Blind Lion of the Congo

  CHAPTER XI

  MVITA SAVES BURT'S LIFE

  For three days after the departure of Captain Mac there was littlehunting done. Silent and morose as he often was, the absent explorermore than made up for this in his moments of gayety. His was a strongpersonality, moreover, and his absence could not but make itself feltkeenly.

  There was plenty to occupy the boys, however. A number of heads andskins had to be prepared and packed. Then there was the native villageto visit, and this was a source of never-ending delight. The chief,whose name was Mvita, gave a great feast in honor of the hunters--towhich the hunters donated the greater share of the viands--and themoving-picture outfit came into play with brilliant effect.

  Mr. Wallace took out the boys on a two-days' trip after animal pictures,also. By utilizing the natives of Mvita's village and also the Bantuporters as beaters, a bloodless hunt was held. In this the animals weresurrounded and forced to pass before a white-ant hill on which Burt wasposted with the camera. Excellent pictures of various antelope, zebra,an old and toothless lion, and an infuriated rhino were obtained. Inthis way a week was passed, and finally Mr. Wallace announced that onthe morrow they would hold another real elephant hunt, as Mvita reporteda herd of the giant beasts three miles to the north.

  As they were leaving camp at dawn, a number of the villagers hastenedup, headed by their chief. With anxious face Mvita implored the honor ofbearing the guns of one of the white men. John refused him, wishing tosave the usual gifts and emoluments of the office. Burt, however,interrupted with a laugh.

  "Let him carry our guns, uncle! We've never been waited on by a realking before, an' it's somethin' to boast of. He won't steal 'em, willhe?"

  "I guess not," laughed Mr. Wallace, nodding to Mvita. With evidentdelight the chief took Burt's heavy elephant-gun. He was clad in longflowing red cotton robes, doubtless his insignia of office, but whenJohn suggested that he remove them for the journey he refusedindignantly. He could speak a little French, but very little.

  "Are we going to spend all day?" inquired Critch, as the camp was leftbehind and the red spears of dawn shot up in the east.

  "Can't tell," replied Mr. Wallace. "The elephants were reported as beingthree miles north yesterday. By this time they may be twenty miles away,or they may remain in the same place for a week at a time, until theirfood is exhausted. However, we ought to strike something before noon."

  "Say," broke out Burt suddenly, "remember what Cap'n Mac said last nightabout his scrap with that Arab trader? Do you think he was giving it tous straight?"

  "Of course," answered his uncle decidedly. "Why?"

  "Well," responded Burt doubtfully, "it looked a whole lot like downrightpiracy to me, that's all. It might ha' happened five hundred years ago,but it's hard to realize--"

  "Look here," broke in Mr. Wallace, "you've got to remember, Burt, thatMontenay has spent practically all his life exploring. He has his badpoints, like all of us, but he has his share of good ones also. I myselfdon't blame him a bit. That Arab, Yusuf ben Salir, was a slave dealerand pirate himself. Besides, it was a matter of personal revenge withMac. He's just done a tremendously brave thing in setting out for thepigmy land alone,--well, he's a strange character."

  "Think we'll meet him?" asked Critch in a low voice. "Or rather, will hemeet us?"

  "I'm afraid not," replied Mr. Wallace. "He has only one chance in athousand of making it. Hello! Look at that ant hill--the sunny side!"

  Following his finger, the boys saw a huge snake stretched out, warminghimself in the hot sun. All three were at the head of the beaters, andMvita, the only gunbearer who noticed the snake, brought up his heavygun rapidly. Mr. Wallace waved him back, however, drawing his revolverand putting a bullet through the serpent's head. Upon measuring him, thereptile was found to be exactly fifteen feet in length.

  "Say, ain't he a beaut though!" observed Critch, gazing down at thebright green and gold body. "Is he hard to skin?"

  "Not a bit," replied Mr. Wallace. "Not worth while, though. The colorswon't last. The gold turns white and the green black."

  "I don't care," said Burt, "let's leave a couple o' men to skin himanyhow. Even black an' white ought to make a mighty fine trophy. Snakeskin keeps better than fur, anyhow."

  As Critch was also anxious to save the python skin, two of the Bantuswere left to take it into camp while the party proceeded north.

  They had marched for over an hour without any sign of elephant when oneof Mvita's men appeared ahead. A number had been sent out from thevillage to locate the herd, if possible. The man, flourishing his spear,ran up and reported that before dawn he had heard loud trumpeting in theforest ahead, not over a mile distant.

  "Good enough," exclaimed Mr. Wallace. "John, get these chaps spread outin a line across country, to drive in anything toward the center. Youstick to me, though, and handle my guns."

  "Yes, sar," came the reply. A moment later the party had scattered, thenatives stretching out in a long thin line far to right and left. Oncemore the advance was taken up, and all trudged steadily forward for halfa mile. It was exciting work, for at any moment the patches of smalltrees, high grass and rush might yield anything from an elephant to alion. A very hopeful-looking thicket had just been beaten throughwithout any luck, and the three whites sighted an open grassy gladewhich stretched away in front, when Mvita gave a low whistle andmuttered to John. The latter instantly stopped his master. Parting thebushes cautiously and gazing out on the fairly open glade, all could seea good sized herd of wildebeest grazing a quarter of a mile away.

  "We must have one of them," whispered Mr. Wallace, as the boys stared atthe weird, bison-like animals eagerly. "We're down-wind, so I'll stalk'em. Come on, John."

  The two stole out cautiously, and began making a slow advance over theopen space, hiding behind the ant hills and among the tall grass. Onlythe waving tops of the latter betrayed their presence, but just as theboys were expecting to hear a shot, Mvita touched Burt on the arm. Oneof his men had approached silently, and his face portended big tidings.

  "What is it--elephant?" asked Burt. Mvita grinned and shook his head,then murmured one word.

  "_Simba!_"

  "Lion!" echoed Critch, who knew the native term. "Come on, Burt!"

  Without hesitation the two boys turned away and followed the nativeguide. The latter led them to the right for some distance, and as nosign of lion showed up Burt became impatient.

  "Where--" he began, when the native stopped, clicked his tongue, andpointed with his spear. Ahead of them the boys caught sight of a smalllioness trotting away from a clump of thick bushes. Burt, grabbing forhis rifle, ran forward eagerly. Critch's bearer was a Bantu, who handedover the heavy gun but refused absolutely to advance. The two boys ranforward in order to cut off the trotting lioness from a stretch ofrushes for which she was making.

  They were barely fifty yards from the clump of bushes when they bothstopped short at a shrill yell from Mvita, who had followed themclosely, at the same instant Burt saw something appear at the edge ofthe bushes. Then came a low, muttering growl, and a huge black-manedlion appeared, his red mouth open, gazing steadily at the hunters. Burtpulled up his rifle and fired quickly. The growl ended in a snarl, andthe lion rolled over.

  "Hurray!" shouted Burt, "I landed him--"

  "Look out!" yelled Critch, and the explosion of his rifle almostdeafened his chum. As Burt had fired, three more lionesses had appearedamong the bushes, following the first! Two disappeared, but Critch'sshot stopped the last one, not killing her. He put another bullet intoher shoulder and she lay still. While he ran forward to make sure of hisprize, Burt, followed by Mvita, turned toward the lion. The great beastlay perfectly still. Three of the Bantus had run up, and were standingwithin a few yards of him.

  They were gathered in a group near his tail, admiring and yet afraid totouch him. Burt remembered his uncle's warnings about the remarkabletenacity of life often shown by lions, and stopped when fifty feet away.The lion was still breathing, but lay
motionless. Concluding that if hepaid no attention to the chattering natives he would remain quiet for afinishing shot, Burt and Mvita ran onward, the chief displaying no fearwhatever, unlike the Bantus.

  They approached from his rear, and assuming that he was unable to rise,Burt stepped around for a good shot at the eye, which would not harm thepelt. The instant he came into view of the wounded beast, however, thelatter revived.

  With one terrific roar he sprang to his feet as if uninjured. His greeneyes blazed with fury, and his lips were drawn back until his long,yellow teeth were exposed in a snarl that struck Burt cold, for the boywas barely a dozen feet away. The men had fled instantly, only Mvitaremaining beside Burt. The latter, taken by surprise, gave a stepbackward, lifting his rifle.

  Just as the beast was in the act of springing, Burt fired. The heavybullet missed the eye and glanced off the sharply backward-sloping headof the brute, but its terrific impact was sufficient to stop the animalfor the instant. Burt heard a yell from Critch, and was tempted to turnand run. The lion was up immediately, however, and again Burt steppedback and pulled the trigger.

  This time, however, his foot caught in the grass. The bullet went wild,and the terrified boy gave himself up for lost. A tremendous thud andcrash at his side told him that the lion had sprung; then a quick flashof red caught his eye as he rolled over and gained his feet.

  The flash of red came from the robe of Mvita, whose faith in the whitehunters had given way at the last moment. Seeming to realize all at oncethe danger of his situation, he turned and ran just as Burt fell, with ashrill scream. Beyond doubt this movement had saved Burt's life, for thebrilliant red robe caught the eye of the lion, who at once gave chase tothe yelling chief.

  Burt, pale and excited, gained his feet just as the lion was catching upwith Mvita. Lifting his rifle, he fired. To his dismay the bullet missedcompletely, throwing up the dust beyond Mvita. In a desperate effort tosave the man before it was too late, Burt pumped at the magazine. At thesame instant Mvita made a quick swerve. The lion also turned, comingbroadside on to Burt. Just as Mvita was about to be brought down, theboy fired. The lion dropped in the middle of his spring, his backbroken. A shot from Critch's rifle struck him as he lay, and Burtfinally put a bullet through the lion's brain.

  Relieved and rather weak-kneed at the imminent danger, Burt lookedaround for his chum. He was astonished to see Critch, who had hastilyreturned, give a gasp, then burst into a roar of laughter. Whirlingabout, Burt stared over the body of the lion and then went into a spasmof mirth.

  The sight that met his eyes turned what was nearly a tragedy intoinstant comedy. There was Mvita, a dozen yards from the lion, earnestlybent upon scrambling up a thorn-tree in the shortest possible time! Henever cast a glance below, as the roars of laughter went up from theboys and even from the natives, but only climbed the faster. He wasnearing the top of the spiny tree; on every limb and thorn hung remnantsof his gorgeous crimson robe, and by the time he reached the top he wasfully as well clad as his humblest subject below.

  In vain did the boys yell at him to come down. Mvita was taking nochances of a mistake again, and not until he had reached the very topbranch that would bear his weight did the terrified chieftain glancedown. Even the sight of his laughing subjects and the dead lion hardlyreassured him, but once he was certain of his safety he took a speedyand certain method of restoring his lost dignity. Descending as quicklyas he had gone up, he brought a long thorn-branch with him, and appliedthis to his subjects and the Bantus indiscriminately until theirlaughter was changed to howls for mercy. Only at the intercession of thegasping boys did the angry chief cease.

  The Bantus speedily gathered, and played like children about the deadbodies of the two beasts, which had been placed side by side. Theyproved themselves surprisingly good mimics, one taking the part of thelion and jumping with a growl at the others. Another took Burt's part,snapping his fingers as he stepped backward and finally fell; while athird played Mvita, running to the thorn tree with the lion in hotpursuit. At this instant an angry voice stopped the proceedings, and theboys looked around in alarm to see Mr. Wallace running toward them.

  "Here, what is all this?" he shouted, waving his rifle. Before the boyscould answer he caught sight of the two carcasses, and stopped short."So you've been disobeying orders again!"

  "Not quite that, uncle," returned Burt quickly. He then explained whythey had left, together with all that had happened. As Mr. Wallaceglanced at the almost naked chief, and then at the decorated thorn tree,his face relaxed and Burt knew there was no more to fear.

  "You spoiled a fine shot for me," was all Mr. Wallace said. "I guessyou've had lesson enough. Get the boys busy on the skins, John."

  "How about the elephants?" spoke up Critch.

  "They're not far off, unless your shooting frightened them. We'll leavethe Bantus to skin these beasts, while we go on with Mvita's men."