deal in this part of the country,"
said the major, "if all that is rumoured be true."
"No doubt there is some truth in what is reported; we shall see.
Meanwhile, yonder goes something to encourage us."
He pointed towards an opening in a thicket close at hand, where an
elephant was seen running towards them as if ignorant of their presence.
"Some one must be after that fellow," said Hicks. About a dozen natives
emerged from the thicket as he spoke. They were evidently driving the
elephant, which was a large bull, towards the hunters for the purpose of
letting them have a good shot; so the latter at once hid themselves.
When the elephant drew near it seemed to suspect danger ahead, for it
burned to the right when at a distance of about a hundred yards. This
was a great disappointment, so the major, rather than be balked
altogether, tried a long shot and broke the animal's fore-leg. Then,
running after him at a pace which even the supple natives could not
equal, he got close up and sent a ball into his head, which stunned him;
but it took four additional shots to kill him.
This was an unusually fortunate case, for elephants are not easily
killed. The African elephant is in many respects different from that of
India, and is never killed, like the Ceylon elephant, by a single ball
in the brain. Dr Livingstone tells us that on one occasion, when he
was out with a large party of natives, a troop of elephants were
attacked by them, and that one of these, in running away, fell into a
hole, and, before he could extricate himself, an opportunity was allowed
for all the men to throw their spears. When the elephant rose he was
like a huge porcupine, for each of the seventy or eighty men had
discharged more than one spear at him. As they had no more, they sent
for the Doctor to shoot him. He, anxious to put the animal at once out
of pain, went up to within twenty yards, rested his gun on an ant-hill,
so as to take steady aim; but though he fired twelve two-ounce bullets,
all he had, into different parts, he could not kill it. As it was
getting dark, they were obliged to leave it standing there, intending to
return in the morning in the full expectation of finding it dead; but
though they searched all that day, and went over more than ten miles of
ground, they never saw it again!
The female elephant killed by our hunters at this time was a
comparatively small one. Its height was eight feet eight inches. Many
of those which were afterwards killed were of much greater height.
Indian elephants never reach to the enormous size of the African
elephant, which is distinguished from that of India by a mark that
cannot be mistaken, namely, the ear, which in the African species is
enormously large. That of the female just killed measured four feet
five inches in length and four feet in breadth. A native has been seen
to creep under an elephant's ear so as to be quite covered from the
rain. The African elephant has never been tamed at the Cape, nor has
one ever been exhibited in England.
But to return to our hunters. Before that day had closed, the major and
his friends had made good bags. The total result of the day's hunt by
both parties was, five sea-cows, four elephants, two buffaloes, a
giraffe, and a number of birds of various kinds.
Of course this set the natives of the kraal into a ferment of joyous
festivity, and the sportsmen rose very high in their estimation,
insomuch that they overwhelmed them with gifts of native produce. Our
hero was an especial favourite, because, on several occasions, he turned
his medical and surgical knowledge to good account, and afforded many of
them great relief from troubles which their own doctors had failed to
cure or charm away.
Some time after this, when they were travelling through a comparatively
dry district, they encamped near a pool of water, and the sights they
saw there were most amazing; for all the animals in the neighbourhood
flocked to the pool to slake their burning thirst.
After supper, instead of going to rest, Tom Brown and most of the party
resolved to go and watch this pool--the moon being bright at the time.
They had not lain long in ambush beside it when a troop of elephants
came rushing into it, and began to drink with great avidity, spirting
the water over each other and shrieking with delight. For some hours
the hunters remained on the watch there, and saw animals of all kinds
come down to drink--antelopes, zebras, buffaloes, etcetera, in great
numbers.
Thus they passed through the country, enjoying themselves, and adding
considerably to Hicks's stock of ivory, when an incident occurred which
threw a deep gloom over the party for some time.
One day they went out after some elephants which were reported to be
near to their encampment, and about noon rested a little to refresh
themselves. They had set out as a united party on this occasion
accompanied by a large band of natives armed with spears. Just after
leaving the spot where they rested, the major discovered that he had
left his knife behind him, and went back to look for it, in company with
Tom Brown. As it was only quarter of a mile off, or less, they
foolishly left their guns behind them. On nearing the spot, Tom stopped
a few moments, and bent down to examine a beautiful flower. The major
walked on, but had not gone many paces when three lions walked out of a
thicket not twenty paces off. Tom had risen, and saw the lions, and,
for the first time in his life, felt a sensation about the heart which
is popularly known as "the blood curdling in the vein." The major,
being totally unarmed, stopped, and stood motionless like a statue. The
lions stopped also, being evidently taken by surprise at the sudden and
unexpected apparition of a man! Had the major turned and fled, it is
almost certain that his fate would have been sealed, but he stood firm
as a rock, and Tom observed that he did not even change colour as he
gazed with a fixed glassy stare at the lions.
Unused to such treatment, the animals winced under it. Their own
glances became uneasy; then they turned slowly round and slunk away,
with the air of creatures which know that they have been doing wrong!
In a few moments they bounded off at full speed, their pace being
accelerated by the terrible yell which burst simultaneously from Tom and
the major, who found intense relief in this violent expression of their
pent-up feelings!
But this, good reader, is not the gloomy incident to which we have
referred. It was just after the occurrence of this minor episode in the
proceedings of the day, that the party came upon fresh tracks of a troop
of elephants, and set off in pursuit. The Englishmen were on horseback,
having obtained steeds from a trader whom they had met farther south,
but the natives--a very large band--were on foot.
While they were advancing through a somewhat open part of the country,
four lions were seen on the top of a low sandhill, which was covered
with bushes and a few stunted trees. It was at once resolved that they
should be surrounded. Accordingly, the natives were ordered to form a
wide ring round the hill.
"Now," said Hicks, who assumed command of the party in virtue of his
superior knowledge, "we must separate and advance from different
directions, and be sure, gentlemen, that you don't shoot the niggers.
Look well before you. That hollow is a very likely place for one of
them to run along, therefore the best shot among you had better go up
there. Who is the best shot?"
The trader smiled knowingly, for he knew that the major esteemed himself
the best.
"I think I am," said Wilkins, with an air of great simplicity.
There was a general laugh at this, for it was well known that Wilkins
was the worst shot of the party.
"Well, now," said he with a good-natured smile, "since you have insulted
me so grossly, I think myself entitled to name the best man; I therefore
suggest Tom Brown."
"Right," said Pearson.
The others being all agreed, Tom consented, with becoming modesty, to
take the post of honour and of danger.
"Are we to ride or walk?" he asked.
"Walk, of course," said Hicks. "The ground is much too rough for
horses."
"And I trust, Tom," said Wilkins, "that you will permit me to follow
you. I am the worst shot, you know, and the worst and best should go
together on the acknowledged principle that extremes meet."
This being arranged, the sportsmen dismounted, fastened their horses to
trees, and separated.
The circle of men gradually closed in and ascended the hill pretty near
to each other. Presently Tom Brown observed one of the lions get upon a
piece of rock. The major also saw him, and being anxious to secure the
first shot, fired somewhat hastily and hit the rock on which the
magnificent brute was standing, as if it had got up there to take a cool
survey of the field. He bit at the spot struck, as a dog bites at a
stick or stone thrown at him. Next moment Tom Brown sent a bullet
straight into his heart, and his tail made a splendid flourish as he
fell off his pedestal!
Almost immediately after two of the other lions broke cover, dashed
towards the circle of men, went right through them and escaped. The
courage of the natives proved unequal to the danger of facing such a
charge. A great shout--partly, no doubt, of disappointment--was given
when the lions escaped. This had the effect of causing the fourth lion
to break cover and leap upon a rock as the first had done. The hunter
nearest to him was Pearson, who was not farther off than shout thirty
yards. He took good aim, fired both barrels at him, and tumbled him off
the rock into a small bush beside it.
"He is wounded," cried Hicks, "but not killed. Have a care!"
Pearson was loading his gun as fast as possible, when he heard a loud
shout, and cries of "Look out!" "Take care!" Starting, and turning
half round, he saw the animal in the act of springing on him. Before he
could move he was struck on the head, and next moment the lion and he
went down together. Growling horribly, the enraged brute seized poor
Pearson and shook him as a terrier dog shakes a rat. Although stunned,
he was able to turn a little to relieve himself of its weight, for the
lion had placed one paw on the back of his head. Instantly the major,
Tom Brown, and Hicks ran up and fired six shots into him almost
simultaneously, and at a few yards' distance. With a terrific roar he
left Pearson, and, springing on Hicks, caught him by the leg. Mafuta
immediately rushed at him with a spear, but was caught by the lion on
the shoulder, and dragged down. Seeing this, Tom Brown caught up the
spear and plunged it deep into the chest of the brute, which seized it
savagely in his teeth and snapped it in two like a twig, throwing Tom
down in the act; but another bullet from Wilkins, and the effects of the
previous shots, caused him to drop down suddenly quite dead.
It was found on examination that the injuries received by poor Pearson
were mortal. As could just speak, but could not move. A litter was
therefore hastily prepared for him, and one also for Hicks, whose leg
was severely injured, though fortunately not broken. Mafuta's hurts
were trifling, and Tom Brown had only received one or two scratches in
his fall. In a short time the litters were ready, and the party
returned to their encampment.
That night Pearson expressed a strong desire to have the Bible read to
him, and Tom Brown, who had done all that professional skill could
accomplish to relieve his comrade's suffering body, sought out from the
bottom of his box that precious book which the missionary had told him
contained medicine for the soul. The dying man was very anxious. As
gave Tom no rest, but questioned him eagerly and continuously during the
whole night about the things which concerned his soul. His doctor could
not assist him much, and keenly did he feel, at that time, how awful it
is to postpone thoughts of eternity to a dying hour. As did his best,
however, to comfort his friend, by reading passage after passage from
the sacred book, dwelling particularly on, and repeating, this
text--"The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth from all sin."
Towards morning Pearson fell into a lethargic sleep, out of which he
never awoke. Next day they buried him under the shade of a spreading
tree, and left him there--alone in the wilderness.