CHAPTER THIRTY.
HENDRIK IN A STATE OF SIEGE.
Hendrik breathed freely, though he puffed and panted a long time aftergetting upon his perch. His mind was at ease, however, for he saw atonce that the rhinoceros could not reach him. The most it could do wasto get its ugly snout over the edge of the rock, and that only byraising itself upon its hind-legs. This it actually did, blowing withrage, and projecting its broad muzzle as close as it could to the feetof the hunter, as if to seize him with its elongated and prehensilelips.
It did so only once. Hendrik was as angry as the rhinoceros, and withjuster cause; and now, feeling confident of the security of hisposition, he bent forward, and with all his might repeatedly kicked thethick lips of the brute with the heels of his heavy boots.
The rhinoceros danced about, uttering cries of rage and pain; but,despite the brutal impetuosity of its nature, it no longer attempted toscale the cliff, but contented itself with rushing to and fro at itsbase, evidently determined to _lay siege_ to the hunter.
Hendrik had now time to contemplate this singular animal. To hissurprise he perceived that it was a new species--that is, one he hadnever seen before, although he had heard of it.
Hendrik knew--for Hans had told him long ago--that there were at leastfour species of the rhinoceros inhabiting the countries of South Africabetween the Tropic and the Cape, and that probably a fifth existed tothe north of this line. Of the four, two were _white_ rhinoceroses, andtwo _black_. The white ones were called respectively "kobaoba" and"muchocho," the black ones "borele" and "keitloa." The white specieswere both larger than the black ones, but of milder disposition. Theirfood was principally grass, while the borele and keitloa browse upon thetender shoots and leaves of bushes. The white ones are "unicorns," thatis, their anterior horn is largely developed--in the muchocho beingsometimes three feet in length, and in the kobaoba still longer--whilethe posterior horn is simply a knob or bony protuberance. There aremany other points of distinction between the white and black species,both in form, colour, and habits.
Now, as the one that had attacked Hendrik was a _black_ rhinoceros, andwas _not_ the borele--for this was the kind they had encountered whilehunting the gnoo--it must be the keitloa. That it was not the boreleHendrik saw by its horns. In the latter the front horn only isdeveloped to any considerable length--never so long as in the whiteones--whereas, like with them, the posterior horn is little more than apointed knob, though longer or shorter in different individuals. Now,the rhinoceros before Hendrik's eyes had two thick strong horns upon itssnout, each one being full fifteen inches in length, and of coursenearly equal. The neck, too, was longer, and the lip more pointed andprehensile than in the borele for Hendrik knew the latter well, as it isone of the most common animals upon the frontier.
Hendrik's assailant was the keitloa. Although less is known of thisspecies than either the muchocho or borele--because its district liesfarther to the north--yet Hendrik had heard something of its characterfrom Hans, as well as from old hunters. He had heard that it is evenmore fierce and dangerous than the borele and is more dreaded by thenatives. In districts where it is common, the people fear it more thanany other animal--not even excepting the lion or the grim buffalo!
Hendrik had heard this about the keitloa, and no longer wondered at itshaving attacked him in the savage and unprovoked manner it had done. Heonly thanked his stars that there existed that little ledge of rock uponwhich he now stood, and from which he could look down and contemplatethose terrible horns with a feeling of complacency which, five minutesbefore, he had not enjoyed. He almost laughed at the odd situation hefound himself in.
"What a place for Hans!" he said in soliloquy. "Capital place for himto study the natural history of this clumsy brute!"
At this moment, as if echoing his thoughts, the keitloa began to exhibitbefore him one of its peculiar habits.
There stood a good-sized bush right in front, having a number ofseparate stems growing from one root, the whole forming a little clumpof itself. Against this bush the rhinoceros commenced battling,--nowcharging it from one side, now from another,--dashing at itheadforemost, breaking the branches with his horns, and trampling themunder his thick clumsy limbs--all the while, by his menacing look andmovements, appearing as if he was fighting with some enemy in earnest!Whether in earnest or not, he continued to go on in this way for morethan half-an-hour, until every stem and branch were barked, broken, andcrushed to mummy among his feet, and not till then did he desist fromhis furious attacks.
The whole thing had such a ludicrous air about it that it recalled toHendrik's mind the story of Don Quixote and the windmill, and set himlaughing outright. His merriment, however, was not of long duration,for he now began to perceive that the fury of the keitloa was aslong-lived as it was terrible. The glances that the animal from time totime cast upon the hunter told the latter that he had to deal with animplacable enemy.
As soon as the creature had finished its battle with the bush, it walkedback towards the cliff, and stood with its head erect and its smalllurid eyes gleaming upon the hunter. It appeared to know he was itsprisoner, and had resolved upon keeping him there. Its whole mannersatisfied Hendrik that such was its intention, and he began once more tofeel uneasy about the result.
When another hour had passed, and still the keitloa kept watching himfrom below, he became more than uneasy--he became alarmed.
He had been suffering from thirst ever since they commenced hunting theblesbok--he was now almost choking. He would have given any thing forone cup of water.
The hot sun--for it was yet only noon--scorched him as he stood againstthat bare burning rock. He suffered torture from heat as well asthirst.
He suffered, too, from suspense. How long might his implacable sentinelkeep watch upon him? Until the keitloa should leave the spot, there wasnot the slightest hope of his escaping. To have returned to the plainwould be certain death. It would have been death but for the timelyproximity of that friendly rock. No hope to escape from its broilingsurface so long as the fierce brute remained below.
Would Hans and the others believe him lost, and follow upon his spoor?They might, but not till the next day. They would not think of himbeing lost before night came, as it was no unusual thing for one of themto be off alone from morning till night. How would he endure theterrible thirst that was raging within him? How would he suffer ituntil they should arrive?
Besides, it might rain during the night. His spoor would then becompletely obliterated. They would not be able to follow it, and then,what might be his fate?
These and many other reflections passed through his mind as he stoodupon the ledge, regarding his fierce jailer with looks of anger andimpatience.
But the keitloa cared not for that. He still remained upon the ground,now pacing to and fro by the bottom of the cliff, and now standingstill, with head erect, his small dark orbs scintillating with a look ofuntiring vengeance.