CHAPTER TWENTY.
A BRUSH WITH THE BRINDLED GNOO.
The young yagers resolved to stay a couple of days longer by thefountain in the mokhala grove. Their object was to wait until the fleshof the blue-buck--which is excellent eating--should be reduced tobiltong. They did not know what chance of game there might be upontheir route for the next five or six days. The way was new to all ofthem--even to the guide Congo, who had only a general knowledge of thatpart of the country. They were heading for the Molopo River, and Congoknew how to find that well enough; but their route through theinterlying country he knew nothing about. There might be plenty ofgame--there might be a great scarcity of it--he could not tell.
Of course neither could Swartboy. The hunters were now out of theBushman country and into a territory inhabited by poor tribes of thegreat Bechuana family. Swartboy's native district lay to the southwest,in the direction of Namaqualand. He had never been so far east in hislife, and of course was quite a stranger to the route they werepursuing.
Under these circumstances Hans, who from his age and superior wisdom waslooked upon as a sort of leader, recommended that they should not goforward until they had properly jerked the flesh of the blue-buck.
That, with what remained of the gemsbok, would secure them againstfalling short of provision, should game prove scarce. They would onlyhave to tarry a couple of days longer. That would be sufficient undersuch a strong sun to dry the biltong properly, whereas if packed withoutbeing well cured, the hot weather would spoil it directly, and theymight be left in the lurch without a morsel of meat.
Their stay at their present camp was, therefore, prolonged for two days,during which time the flesh of the blue-buck, with the remaining partsof that of the oryx, hanging in red festoons from the branches of theacacias, became dark, stiff, and hard to the touch, and was then in acondition to keep for several weeks if required.
But the young yagers did not remain constantly by the camp during allthe intervening time. The biltong required no watching. It had beenhung upon branches, sufficiently high to place it beyond the reach ofprowling jackals and hyenas at night, and during the day there wasalways some one by the camp to keep off the vultures.
On the first of these two days the young yagers mounted, all six, androde off to the grassy plains, where they had hunted the blue-buck, inhopes of falling in either with this or some other species of antelope.
They were not disappointed. On arriving at the plain, they perceivedthat it was occupied--not by one, but by several kinds of creatures.Three species of animals were seen upon it. Far out was a herd of smallcreatures, whose lyre-shaped horns, and yellow dun bodies, told thatthey were springboks,--a fact made plain by their strange behaviour,--byindividuals of the herd now and then bounding up into the air, andthrowing open the marsupial folding of skin over their croups, anddisplaying the long snow-white hair that lines that singular pouch.
Not far from these, and occasionally mixing among them, was a drove oflarger animals, whose singular colour and markings could not bemistaken. They were _dauws_, or, in the clumsy language of the closetnaturalists, "Burchell's zebras," (_Equus Burchellii_). It has beenalready stated that this species differs from the true zebra in severalrespects. Its ground colour is light sienna, while that of the zebra isnearly white. The stripes upon the former are dark brown, while thoseof the latter are pure black; but the most characteristic difference inthe markings is, that in the true zebra the stripes continue in ringsdown the legs to the very hoofs, while in the dauw the legs are white.The ears and tail of the zebra are more asinine than those of the dauw,while the tail of the latter is much the longer, as indeed is the bodyof the animal.
Both are beautiful creatures--perhaps the most beautiful quadrupeds inthe world--a fine horse always excepted. But in point of beauty thetrue zebra certainly excels the "Burchell." They are very different intheir habits--the zebra being a mountain-dwelling animal, while the dauwis strictly a denizen of the open plains, in places similar to thosefrequented by the quagga. Although it never herds with the latter, inhabits it resembles their species more than it does the zebra.Observation of this fact by the boor hunters has led to the name amongthese people of "bonte quagga," (painted quagga.)
The third kind of animals upon the plain was a very remarkable species;so odd in form and movements were they, that no one who had once seeneither them, or a picture of them, could afterwards fail to recognisethem. The young yagers had never set eyes upon them before, but theyhad all seen a kindred species, which, except in colour and a few minordetails, is very like them. They had all seen the "wildebeest"or "gnoo," and this enabled them at once to recognise the"blauw-wildebeest," or "brindled gnoo," for such they were.
They differ from the common wildebeest in being larger, somewhat heavierin form, scarcely so well shaped about the head and neck--the latter notcurving as in the common species--more shaggy in the mane, thenose-tuft, and the long hair on the throat and breast. In colour theyare quite different, being of a dirty bluish tint, variegated withirregular stripes, or "brindles." Hence their trivial names of "blauw"wildebeest and "brindled" gnoo.
The two kinds, "gnoo" and "brindled gnoo," are never found on the sameplains; but give place to each other. The range of the latter speciesextends farthest to the north. They are scarcely ever found alone, butgenerally accompanied by droves of the dauw; (Burchell's zebra or bontequagga); and, what is a singular fact, the common species is rarelyseen, except in company with the common quagga. Although neither ofthese keep company with their own congeners they yet live socially withone another, both also herding at times with springboks, hartebeests,and ostriches. A singular and interesting sight it is to see the gnoos,antelopes, and wild asses, curveting and galloping over the plain, nowwheeling in circles, now halting in line, anon charging from point topoint, like troops of cavalry in a review, while the ostriches stalkabout or stand motionless, their tall forms rising high above the rest,as if they were the officers and generals-in-chief of the spectacle!Such a picture is often presented upon the karoo plains of SouthernAfrica.
As soon as the young yagers came in sight of the plain, they pulled uptheir horses, and sat for some moments regarding the lively scene thatwas exhibited upon its surface. The springboks were browsing, thoughsome individuals were constantly in the air bounding up as if for theirown amusement. The dauws were trooping about, sometimes halting, andsometimes galloping from point to point, as if in play or alarmed bysome intruder. The brindled gnoos, that is the cows, were browsing in aherd of thirty or forty in number, while the bulls stood around in smallgroups of three or four individuals, not moving, but apparently keepinga solemn watch over the others, every now and then snorting loudly, anduttering a sharp and peculiar cry, as if intended for some voice ofwarning or instruction. For hours the old bulls will hold thisposition, keeping apart from the rest, each little knot of themapparently conversing among themselves, while acting as sentries to thegeneral herd of dauws, antelopes, and their own wives.
After a few minutes' deliberation, the hunters agreed to make theirattack upon the herd of gnoos. They formed no plan. Stalking would beof little use, as they believed they would be able to ride down thewildebeest, and get a running shot; and it was to these they designed togive all their attention. The dauws--beautiful creatures as they were--were of no use as _game_, and it was game the party wanted. Thespringboks did not interest them; but the flesh of the wildebeest wouldhave been a treat to all. It is excellent eating, resembling beefrather than venison--for the gnoo is in reality more of an ox than anantelope.
"Roast beef for dinner!" was the word given by Hendrik, and all the restechoing this, they charged down upon the wildebeest herd.
They made no attempt at concealing their approach, but dashed directlyforward upon the game, the buck-dogs--now only five in number--in theadvance, with Hendrik's favourite heading.
In an instant the herds upon the plain were in motion--each speciesgoing its own way. The
dauws galloped off in a clump, holding astraight course over the plain; the springboks scattering in everydirection, as is their wont; while the gnoos, first uniting into anirregular drove, ran forward some distance in a straight line, and thensome broke to right and left, wheeled round, and came scouring back tothe rear of the hunters!
In a few minutes the whole appearance of the plain was changed. Thezebras had gone out of sight, so, too, the springboks. The gnoos aloneremained under the view of the hunters. These were not to be seen inany particular direction. They were everywhere around--some running offbefore the dogs--some wheeling around to the rear--some galloping pastwithin two or three hundred yards, and then charging forward so near tothe horses, that some of the riders thought they meant to attack them.With their fierce little eyes, their sharp curving horns, and blackshaggy frontlets, they appeared most formidable enemies, and indeed they_are_ so when disposed to make an attack.
When wounded they are dangerous even to a mounted hunter, but one afootwould stand little chance of escape from their frenzied and impetuouscharge. One of the oddest circumstances observed by the young yagerswas, that the bulls, instead of galloping right away, lingered in therear of the retreating herd,--now wheeling round to gaze upon thehunters, snorting as they stood--now making a dash forward out of theirway, and sometimes two of them facing each other, and engaging incombat! And these combats did not appear to be "shams." On thecontrary, the old bulls seemed to butt each other in good earnest,rushing at one another from a distance, dropping upon their knees, andbringing their heads together, till their horns, and the thick bonyhelmet-like plates that covered their fronts, cracked loudly againsteach other.
These battles appeared to be real; but, notwithstanding the earnestnessof the combatants, they always gave up, and parted from the groundbefore the hunters could get within range.
Notwithstanding their carelessness about running away altogether, it wasnot so easy a matter to get a fair shot at one; and our yagers mighthave returned to camp empty-handed had it not been for their buck-dogs.These, however, chanced to stick together, and having selected an oldbull, soon separated him from the rest, and drove him at full speedacross the plain. Hendrik and Groot Willem spurred after, and all theothers followed, though falling to the rear as the chase continued.
Before the bull had gone two miles, the dogs began to pester him, andfinding his heels failing he turned suddenly upon his canine pursuers,rushing at one and then another, as they came up, and knocking them overwith his horns.
It is possible he would have bayed all _five_ successfully; but theapproach of the hunters caused him fresh alarm, and he broke bay, andonce more stretched himself at full speed across the plain. Anothermile would have brought him into some low timber, and he appeared tomake for that. He kept ahead of the dogs for awhile longer, but whenwithin about a hundred yards of the thicket, his wind again failed him;and as the buck-dogs were taking an occasional pull at his flanks, hebecame desperate and once more stood to bay.
The dogs soon ran in, but for awhile he was able to beat off all five,striking then right and left. At length some of them seized him by thethroat, while the others clung to his tail and hind-quarters, and thestruggle would no doubt have ended soon by their dragging the bull tothe earth; but Hendrik and Groot Willem rode up and ended it sooner bysending a pair of bullets through his ribs.