Off to the Wilds Part 14

The Zulu glanced at the dark shapes for a few moments, and then cried eagerly,--

"Buffalo!"

"Come along, d.i.c.k," shouted Jack.

"Stop, stop!" exclaimed their father. "What are you going to do?"

"Shoot a buffalo, father."

"If we can," added d.i.c.k.

"But you must be careful. These buffalo are pretty fierce creatures, and dangerous at times."

"Yes, very dangerous," a.s.sented the Zulu. "Boss Jack--Boss d.i.c.k shoot one, and the boys drive one to him."

The General undertaking to do his best to keep his sons out of danger, Mr Rogers consented to let them go; and soon afterwards, having made his plans, the General started off with his boys, pointing out a course for Jack and d.i.c.k to take upon their cobs, advising them both to fire at the same buffalo as it galloped past them, and then to keep hidden till the herd had gone by.

This they undertook to do; and away they cantered in one direction, the General and his boys going in another, so as to get ahead of the herd, and then show themselves, and that, they expected, would drive them towards the young hunters.

All turned out exactly as antic.i.p.ated. d.i.c.k and Jack sat like statues, in a low hollow, with rifles c.o.c.ked, and cartridges handy for a second shot, waiting for the coming of the herd; and at last, just as they had given up all expectation of seeing them, there was a low rus.h.i.+ng sound in the distance as of wind--then a roar, ever increasing, until it was like thunder; and then down came the vast herd of heavy animals, surprising the boys at first by their number, so that they had nearly all gone by before either of the brothers thought of firing.

d.i.c.k was the first to rouse himself from his surprise.

"Now then, Jack," he cried, as their horses stood motionless, watching the pa.s.sing drove; "fire at that slate-coloured bull. Now then, take aim together--fire!"

The two rifle-shots pealed almost like one, and, to the delight of the boys, they saw the young bull they had shot stagger forward on to its knees, and then roll over upon its side.

"Hurray! First buffalo!" cried Jack; and together the boys cantered out into the plain, when, to their intense astonishment, instead of the herd continuing its flight, about a dozen bulls stopped short, stared at them, pawed the ground, stuck up their tails, wheeled round, uttered a fierce roar, and charged.

Even if the boys had felt disposed to meet their enemies with a couple more shots, the cobs would not have stood still. They were well-broken, and trusty; day by day they had seemed to gain confidence in their riders, and they would stand perfectly still if their bridles were drawn over their heads and allowed to trail upon the ground; while if Jack or d.i.c.k liked to make a rifle-rest of their backs, they were perfectly content, and stood as rigidly as if carved out of stone.

But there are bounds even to the confidence of a horse. When the little steeds saw the fierce looks of the buffaloes, heard their angry bellowings, and found that with waving tails, menacing horns, and hoofs that seemed to thunder as they tore up the ground, the bulls were coming nearer and nearer, and evidently with the full intent of burying those sharp horns in their chests, Shoes and Stockings snorted violently, turned round so suddenly that had not Jack and d.i.c.k been excellent hors.e.m.e.n they would have been thrown, and tore away over the plain.

This was a reverse of circ.u.mstances; and naturally feeling startled at such a change, their boys gave their horses their heads, sat well down, and kept giving furtive glances behind to see if the bulls were gaining upon them.

At the end of a few moments, though, it occurred to d.i.c.k that their speed was greater than that of the buffaloes, and consequently that they would have no difficulty, failing accidents, in galloping away. Then he began to think of his rifle and ammunition, but felt that under the circ.u.mstances fire-arms were useless.

Last of all he began to feel very much ashamed of his position, in being hunted like this.

The same feeling seemed to have affected Jack, who looked at his brother as they raced on side by side.

The consequence was that all of a sudden they both sat up more erect in their saddles, and took a pull at the reins, bringing Shoes and Stockings by degrees into a hand gallop, instead of the _ventre a terre_ progress they were making before.

"This won't do," cried d.i.c.k, as he glanced back to find that the bulls were still lumbering on behind them, snorting savagely, and shaking their horn-armed fronts.

"No," said Jack, "we are taking them right down on the waggon, and they'll charge straight over the camp."

"Yes; let's turn off to the left," shouted d.i.c.k; and as if by one impulse they wheeled round to the left, and galloped on over the plain.

"I tell you what," he cried, as a happy idea struck him; "let's wheel round to the right now."

"What for?" shouted back his brother.

"So as to ride round and round the waggon in a circle. Father will bring one or two of them down."

For answer Jack wheeled to the right, and if the manoeuvre had been kept up it would have answered; but, as it happened, Mr Rogers had gone away from the waggon in search of some beautifully plumaged birds which had settled in the trees above the camp, and then gone on to a grove a mile or so away.

The General and his boys were of course far away out on the plain, where they had been driving the buffalo, and therefore Dinny was the princ.i.p.al man in camp.

He was busy with the frying-pan frizzling himself a venison steak, when, hearing the thunder of hoofs, he dropped the pan in the wood ashes, and stood staring with horror.

"What'll I do now?" he cried.

Then a bright idea seized him, and pulling his knife from his belt, he dashed at the place where his enemies the dogs were tied up by stout thongs to the waggon-wheels, and divided them one by one.

"There, ye bastes," he cried, "be off and get tossed." And as the dogs rushed off, delighted with their freedom, Dinny chose what he thought was the safest place in the camp, namely, the s.p.a.ce between the four wheels beneath the waggon, and there lay down and wished himself back safely in his mother's cabin.

The dogs had been for some moments past tearing at their thongs to get away, so that no sooner were they freed than, barking and baying fiercely, they raced down after the buffaloes, and Dinny never did a better act in his life. Certainly it was prompted by cowardice; but it had its good fruits, for it was the saving of poor d.i.c.k's life.

The boys had galloped on as had been suggested, gradually inclining to the right, so that they drew the little herd of bulls into following them in a circle; and in this way they had nearly gone round the waggon at about a couple of hundred yards' distance, wondering why their father did not shoot, when, all at once, just as the baying of the dogs reached their ears, d.i.c.k turned a piteous look at his brother.

"I'm--I'm not strong, yet, Jack," he faltered. "Ride on fast."

To Jack's horror he saw his brother's eyes close, and that he fell forward upon his horse's neck; the next moment he had glided as it were out of his saddle, and fallen--his horse, from its good training, stopping short by his side.

The buffaloes were only about thirty yards behind, and as Jack reined in, and turned to help his brother, the bulls lowered, their horns, and in another moment or two they would have been trampled and gored, perhaps killed; but just as the great s.h.a.ggy animals were upon them, the dogs made their attack, Pompey, Caesar, and Cra.s.sus each seizing a bull by the lip, while Rough'un kept up a furious barking as he tore at the various animals' heels.

The effect was magical upon the buffaloes, which tossed their heads furiously in the air, and dislodging their a.s.sailants, turned and rushed off, with the dogs now biting their heels or leaping viciously at their flanks, all attack now being changed to flight.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

"OOMPH! OOMPH! OOMPH!"

"Are you much hurt, d.i.c.k?" cried Jack anxiously, as he knelt on one knee by his brother.

"No, I think not," panted d.i.c.k, opening his eyes. "I came over all giddy, and couldn't sit my horse. Did he throw me?"

"No: you fell."

"But where are the buffaloes?"

"Yonder they go," replied Jack. "Don't you hear the dogs? There, lean on me, and let's walk in to the camp."

"Oh, no," cried d.i.c.k. "I'm better now."

"No, no; don't try to mount."