CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
THE ODD COCK.
During all this time Congo watched the movement of the flock as well asthe sun in his eyes would allow him.
He noticed that the cock that had been feeding apart from the rest hadnow got close up to them,--within a few yards; but that the others hadarisen at his approach, and, stretching out their long necks, appearedto regard him as a stranger. After a moment all seven turned, as ifalarmed at something, and ran away--the odd cock running after, thoughfalling a little in the rear.
The flock only went for twenty yards or so, and then halted, as if theyhad got over their slight alarm.
The old cock again stalked slowly up, now and then dropping his head tothe ground, and pecking up a grain or two of something on his way.
When he got close to the flock a second time, they seemed to take freshalarm, ran twenty yards farther, and again stopped.
It appeared as if the old cock was a stranger to the rest, and that theyconsidered his presence an intrusion!
Again he approached them, and again they made a short run; this time notin a direct line, but in a circle around him, so that they came backnearly to their original ground. This time, however, only the five hensran off. Both the cocks remained near the spot; but the movements ofthese now puzzled Congo not a little.
One of them had squatted down, just as they had been first observed,while the other ran about in very small circles, occasionally flutteringhis white plumes, and acting altogether like a drunken man!
After a few minutes the manoeuvres of all appeared to change. The onethat had seated himself appeared to _lie_ down and remain quiet, whilehe that had the "staggers" squatted down not far off; and presently ahen came running up and sat down beside him; so that now there remainedupon their feet only one cock and four of the hens.
The whole scene puzzled Congo, who was not from an ostrich country, andwas but indifferently acquainted with the habits of these birds. Nodoubt, thought he, the creatures were about some game of their own, suchas he had often seen with the "kooran" and partridges.
There were others than Congo puzzled at what was passing among theostriches.
Klaas and Jan, who had reached their stations sooner than the rest, andwho had been observing the odd actions of the birds, were both puzzledas to what they were about; and a little later Hans and Arend had asurprise, and were equally at a loss what to think of the game of "fitsand starts" that was going on upon the plain.
But Hans and Arend had not much time to observe. They had both gone farround, and they expected soon to see Hendrik and Groot Willem gallop outfrom the timber, so they kept their eyes in that direction.
They were not disappointed. A few minutes after both were seen to shootforth at full speed, and ride in diverging lines, so as to approach eachother, and at the same time get nearer to the ostriches.
As soon as the others saw them, the whole five, Congo included, showedthemselves on the open ground, all making towards a common centre--thespot where the ostriches were.
The hunters were now more surprised than ever. As they rode forward,they perceived that several of the great birds were seated, or lyingupon the ground. They were basking, no doubt; but, for birds so wary,why did they not spring up and take to flight? They must already haveperceived the approach of the horses or heard the sound of theirtrampling hoofs? Only two of the hens appeared at all alarmed; andthese ran in the direction of the outer plain, but turned when they sawHendrik and Groot Willem. Only one other was upon its feet; and thatwas the old cock that had kept apart? He was still standing erect, butdid not attempt to fly! It was very odd.
This old cock chanced to be nearest to Hendrik and Groot Willem; andgoing, as they were, at race-horse speed, they were scarce a minute inriding down upon him.
They had got within less than five hundred yards; and, with guns ready,were resolved to give him a tail-on-end chase, and try a flying shot,when, to their tremendous surprise, a loud and terrified yell came fromthe bird, and the next moment his skin flew from his shoulders,discovering, not a naked ostrich, but a naked Bushman, with his legschalked white to the very hips! _That Bushman was Swartboy_!
It was, indeed, old Swart dressed up in the skin of the old cock he hadlately shot with his poisoned arrow; and it was that same arrow, orhalf-a-dozen like it, that had been causing the mysterious movementsamong the ostriches. Five of them already lay around dead or dying;while the two hens, that had not yet received their billet, during thesurprise consequent on Swartboy revealing himself, had managed toescape.
Fortunately for Swartboy he "sung out" at the moment he did. Anotherhalf minute, and he would have fared no better than his own victims theostriches. He acknowledged that he had been badly "scared." In lookingafter the ostriches, he had never thought of looking for any thing else;and from the manner in which his eyes were placed under the feathers, hecould not see very well around. His ears, too, "muffled" up as theywere within the skin of the old cock, were of little service to him; sothat it was by mere accident he saw the horsemen galloping down uponhim. Even then it cost an effort to "cast" his skin, and appear _inpropria persona_!
Now, when the young yagers thought of the curious incident that had justtaken place, and then looked at the naked body of Swartboy, chalkedwhite from hip to heel, the whole six sat in their saddles and laughedtill their very sides ached.
Swartboy, proud of his achievement, looked round him like a conqueror,and then fixing his eyes upon his rival, put the simple but equivocalinterrogatory--
"Eh! Congo! ole Kaffir boy! dat you?"
_The carapace was eclipsed_!