CHAPTER SIX.
A RUSH OF BUFFALOES.
It had come to be late in the afternoon, with a cooler atmosphere as thesun sank towards the horizon; but as most of the necessary jobs had beendone in the morning, there was no resumption of work. Milking the cows,and feeding the calves, were the only tasks that now occupied the peopleof the laager, and these were entrusted to the Caffre attendants, wellup in all matters relating to cow-kine and the dairy. Indeed, all thedifferent tribes of this race, whether of Kaffirland proper, or the morenortherly Zululand, look upon cattle as their chief source of wealth andsubsistence.
Some of the women had set about the evening meal; when the younger men--nearly all sons, nephews, or other relatives of Van Dorn, Blom, andRynwald--bethought them of spending an hour or so in shooting at atarget, the sport of their preference, and encouraged by the elders.For by a people, part of whose food is obtained through the chase, andwhose every-day life exposes them to its perils, being a good marksmanis naturally held in high estimation.
Getting hold of their guns, therefore, the young Boers proceeded to theopen veldt; and, after making up a match, commenced practice, the shellof an ostrich's egg serving them for mark. This most of them could hitat 100 paces distance, four times out of six; and at 200 would not oftenmiss it. Their long roers carried still farther, and an ordinary-sizedantelope, even at 300, would have stood but little chance with them.
And now there was keen competition between these young marksmen, with adesire to excel, quite as much as among our crack-shots at Wimbledon.But they had not been long thus occupied, when their ears were salutedby a sound, admonishing them they might soon expect something to shootat very different from an egg-shell. From afar, over the plain, came anoise like the rumbling of distant thunder, growing louder as theylistened; at length to be recognised as the quick trample of buffaloes--a herd of them "on the run." And that they were running in thedirection of the laager could be told by the continually increasingsound. But soon there was no doubt of it; the animals themselves beingseen, as they came crashing through a tract of bush on the farther sideof the veldt, and bounding on over the open. An immense herd it was,blackening the green sward to the width of a hundred yards, and thick assheep in a flock.
To the amateur British Nimrod in South Africa the sight of such biggame, and in such plenty, would have imparted pleasure instead ofbegetting fear. And in the same light the young Boers would haveregarded it, but for a circumstance that presented the spectacle in analtogether different aspect--one of danger. Alongside the great tree,under which their camp was placed, ran an open list leading down to theriver, and, in all probability, the buffaloes would pass that way,making for the water. Indeed, they were heading straight for it; thoughdrink might not be their object. Their maddened bounds and loudbellowing, as they came thundering on, seemed to betoken some othercause of excitement than thirst. However that might be, it soon becameevident they meant to pass under the mowana, right through the laager.The enclosing fence of thorns would be no obstruction to them, any morethan if it were of reeds or straw; and woe to all who should chance tobe in their way! Tornado or cyclone would not be more destructive.
By this every one in the camp, and every living creature around it, hadbecome aware of the threatening peril. Men shouted, women shrieked, thechildren screaming in chorus; while the horses neighed affrightedly,dancing about in their hopples; the cattle lowed and routed; and thedogs ran to and fro, some barking, some angrily growling. In short, theplace lately so tranquil, most of its occupants indulging in the_dolce-far-niente_, was suddenly transformed into what seemed aPandemonium.
Meanwhile, the young marksmen out in the open had not been idle. Iftaken by surprise, they felt no dismay, nor aught rendering thempowerless to act. Instead, soon as convinced that the buffaloes werebent for passing under the mowana, one and all made a rush towards theirhorses, calling out to those in the camp to bring saddles and bridles.They knew that the likeliest way to stem the advancing torrent was topresent front to it on horseback; and there might be time, as theforemost of the buffaloes were still nearly a mile off. It would bequick work; but luckily the hoppled horses were easily and quicklycaught, and in a trice bridled and saddled. Then, each mounting hisown--the whole party numbering nigh a dozen--they galloped out upon theveldt to meet the advancing enemy. Scarce another minute elapsed beforetheir horses' heads were within less than 300 yards from those of theforemost buffaloes; there for an instant to be drawn up, though therewas no stoppage on the part of the bovines. And had the young Boersstayed silent when they halted, in all likelihood both they and theirhorses would in another minute have been run over, and trampled todeath. But they did not stay silent; instead, all together raised gunto shoulder, and taking good aim, delivered a volley right in the facesof the black brutes that threatened them. There was a responsivecrashing from some of their bullets, that only struck the greatbuttressed horns; but half-a-dozen of them told better, and a likenumber of the buffaloes, headmost of the herd, were seen to tumble overon the sward, dead as door-nails; the impetus of their rush shootingthem their full body's length in advance of the rest.
The reports of the roers, their blaze and smoke--sounds and sights, inall probability, new to the wild animals--had an effect upon theminstantaneous and deterrent. Whatever had been their worry behind,whether pursuit by lions or otherwise, it was now less a thing of fearthan that they saw in front. So one and all came to a stop, quickly asthey could gather up their legs. It took time, though, the massesbehind forcing the front rank forward, beyond where it was inclined togo.
Perhaps all might have resumed their onward career and the dreadedcatastrophe, occurred all the same, had not the young Boers taken otherprecautions to prevent it. In this they succeeded, by a continuousshouting, yelling at the highest pitch of voice, while they hurriedlyrammed powder and ball down the barrels of their roers; and when thesewere reloaded poured a second volley into the hesitating herd. Itbrought another half-dozen of the buffaloes to grass; but that was athing they little cared about. Far more would they have been pleased tosee the animals turn tail, and make away from them.
And with this very sight were they gratified in an instant after. Thefirst fusillade, with its fire and smoke, to say nothing of the fataleffects, had caused fear among the wild bovines; the second broughtdismay, and, not desiring to encounter a third, the headmost of the herdswung round, followed by the rearmost, all going off in a direction thatwould carry them wide of the mowana.
"Praise be to God, our people are saved!" was the thought of the youngBoers, more than one of them giving vocal expression to it.