CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
A CARNIVAL OF THE CARNIVORA.
Needless to say that Van Dorn's last words, pointing to the urgency ofimmediate departure, were convincing to his associate baases, had theystood in need of conviction. But neither did; they, as he, being buttoo glad to get away from a scene where they had suffered so much loss,to say nothing of the misery. The spectacle now under their eyes wasitself sufficiently disagreeable, seeming a very charnel-house. Scoresof carcasses lay in and around the camp; and, as the hot sun continuedto burn down upon them, the effluvia was every moment becoming moreoffensive, and would soon be unbearable. True, they could be buried asthose first dying had been. But, for days past, an understandingprevailed that the encampment was to be changed, time and place aloneremaining undetermined. The former had now come, and the latter beenalso resolved upon; no new ground, but one familiar to them--in short,that they had so lately and hurriedly abandoned.
They need have no fear of re-occupying it, nor had they. Tsetses mightbe swarming there thick as midges in midsummer; but nothing cared theynow. The only hurt these insects could hereafter do was by theirpresence to remind them of the damage already done, recalling dissipatedhopes and expectations. So far as the accursed fly was concerned,however, it was no longer thought of; and all were full of eagerness tobe back under the mowana. They had pleasant remembrance of the hoursspent beneath its shade, so different from that of the kop, which butgave them shadow when the sun had either not reached, or passedmeridian. Besides, on the river's banks grew trees of many kinds,affording edible fruits, some even delicious. No wonder, then, at thegeneral joy, when it became known they were to move back to the river.
The prospect inspired every one, as it were, with new life; and when themoving commenced, as on the instant it did, all hastened to lend hand ofhelp. For there was much work to be done, big burdens to be carried inthe transference of their effects from camp to camp. And it would takemore than one trip ere completed.
The women and children were marched off first, even these carrying loadsproportioned to their strength. And with them went the first batch ofregular carriers, to be followed by another, soon as the packages weremade ready for transport; then another, and so on--all to return again.Thus down the ten miles of slope between mountain range and river passeda continuous stream of men bearing burdens, like ants on return to theirhills; the same men soon after going back upward, unweighted, and withlight elastic step. Only the downward journey was accomplished on thefirst day, as it was late ere they had commenced it. But on the secondthey made the "round trip," and more; three times traversing the spacebetween the camps.
Not all were of the last party that returned to the hills, only acertain number needing to go thither now. Most of the effects intendedfor removal had been got down on the second day, the waggons aloneremaining in the kloof. Of course these cumbrous vehicles, of no usenow, would be left behind; but not their tilts. These, sure to prove ofgood service afterwards, were to be fetched away, and it was chiefly forthem the carriers had come back. The party consisted of half-a-dozenyoung Boers, with about twice the number of Caffres and Hottentots, PietVan Dorn having charge of it.
The sun had set ere they re-entered the old camp; and as all were faggedout by the incessant toil of the two days, their thoughts alone dweltupon rest and sleep. The return journey, their last, was to be made onthe following morning, and there was no necessity for further work thatnight. So they at once betook them to their respective sleeping-places;the young white men climbing into the waggons, their native attendants,wrapped in _karosses_ [Note 1] laying themselves along the groundunderneath.
Soon all were buried in a profound slumber; the dismantled camp aroundthem silent as a cemetery. But it was a silence of short duration.Scarce had they become unconscious, ere getting awakened by sounds whichrobbed them of the power of sleep, if not its desire. For their earswere saluted with the cries of wild beasts, coming from every side, andof so many kinds, it seemed as if all the predatory species of Africawere assembled within the kloof. In point of fact, most were there,attracted from far and near by the scent of the dead animals, whosecarcasses were now far gone in decomposition. On previous nights therehad been something of the same, though never such a racket as now. Thenfires had been kept burning to frighten the beasts off; but this nightbeing warm, and the last they were to spend on that spot--tired, too,--the young men had neglected taking such precaution; imprudently, as allsaw, when startled out of their sleep by the roar of a lion, multipliedin loud reverberation along the adjacent cliffs. It was but the preludeof a horrible chorus quick succeeding, in which could be distinguishedthe angry "gurr" of the leopard, the spiteful snarl of the cheetah, andthe cat-like miaulling of the serval. Hyenas of different speciesalternatively howled, chattered, and laughed, while jackals contributedtheir snappish bark to the fear-inspiring din.
Fear-inspiring it was to those freshly awakened; all the more when,after rubbing their eyes, they looked off, to see a sight which madetheir flesh creep, and blood run cold. No wonder. Over the camp-groundwere lions, leopards, and the other sorts, thick as sheep in a pen, inall attitudes, and every variety of action; some tugging and tearing atthe carcasses, others in dispute about pieces already severed: stillothers rushing to and fro in quest of a stray morsel. The moon shiningin full effulgence rendered them distinguishable, almost as by daylight;while on the still calm air within the kloof, the roaring, growling,yelping, and howling, all repeated in echo from the cliffs, combined tomake a very Pandemonium.
Fortunate for those who listened that the tilts were still upon thewaggons, with end curtains of strong stuff to draw close--in partdesigned for just such a danger. In a trice everybody was inside them--white, black, and yellow--the flaps pulled to, and all made safe asmight be. Still the situation was one of greatest peril. What if,after eating the dead animals, the devourers should turn their attentionto the living men, and make a burst through the canvas? The stroke oflion's paw, or leopard's either, would tear that screen to sheds asthough it were but tissue-paper, and they, concealing themselves underit, well knew this. But they knew also, that if left unmolested, morelikely the fierce brutes, having filled their bellies, would retire fromthe ground, and give no further trouble.
For a time they were so left; but not long. The position was tooticklish and irksome for continued endurance. The young Boers, deprivedof their rest, and kept in such a stretch of apprehension, soon began tochafe at it, till their impatience became anger, rendering themreckless. Besides there was one always eager to distinguish himself asa hunter, and never might such opportunity occur again. This was PietVan Dorn, who at length casting all prudence aside, proposed openingfire on the enemy. Being chief of the party, and with controllingpower, his proposal was unanimously agreed to; and, in less than fiveminutes after, the brutes making such noise over the camp-ground, heardother noises that were new to them--the cracking of guns--at the sametime saw puffs of smoke, with jets of flame, darting out from the whitecovers of the waggons.
Surprise, with some fear, hushed the wild beasts into a momentarysilence; the cowardly _canidae_--hyenas and jackals--scampering off atthe first fire. But the fiercer and more courageous felines kept theirground, till a second volley had been sent into their midst; then onlymoving away with sullen reluctance, some even staying to receive a thirddischarge from the death-dealing guns. But of those that thus stayed,not many got off afterwards. The clear moonlight afforded a fine chancefor sure aim, and the young Boers--all best marksmen--made deadly playwith their roers, scarce missing a shot.
In fine, the camp was cleared of its fierce four-footed invaders, savethose that had fallen. And of these could be counted a goodly array;four lions, with two lionesses, three leopards, and a couple ofcheetahs!
Their pelts, stripped off the next morning, added to the weightrequiring transport. But the young jagers could make light of thisadditional lading, in anticipation of the triumph such spoils would
secure them.
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Note 1. "Kaross." A wrap of blanket size and shape, made of the skinsof wild animals stitched together; they are worn by most of theuncivilised natives of South Africa. Various sorts of skins are used intheir manufacture; those of the leopard and cheetah, or hunting-leopard,forming the distinctive garb of a chief.