CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.
BOLD BIRDS.
On the third day after entering the plains of the "zuur-veldt," theyagers treked to the banks of a large river, and followed its courseup-stream. The scenery was altogether new and of a different characterto that of the plains. The river was fringed with reeds and willows,and beyond these stretched a wide bottom land of meadow-like character,studded with groves and copses of green trees whose foliage was gratefulto the eye after the journey over the dry plains. Here the deceitfulmirage no longer tantalised them with prospects of verdant groves andsmooth limpid lakes. Both existed in reality; and a succession oflovely landscapes met the eyes of the travellers as they advanced.
The grass upon the banks of this river was excellent, and in order thattheir cattle should have the opportunity of a good feed, the partyformed camp at an early hour. They outspanned in a little meadow,directly by the edge of the water, and made a fire out of the stems ofthe willows that grew near.
Jan and Klaas noticed a large flock of birds hovering above the water,and swooping about, something in the same manner as swallows on a summerevening over the surface of an English lake.
They were birds of a moderate size, scarcely so big as a common pigeon--nor was there any thing in their colour to make them attractive. Theywere rather a dull-coloured set of birds for Africa, beingreddish-brown, with a mixture of white and grey; but had they been nearenough for the boys to have observed their feet and legs, these with the"cire" around their eyes, would have appeared of a beautifulorange-yellow colour.
There was one peculiarity about these birds, which could be observed ata great distance, and that was their "forked" tails. In this respectthey might also be said to resemble swallows, but the forking was farless acute than in the tails of the latter. There was enough of it togive the birds a character; and that, with their general form and thecolour of their plumage, made it easy enough to tell to what genus thebirds belonged. They were birds of the genus _Falco_, (hawks,)belonging to that section of it distinguished as _Milvus_, (the kites.)
Of the kites there are several species, but the particular one to whichthese before the eyes of Klaas and Jan belonged, was the "parasitekite," (_Milvus ater_), an inhabitant of all parts of the continent ofAfrica, and a bird somewhat smaller than the royal kite of Europe.
Both these bird-boys knew that the birds were hawks of some kind, butthey could not tell what sort. When Hans told them that they were"kites," they both became doubly interested; and, guns in hand, stoodnear the water's edge watching the manoeuvres of the long-wingedfork-tailed creatures.
To a superficial observer it might have appeared that these kites weremerely playing themselves; now poised and hovering in the air, nowfloating softly along, and at intervals shooting down until they"dipped" themselves in the water of the stream. Any one, however, whohad closely watched them for a time would soon have perceived, that theywere not going through these manoeuvres for simple amusement. Each timethat one of them made a plunge into the water, it might be observed thatin rising again, it carried a shining object in its talons, which objectwas neither more nor less than a tiny little fish. Fishing, then, waswhat the "parasites" were after; and not for amusement, as anglers do,but following it as a regular calling--in fact, following it for food.
Not that fish forms the only food of this species of lute. No; it willeat almost any thing,--little quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, and evencarrion, upon a pinch. It is, however, very fond of fish; and, when itchances to reside in a country of waters, where fish are plenteous andeasily procured, it follows the calling of a fisher pretty regularly.
Klaas and Jan stood for some time expecting to get a shot; but as noneof the birds came near enough, they at length gave up all hope, and laidaside their guns.
Shortly after, dinner was ready, and all the boys sat down upon thewagon-chests, and commenced eating. Their dinner that day consisted ofa very nice dish--that is, the flesh of the great South African bustard(_Otis tarda_) or wild peacock, (wilde pauw,) as they themselves termedthe bird. Groot Willem had that morning shot this fine game, at verylong range, with his "roer;" and but for the far "carry" of his gun theywould not have procured the bird--for the wild peacock is one of theshyest kinds of game-birds, and scarcely ever rests within shootingdistance of any cover by which it may be approached. Large as it is, itis esteemed the most delicate eating of South African birds, and almostequal to the wild turkey of America.
Now the young yagers had roasted this precious _morceau_, had carved it,and each was sitting with a piece in hand--one with a wing, anotherhaving the "drumstick," a third the "merrythought," a fourth the "pope'snose," and so on. Of course they were in a high state of enjoyment oversuch "titbits."
While engaged in this pleasant way, they were astonished to see thewhole flock of kites come suddenly swooping over the camp. Klaas andJan were the more astonished, since they had been for some half-hourvainly endeavouring to get within shot of these very birds. _Now_ therewould have been no difficulty about that, for the parasites not onlycame within shooting distance, but, actually and literally, flew _in thevery faces_ of the boys! Yes; they would swoop right up until within afew feet of the diners, then poise themselves upon their wings, spreadout their tails, turn over on their backs, and execute sundry othereccentric manoeuvres that put the six yagers into fits of laughter. Ofcourse Swartboy joined in the chorus, and even the grave Kaffir grinnedat the ludicrous spectacle.
But it did not end here. After a while the birds grew bolder andbolder; at each swoop they came nearer; until at length several of themactually snatched pieces of the bustard's flesh out of the very hands ofthose that were eating it! Verily did they illustrate the old adage of"many a slip between cup and lip."
Even the dogs were made victims of these bold little robbers, whoswooped forward to their very muzzles, and snatched at the bones theywere crunching.
This curious scene continued for some time. It would have ended sooner,had the business been in the hands of Klaas and Jan. Both these boys,at the first approach of the birds, had started up to get their guns,but they were withheld from using them by the others, and especially byHans--who was desirous of observing these curious little hawks with theeye of a naturalist.
After a while the bird-boys were allowed to "blaze away;" and, what isstill more singular, their repeated shots did not completely frightenoff the parasites, though several were killed! Even some that must havebeen wounded--since the feathers had been knocked out of them--returnedagain and again to hover above the camp, with eyes fixed eagerly uponthe scraps of meat that had been left lying upon the chests!
A little incident was yet to occur of a still more ludicrous character.
Hans had that day shot a pigeon of very beautiful plumage, which ispeculiar to the interior of South Africa, and whose wings and body areof a deep green colour. This species is somewhat rare, and Hans wasdesirous of preserving the skin and having it mounted. After dinner,therefore, he had skinned it; and having thrown its flesh to the dogs,he was still at work upon the skin, taking out the brains.
Klaas and Jan, satiated with sport, had desisted, and laid aside theirguns--the consequence of which was that the parasites had returned ingreat numbers, and now exhibited as much effrontery as ever.
All at once, one of them seeing Hans engaged with the pigeon, andthinking no doubt that the body of the bird was still in its skin, madea sudden dash, drove its claw through the feathery mass, and carried offthe skin in triumph! Hans, whose eyes had been closely bent upon hiswork, saw nothing of the approach of the little winged robber; and forsome moments believed that one of the boys, out of a "lark," hadsnatched the pigeon from his fingers. It was not until he lookedaround, and then up into the air, that he was aware of the real culprit;and although all rushed to their guns, the pigeon-skin could not berecovered--as the kite, on seizing it, rose high into the air, and thencarried it off to the other side of the river!
As not a bit of flesh re
mained in the skin, and as Hans had succeeded inextracting even the brains, no doubt the parasite soon discovered thathis _pigeon_ was no better than a "decoy!"