CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
A TOUGH STRUGGLE.
The horns were Hendrik's!
So thought Hendrik, when, at the crack of his rifle, he saw the buckroll backward down the bank into the very jaws of the buck-dog.
He was mistaken, however--as he had reason to think the moment after--when the antelope, instead of lying still where it had fallen, rose toits feet again, beat off the dog with its horns, and springing over him,once more plunged into the river! The dog bounded after, and, swimmingfaster than the antelope, overtook it near the middle of the stream,seizing it by the quarters as he got within reach. The strong buck soonshook him off, and turning short upon his persecutor, struck at him inthe water. Two or three times the hound was under its horns, but thewater yielding saved Hendrik's favourite from destruction, although morethan once he was forced under the surface.
This struggle was kept up for some moments. The river ran red, bloodpouring from the wound of the bullet, as well as from the flanks of theantelope, lacerated by the tusks of his canine assailant. The blood ofthe hound also helped to colour the current--for the sharp horns of thebuck had been used to some purpose, and several gashes appeared in thehide of the dog, from which the crimson flood streamed copiously.
After delivering his fire, Hendrik had alighted, not with the intentionof reloading, but merely to secure his prize, which, as he supposed, hadbeen finished by the shot. He was about tying his bridle to a branch;but, before he had succeeded in making a knot, the renewed struggle onthe opposite bank, followed by the plunge, caused him suddenly to dropthe reins and again lay hold of his rifle.
He loaded with all haste, and ran forward to the bank.
There was a fringing of willow-bushes along the edge of the river. Inthe saddle Hendrik had been able to look over them, and at thatelevation commanded a view of the water. Afoot he could not see it,except obscurely through the tops of the willows. He could only seethat the water was waving with eddies and covered with frothy bubbles.He could hear that a struggle was going on between buck and buck-dog,but the combatants had got close in to the willows, and the leavesprevented Hendrik from seeing either of them.
At one place there was a break in the willows, where the bank slopeddownward to the water's edge. It was a mere pathway, made by wildanimals in going to drink. On both sides of it the bushes grew thick,forming a narrow lane or alley.
Hendrik's eye fell upon this path, and the next moment he was hasteningdown it. The antelope from the river had also noted the path. It wasthe place easiest of access from the water, as there the bank was moreshelving than at any other point; and just at the time the hunter rushedinto it from the woods, the buck was entering its opposite end from thewater!
Both were going at full speed, and in five seconds' time they met faceto face in the narrow pathway!
There was no chance for either to make way for the other. The closethicket on each side prevented that. There was no chance for either toretreat; the impetuosity with which they were running rendered itimpossible for either to give back or even halt. They must meet with afearful collision!
Such a meeting would be entirely to the advantage of the buck, and,perhaps, to the total destruction of the hunter.
Hendrik saw this, and would have aimed at the buck and fired had timebeen allowed him. But so sudden and unexpected was the encounter thathe had not even time to get his rifle to the level, before the animalwas too near to admit of such delay.
He fired wildly without taking aim. The bullet scored the back of theantelope, only to add to its fury; and with head lowered and scimitarsset, it rushed onward upon the hunter.
It was a moment of peril for Hendrik. Another moment, and he would havebeen impaled upon the sharp horns; but at that instant, as if guided byan impulse of instinct, he dropped his rifle, and ran forward towardsthe buck, as if to fling himself upon its horns!
That was far from being his intention, however. When within about threefeet of these horns, he gave a sudden bound and rose like a springbokinto the air!
That spring saved him. Before he came down again the horns had passedunder him, and he fell heavily across the back of the buck.
The hind-quarters of the antelope sank under his weight, and Hendrikslipped off; but before he could recover his feet, the furious animalhad turned, and was again springing upon him where he lay.
It would have been all up with Hendrik, had he been left to himself atthat moment. But succour was nigh.
The buck-dog had reached the spot; and just as the antelope was makinghis rush, the dog sprang forward, and, seizing it by the throat, hungfast.
Hendrik received the blow, but the weight of the dog hanging to thethroat of the antelope prevented the latter from giving it with effect,and the hunter was but slightly injured.
In an instant the buck kicked the dog off with its hoofs, and flung himto the ground. In another instant it would have finished him with itshorns; but Hendrik, from the sharp blow he had received, was now asangry as the antelope itself, and was not going to see his favouritehound killed before his eyes without making an effort to save him.Warmed to the conflict, he thought no longer of retreating; and, drawinghis hunting-knife, he sprang forward upon the antelope, that, engagedwith the dog, chanced to stand broadside towards him. With his lefthand the hunter grasped one of the horns near its tip; and, using thisas a fulcrum, he turned round upon it, and thrust the long blade betweenthe ribs of the buck!
It was a home-thrust--for the animal fell dead at Hendrik's feet beforehe could let go his hold upon the horn. The blade had passed throughits heart.
As soon as Hendrik had cooled a little from the conflict, he thought ofGroot Willem, who had not yet come up. He began to fear that the lattermight have received some serious injury, and he determined to ride backto the spot, letting the buck lie where it had fallen. He could returnfor it afterwards. Fortunately his own well-trained horse had not runoff--though left with trailing bridle--and Hendrik was soon mounted andriding back on the spoor of the chase.
There was one thing that mystified Hendrik not a little. While battlingwith the buck he had heard the loud report of Groot Willem's roer. Whatcould he have fired at? Had any of the other antelopes come in his way?or was it a signal of distress? Hendrik was mystified and felt someapprehension.
He had not far to go to satisfy himself. On reaching the edge of thetimber, he saw Groot Willem mounted and about starting forward to rejoinhim. This was a joyful sight to Hendrik, as the fact that Groot Willemwas once more in the saddle and the "Camel" upon his legs again, wasgood _prima facie_ evidence that neither had sustained any very seriousdamage.
Nor had they, as Hendrik ascertained by riding up to the spot. GrootWillem was not so badly hurt as Hendrik himself, for the latter had oneof his arms well scored by the horns of the buck. Groot Willem'stemper, however, was severely ruffled; and though Hendrik was very muchinclined to laugh at the accident, he forbore doing so, out of regardfor his friend's feelings.
Hendrik now inquired about the report he had heard.
Was it the roer? Groot Willem answered his question in the affirmative,by a simple nod, at the same time pointing to an odd-looking animal thatlay dead upon the ground, with all the appearance of having been freshlykilled.
Hendrik rode forward, and, bending down in his saddle, for some momentsregarded the animal.
A rare and singular creature it was. It was about the size of a largeterrier, but shaped very differently. It had the drooping hind-quartersthat distinguish the hyenas, and altogether the look of these animals;but its muzzle was much more slender and pointed, its back more rounded,and its limbs not so stout as those of the hyena's. It was a moreagreeable creature to look upon, and although its hair was long, it hada soft woolly appearance. The general colour of the hair was grey witha reddish tinge, and with black bands running transversely to the bodyof the animal. This as much as anything else caused it to resemble thehyena--that is, the species known as the "stri
ped hyena," (_Hyenastriata_).
It was not a hyena, however, but one of those odd animals that seem tobelong to no class of creatures, but form a connecting link betweenseveral. South Africa is especially prolific in such eccentric forms,both among its birds and quadrupeds. As an illustration of this, wemight mention the wild-hound, the hyrax, the zerda, the fennec, thegnoo, and the aard-vark; and among birds, the serpent-eater, thebateleur eagle, and several other kinds. Most of these odd animals areonly represented by a single species, and that only to be found in SouthAfrica.
Now the creature that lay stretched out before the eyes of Hendrik wasjust one of these zoological puzzles, that has occupied the attention ofthe systematists for a long while. Some have classed it among dogs,others with hyenas, some make a civet of it, and others a fox. With allthese animals it has affinities, both in habits and anatomicalstructure, but it is not near enough to any to be regarded either asdog, fox, civet, or hyena; and hence a genus has been created foritself--the genus _Proteles_. It was a _proteles_ that lay upon theground--_Proteles Delalandii_,--so called from its first describer, thetraveller De Lalande.
Hendrik and Groot Willem knew the animal by the name of "aard-wolf," orearth-wolf, so called because it lives underground in a burrow of itsown making. They knew it well enough, for it is common through allSouth Africa--even in the settled districts, though on account of itsnocturnal and burrowing habits it is not often seen. It makes itselfknown to the boor by its evil propensities; and although he may rarelyget his eyes upon it, as it is never abroad by day, he is often calledupon to witness the dire effects of its midnight marauding.
The sheep of South Africa are of a singular breed--singular on accountof their large fleshy tails, consisting of a mass of almost pure fatwhich often weighs several pounds, and is used by the colonialhousewives in many operations of cookery. Now these tails, hanging tothe ground are the favourite _bonne-bouche_ of the aard-wolf, whosejaws, not strong like those of the hyena, compel him to feed upon softsubstances. It is, therefore, no uncommon thing for the vee-boor to getup in the morning, and find several of his best sheep divested of theirvaluable tails, and all through the voracity of the aard-vark.
It was not likely that either Groot Willem or Hendrik was ignorant ofthe aard-vark. Neither were they. Hendrik did not ride up to examinethe animal out of curiosity. He had seen such before, and killed themtoo. His object in bending over it was to see where Groot Willem'sbullet had hit.
"Where had the creature come from?" he inquired.
Groot Willem replied that it had issued from its burrow--the hole thathad caused the "Camel" to stumble. That it had come out, just as he,Groot Willem, recovered his feet; and that, provoked at it for havingbeen the cause of his misfortune, he had sent a bullet through it,otherwise he would not have reckoned it worth his powder and lead.
This explained the report of the roer.
Hendrik and Groot Willem were now about to return for the buck, with theintention of carrying as much of the meat to camp as they could manageupon their horses; when Hans and Arend came up, and the four rode offtogether.
They quartered the antelope, and each having packed a quarter upon hiscroup, they set out for the camp.
All of them were in good spirits, except perhaps Groot Willem, who hadtwo reasons for feeling out of sorts,--the loss of his dog, and the lossof a little of his hunter-fame. And he was not permitted to forget hisaccident so easily, for although Hendrik had forborne to give himfurther chagrin, yet Hans and Arend did not deal so delicately with him,but both laughed heartily at his unfortunate tumble.