"Compasses are fine things," said Mark. "See, here we are with that
little needle ready to spin one way or the other till it stands still
without being shaken, and here it shows us exactly how we have been
travelling along first to the south, then due west, and now here we are
steadily going on to the north-west."
"That's all very well at sea," said Dean, "but here we are on land.
Suppose that compass isn't correct?"
"There's a sceptic!" cried Mark. "Why, doesn't the sun rising and
setting prove it to be all right? The needle always is correct unless
it's near iron."
"Or there is some natural cause to produce a variation," said the
doctor, who was listening to the boys' remarks upon the pocket compass
which he always carried. "We needn't doubt it here."
"Then according to what you are showing, sir, in the fourteen days'
since those pigmies left us--"
"No, we left them," said Dean.
"That's not correct," said Mark. "We stood still and saw them go into
the forest, so they must have left us."
"But we left our camp directly afterwards," said Dean, "and we have been
travelling along by the edge of the forest ever since."
"There, don't argue, boys," said the doctor. "It's quite evident that
we have passed right round the forest and left it behind us, and I make
it out that if instead of following the edge so as to be in the open
where the bullocks could trek we could have walked straight through
between the trees, we should have have been here long enough ago. Why,
we are now about opposite to the pigmy settlement."
"What!" cried Mark. "Oh, I say, let's stop and go in amongst the trees,
and shout or cooey till we make them hear, and they will come and join
us."
"That's a likely idea," said Dean derisively. "What a fellow he is,
isn't he, doctor? He's been grumbling ever since he lost his pet pig."
"Well, I don't care. I did like the little chap."
"Yes, just because you were nursing him and getting him better. Why,
Mark, you are just like a great girl with a pet lamb."
"Oh, am I?" said Mark sourly.
"Yes, that you are. She's so fond of it because it's so white and skips
after her, and she ties blue ribbons round its neck and is as pleased as
Punch to have it running after her, and crying ma-a-a-a-a!"
"You just wait till the doctor's gone off with father, and I'll punch
your head," whispered Mark, as the doctor walked towards the waggon
which they were following.
"I don't care; so you are," said Dean; "and by-and-by the pretty little
lamb grows up into a great, big, ugly, stupid-looking sheep good for
nothing."
"Yes, it is--mutton."
"And that's how it would be," continued Dean, "with your pet savage. It
would grow old and ugly, and a perfect nuisance, and be not so good as a
sheep, because you could eat that, and even you wouldn't care to turn
into an anthropop--what's his name?"
"There, that's just like you, Dean; you are always trying to use big
ugly words that you can't recollect the whole of. Anthropop what's his
name! Why can't you say cannibal? Here, I will help you," cried the
boy mockingly. "Say anthropo-phagistically inclined."
"Oh, I say, don't, Mark!" said Dean, laughing. "I am sure that's given
you a twist at the corners of your jaws."
Quite involuntarily Mark clapped his index fingers just beneath his ears
as if his cousin's words were true and he had felt a twinge, with the
result that Dean burst out laughing.
"There, go on. I don't care about your grinning. All this travelling
out here makes a fellow feel so jolly and happy. One goes to roost
tired out, and is fast asleep directly, so that one wakes rested in the
morning, with the air making one ready to dance and sing."
"Makes you hungry," said Dean banteringly. "But why don't you dance and
sing? I should like to see you. Only tell me when you are going to
begin and I will call our fellows up to look at you. I say, what a pity
it is that we could not get the herd of little pigs to form a ring. I
believe it would make the solemn-looking little chaps grin for once in
their lives."
"Oh, go on," cried Mark. "I'll pocket all this and give it you back in
some shape or another one of these days. It pleases you and it doesn't
hurt me; but all the same if we do come back this way I mean to stop
when we get to our old camp, and then give the pigmies a call."
"No, don't," said Dean, "because if you do you will want me to go and
take care of you, and no more forest, if you please."
Oddly enough that very evening when the compass said they were
travelling due west, that is to say, right across the plain that now
opened before them in the direction that Mak had pointed out as being
the way to the big stones, and when the great forest lay looking as if
sinking into a golden cloud far behind, something occurred.
They had seen that they were now passing into the open country, for
twice over a drove of antelopes had taken fright where they were grazing
and dashed away, but the second time by means of careful stalking and
taking advantage of the screen offered by scattered clumps of trees, the
doctor and Sir James had both made a good addition to their larder.
This change in the country, though it fully proved that they could
secure an ample supply of provisions, and though their black guide when
questioned had pointed to one of the kopjes or clumps of granite which
sprinkled the plain as being where they would find water--brought with
it a suggestion of danger.
"Yes, gentlemen," said Buck; "we shall have to be careful now, what my
messmate Dan calls look out for squalls."
"Roaring squalls?" said Mark, laughing. "Yes, Mr Mark, sir, roaring
squallers, who as soon as they scent us out will be full of the idee
that we have come here on purpose to bring them a change of wittles."
"Oh, you mean that they are rather tired of venison and want to have
beef."
"That's right, Mr Mark, sir; and we can't pay them out, because though
they can eat my bullocks we can't eat them."
"No, Buck, but we can pepper their hides and salt their skins."
"Pepper 'em, sir? We want to give them something stronger than that--
some of the hard bullets you have got in the waggon. I have been having
it over with black Mak, and he's quite at home here and is on the look
out for a place where we can build up what they calls a zareba of bushes
and rock with a good fire inside. We mustn't have another night like
that last."
Just then Peter Dance and Bob Bacon came into sight, laden with a pretty
good faggot of dry wood that they had hacked off, and which they secured
to the tail of the second waggon ready for starting the cooking fire
when they made camp.
The men were intent upon their work; and each had a light billhook stuck
behind him in his belt, and while Dance was readjusting his faggot his
chopping tool nearly slipped out of where it was slightly stuck, while
in trying to save it from falling, the keeper, who had quite forgotten
his bruises, glanced for a moment in their direction.
"I say, young gentlemen," said the big driver, speaking from behind his
hand, "warn't it rum? It was just as if Peter felt that we were talking
about him."
"What, about his letting the fire out?" said Mark. "Oh, we must forget
that. I don't believe he would ever do it again."
"I hope not, sir," said Buck, and he swung himself along to overtake the
waggon, giving his big whip a crack or two and his span of bullocks a
few verbal admonitions to trek.
"That will be a horrible bother," said Dean, as the boys, rifle over
shoulder, strode off a little to the right of the straight course so as
to take their chance of anything that might spring up from one of the
clumps of dwarf trees which were being avoided by the waggon drivers.
For these carefully kept away from anything that might impede their
progress, which was towards the first rocky eminence of any size they
had seen, save on more distant hunting excursions, since they had left
the forest behind.
"What, building up a kraal, or zareba, as he called it?" said Mark.
"Yes. You see, we shall be tired enough without having that to do. But
it must be done."
But just at sundown the spot at which Mak had been aiming was reached.
It was one of the regular kopjes of the African plains, but fairly
verdant, being well furnished with dwarf trees and loose, rugged patches
of rock that offered themselves for protection, while a gurgling source
of water gushed out at the foot of the largest mass of granite, foamed
away amongst the stones for about a hundred yards, forming several clear
pools, and lost itself in a muddy, trampled little swamp which showed
plenty of signs of being visited by the herds of antelope which roamed
the veldt.
One of the first things done was the making of a hurried survey of the
kopje, Mak at once bending to his task of leading the travellers, rifle
in hand, to the examination of every spot that suggested the possibility
of its being used as a lair by any dangerous cat-like beast. But no
lion sprang out, and there was nothing suggestive of danger till Mak led
the searchers to where the stream spread out for a while before it sank
down into the sand.
Here there were plenty of traces of antelope of various kinds, their
footprints showing out distinctly and indicating the ease with which a
watcher could get a shot. But the next minute the thoughts of all were
occupied by their guide stopping short and pointing out the plainly
marked spoor of a lion.
This, however, proved to be evidently of some days' standing, but it was
enough to add energy to the efforts made in having the waggons dragged
up close to a mass of rock where they could form part of the protection
needed and lessen the necessary labour in shutting in the beasts.
Every man had his own work to do, and even with the extra toil of
strengthening their camp it was not long before the fire was blazing
well, the cattle grazing upon the rich grass in the neighbourhood of the
pools, and their guide, being satisfied that they had no unpleasant
neighbours, now beckoned to the boys and pointed to the highest portion
of the granite kopje, suggesting that they should follow him and have a
climb.
The mass of granite, formed of huge, tumbled together blocks, was easily
accessible, and the doctor followed them when they began to ascend, till
the highest point was reached and they stood sweeping the vast expanse
around which now lay plain in the beautifully limpid air.
During the day a soft, hot haze had shut off the more distant objects,
but now everything showed up refracted, so that the distant hillocks and
clumps of trees seemed quite near, lit up by the soft glow left by the
sun that was now below the horizon.
Look in whatever direction they would, every object was in the fleeting
minutes wonderfully clear. There lay in the direction from which they
had come as far as their vision extended, the vast forest which they had
skirted; in another direction all was plain; right and left open
diversified land presenting easy passage for the waggons; and when in
obedience to a sign from Mak they turned to gaze to the north-west, the
black raised his spear and pointed in one direction, where the beautiful
landscape seemed to come to an end in mass after mass of tumbled
together rock, showing with vivid distinctness patches of woodland,
deeply marked ravine that was filling fast with velvety purple shadow,
and heaped up mass that as they gazed began gradually to grow less and
less distinct, till that which at the first glance had stood out sharply
clear and marked against the pale, golden sky began to die away till
nothing was left, not even a shadow.
The boys and the doctor had somehow been so impressed by the beauty of
the scene that they spoke in whispers, Mark finding words just to say,
"Oh, I wish father were here! I did ask him to come, but he wanted to
rest."
"Yes," said the doctor; "we have had a very long day. But how
beautiful! How grand! We ought to stay up here till the stars come
out.--Eh, what do you say, Mak?" as the man touched his shoulder and
pointed again right away into the west.
"All gone," he said.
"Yes, all gone," said the doctor, using the black's simple words.
"Sunshine come again, 'morrow morning."
"Yes," said the doctor thoughtfully, as he stood trying to pierce the
soft transparent limpidity of the coming night. "Boys, we shall never
forget this."
"Ah," said the black, thumping down the haft of his spear upon the
massive block where he had perched himself some two hundred feet above
the plain. "Mak knows Mak's big stones."
"What!" cried Mark excitedly. "Is that where the old city lies?"
"Umps, yes," said the black. "Mak big stones."