CHAPTER SEVEN.
LIFE ON THE VELDT.
The task of finding the emptied ostrich nest proved harder than theyexpected; but their ride across the barren plain was made interesting bythe sight of a herd of gnus and a couple of the beautiful blackantelope, with their long, gracefully curved, sharp horns. Just beforereaching the nest, too, they had the rather unusual sight, in theirpart, of half-a-dozen giraffes, which went off in their awkward,lumbering trot toward the north.
At last, though, the nest was reached, the scattered eggs gathered intothe net, and heedless of these chinking together a little, as they hungbetween them, they cantered on.
"Won't do them any good shaking them up so, will it?" said Dyke.
"I've given up all idea of setting these," said Emson. "I should say itwould be very doubtful whether they would hatch, and we want a littlechange in the way of feeding, old fellow. We'll see which are addled,and which are not."
Tanta Sal was at the door as they rode up, and her face expandedlargely, especially about the eyes and mouth, at the sight of the eggs.
"I say, look at Tant," said Dyke merrily. "Did you ever see such aface?"
"Never," replied Emson quietly. "She's not beautiful from our point ofview."
"Beautiful!"
"Tastes differ, old chap," said Emson. "No doubt Jack thought her verynice-looking. English people admire small mouths and little waists. Itis very evident that the Kaffirs do not; and I don't see why a smallmouth should be more beautiful than a large one."
"And there isn't so much of it," cried Dyke.
"Certainly not, and it is not so useful. No: Tant is not handsome, butshe can cook, and I don't believe that Venus could have fetched waterfrom the spring in two buckets half so well."
"Don't suppose she could, or made fires either," said Dyke, laughing.
"Very good, then, little un. Tant is quite good-looking enough forus.--Hi! there, old girl, take these and keep them cool. Cook one fordinner."
The woman nodded, took the net, swung it over her back, and the nextminute the creamy-white eggs were seen reposing on the dark skin.
After seeing to the horses, Dyke made some remark to his brother aboutwanting his corn too, and he went quietly round to the back, where Tantwas busy over the fire, preparing one of the eggs by cooking it _aunaturel_, not boiling in a saucepan, but making the thick shell itselfdo duty for one.
She looked up and showed her teeth as Dyke came in sight, and then wenton with her work, which was that of stirring the egg, whose treatmentwas very simple. She had chipped a little hole in one end, big enoughto admit a stick, and had placed the other end deep down in the glowingdry cake ashes, squatting down on her heels on one side of the fire,while Jack sat in a similar position on the other, watching his wife asshe kept on stirring the egg with the piece of wood.
"Oh there you are, Jack," said Dyke; "we've shot a big lion."
"Baas kill?"
"Yes. You're coming with us to skin it this evening?"
The Kaffir shook his head, and then lowered it upon one hand, making apiteous grimace.
"Jack sick, bad," he said.
"Jack no sick bad," cried Tanta, leaping up angrily.
As she spoke, she raised one broad black foot, and gave her husband asharp thrust in the ribs, with the result that he rolled over and thenjumped up furiously to retaliate.
"Ah, would you!" cried Dyke; and the dog, which had followed him, beganto growl. "Yes, you hit her, and I'll set Duke at you," cried Dyke."Can't you see he's ashamed?"
Jack growled fiercely, and his wife reseated herself upon her heels, andwent on stirring the egg again, laughing merrily the while.
"No sick bad," she said; and then wanting to say something more, sherattled off a series of words, all oom and click, for Jack's benefit,the Kaffir listening the while.
The egg was soon after declared to be done, and formed a verysatisfactory omelette-like addition to the hard biltong and mealie cakewhich formed the ostrich-farmers' dinner.
"I'd a deal rather we'd shot an antelope, Joe," said Dyke, as he groundaway at the biltong, that popular South African delicacy, formed bycutting fresh meat into long strips, and drying them in the sun beforethe flesh has time to go bad--a capital plan in a torrid country, wheredecomposition is rapid and salt none too plentiful; but it has itsdrawbacks, and is best suited to the taste of those who appreciate thechewing of leather with a superlatively high flavour of game.
"Yes, it is time we had some fresh meat, old chap," said Emsongood-humouredly. "After that slice of luck with the birds, we'll tryfor some guinea-fowl or a springbok in the morning."
"I wish we had a river nearer where we could fish," said Dyke, as heworked away at the dried meat.
"Yes, it would be handy, if we could catch any fish; but we usen't toget a great many--not enough to live on--in the old days at home."
"Not often," said Dyke. "I say, it is tough."
"Well, yes. A well-beaten-out piece would not make a bad shoe sole,little un. But about that fishing? It would take a great many of thosesticklebacks you always would fish for with a worm to make a dish."
"Well, they used to bite, and that's more than your carp would, Joe.Why, you only used to catch about one a month."
"But, then, look at the size. One did make a dish."
"Yes, of only head and bones. Ugh! I'd rather eat biltong."
Emson laughed good-humouredly.
"Well," he said, "we can't go fishing without we make a hundred miles'journey, so we can't get fish. How would a lion steak eat?"
"Worse than a cut out of the poor old goblin's breast. But, I say, arewe to go and skin that old savage to-night?"
"I'll go with Jack, and do it, if you're tired."
"That you won't," cried Dyke. "But, I say, Jack's bad sick he says."
"Yes, I suppose so. He generally is now, when we want him to work.We've spoiled Master Jack by feeding him too well; and if it wasn't forTanta Sal, Master Jack would have to go upon his travels. That woman'sa treasure, little un. She's a capital cook; and what a wonderful thingit is that it comes so natural to a woman, whether she's white or black,to like washing shirts. Do you know, I believe that Tanta Sal wouldtake to starching and ironing if she had a chance. Have any more?"
"No: done," said Dyke, wiping his knife carefully, and returning it tothe sheath he wore in his belt.
"Then let's go and have a look at the chickens. Why, the other day Ifelt as if I could open all the pens and say to the birds, `There, beoff with you, for you're no good.'"
"But now you're going to have another good try."
"Yes; and we must give them greater liberty, and try to let them live ina more natural way."
"And that means always hunting them and driving them back to the pens."
"We shan't mind that if they all turn out healthy," said Emson. "Comealong."
"Wait till I call Tant," said Dyke; and he went out to the back tosummon the Kaffir woman, who came in smiling, cleared away, and thenproceeded to feed her lord; Duke, the dog, waiting for his turn, and notbeing forgotten.
It was like playing at keeping bantams in Brobdingnag, Dyke said, asthey entered the pens pretty well provided with food for the birds, andgoing from enclosure to enclosure, armed each with a stout stick,necessitated by the manners and customs of their charge. For though itwas plain sailing enough scattering out food for the young birds, whichstalked about looking very solemn and stupid, the full-grown andelderly, especially the cocks, displayed a desire for more, to which"glutton" would be far too mild a term to apply; while the goblin'ssuccessor, as king of the farm, seemed to have become so puffed up withpride at his succession to the throne, that the stick had to be appliedseveral times in response to his insatiable and aggressive demands.
But at last the feeding was done, the hens in attendance on the nest ofeggs visited, where all seemed satisfactory, and then the horses weresaddled, and Jack and Duke summoned.
The latter dash
ed up instantly; but Jack made no reply.
"Yes, he is spoiled," said Emson. "It has always seemed to be so muchless trouble to saddle our own horses than to see that he did itproperly; but we ought to have made him do it, little un."
"Of course we ought," said Dyke. "It isn't too late to begin now?"
"I'm afraid it is," said Emson.--"Here! Hi! Jack," he shouted; and thedog supplemented the cry by running toward the house, barking loudly,with the result that the Kaffir woman came out, saw at a glance what waswanted, and turned back.
The next minute there was a scuffling noise heard behind the place,accompanied by angry protesting voices, speaking loudly in the Kaffirtongue.
Then all at once Jack appeared, carrying three assegais, and holdinghimself up with a great deal of savage dignity; but as he approached hewas struck on the back of the head by a bone. He turned back angrily,but ducked down to avoid a dry cake of fuel, and ended by running toavoid further missiles, with his dignity all gone, for Tanta Sal'sgrinning face peeped round the corner, and she shouted: "Jack bad sick,baas. All eat--seep."
"Yes; that's what's the matter, Jack," said Emson, shaking his head athim. "Now take hold of the horse's mane, and I'll give you a gooddigestive run."
There was no help for it. Jack seized the mane and trotted off besidethe horse, while a derisive shout came from behind the house, andTanta's grinning face re-appeared.
This was too much for Jack, who turned to shake his assegais at her: themovement was unpropitious, for he stumbled and fell, but gatheredhimself up, caught up to the horse, and trotted on again, keeping on inthe most untiring way, till a flight of carrion birds was sighted,hovering about the granite boulders, and perching here and there, as ifready for the banquet to come.
Duke charged forward at this, and the birds scattered, but did not gofar; while the dog's approach started half-a-dozen jackals from amongthe bushes to which they had retired, and they now began scurrying overthe plain. "I wonder how they find out that there's anything dead,Joe," said Dyke; "we did not see a single jackal or bird this morning."
"Eyesight," said Emson quietly. "The vultures are sailing about onhigh, and one sees the dead animal; then other vultures see him makingfor it, and follow."
"And the jackals see the vultures, and follow too?"
"That seems to be the way, old fellow. Anyhow, they always manage tofind out where there's anything to eat."
"I say, don't he look big?" said Dyke, as the carcass of the dead lionlay now well in sight.
"Yes; he's one of the finest I have seen. You ought to get the teethout of his head, little un; they'd do to save up for your museum."
"I will," said Dyke.
The next minute they had dismounted, and were removing the horses'bridles to let them pick off the green shoots of the bushes. The rifleshad been laid down, and Duke had gone snuffing about among the rocks,while Jack was proceeding to sharpen the edge of one of his assegais,when the dog suddenly gave tongue. There was a furious roar, the horsespressed up together, and from close at hand a lion, evidently thecompanion of that lying dead, sprang out and bounded away, soon placingitself out of shot.
"Ought to have been with us this morning," said Dyke, as he called backthe dog.
"Couldn't have done better if we had had him," said Emson, quietlyrolling up his sleeves, an example followed by the boy.
"Think that one will come back again?" was the next remark.
"Not while we are here," was Emson's reply; and then, as the evening wasdrawing on, he set to work helping Jack, who was cleverly running thepoint and edge of his assegai through the skin from the lion's chin totail, and then inside each leg right down to the toes.
A busy time ensued, resulting in the heavy skin being removed uninjured,and rolled up and packed across Emson's horse.
"You'll have to leave the teeth till another day," said Emson, as thestars began to peep out faintly, and they trotted homeward; but beforethey had left the carcass a couple of hundred yards, a snapping,snarling, and howling made Duke stop short and look inquiringly up athis masters, as much as to say:
"Are you going to let them do that?" But at a word he followed onobediently, and the noise increased.
"Won't be much lion left by to-morrow morning, Joe," said Dyke.
"No, boy. Africa is well scavengered, what with the jackals, birds, andflies. But we'd better get that skin well under cover somewhere when weare back."
"Why? Think the jackals will follow, and try and drag it away?"
"No; I was feeling sure that the other lion would."
Emson was right, for Dyke was awakened that night by the alarm of thehorses and oxen, who gave pretty good evidence of the huge cat's beingnear, but a couple of shots from Emson's gun rang out, and the animalssettled down quietly once again, there being no further disturbance thatnight on the lonely farm.