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Dead Man's Land: Being the Voyage to Zimbambangwe of certain and uncertain, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 23. Building The Zareba |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. BUILDING THE ZAREBA "Compasses are fine things," said Mark. "See, here we are with that little needle ready to spin one way or the other till it stands still without being shaken, and here it shows us exactly how we have been travelling along first to the south, then due west, and now here we are steadily going on to the north-west." "That's all very well at sea," said Dean, "but here we are on land. Suppose that compass isn't correct?" "There's a sceptic!" cried Mark. "Why, doesn't the sun rising and setting prove it to be all right? The needle always is correct unless it's near iron." "Or there is some natural cause to produce a variation," said the doctor, who was listening to the boys' remarks upon the pocket compass which he always carried. "We needn't doubt it here." "Then according to what you are showing, sir, in the fourteen days' since those pigmies left us--" "No, we left them," said Dean. "That's not correct," said Mark. "We stood still and saw them go into the forest, so they must have left us." "But we left our camp directly afterwards," said Dean, "and we have been travelling along by the edge of the forest ever since." "There, don't argue, boys," said the doctor. "It's quite evident that we have passed right round the forest and left it behind us, and I make it out that if instead of following the edge so as to be in the open where the bullocks could trek we could have walked straight through between the trees, we should have have been here long enough ago. Why, we are now about opposite to the pigmy settlement." "What!" cried Mark. "Oh, I say, let's stop and go in amongst the trees, and shout or cooey till we make them hear, and they will come and join us." "That's a likely idea," said Dean derisively. "What a fellow he is, isn't he, doctor? He's been grumbling ever since he lost his pet pig." "Well, I don't care. I did like the little chap." "Yes, just because you were nursing him and getting him better. Why, Mark, you are just like a great girl with a pet lamb." "Oh, am I?" said Mark sourly. "Yes, that you are. She's so fond of it because it's so white and skips after her, and she ties blue ribbons round its neck and is as pleased as Punch to have it running after her, and crying ma-a-a-a-a!" "You just wait till the doctor's gone off with father, and I'll punch your head," whispered Mark, as the doctor walked towards the waggon which they were following. "I don't care; so you are," said Dean; "and by-and-by the pretty little lamb grows up into a great, big, ugly, stupid-looking sheep good for nothing." "Yes, it is--mutton." "And that's how it would be," continued Dean, "with your pet savage. It would grow old and ugly, and a perfect nuisance, and be not so good as a sheep, because you could eat that, and even you wouldn't care to turn into an anthropop--what's his name?" "There, that's just like you, Dean; you are always trying to use big ugly words that you can't recollect the whole of. Anthropop what's his name! Why can't you say cannibal? Here, I will help you," cried the boy mockingly. "Say anthropo-phagistically inclined." "Oh, I say, don't, Mark!" said Dean, laughing. "I am sure that's given you a twist at the corners of your jaws." Quite involuntarily Mark clapped his index fingers just beneath his ears as if his cousin's words were true and he had felt a twinge, with the result that Dean burst out laughing. "There, go on. I don't care about your grinning. All this travelling out here makes a fellow feel so jolly and happy. One goes to roost tired out, and is fast asleep directly, so that one wakes rested in the morning, with the air making one ready to dance and sing." "Makes you hungry," said Dean banteringly. "But why don't you dance and sing? I should like to see you. Only tell me when you are going to begin and I will call our fellows up to look at you. I say, what a pity it is that we could not get the herd of little pigs to form a ring. I believe it would make the solemn-looking little chaps grin for once in their lives." "Oh, go on," cried Mark. "I'll pocket all this and give it you back in some shape or another one of these days. It pleases you and it doesn't hurt me; but all the same if we do come back this way I mean to stop when we get to our old camp, and then give the pigmies a call." "No, don't," said Dean, "because if you do you will want me to go and take care of you, and no more forest, if you please." Oddly enough that very evening when the compass said they were travelling due west, that is to say, right across the plain that now opened before them in the direction that Mak had pointed out as being the way to the big stones, and when the great forest lay looking as if sinking into a golden cloud far behind, something occurred. They had seen that they were now passing into the open country, for twice over a drove of antelopes had taken fright where they were grazing and dashed away, but the second time by means of careful stalking and taking advantage of the screen offered by scattered clumps of trees, the doctor and Sir James had both made a good addition to their larder. This change in the country, though it fully proved that they could secure an ample supply of provisions, and though their black guide when questioned had pointed to one of the kopjes or clumps of granite which sprinkled the plain as being where they would find water--brought with it a suggestion of danger. "Yes, gentlemen," said Buck; "we shall have to be careful now, what my messmate Dan calls look out for squalls." "Roaring squalls?" said Mark, laughing. "Yes, Mr Mark, sir, roaring squallers, who as soon as they scent us out will be full of the idee that we have come here on purpose to bring them a change of wittles." "Oh, you mean that they are rather tired of venison and want to have beef." "That's right, Mr Mark, sir; and we can't pay them out, because though they can eat my bullocks we can't eat them." "No, Buck, but we can pepper their hides and salt their skins." "Pepper 'em, sir? We want to give them something stronger than that-- some of the hard bullets you have got in the waggon. I have been having it over with black Mak, and he's quite at home here and is on the look out for a place where we can build up what they calls a zareba of bushes and rock with a good fire inside. We mustn't have another night like that last." Just then Peter Dance and Bob Bacon came into sight, laden with a pretty good faggot of dry wood that they had hacked off, and which they secured to the tail of the second waggon ready for starting the cooking fire when they made camp. The men were intent upon their work; and each had a light billhook stuck behind him in his belt, and while Dance was readjusting his faggot his chopping tool nearly slipped out of where it was slightly stuck, while in trying to save it from falling, the keeper, who had quite forgotten his bruises, glanced for a moment in their direction. "I say, young gentlemen," said the big driver, speaking from behind his hand, "warn't it rum? It was just as if Peter felt that we were talking about him." "What, about his letting the fire out?" said Mark. "Oh, we must forget that. I don't believe he would ever do it again." "I hope not, sir," said Buck, and he swung himself along to overtake the waggon, giving his big whip a crack or two and his span of bullocks a few verbal admonitions to trek. "That will be a horrible bother," said Dean, as the boys, rifle over shoulder, strode off a little to the right of the straight course so as to take their chance of anything that might spring up from one of the clumps of dwarf trees which were being avoided by the waggon drivers. For these carefully kept away from anything that might impede their progress, which was towards the first rocky eminence of any size they had seen, save on more distant hunting excursions, since they had left the forest behind. "What, building up a kraal, or zareba, as he called it?" said Mark. "Yes. You see, we shall be tired enough without having that to do. But it must be done." But just at sundown the spot at which Mak had been aiming was reached. It was one of the regular kopjes of the African plains, but fairly verdant, being well furnished with dwarf trees and loose, rugged patches of rock that offered themselves for protection, while a gurgling source of water gushed out at the foot of the largest mass of granite, foamed away amongst the stones for about a hundred yards, forming several clear pools, and lost itself in a muddy, trampled little swamp which showed plenty of signs of being visited by the herds of antelope which roamed the veldt. One of the first things done was the making of a hurried survey of the kopje, Mak at once bending to his task of leading the travellers, rifle in hand, to the examination of every spot that suggested the possibility of its being used as a lair by any dangerous cat-like beast. But no lion sprang out, and there was nothing suggestive of danger till Mak led the searchers to where the stream spread out for a while before it sank down into the sand. Here there were plenty of traces of antelope of various kinds, their footprints showing out distinctly and indicating the ease with which a watcher could get a shot. But the next minute the thoughts of all were occupied by their guide stopping short and pointing out the plainly marked spoor of a lion. This, however, proved to be evidently of some days' standing, but it was enough to add energy to the efforts made in having the waggons dragged up close to a mass of rock where they could form part of the protection needed and lessen the necessary labour in shutting in the beasts. Every man had his own work to do, and even with the extra toil of strengthening their camp it was not long before the fire was blazing well, the cattle grazing upon the rich grass in the neighbourhood of the pools, and their guide, being satisfied that they had no unpleasant neighbours, now beckoned to the boys and pointed to the highest portion of the granite kopje, suggesting that they should follow him and have a climb. The mass of granite, formed of huge, tumbled together blocks, was easily accessible, and the doctor followed them when they began to ascend, till the highest point was reached and they stood sweeping the vast expanse around which now lay plain in the beautifully limpid air. During the day a soft, hot haze had shut off the more distant objects, but now everything showed up refracted, so that the distant hillocks and clumps of trees seemed quite near, lit up by the soft glow left by the sun that was now below the horizon. Look in whatever direction they would, every object was in the fleeting minutes wonderfully clear. There lay in the direction from which they had come as far as their vision extended, the vast forest which they had skirted; in another direction all was plain; right and left open diversified land presenting easy passage for the waggons; and when in obedience to a sign from Mak they turned to gaze to the north-west, the black raised his spear and pointed in one direction, where the beautiful landscape seemed to come to an end in mass after mass of tumbled together rock, showing with vivid distinctness patches of woodland, deeply marked ravine that was filling fast with velvety purple shadow, and heaped up mass that as they gazed began gradually to grow less and less distinct, till that which at the first glance had stood out sharply clear and marked against the pale, golden sky began to die away till nothing was left, not even a shadow. The boys and the doctor had somehow been so impressed by the beauty of the scene that they spoke in whispers, Mark finding words just to say, "Oh, I wish father were here! I did ask him to come, but he wanted to rest." "Yes," said the doctor; "we have had a very long day. But how beautiful! How grand! We ought to stay up here till the stars come out.--Eh, what do you say, Mak?" as the man touched his shoulder and pointed again right away into the west. "All gone," he said. "Yes, all gone," said the doctor, using the black's simple words. "Sunshine come again, 'morrow morning." "Yes," said the doctor thoughtfully, as he stood trying to pierce the soft transparent limpidity of the coming night. "Boys, we shall never forget this." "Ah," said the black, thumping down the haft of his spear upon the massive block where he had perched himself some two hundred feet above the plain. "Mak knows Mak's big stones." "What!" cried Mark excitedly. "Is that where the old city lies?" "Umps, yes," said the black. "Mak big stones." _ |
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