CHAPTER FORTY THREE.
FOUR-FOOTED HUNTERS.
There were twelve lions in the troop--old males, females, and whelps ofdifferent ages! A terrific spectacle to look upon, in any other waythan through the bars of a cage, or out of a third story window. Butour young yagers beheld them on an open plain, and at the dangerousproximity of three hundred yards!
It is needless to say that a sudden stop was put to their advance, andthat every one of the six was more or less alarmed. Although they knewthat, as a general rule, the lion will not attack man withoutprovocation, it might be different where such a number were together.Twelve lions would have made short work of them, one and all. No wonderthe young hunters trembled at sight of such a troop, and so near; forthe brow of the ridge, running abruptly down to the plain, was all thatlay between them and the dreaded assemblage. A few bounds would havebrought the lions to the spot on which they stood!
After the first moments of surprise and alarm had passed, the yagersbethought themselves how to act. Of course, the pallahs were drivencompletely out of their mind, and all ideas of a hunt given up. To havedescended into that valley, would have been to have encountered twicetheir own number of lions: older hunters than they would have shied offfrom such an encounter. They did not think for a moment of goingfarther, nor, indeed, of any thing but retreating; and it cannot be saidthat they _thought_ of that, for it was the instinct of the moment.
"Back to our horses!" whispered they to one another, the moment they settheir eyes on the lions; and, without staying to contemplate the fearfulgroup, all six stole back; and, in less than two minutes' time, wereseated in their saddles.
Their presence had not been discovered by the lions. Two circumstanceshad favoured the boys, and prevented this. The ridge over which theywere passing was covered with underwood, and the "bosch," reaching ashigh as their heads, had sheltered them from view. The othercircumstance in their favour was that the wind was blowing _down_ thevalley, and therefore, _from_ the lions and towards themselves. Had itbeen otherwise, they would have been scented, and of course, discovered.Still another circumstance--the hunters had been advancing in silence,on account of the design they had formed of stalking the pallahs. Thelions, therefore, still remained ignorant of their proximity. Once onhorseback our party felt secure, and soon got over their little"flurry." Each knew that the noble creature that carried him, couldgive any lion the heels. Even the ponies of Klaas and Jan could runaway from the fastest lion in Africa. Once mounted, all felt that thedanger was over.
The hunters, Hendrik and Groot Willem, were not satisfied to retreat inthis way. They were resolved on at least, having another "peep" at thedangerous game; and, therefore, prepared to return to their former pointof observation, of course this time on horseback. Hans also felt asimilar inclination--from the desire to study a chapter of naturalhistory--and Arend would go out of curiosity. It was not deemed safe totake Klaas or Jan along; so these two youngsters were unceremoniouslysent back to the wagons, that had been halted in the lower valley nearthe bottom of the hill.
The other four rode slowly and silently forward, until they came oncemore in view of the valley, the herd of pallahs, and the troop of lions.
The antelopes were still feeding quietly near the centre of the openground. The lions were as yet on the ground, where they had been firstobserved. That the pallahs knew nothing of the proximity of theirdangerous neighbours was very evident, else they would not have beenmoving so sedately along the sward. They had no suspicion that an enemywas near. The lions were in the lower end of the valley, and thereforeto leeward of them--for the wind was blowing fair downstream, and cameright in the faces of the hunters. A thicket, moreover, screened thelions from the eyes of the herd.
It was equally evident that the beasts of prey were well aware of thepresence of the rooyeboks. Their actions proved this. At shortintervals one trotted to the edge of the "bosch," in crouching attitude,looked out to the open plain, and after a moment or two returned to hiscompanions, just as if he had been sent to "report." The old males andthe lionesses stood in a thick clump, and seemed to be holding aconsultation! The boys had not a doubt but that they were doing thisvery thing, and that the subject of their deliberation was the rooyebokherd.
At length the "council" appeared to break up. The troop separated, eachtaking a different direction. Some went along the bottom of the valley,while several were seen to proceed towards the mountain foot.
When these last had reached the groves before mentioned, they turnedupwards; and one after another were seen crouching from clump to clump,crawling along upon their bellies, as they passed through the longgrass, and evidently trying to shelter themselves from the view of thepallahs.
Their object now became clear. They were proceeding to the upper end ofthe valley, with the design of driving the game upon those that hadremained below--in fact, carrying out the identical plan which thehunters themselves had projected but the moment before! The boysmarvelled at this singular coincidence; and as they sat in their saddlesthey could not help admiring the skill with which their _rivals_ werecarrying out their own plan.
Those--three there were--that had gone skulking up the edge of thevalley, were soon out of sight--hidden under the "bosch" that grew atthe opposite end, and which they had been seen to enter. Meanwhile, theother nine had spread themselves along the bottom of the valley, eachtaking station under cover of the bushes and long grass. The trap wasnow fairly set.
For a few minutes no movement was observed on the part either of lionsor pallahs. The former lay crouched and stealthily watching the herd--the latter browsed peacefully along the sward, perfectly unconscious ofthe plot that was "thickening" around them.
Something at this moment seemed to render them suspicious. Theyappeared to suspect that there was danger threatening. The buck raisedhis head; looked around him; uttered a hiss, somewhat like the whistlingof deer; and struck the ground a smart rap or two with his hoof. Theothers left off browsing, and several of them were seen to bound up intothe air--after the very singular manner of springboks.
No doubt they had scented the lions, now at the upper end of thevalley--as the breeze from that quarter blew directly towards the herd.
It was surely that; for after repeating his signal, the old buck himselfsprang many feet into the air, and then stretched himself in fullflight. The others of course followed, leaping up at intervals as theyran.
As the lions had well calculated, the antelopes came directly down thevalley, breast forward, upon their line. Neither the wind nor any thingwarned them of the dangerous ambuscade; and in a few short moments theywere close to the patches of brushwood. Then the nine huge cats wereseen to spring out as if moved by one impulse, and launch themselvesinto the air. Each had chosen a rooyebok, and nearly every onesucceeded in bringing his victim to the earth. A single blow from thepaw of their strong assailants was enough to stretch the poor antelopeson the plain, and put an end at once to their running and their lives.So sudden was the attack, and so short-lived the struggle, that in twoseconds from the time the lions made their spring, each might be seencrouching over a dead pallah, with his paws and teeth buried in itsflesh!
Three alone escaped, and ran back up the valley. But a new ambushawaited them there; and as they followed the path, that led through thethicket at the upper end, each became the prey of a lurking lion.
Not one of the beautiful antelopes, that but the moment before werebounding over the plain in all the pride and confidence of their speed,was able to break through the line of deadly enemies so cunningly drawnaround them!
The hunters remained for some minutes gazing upon the singularspectacle. Hendrik and Groot Willem would have stolen forward, and senta brace of bullets into a brace of lions; but Hans would not hear ofsuch a thing. He alleged that there was no time when these animals aremore dangerous to attack, than just after they have killed their gameand are drinking its blood. At such a moment they are extremelyfer
ocious, and will follow with implacable vengeance any one who maydisturb them. It would be more prudent, therefore, not to provoke sucha powerful band, but to retire altogether from the spot.
To these counsels of Hans--backed by Arend--the two hunters at lengthreluctantly yielded; and all four rode back to the wagons.
Arriving there, a consultation was held how they were to proceed. Itwould be a dangerous business to trek up the narrow valley guarded bysuch a troop. A ford was therefore sought for, and found at somedistance below; and, having crossed their wagons, the travellersencamped on the opposite side--as it was too late to move farther thatnight.
They had done well to go across the river, for during the whole nightthe fierce brutes were heard roaring terrifically upon the side wherethey had been observed. In fact, the place appeared to be a regular_den of lions_.