CHAPTER XX
The Buffalo Charges
Afternoon did not come any too soon for Bob and Joe. By one o'clockthe youths had their cameras and rifles in readiness and were eagerlyawaiting word from their fathers to begin the hunt.
At last the word came. The chief of the tribe had organized a party often natives, of which he was the head. They intended to do all theycould to aid the whites in seeking out the buffalo.
"Stick close, boys," advised Mr. Lewis, speaking to Bob and Joe."There's no telling how dangerous that animal may be."
The Americans were led by the chief, who directed them out of thevillage and toward the stream near which the beast stayed. The trailthey followed was overgrown somewhat by the heavy plant growth,indicating that it had not been in use for some time.
Joe carried a camera, while Bob, as the best shot of the two, had ahigh-powered rifle. Both youths looked ahead in eager anticipation.
"Here's hoping I can get a good picture of him," said Joe, keeping hiscamera in readiness. "Movies of a buffalo hunt! Sounds good, doesn'tit?"
"And I'm going to try to be the gink that pots him off," came fromBob, inspecting his rifle. "He won't live long if he gets one of thesehigh-velocity bullets in his hide."
Mr. Holton looked around.
"Don't take any chances, Son," he warned. "Better not fire till Ben orI give the word. There's nothing quite as bad as a wounded buffalo."
Bob looked at his chum and groaned.
"Guess the honor won't go to me after all," he said.
It was a distance of about a half mile to the stream. The huntingparty made good time, reaching the stream before anyone had expected.
"Now where's that buffalo?" queried Joe, as he pushed the release onhis movie camera.
"Shhh!" hissed Mr. Holton. "I thought I heard a grunt just then.Listen!"
"You're right, Howard," murmured Mr. Lewis. "There's something over inthose bushes."
They had not long to wait. Suddenly there came a loud grunt, and amoment later a huge buffalo appeared and faced them. Huge andferocious looking, it seemed a very symbol of power.
"He's going to charge!" cried Bob, raising his rifle. "Look out, Mr.Lewis!"
Joe's father acted on the moment, aiming and firing with unusualrapidity. He pumped still another shot into the tough hide.
But the buffalo is possessed of an enormous amount of vitality andoften retain enough energy to make a fatal charge, even thoughmortally wounded. So it was with this beast. It lunged toward Mr.Lewis, who had fired the second barrel of his rifle.
"Get him, somebody!" shouted the naturalist, preparing to run. "Hurry!I can't reload in time."
Just then Bob decided on a plan of action. He rushed wildly toward theanimal, shouting at the top of his voice, hoping to divert itsattention from Mr. Lewis, who, unarmed, would be in terrible plight ifthe beast should charge him.
His plan worked--to a certain extent. Instead of rushing at Mr. Lewis,the infuriated animal singled out Joe. The latter was operating thecamera, and at first did not notice the oncoming foe.
"Look out!" yelled Bob. "Get out of the way, Joe! Quick, or you're agoner!"
Joe heard just in time to step quickly to one side, his eyes wide withan awful fear.
_Bang! Bang!_ Two reports rent the air, and each bullet found itsmark. Mr. Holton and Bob stood with smoking rifles awaiting results.They made ready to fire more if necessary.
But the four cartridges proved more than the brute could stand.Suddenly it collapsed in a heap, almost at the feet of one of thenatives.
"Whew!" gasped Joe, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. "Thatwas what I'd call a close call."
"Close is right," added Mr. Lewis. "If Bob and Howard hadn't comeacross with those two shots--well, it's pretty hard to say just whatwould have happened."
"How did it happen he didn't fall when you hit him, Mr. Lewis?" askedBob. "Both of your bullets went to a vital spot."
"What a buffalo can't stand is hard to mention," Joe's fatherresponded. "In addition to having a tough hide, they can take almostany kind of punishment."
The blacks looked at the hunters with intense admiration, for they hadaccomplished a deed that had not been thought possible by natives inthat vicinity.
The naturalists bent over to skin the animal. Then, observingsomething, Mr. Holton uttered a word of surprise.
"Look here," he pointed out. "There's part of a native spear in thebuffalo's side."
The naturalist had made no mistake. From the tough hide of the brute anative spear protruded out several inches. It was rotting with age,having been wielded many weeks before.
The chief fell into conversation with the scientists, telling themthat one of his warriors had thrust the weapon into the buffalo sometime before, but apparently without result.
"That accounts for his unusually bad temper," said Mr. Lewis. "He wasprobably aggravated by the wound caused by the spear and was ready fortrouble at the slightest chance."
The skinning process was completed at last, and the skin was carriedback to the village by the natives.
On arriving at the settlement, the Americans were given a royalwelcome by those who had not gone on the hunt. The simple blacksdanced around the explorers happily, rejoicing that the dangerousbuffalo had been killed.
"_Mbogo okuri!_" seemed to be the prevalent words spoken by theblacks.
"What are they saying?" inquired Bob.
"That means 'the buffalo is dead,'" explained his father.
The chief did as he had promised and gave the naturalists severalvaluable animal skins which he or his men had secured. Among them wasthat of a leopard, an ant bear, and a serval cat. And in addition thenaturalists had the buffalo skin.
"Fortunate for us that we arrived in the village when we did," smiledMr. Holton. "As a result of timing so well, we got several worth-whiletrophies."
"And had a lot of fun at it, too," put in Bob.
"Speaking of fun," went on his father, "we'll have plenty of thattonight."
"How's that?" asked Joe.
"The chief is going to prepare a feast in our honor," was the answer.
"A feast?" repeated Bob. "What will there be to eat?"
Mr. Holton laughed.
"Perhaps it would be better not to know that," he chuckled. "But we'llhave to eat a little, or at least to make a big show of it. Thebuffalo meat won't taste so bad, though."
The short remainder of the afternoon passed slowly, the boys and theirelders resting in the hut furnished them. They did not care to doanything now but take it easy until nightfall. And while they sat theytried to fancy just what would take place at the coming feast.
Darkness came at last, and with it the usual chill of night. Theexplorers were glad indeed when some of the chief's men built hugeroaring fires, about which the celebration was to take place.
At a call from the head native practically all of the simple villagersassembled in the great open space beside the fires. The reflectionmade bright perhaps a hundred black faces, all solemn.
The noisy chattering ceased abruptly as the big chief took his placebefore the group. Even Bob and Joe were impressed by the solemnity ofthe ceremony.
During the next five minutes the head native delivered a long speech,to which everyone listened closely. Bob and Joe, however, could notunderstand a word. They were tiring of listening when the chiefstopped and took his place in the center of the group.
"Wonder what's coming next?" mused Joe.
His question was answered a little later. A large number of nativesrose and moved over to the fires. Soon they engaged in a wild dance,one that the youths had never witnessed before.
Bob had fitted a camera with a night lens, and was "purring" away atthe yelling throng, delighted at such an unusual opportunity.
The dancing lasted for nearly an hour. Shortly after, the food wasserved, consisting of wild herbs, berries, and roasted meat. AlthoughBob and Joe were ignorant of the exact contents of the variouscourses, the
y ate of practically everything, not finding the taste asbad as they had anticipated.
Following the meal there was another wild dance, which ended with aloud burst of applause. Then, after a few more short speeches, thecelebration came to an end.
"What did you think of it?" chuckled Mr. Lewis, as he prepared toretire.
"It certainly wasn't tame," answered Bob with a smile.
"Got it all over a football game," added Joe.
Early the next morning the explorers were up making preparations toleave the village and continue their journey. They had everything inreadiness by eight o'clock, and bidding the chief and his peoplegood-bye, the safari made its way up the path.
"Now towards the Forest of Mystery," said Mr. Lewis, glad to again beon the trail.
They hiked steadily for several days without anything of notehappening. The jungle became denser as they penetrated deeper towardthe little-known regions. And with this luxuriance of plant life camean abundance of wild animals and birds. The naturalists and Bobdemonstrated their skill with a rifle often by bringing down not a fewunusual specimens, while Joe usually stuck to his movie camera.
On one occasion they had been traveling over a wide plain, one thatwas several miles across, and were nearing a jungle when suddenly Joecaught sight of something lying in the tall grass beside the jungle.
He started to move over to the object, but Mr. Holton called him back.
"Wait," cautioned the naturalist, raising his rifle. "Don't go overthere without a gun. It might be a lion."
They advanced slowly for several rods. Then they became aware of anunpleasant odor.
"I think I know everything now," said Mr. Lewis, and Bob's fathernodded. "That's a dead animal--probably an antelope. It has beenkilled by some other animal--a lion, maybe."
As they advanced they kept their eyes open for any dangerous creaturethat might return to the carcass, but saw nothing.
Mr. Lewis had surmised correctly. The kill was a wildebeest, a memberof the antelope family. It had apparently been dead only a short time,and only a little of the flesh was torn from the body.
"What do you suppose killed that?" asked Bob.
"_Simba_ [lion]," spoke up Noko at once.
"You think so?" queried Mr. Lewis.
Noko nodded vigorously.
"_Simba_ he come back night. Eat all _simba_ want of _nyumbu_."
"He may come back tonight," said Mr. Lewis, "but he won't eat all hewants."