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Title: The Rogue Elephant
The Boys' Big Game Series
Author: Elliott Whitney
Illustrator: Fred J. Arting
Release Date: May 12, 2008 [EBook #25450]
Language: English
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The Boys' Big Game Series
THE ROGUE ELEPHANT
The
Boys'
Big
Game
Series
[Illustration]
=THE GIANT MOOSE.= The monarch of the big
Northwest; a story told over camp fires in the
reek of cedar smoke and the silence of the
barrens.
=THE WHITE TIGER OF NEPAL.= The weird story of
the man-killer of the foothills. Tinged with
the mysticism of India, dramatic and stirring.
=THE BLIND LION OF THE CONGO.= A story of the
least known part of the earth and its most
feared beast. A gripping tale of the land of
the white pigmies.
=THE KING BEAR OF KADIAK ISLAND.= A tale of the
bully of the Frozen North and his mysterious
guardian. A game-and-man-story that makes a
good boy-story.
=THE ROGUE ELEPHANT.= A big game hunt that
leads into strange lands and stranger
adventures in a real big game country.
_Remarkable covers and four-color jackets.
Illustrations and cover designs by Dan Sayre
Groesbeck_
Price 60 cents each
Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago
[Illustration: It seemed that the great beast was towering over him,
reaching for him with that terrible trunk. Then he drew a careful bead
on the left fore-shoulder.]
THE ROGUE ELEPHANT
BY
ELLIOTT WHITNEY
Illustrated by Fred J. Arting
The Reilly & Britton Co.
Chicago
COPYRIGHT, 1913
by
THE REILLY & BRITTON CO.
THE ROGUE ELEPHANT
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I A CHANCE "OUT" 9
II OFF FOR THE FRONT 21
III QUILQUA THE MYSTERIOUS 33
IV MAKING READY 46
V THE FIRST HUNT 59
VI MOUNT KENIA 71
VII ELEPHANT 83
VIII A RECONNAISSANCE 95
IX INTO THE UNKNOWN 108
X MOWBRAY'S END 120
XI THE DESERT TREK 133
XII A DESERTED LAND 145
XIII A DESPERATE BATTLE 158
XIV THE LAKE OF MYSTERY 170
XV "UNDER THE LEFT GATE-POST" 182
XVI SELIM SHOWS HIS TEETH 194
XVII FRESH SPOOR 206
XVIII LOST! 218
XIX THE ROGUE ELEPHANT 230
XX THE BACK TRAIL 242
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
It seemed that the great beast was towering
over him, reaching for him with that terrible
trunk. Then he drew a careful bead on the
left fore-shoulder. _Frontispiece_
Everything else was forgotten in the novel
method of riding. _Page 54_
For the man, just as he relapsed into unconsciousness,
murmured four words:
"Help--me debbil man!" _Page 118_
One slash of the knife, and out trickled a
little stream of yellow grains into the brown
fist of the explorer. _Page 192_
The Rogue Elephant
CHAPTER I
A CHANCE "OUT"
"You are so crazy as a loon! Boys? Boys to such a drip dake? Nein!"
Von Hofe excitedly pounded the table until the attendants at the
Explorers' Club stared. Then he leaned back determinedly and lighted his
meerschaum. The lean, bronzed man who sat opposite pushed away his maps
with a smile.
"You misunderstand, von Hofe. I know both these boys personally and
vouch for them. You have agreed that this is to be no milk-and-water
trip, with hundreds of porters bearing bath tubs and toilet water, but
that we shall live off the land as we go. That right?"
The German nodded amid a cloud of smoke.
"You want me to take you into the elephant country and shoot your
specimens. I have agreed to do this. I know Africa and I can do it. You
are paying the expenses of the trip, but that is immaterial. If we
hitch up, von Hofe, it will be on the understanding that I am in command
of this expedition; that I choose those I want to go along, and that you
are with me to prepare your specimens and nothing else. Now you can take
it or leave it--that's final."
The elderly German paused before replying, the two men searching each
other's faces quietly. As most people have it, the famous Dr. Gross von
Hofe was a "taxidermist." The average "stuffer," the man who simply
covers and replaces the bones of the specimen with excelsior or cotton,
is properly named taxidermist, but von Hofe was an artist, known the
world over for his wonderful work. In various museums of the world you
may see his models, signed like the masterpieces of other artists, of
rare and disappearing animals from the distant quarters of the earth,
frozen in action, with the setting of the trees, grass, sand or water of
their native haunts.
The other, somewhat younger than the famous artist in skin and bone, was
an American of German descent--Louis Schoverling. He was one of that
little class of world-wanderers, who have barely enough money to carry
them about the earth's strange places, hunting and exploring, gradually
pushing the frontier of civilization back into the savage quarters of
the world, and most happy when self-dependent and forced to rely on gun
or hook for a day's meal.
So when Dr. von Hofe was commissioned by two celebrated museums to visit
East Africa and secure for each a family group of elephants--tusker
bull, calf, and cow--it was natural that he should come to the New York
Explorers' Club for a helper and guide. There he had picked on Louis
Schoverling--or "the General," as his fellow-explorers had laughingly
dubbed him after the failure of a certain South American revolution--to
take him to the tuskers. Dr. von Hofe was not a hunter and he knew it.
So Schoverling had agreed to go, not for the money in the trip, but for
the excitement of it.
"I see," returned the big German at last, "why your comrades call you
'the General.' You are right. You shall take whom you like, und if I say
you are crazy as a loon, it makes no difference. You are satisfied?"
"Quite," laughed the American. "When do we start?"
"Three weeks from to-day," returned the other, whose English was perfect
save in moments of excitement. "I have a group to finish for the
Metropolitan here. Then we go."
"All right. I'll meet you up here three weeks from to-day, with my
friends, at twelve sharp."
Such was the interesting prelude to the letter which came to Charlie
Collins at Calgary, Canada, five days later. Charlie was one of the boys
whom the General had proposed to take with him to Africa. Born in Nova
Scotia, he had tramped his way across the continent at the age of
seventeen, when his father died. Catching the Peace River fever he had
made his way back to Calgary, then up to Peace River Landing, where he
went to work to make enough money to turn homesteader. At this juncture
Schoverling had met him while on a hunting trip. The General had become
keenly interested in the boy, whose ambitions were high. Charlie was
accustomed to depending on himself, which caught the explorer's fancy.
He had knocked the homesteading notion out of Charlie's head and got him
a position at Calgary, where he was now learning the trade of
electrician.
So when Charlie walked into the office on that Saturday morning and
found a bulky letter from the Explorers' Club, he tore it open in keen
anticipation. For five minutes he stood reading in amazement; then he
uttered a yell that brought the eyes of the office force down on him,
and rushed to the paymaster's desk.
"Give me my time, Mr. Clarke!" he cried, his gray eyes and pleasant,
healthy face denoting high excitement. "I've got to quit right off!"
"What's the matter? Fallen heir to a million?" laughed the man behind
the window, who was used to his men quitting at a moment's notice.
"Better than that! Jumping sandhills! I'm going to Africa!" almost
shouted the boy, as he grabbed his pay envelope and put for the door.
"Hey! Better take your hat!" shouted some one, and Charlie made a quick
return for his forgotten headgear, then vanished. When he found himself
in his boarding-house room with the door locked, he flung off his coat
and settled down to read over once more the wonderful letter. It was
written in the customary vein of the explorer--as if he was talking to
his reader.
"_My dear Charlie_:--
"_Draw your time and beat it for New York. Meet me at the Explorers'
Club at noon of the 22nd. Bring Jack Sawtooth ditto. You don't know him
but you will soon. We're going to Africa--sail the night of the 22nd, so
hump yourself, old man!_
"_First for the expedition. Remember asking me once why all explorers
couldn't live off the land, as we did up the Mackenzie that winter? I
said then that it could be done, and you're going to help prove me right
in Africa. We're going to hunt elephant--not where you get them driven
up while you sit in a camp-chair, either. We're going after bulls,
rogues, the big fellows who live solitary, soured on life in general. We
have to get two at least, for museums._
"_Never mind an outfit. Don't need your snowshoes, of course. Jack will
bring some knee-high moosehide moccasins--no machine-made junk, either.
I'm getting the guns. Bring six of those Canadian lynx or fox steel
traps. Can't seem to find 'em here, and they'll be useful._
"_Have wired and written Sawtooth. He's a quarter-breed--hold on, old
scout! Wait till he looks you up; Sunday, I expect. Jack is seventeen,
looks like a white--and is white clear through. Next to you he's the
hardiest and gamest ever. Got me skinned a mile on the trail. Educated
at the Mission School. You'll like him. He's not sensitive on his blood,
but rather proud of it._"
Charlie paused and grinned to himself. He did not share the prejudice of
a "tenderfoot" against the half-breeds. He knew well enough that as in
any race a good, manly Cree or Salteaux was rather above the average
white man in point of character.
"_Jack has to get down from Mirror Landing, so give him a couple of
days' leeway. You have plenty of time, I judge. Better fetch H. B. C.
blankets; nights are cold in Africa, and we might strike into the
mountains. The trip doesn't promise any more than expenses, but there is
always a chance that we can trade or clean up on a bit of ivory. Once we
get together we can go over the route and all that. However, the
experience is worth while, and it's the best kind of an education. If we
pull out ahead of the game you may have a stake to start in some kind of
business for yourself._
"_Check enclosed to cover expenses to New York. Don't buy any gold
bricks when you strike Broadway! And don't let Jack scalp anyone on
board the Overland._
"_Yours in haste,_
"_Louis Schoverling._"
Charlie slowly folded up the letter and stared out of the window for a
moment.
"Jumping sandhills!" he murmured softly, and turned to where "the
General" hung framed on his wall. "What a prince of a friend you are to
a fellow! I guess I'll give you a bit of a surprise myself, just the
same!"
Eight months before, when Schoverling had gone "out," as the saying is
up there, he had left Charlie in Calgary. The boy had little knowledge
of the ways of the city, but after parting with his new-found friend he
had thrown himself into his new life, grimly determined that he would
make good. And he had. In the day he had worked at his new trade, in the
evening he had plugged away at night-school, making up for lost time. He
had doffed his flannel shirt and timber boots for the garb of the city,
and as he looked at himself in the glass that morning he grinned again.
The next day Jack Sawtooth showed up, tired out, fresh from the
wilderness. He had received the General's telegram three days before,
had not stopped for the letter following, but had said farewell to his
father and joined a freight sledge down to Athabasca Landing, to seek
out Charlie at Calgary.
"Glad to meet you," exclaimed Charlie when his visitor was dubiously
announced by his landlady. The Cree boy was lithe, straight as an arrow,
open-browed and keen of eye, with none of the somber gravity of his
Indian blood. "I hardly thought you'd get here so quickly."
"I didn't know what was up," smiled Jack. "Say, this is a neat little
room! Where did you get the bead-work? Why, you must be an old-timer!
Mr. Schoverling has not written me very often, and only mentioned you a
few times."
"I've knocked around quite a bit," admitted Charlie, glancing at the
Indian bead-work and the pictures of camp and trail that hung on his
wall. "Don't you know where we're going?"
The other shook his head.
"We're going elephant hunting in Africa," laughed Charlie. Jack stared
at him.
"Africa? Say, Collins, don't try to give me heart-failure that way! What
is it now, honest?"
"You wait," chuckled Charlie, bringing out the explorer's letter and
reading over all that related to the trip. Not until Jack had set eyes
on it himself would he believe that Charlie was in earnest. Then he sat
back and stared again.
"Me--in Africa! Great Scott, am I dreaming or just crazy? Does he mean
it?"
Charlie produced the good-sized check in evidence, and Jack's amazement
soon gave way to calm acceptance of the situation.
"Then we'll go to Africa, unless I wake up and find myself snowed in
somewhere along the trap line. When do we go?"
"Catch the Overland to-night, if you're ready," returned Charlie
promptly. Jack gave a single glance at the other's neat clothing and
shook his head.
"Not much. I got enough attention coming through town," and he pointed
to the jack he had deposited in the corner. "Look here, Chuck," he fell
readily into the common abbreviation for Charlie then prevalent, "you
fit me out with a rig like yours, in the morning. You know the ropes and
I don't. Then I'll pack up those heavy moccasins I brought along and we
can take the train to-morrow night. No great rush, is there?"
"Guess not," grinned Charlie, inwardly delighted at the good sense of
his new comrade. "But we'll probably get an outfit in New York. Look
here, Jack, I got a new suit of rough tweed last week, and won't need it
now. If you don't mind, you could have that as well as not. We're built
about the same. Hang on to the hickory shirt, though. We'll probably use
'em. In the meantime I've got enough reg'lar shirts to hold us, and we
can dig out on the train to-night if you say."
"Suits me," answered Jack, beaming. "I'm much obliged, old man, for
helping me out! Now I'll have to drop dad a note telling him about it,
and can write him later from the train. Got any paper handy?"
With much interest Charlie watched the other scribble a hasty note in
weird-looking characters. Jack explained that his father could read the
Cree writing-language invented by Bishop Grouard, but not English. The
more Charlie saw of his new friend, the better he liked him, and the two
boys soon fell into a close friendship that was destined to be tested by
land and sea, in more ways than either of them imagined.
"Dad will have a fit when he reads that," laughed Jack. "He'd trust me
anywhere with Mr. Schoverling, though. They used to know each other when
Schoverling was in the Hudsons Bay Company, years ago. Where'll you cash
that check?"
"Hotel," returned Charlie. "They know me at the Alberta."
Jack was soon fixed up with "store clothes," the traps and moccasins
were packed in two grips, Charlie arranged with his landlady to pack up
his stuff and store it for him, and that night the two went
"out"--aboard the Limited that would bear them across the continent.
CHAPTER II
OFF FOR THE FRONT
The enthusiastic boys reached New York long before the three weeks were
up, but the General--as they came to call him, like everyone else--was
not in evidence. He had left letters for them at the Explorers' Club,
however, and had arranged for them to get a room there until his
arrival.
At two minutes to twelve some days later he stepped out of the elevator
and entered the library, where Charlie and Jack were waiting in no
little dismay. The meeting was a joyful one all around.
"Me?" laughed the General, in answer to their rapid-fire questions. "Oh,
I've been in Washington, getting some letters to pave the way for us.
But where's von Hofe? He was to meet us at noon."
"Well, is he not here?" came a heavy voice from behind, and von Hofe
entered with a broad smile on his bearded face. "You did not say five
minutes before the hour, or one minute after the hour, so that I came
on the hour--ach! Let go mine hant! I am a man, not a wood or stone
image!"
Neither Charlie nor Jack had known, of course, who was behind the
expedition, for the General had omitted any mention of von Hofe in his
haste. But as it chanced, Charlie had been reading an article that
morning which described the wonderful work done by von Hofe, and his
contributions to science. So, when Schoverling introduced him, the
astonished Charlie let out his accustomed expression, as he shook hands.
"Jumping sandhills! Are you the chap I was reading about this
morning--the man who makes photos and sketches of animals before they're
shot an' then mounts 'em the same way? Was it you who swiped the skin of
a sacred white elephant out o' Siam, an'--"
"Ach, what liars these newspapers are!" But the steel-blue eyes twinkled
forth from beneath the bushy yellow-gray brows, and Charlie's heart
leaped as he realized that this great man must be going with them.
"You are not such foolish looking boys," decided the German, nodding his
head. "Herr Schoverling, they haf the look in the eyes, the look of the
dependable-upon men. I apologize. You are not crazy as a loon. Now we
haf much to talk over, and we are hungry, I hope?"
"We certainly are," smiled the General, leading the way toward a private
dining room which was reserved for them. Jack whispered delightedly in
his friend's ear as they followed, "You catch-um that beard?"
Charlie grinned at the Chinook expression and nodded.
"He's a peach, Jack! Say, we're goin' to have the time of our lives,
believe me!"
Luncheon was devoted to story-telling. Schoverling related tales of his
adventures when he had joined the H. B. C. in Canada as a boy, serving
his four years; the doctor jovially gave the story of certain adventures
in South Africa, and Jack chipped in with a relation of Indian legend
from the far north, relating to the mammoths which were said to be still
alive somewhere in the frozen regions. This last, which was backed up by
the explorer, interested von Hofe immensely; but at length the meal was
done with, the table cleared, and they were alone with their coffee.
Schoverling drew forth a huge map, which he spread out on the table. On
it was a route heavily marked in red ink, and he pointed to this as he
spoke.
"I got this map from a friend of mine, in Washington at present, who was
up there last year stealing ivory. It's not considered at all bad, boys,
among a certain class of hunters, to make a raid into the protected
regions and loot all the tusks they can get. Well, this is the latest
map of British East Africa, divested of all that is thrown in by chaps
who like to fill up blank spaces with names.
"Down here south and east of Lake Rudolph, you see, is the Northern Game
Preserve. It is more or less indefinite, extending up to the Abyssinian
border. This chap I'm speaking of went dead across it, as you can see.
Incidentally, he landed in Abyssinia, which is another story.
"Now, Dr. von Hofe and I have secured permits to get the beasts we are
after for scientific purposes. Coming back to the Uganda Railway, here
is Nairobi, you see. We'll go just where this friend of mine went--on to
Nakuro, then up to the Leikipia hills and through them into the Game
Preserve--"
"To Abyssinia?" cried Charlie, leaning forward "Are we going--"
"We are nod," interrupted von Hofe, his deep voice roaring through his
meerschaum smoke. "You will keep very still, if you please!"
Charlie was undecided whether to resent it or not, until he caught a
wink from Jack and his quick anger was dissipated instantly.
"No," smiled the General, "we need not fear to return through British
territory, for our permits are pretty general. Now let's get back to
this map. Here is Mt. Marsabit, straight north of Kenia. Midway between
the two we will branch off my friend's route and go over toward the
Lorian Swamp. That's unknown country, except to the ivory raiders, and
they keep their mouths shut; but that's where the elephants are.
"Does that suit you, Doctor? We could stick closer to civilization, of
course, but we wouldn't get the big bulls. Besides, I'd like to do a bit
of exploring in there. Some mighty queer yarns have come out of that
country lately."
The big Teuton emitted a dense cloud of smoke before answering.
"You are not to worry about suiting me, my friend. What I want is bulls,
such bulls as have never come to this country. Perhaps I will change my
mind and go to the North Pole for those mammoth. Ach, what a thing! To
bring a mammoth down, skin him, photograph him, mount him for the
Smithsonian! What more could a man want?"
"Bosh!" exclaimed the General. "That's all been exploded long ago. Now,
we're going to cut out the usual gang of porters and chiefs. I guess we
can get along from village to village well enough. Bring those traps and
moccasins, boys?"
"They're up in our rooms," answered Jack. "How about clothes?"
"All gone on board ship," smiled Schoverling. Charlie had already noted
his appreciative glance at their first meeting, and Jack was now feeling
quite at home in his new garments.
They were going from New York straight to Alexandria on a steamer of a
Greek line, which would give the boys a brief glimpse of Athens en
route. At Alexandria they would pick up an East Coast steamer to
Mombasa.
With this the discussion was closed, but Charlie and Jack put forth an
eager question as to their armament, which they had more than once
discussed in wild anticipation. The General smiled, comprehending their
eagerness.
"The doctor has absolutely refused to touch a gun from start to finish,
boys, so that puts it up to us. I had everything we would need. There is
a double-barrelled 500-405 Holland for each of us--which of course we
won't use on anything but elephants. Two of them are mine, and one was
loaned me for the trip. For ordinary use we will carry our 30-30s, and a
number twelve shotgun. Those, with a suit case each, make up all our
luggage. Any trunks, Doctor?"
"Trunks?" The blond German glared over his beard in surprise. "Would I
preserve elephant hide with air? No, but I have eleven cases of
chemicals, which you must take."
"Very well--that will make about twenty porters," commented the explorer
quietly. "I think we'll have a mighty interesting time if we carry out
my original program of living off the country. Anything more to settle?"
As nothing more seemed to present itself, the meeting was declared
adjourned. Von Hofe shook hands with the boys, put away his big pipe,
and retired to write some letters. As both Charlie and Jack had seen all
of New York that they cared about, Mr. Schoverling spent the afternoon
at the club with them, showing and explaining the cases full of savage
arms, relics and curios which had been contributed by the explorers and
scientists who formed the club. He introduced them to many of its famous
members, a few of whom they had already met while waiting for him. It
was an informal, cosy place, and during their stay the boys enjoyed
themselves immensely.
As the news spread about of the General's proposed trip, a number of men
who had been in Africa promptly carried all three off to the library and
there ensued a high discussion. Most of them flatly declared that living
on the land might be possible, but that moccasins and traps were absurd.
"But why?" laughed the General. "You fellows wear puttees and leather
breeches to keep dry, and safe from scratches or snakes. Moccasins are
equally as good, especially high ones like ours, and a whole lot more
comfortable. You chaps who go in for big game with all the comforts of
home don't know what real work is like!"
This good-natured taunt happened to hit most of those around, and the
situation looked stormy until a little, awkward-looking man strolled up
and joined in.
"Nonsense!" His irritated voice shrilled high above the rest. "Shut up,
you fools! Why, what do you know about East Africa? When I tramped from
Fort Rosebury to Kituta in my bare hide I got nothing worse than
mosquito bites, and I've had to make moccasins many a time or go
barefoot. I'm leaving this afternoon for Africa; how many of you chaps
want to go with me? Don't all speak at once, please."
Charlie stared, expecting to see the little, bitter-tongued man mobbed.
But to his vast surprise not a word was said, and the dilettante hunters
faded away one by one. The little man turned to Schoverling with a
bristling laugh of delight.
"See 'em run, General? Going in, I hear."
"Boys, I'd like to have you meet Mr. Mowbray," said the explorer,
introducing the two. "You aren't going to British territory, I suppose?"
"Never you mind, my son," snapped the little man. "Give me back my map.
Just got in from Washington an hour ago, and leave in another hour. I'll
need that map worse than you will--got wind of something big."
As Schoverling pulled out the folded map and handed it over, Mowbray
lowered his voice.
"I'll beat you there by some time, old boy, but I'll be around. Let you
in on it, if I can't handle it. Good-looking boys, there. Keep your ears
open for a nigger who says 'Me debbil man.' You can trust him. Got to
go, General. Mighty glad to have met you, boys--see you later, maybe.
Besselama!"
"Jumping sandhills!" ejaculated Charlie. "Who's he? A grand mogul around
here? What's that last word mean?"
"Arabic for 'so-long,'" smiled the General.
"What made 'em all shut up when he handed it to them?" inquired Jack
curiously.
"That's the chap, of course, who lent me the map, boys." And the General
spoke very seriously. "You must never repeat what he said to a soul, or
mention his name. In British Africa they have hunted him for years, by
regiments; there's a price on his head of some thousands of pounds, and
he's slipped into and out of the country whenever he liked. He's
defeated the Somali troops and even the white regulars time and again,
and no one knows how he gets into the ivory country. He does it for
sheer love of the game, for he has a fortune of his own."
"You mean," asked the puzzled and wondering Charlie, "that he's one of
the ivory raiders?"
"He's _the_ ivory raider of them all," nodded Schoverling, "and the
biggest man in the club here. For all his scornful words, not a man
there but would bite off his tongue sooner than repeat that Mowbray was
starting for Africa to-day. Why, the British would pay a thousand pounds
for those half-dozen words! Now just forget it, boys."
Forget it! It was a long time before Charlie ever forgot the sight of
that little man, and the time came when he was to remember him more
vividly still, as was Jack also. Neither of them gave any thought to the
muttered "Me debbil man." If Schoverling did, he betrayed no inkling of
it through his bronzed mask of a face.
That night they were aboard the steamer. During the days that followed
Charlie enjoyed every minute of the time, as did Jack also. But they
were both accustomed to hard work, and the luxuries of civilization,
where everything was done for them, soon grew monotonous. When they had
gone over their beloved guns, oiling every inch, and received
instructions for the use of the few simple medicines taken along, there
was little to do except to read up on Africa, which labor they threw
themselves into gladly.
They saw little of von Hofe on the way over, for he was busy on some
chemical experiments; but the day before they reached Gibraltar a
strange odor, which permeated the whole ship, drew down on him the wrath
of the captain, after which the big Teuton abandoned his beloved
mixtures.
The whole voyage to Port Said was uneventful in actual happenings. But
at Port Said they went aboard the _Mombasa_, and off Aden they had the
pleasure of meeting the gentlemanly Selim ben Amoud, and of first
hearing of the Magic Lake and its mysterious Rogue Elephant guardian.
CHAPTER III
QUILQUA THE MYSTERIOUS
He was a suave, polished, open-shirted Arab, who appeared the morning
after they had left Port Said and the Suez far behind, and who smiled at
Louis Schoverling with the air of old acquaintance. The American sprang
up with extended hand.
"Why, Selim! I had no idea you were aboard!"
"Neither had the authorities at Port Said," rejoined the Arab softly.
The explorer raised his eyebrows, and Jack nudged Charlie significantly.
A moment later they were being introduced, and von Hofe was explaining
the object of their journey.
"It should interest Mr. ben Amoud," smiled the General, "as he is one of
the largest Arab dealers in ivory--and other things--on the Coast."
Selim, much to Charlie's surprise, spoke fluent English, enjoyed his
cigar as much as did the explorer, and was not as swarthy as their
Italian captain. He sat quietly beneath the awning, his wide hat shading
his face, and would easily have been taken for a German or Boer, with
his flowing beard and European clothes. Most of the Arabs on board wore
the burnous and sandals, and Charlie wondered if there were any reason
behind this European garb.
The trader heard of their expedition, and gravely complimented von Hofe
on his work, of which he spoke with some knowledge, until the doctor
beamed genially.
After a pause Selim turned to Schoverling. "Much has happened in the two
years since I last saw you. You have not, by any chance, heard of one
who calls himself 'Me debbil man'?"
Charlie started, but Jack, his deep black eyes suddenly afire, gripped
his arm. Von Hofe stared, and the Arab gazed at Schoverling, whose face
never changed.
"Yes," replied the explorer, quietly. "We are all friends of his."
The Arab's gaze darted to one of the deck-hands, lounging on the rail
near by. Charlie saw ben Amoud rise, step to the man's side, and hiss
something. The man looked startled; then his face changed and he slunk
away. Selim, his narrow eyes glittering, returned to his deck-chair and
settled himself comfortably.
"Now we can talk, my friends. Mr. Schoverling, have you ever heard of
Lake Quilqua?"
The American looked puzzled. "Can't say I remember the name, Selim.
Where is it?"
"Ah, many men have asked that question!" and Selim's white teeth shone.
Charlie stole a glance at Jack. His dreams of the mysterious East were
being rapidly realized! "No one has ever answered it, however. It is one
of those odd native yarns that are generally founded on fact, though you
white men disbelieve them. Here it is for you:
"Two years ago rumors began to drift to certain of us that somewhere,
far down from the Abyssinian border in that desolate land north of the
Lorian Swamp, there was a lake. The tale was given me in fuller form by
one of my own Arabs who had got lost and found his way out to die,
crazed and raving of horrible things, only a few months ago.
"This lake, it seems, is fed by underground springs--hot springs, that
spout up and fall like fountains on the water; its outlet is also by an
underground river, so that the lake lies, sweltering in the sun and
surrounded by desert and jungle and marsh, where no people live."
Ben Amoud turned to the calmly interested German. "You, Doctor von Hofe,
are a scientist. Granted such a body of water, at an average temperature
of ninety to a hundred degrees Fahrenheit; would animal life in it and
near it be liable to any change in average size?"
The big man stroked his beard reflectively, pulling at his pipe.
"Possibly," he admitted at length. "But only one way. If animal life
could exist at such a temperature, it would perhaps be much larger than
elsewhere. For instance, a buffalo lives much in the water. In such a
place as that, a buffalo's great-grandchildren would be larger, and so
on through succeeding generations, each a little larger. Yes, it iss
possible--but nod probable."
"Do you mean," cried Charlie, unable to repress his eagerness, "that
there are giant animals there?"
The Arab smiled and waved his hand. "It is but a tale, remember. See, I
have heard that in this lake are great serpents of monstrous size. That,
as our friend has just said, there are such buffalo there as were never
seen, and that evil spirits dwell on an island near the reed-encircled
shore. But there is one thing more, that might interest you; indeed, it
was my reason for telling you the story.
"Not only the wandering natives, but my own Arab, have raved of a
tremendous elephant, a rogue, who dwells near there. He is said to be of
great size, very wicked, and cursed by Allah with the desire to fight
men. His size is said to be that of a mountain--and in truth I doubt if
any man has ever seen him and lived to tell of it. There, my friends,
would be a conquest worthy of your skill!"
Von Hofe grunted, but Charlie saw that his blue eyes were never off the
face of the Arab. Jack sat listening with all his ears.
"What's a 'rogue'?" he asked.
"Wait till you see one and you won't need to ask. A rogue is a big bull
elephant who's broken away from his herd and lives by himself in the
jungle. He's usually a man-fighter, and doesn't think anything of
attacking a whole herd of elephants. He's an outlaw, and he's a bad
citizen to meet.
"But I hardly think, Selim," continued the General with a smile, "that
we will penetrate to such a place. All we wish is a couple of very large
bulls; the others of the groups can be picked up nearer home, but it is
essential that we get magnificent tuskers."
"And I have told you where to get the best of all tuskers," rejoined
Selim seriously. "There is some foundation for such a tale, believe me.
I am not at liberty to tell you more, but perhaps you, Mr. Schoverling,
could imagine a friend of yours who would be very likely to try the
truth of the yarn."
Charlie's quick eyes roved from face to face. He had not fought with the
world for most of his life and emerged unable to read men's faces, young
as he was; and he knew enough of Jack by this time to feel confident
that the other was losing nothing of what went on.
At the Arab's last words a glance flashed between him and the explorer.
Von Hofe was frankly puzzled over these references to an unknown
person, but he asked no questions, wisely. It was the explorer who
finally spoke.
"Yes, I can imagine such a man, Selim. But we are in no way connected
with him, nor are we acting in conjunction with him. He told me, the day
he left New York, that he had something big on hand, and would perhaps
meet me later."
The Arab smiled slightly and tossed his cigar over the rail. Charlie had
jumped at the conclusion that they spoke of Mowbray, the ivory raider,
when Selim had first uttered the catch-phrase or password. At
Schoverling's reply he knew that he had been right, and watched eagerly
for more.
But the conversation shifted to other things, and during the morning
there was no more said of the mysterious lake. The two boys got off by
themselves and discussed the matter, but arrived nowhere.
"Prob'ly Mowbray is making a try for that Quilqua business," concluded
Jack sagely. "It sounds mighty good to me, old boy?"
"Here too," agreed Charlie. "But Selim laid it on too thick, with sea
serpents and elephants like mountains. Bet a dollar to a pine chip that
he had some axe to grind with the General. You wait and see."
"Mebbe," conceded Jack doubtfully. "He's a slick-lookin' proposition,
Chuck. I saw the lines of a gun in his coat pocket, too. He didn't do
much grinding, anyhow. The General didn't fall for his line of talk
worth a cent. Well, let's get back; it's almost time for lunch--or what
do they call it here? Tiff 'em?"
"Tiffin," chuckled his friend; "same's they do in India. There's a heap
of Indians all down the coast, 'cause it's a Mohammedan country an' they
don't lose caste by coming over to work."
All of which explanation was largely lost on Jack. Charlie knew a good
deal of the East Indians, having witnessed most of the Hindu immigrant
riots in western Canada, and he was frankly interested in them as a
race.
When they returned to the after awning they found Selim just saying
good-bye. He was to leave the ship at Ras al Kyle, a port on the Italian
Somaliland coast, and they were nearly due to reach there. So he suavely
bowed himself away, in odd contrast to his Boer-like appearance, and the
boys immediately deluged the General with questions. Dr. von Hofe
rumbled out a laugh.
"Would you prefer my absence, General? I--"
"Nonsense, Doctor!" broke in Schoverling sharply. "Here is all I know,"
and he told the big German of meeting Mowbray, and of the latter's
words.
"So!" drawled von Hofe. "Then, this Selim ben Amoud is who?"
"I have heard that he is the wealthiest Arab on the east coast," replied
the American. "You noticed, I suppose, what he first said?"
Charlie nodded eagerly.
"Privately, I have no doubt that he is a slaver," went on the explorer.
"He has a hand in everything, and is always in hot water with the
British authorities. He was trying to find out whether or not our
expedition had anything to do with that of Mowbray. I have met him
before and we know each other slightly."
"Well," asked Jack, "is Mowbray going to the magic lake?"
The explorer laughed. "Who knows? The whole yarn may be a
bluff--probably is. Selim would like the British to think that
Mowbray's party is merely exploring, and perhaps he thinks we will
spread the news, in which he is mistaken. Or, he may have been honest in
the matter; you can never tell what lies behind his words."
At this Charlie's face fell slightly. He had been intensely interested
in the Arab's tale, and the thought that it was a put-up job did not
appeal to him in the least.
"But wasn't it true?" he inquired, disappointed. "It sounded pretty good
to me!"
"Frankly, Charlie, I don't believe a word of it. You can hear yarns like
that wherever you go, and they usually pan out pretty small--just like
Jack's story of the mammoth up in the north. You noticed the password,
'Me debbil man'? Well, there isn't a particle of doubt in my mind that
Mowbray and Selim are parts of a big underground concern for illicit
trading. I don't for a minute think Mowbray would traffic in slaves, but
of course he's the biggest ivory raider in the game."
"Then it's a sort of conspiracy?" shot out Jack quickly. "Any chance of
our gettin' mixed up in the business?"
"Not a bit of it," asserted the explorer, with a smile at von Hofe.
"I'll answer for that, Jack. Selim is satisfied, and we'll probably
never hear from him or Mowbray again. Our own trip is perfectly fair and
square, the authorities will know everything we do, and we can't afford
to soil our fingers with anything crooked. It doesn't pay."
"That is why," struck in Dr. von Hofe, "I came to you. 'Schoverling,'
they told me, 'he is straight.' It is a good reputation to have, my
friend."
The boys nodded, understanding. A look of gratification crossed the
explorer's face, such gratification as comes to a man when he knows that
he has won the esteem of other men.
"We are not looking for hot water and sea serpents," went on the doctor
with a broad smile at the boys. "We are looking for elephants, let us
remember, please!"
With that, the topic of Lake Quilqua was promptly dropped. At Ras al
Kyle, Selim ben Amoud went ashore--this time wearing sandals and
burnous--and the _Mombasa_ took up her interrupted journey south. But
late that night, as the boys swung into their bunks, Jack gave vent to
his long-repressed thought.
"Chuck, I wish to thunder we were goin' to hunt for that lake!"
"Forget it," advised Charlie. "Von Hofe isn't paying expenses for us to
chase around after sea serpents. Anyhow, Jack, when you come to think it
over it doesn't stand to reason that there's any such place as that.
There's a heap of sense in what the General said. I've heard that Injun
yarn about the mammoths up north; but you know's well as I do that when
it comes down to hard pan there's nothin' to it. Same with this magic
lake."
"Guess you're right," sighed Jack regretfully, turning out the light.
While the boys were turning in, Dr. Gross von Hofe was replying to a
certain question put to him by the General, before they retired.
"Yes, my friend, it could be. Lieutenant Graetz found just such gigantic
buffalo at Lake Bangweolo, and was all but killed by them. He has
promised that I shall mount one, when he is able to undertake a second
expedition to bring home specimens. But elephants and sea
serpents--ach, no! Such a yarn is crazy."
"So crazy as a loon," laughed Schoverling, and said good night.
CHAPTER IV
MAKING READY
"Mombasa!"
Before them lay the picturesque harbor, filled with Arab dhows from
Zanzibar and the Somali ports, tramp steamers, coasters, and a trim
French corvette up from Madagascar. Up above the waters rose the old
Arab city, now a trim English-ruled town of immense trade, while behind
all shimmered the vivid green of trees.
"Dandy sight, isn't it!" and the boys turned to find Schoverling at
their side, with the doctor. "That old town used to have a sultan, as
Zanzibar has, and a gay pirate life was led along the east coast in the
days of Captain Kidd. Portugal captured the place, but the Arabs drove
her out again. Now England is making Mombasa into a mighty big trading
center, and as the Uganda Railway taps the Cape-to-Cairo, which is about
done, things are going to boom."
Charlie and Jack had seen considerable of the cosmopolitan aspect of
Port Said, although they had had no time to visit Alexandria, but here
was something entirely new to them. As they passed through the streets
to the Mombasa Club they were surrounded by English officers in neat
uniforms, by Somali and other native troops, by Arabs in fez and
burnous, and above all by Indians. Hindus and Mohammedans alike moved
through the streets, some wearing the fez, others the turban; there were
Sikhs and Gurkhas, lordly Brahmins who disdained to touch the Europeans
with their garments, and those of the lower castes who were equally
particular.
"I was reading the other day," said Charlie, "that the Indians were
swarming over here by the shipload, and this certainly looks like it!"
Louis Schoverling brushed aside the would-be native guides, and led the
party direct to the Mombasa Club, where they were soon comfortably
ensconced. Barely had they arrived when a bronzed, trim Englishman
sought out the explorer.
"Mr. Schoverling?" he inquired. "I am Inspector Harrington. The governor
heard that you and Doctor von Hofe came in on the _Mombasa_, and he
detailed me to look after you. He was anxious to see you in person, as
our embassador at Washington had written him, but he was called up
country yesterday."
"That is very good of you," returned the explorer, introducing his
party. "I was assured at Washington that you would have our permits for
us."
"They are ready at the Government House," said the inspector. "We are
anxious to extend every courtesy to you and Doctor von Hofe, of course.
You won't do any trading?"
"Frankly, I don't expect to. We are here to procure specimens and
nothing else. But if I could pick up any ivory on my own hook, I suppose
it would be all right?"
"With you, yes," smiled Harrington. "Men like you and Selous and
Cuninghame can be accepted at the standard of gentlemen. Unfortunately,
there are some who cannot. Now, how about porters and so on?"
"We'll take about twenty-five porters," answered the explorer
carelessly. At this the Englishman sat up.
"My word! Are you spoofin' me or what? Twenty-five porters! Why,
Roosevelt had two hundred, to say nothing of askaris, saises, tent
boys, and the rest!"
Smiling, Schoverling and von Hofe explained their plan of action.
Harrington's amazement grew into settled doubt that such a march was
possible, for although a remarkably fine young officer, he was decidedly
conservative.
"We are all used to doing things for ourselves," concluded the explorer.
"The doctor is less used to the trail, but he can wash his own dishes
and things right enough, and we'll do the shooting."
"Well, it's your expedition," returned Harrington, "and not mine. But
how do you expect to send back the skins with such a small safari?"
"Safari" was the term used for caravan, and was usually applied to the
entire expedition, who instead of being on the march, were said to be
"on safari."
"There is where I want your help," said Schoverling. "We will camp at
the nearest possible point to Mt. Kenia and let the doctor make what
sketches he desires. There we will kill the cows and calves and send
back their skins. For this purpose we can pick up porters on the spot,
but I must have three or four reliable men to bring them back. Also, I
want a good cook who can act as a sort of major-domo over the men at
each place."
Harrington pulled out his notebook and jotted down the requirements
methodically. Then he rose and shook hands all around.
"As a member of the Club," he told the explorer, "you need no cicerone.
You will take the morning train? Well, I will meet you here at eight
o'clock with your men. Good-bye!"
For the remainder of the day they rested. Schoverling departed to see
that their cases were placed aboard the train safely, while the boys
rambled around town with the doctor. The latter had been in Mombasa
before, but to-day his head was full of the expedition.
Instead of the great quantity of salt usually taken along to cure hides,
he was using a strong chemical powder of his own invention, which could
be dissolved in water, and thus be greatly diffused. His fifteen cases
comprised not only a sufficient supply of this, but also the medicines
which were likely to be necessary.
It had been found that a certain supply of provisions would have to be
taken along, but Schoverling was well satisfied when it was found that
evening that twenty-five porters would be sufficient for all. Their
tents were small sleeping-tents, and two porters could carry the lot
with ease.
That evening they had a long talk with Piet Andrus, a Boer merchant of
the city. He very strongly advised them to procure ox-wagons at Nakuro
and to proceed north with them.
"I do not know the country up north of the Guasa Nyero," he said, "but I
can see no reason why oxen could not be used. It would save porter hire
and be more reliable. If you lost them, for any reason, you could always
hire porters. I am going up on the same train with you, and if you like,
would be glad to pick out seasoned beasts."
After a brief discussion it was decided to take both porters and wagons
as far as the first camp, and then send back the porters with the skins
taken there.
In the morning Harrington arrived, followed by a group of men. These, it
proved, were all Indians who had been in the British army and in Africa
for years. They salaamed at the verandah steps.
"First your cook and general manager," smiled the inspector. "Gholab
Singh!"
A strapping Gurkha stepped out and saluted. Charlie liked his manner at
once.
"Gholab Singh," said Schoverling promptly, "are you willing to serve me
faithfully and follow wherever I lead?"
"I am, sahib," returned the other in a quiet, confident voice.
"Then you will cook for us, and will be in charge of the safari under my
orders. The pay shall be as the inspector sahib has agreed with you. Is
it well?"
"It is well, sahib."
Harrington then brought up the gun-bearers--two Gurkhas and a stalwart
Sikh. The last, Guru, the General chose for himself as personal
attendant. To Charlie was alloted Amir Ali, and to Jack, Akram Das. All
three were faithful and highly recommended by the inspector. The four
remaining, one an Arab half-caste, two Somali, and one a Gurkha, were to
take charge of the safari under Gholab Singh, and to return with the
skins as obtained.
At the railroad station Gholab Singh was given money for the tickets and
food en route, and the men vanished into one of the tiny carriages.
Special arrangements had been made in honor of Schoverling and the
doctor, however, and as the weather was fine they were to travel on a
wide seat fastened across the cow-catcher, which held four with comfort.
The boys took their places with some misgivings, but found the seat
comfortable enough.
Inspector Harrington now waved them farewell, with assurances that all
had been arranged for their comfort on the trip, which would take two
days. Andrus, they knew, was on board, and had that morning wired ahead
to his traders to prepare teams and wagons. In fact, the general
courtesy with which they met both surprised and delighted the two boys.
"They seem to do things just to please you," exclaimed Jack happily, as
he gave a last wave to Harrington and the train started. "Are they as
hospitable and obliging as this all the time, General?"
[Illustration: Everything else was forgotten in the novel method of
riding.]
"Those we meet are, Jack. But you must remember that we are a special
party, and that most of these men, who are big men themselves, consider
it an honor to assist the doctor, here. That chap Harrington, for
instance, just got in from two years up-country. He had charge of some
three hundred square miles of absolutely savage country, and with a
dozen Somalis kept order and law enforced. Andrus is another real man,
and real men are above smallness."
As the train pulled out everything else was forgotten in the novel
method of riding. The boys already knew that on each side of the
railroad was a great game reserve, but on the first day's trip they saw
nothing save one or two antelope and jackals. Birds were plentiful,
however, and the rolling country was constantly presenting a change of
scene before them.
The neat railroad stations were always surrounded with curious crowds of
natives, some half dressed. As a rule the station agents and officials
were Indians in the government service. Both Charlie and Jack kept their
pocket cameras busy.
Toward evening they retired into their special carriage and wrote
their last letters home, which would be mailed at Nakuro. But with the
morning they were in the game country, and took advantage of the first
stop to resume their seats in front. Now everything was changed. At one
moment they would pass a group of giraffe, running in their ungainly
fashion to one side; hartebeests, impalla and other varieties of
antelope were everywhere, gazing in fearless fashion at the train. Herds
of zebra came into sight, while through the trees scampered monkeys in
endless variety.
"They know they're safe, all right," chuckled Charlie, as a herd of
beautiful little gazelles stopped a dozen yards away to stare in mild
wonder. "Funny how animals get to know where they're protected."
"It's the same in the Yellowstone," said von Hofe. "Within the limits
they are almost tame, but across the line--pouf! and they are gone."
The wonderful journey, like no other in the world, was ended at last,
however, and they puffed past Lake Nakuro to the village station. Here
their trip was ended, their baggage was rolled off, and they were taken
in charge by a young subaltern, Lieutenant Smithers, together with the
Boer merchant, Piet Andrus. The latter offered them the hospitality of
his trading store, which they gratefully accepted.
"Now to business," said the General that night after dinner.
"Lieutenant, what would be your advice as to porters? I'd like to get
off in the morning, if possible."
"The usual way," laughed Smithers, "is to take Swahilis, but you seem to
be an unusual party. Since you are going to take wagons from here, I
would suggest that you load everything into the wagons and trek north to
Jan Botha's ranch. There you can pick up a score or two of Masai. They
are an offshoot of the old Zulu stock--brave as lions, faithful enough,
and able to provide for themselves. This safari business is largely
bally rot, to my mind."
"Bully for you!" cried Charlie in delight, while the others laughed
heartily.
"According to law," said Smithers, "you'll have to provide tents for the
porters. But the Masai would laugh at such things, and this will save
you a good deal of carriage. How about horses?"
"They are in the compound," said Miers, the local agent of Andrus' firm.
"I have two good wagons and a dozen 'salted' oxen, specially selected.
This gives you six to a wagon, and even if you lose four of the beasts,
the other eight will do the work. Better to have too many than too few."
Von Hofe nodded, thoroughly satisfied. By 'salted,' the trader meant
that the animals had been through the sickness caused by the bite of the
tsetse fly, and were henceforth immune to the worst scourge of Africa.
That night there was a gathering of the Boers, English settlers, and
officers at the station, all of whom were keenly interested in the novel
excursion. It was the general opinion that the expedition would succeed,
although the nature of the country beyond the mountains was an open
question.
"Well," commented Charlie that night, as he made ready to share his bunk
with Jack, "we're off! Looks like we'd have a bully time, eh?"
"It sure does, if we strike a rogue," chuckled Jack. "I'm crazy to get
out those guns, Chuck. Funny the doctor doesn't care for shooting."
"He's got some tough work ahead of him, all right. Did you see those
paints an' things he brought along? Right on the job! Well, see you in
the morning. Good night."
CHAPTER V
THE FIRST HUNT
The place was astir with the dawn, and after sunrise, with breakfast
over, the party prepared for the start. Gholab Singh took charge of
loading the wagons, and the main question was the matter of personal
equipment.
Each of the boys carried matches in a water-tight box, compass, and
sheath-knife, of course. The elephant guns and ammunition were stored
away for future reference, but the 30-30s were to be slung in holsters
at their saddles for the present. Each wore a bandolier for cartridges,
and their ordinary clothes--flannel shirt and khakis. And, instead of
sun helmets, each boy wore his northern hat--a light, stiff brimmed
Stetson.
"As our shoes go to pieces," said the General, "we'll replace 'em with
moccasins. No use fussing with leggings while we're going to ride. We'll
have open veldt country as far as Mount Kenia, anyway. Just get the
idea that we're in Canada, going by wagon from Athabasca to Fort
McMurray."
Dr. von Hofe was the only member of the party who from habit insisted on
leggings and boots. Their horses were steady, flea-bitten little beasts,
not unlike mustangs, and mounts had been provided for the gun-bearers,
to the huge delight of all three. Gholab Singh also demanded a horse,
which he obtained, as being worthy of his dignity.
It was a military-looking little cavalcade. The Indians had all served
in the native cavalry regiments and Gholab maintained strict military
discipline. Behind their saddles the boys strapped slickers and H. B. C.
blankets--the sight of the latter making Jack just a trifle homesick.
Water canteens also were slung at the saddle.
After receiving a letter from Andrus to Jan Botha, Louis Schoverling
gave the order to march. Gholab Singh rode to the gate of the compound,
reined up, and drew from his neck his silver whistle. One sharp blast,
and the two wagons, containing the four who were to bring back the
skins, started. A shouted farewell, and the two boys followed the
General and von Hofe to the head of the march, the Sikh riding with
them and the other gun-bearers on each side of the wagons.
"Isn't this glorious?" declared Charlie as he rode at Jack's side. "I
thought it would be as hot as blazes!"
"Oh, we'll need our blankets at night, I guess,--hello! There's an
antelope! What kind is he, General?"
Charlie unslung his glasses hastily to gaze at the quiet figure on a
ridge four hundred yards away, but the explorer answered quickly.
"Grant's gazelle, Jack. The most beautiful of all antelopes. He must be
an old buck, to judge from his long horns."
"When are we going to hunt a little?" asked Charlie. "I'm itching to get
at the guns."
"Not till this afternoon. We can knock over a couple of small antelope
then, which will be plenty for all of us. See here, Doctor. These wagons
won't make Botha's ranch until sometime to-morrow. How would it suit you
to ride on and put up there overnight, then get our Masai all ready to
start as soon as the wagons come up?"
"I am very happy," declared von Hofe, who was settled down comfortably
in his saddle, his pipe going full blast. "It matters not to me a bit.
Perhaps it would be better to spend to-night in solid comfort."
"Very well. Guru!"
"Yes, sahib?" The Sikh drew up and saluted.
"You will bring the other gun-bearers with us for a short hunt. We are
going to have an early meal and then push on. Gholab Singh, I leave the
safari in your care. You know the way to Jan Botha's?"
"I do, sahib. We will arrive to-morrow morning at ten of the clock."
Charlie winked at Jack, who smiled. The military precision of the
stately Gurkha was of no little amusement to them at first, but Gholab
promised to be a valuable man in a pinch. The gun-bearers were of little
use at present, but would be highly necessary later on, and with their
advice Schoverling knew that the two novices in Africa would get along
well enough.
Von Hofe having absolutely no interest in hunting, save as regarded his
own work, stayed with the wagons. The other six rode out to one side,
parallel with the line of march. At a word from Guru, Amir Ali spurred
up his horse and departed at a steady gallop to the right.
"He will beat up something," replied the Sikh to their looks of
surprise. "Here game is not very thick."
Amir disappeared amid the tall grass and dotted trees, and five minutes
later Charlie, with rifle ready, saw a tiny shape bounding through the
grass two hundred yards to the right.
"You first, Chuck," exclaimed Jack quietly.
Setting his sights for two hundred yards, Charlie aimed behind the
shoulder of the antelope, and fired. The shot went a little high, owing
to the jump of the beast, but the boy gave a yell of satisfaction as the
antelope went down, its back broken by the shot. As they rode up he
mercifully killed it with a shot through the brain, and the two boys
looked down on their first Thomson's gazelle, or "tommy."
"Good shot, Charlie," declared the explorer. "Now one for you, Jack, and
we'll have enough for this time."
A mile or so farther on Jack got his chance at one of the larger
Grant's, and fetched him down with a single shot at three hundred
yards, which caused the two Indians to give a cry of delight at his
skill. By the time Amir rejoined them the wagons, were "hull down" on
the horizon. Guru and Akram Das slung the two gazelles over their
saddles, and all six started across the veldt at a brisk canter.
Suddenly Jack's horse, in the lead, stopped dead still, trembling. In
vain the boy urged him on, wondering what was the matter. The horse only
backed, his ears flat, and then Jack saw that those of the others were
doing likewise.
"What's the trouble, General?" exclaimed Charlie. Schoverling unslung
his rifle.
"Lion, boys. These are well-trained horses, evidently. See that patch of
mimosa just ahead? We are down-wind from that, and they probably smelled
a lion. Head around it, and they will be all right."
They arrived opposite the little ridge, topped with a dense growth of
long grass, thorn and trees, when an exclamation burst from the Sikh.
Out from the thicket broke a long, tawny shape, barely a hundred yards
away. It was a magnificent black-maned lion, who stood lashing his sides
and watching them as they drew rein.
"There's your chance for a lion," said Schoverling, as the Indians cast
a glance at him. Charlie shrugged his shoulders, watching the animal
with eager interest.
"What's the use in killing him, General?" he replied. "We don't want his
skin particularly, and he's no good for food. How about it, Jack?"
The other's hand fell from his rifle-butt.
"Of course, Chuck. He won't attack us, I suppose?"
"You'd like the excuse, eh?" laughed the explorer. "No, he won't attack
us. He's probably got his dinner in that thicket, and heard us coming.
It might be of advantage to the sheep ranchers hereabouts to kill him,
but certainly not to us."
They rode on, leaving the tawny beast still gazing after them. The
Indians were keenly disappointed over not shooting the lion, but neither
boy had cared to do so. They had been too well trained to slaughter
needlessly; Jack, in particular, had no small share of the Cree feeling
that animals are but "little brothers," and more than once thereafter
Charlie heard him mutter the Indian's apology for taking life, as he
shot.
Upon rejoining the wagons a halt was made, Gholab Singh taking charge of
the gazelles. After a good dinner the four white men rode on ahead,
following the rude track across the veldt, and the wagons were speedily
out of sight.
"This looks a whole lot like the Alberta and Montana country," declared
Charlie as they rode along. "With those hills off in the distance, and
the dry gullies fringed with trees, a fellow might think he was just
pushing across our own range land. Wouldn't this be a swell cow country,
Jack?"
"Looks like it," rejoined the Cree. "Look at those ostriches! Isn't that
a ranch, up there among those buttes?"
By the aid of their glasses they could see a small ranch-house, a good
four miles away, but clear-cut and distinct in the rarefied atmosphere
of the plateau. White dots were scattered near by, which Schoverling
declared were sheep.
"They must suffer to some extent from wild animals," he said, "but on
the whole the sheep ranges up here are in fine shape. It's a great
little old country, boys. If I could make up my mind to settle down I'd
like to take up a few thousand acres back near the hills and try
irrigation."
"It is too dry," nodded the doctor wisely. "Some day they will irrigate
all this. Then the animals will be gone, all gone."
"What of it?" said Jack slyly. "Folks will come just the same to see the
masterpieces made by the great von Hofe! The sooner the game goes, the
more valuable you will be."
"Ach, no!" Von Hofe shook his head sadly. "It is not nice to see the
fine animals be killed off. Look at South Africa--all the game is gone,
all the Zulu kingdoms are gone, and instead there is railroads and mines
and factories. It is not nice."
"Well, that's the advance of civilization," declared Schoverling. "It
was the same in Ohio and Missouri and Montana--everywhere. And yet there
are always new fields to conquer."
"As long as the H. B. C. ran things," flashed up Jack, with the true
Indian prejudice, "it was all right in Canada. The Company took care of
the game first rate. But now everybody takes a whack at trapping--and
where's the beaver gone?"
"True enough," sighed the explorer. "But the hunter must give place to
the settler, Jack."
A spirited argument ensued, to which Charlie and von Hofe listened
amusedly. In the end Jack had to confess that Schoverling was right,
however. Towards evening they got into more rolling country, while to
the northeast towered up the hills about Mount Kenia, whose snowy summit
had been long visible, although nearly a hundred miles away.
Just before sunset they cantered up to Botha's ranch. The hospitable
Boer did not need the letter from Piet Andrus to welcome them, and the
boys were keenly interested in his family. This consisted of his wife,
two stalwart, bearded sons, and their own families--chubby little Dutch
people who clambered over everyone, once their shyness had been removed.
Von Hofe was soon a prime favorite with them.
After dinner was over, the boys discovered that Botha was related to the
famous General of the same name, and had fought through the Boer war
with him until his capture. Like many other Boers, Jan had brought his
family up into the new country, where his sons had grown up, and where
his great ranch was speedily making him wealthy. Dutch and English lived
side by side on a perfectly friendly footing, and the old quarrels were
forgotten forever.
Jan Botha willingly agreed to ride over early in the morning, and set
them right at the Masai village, a dozen miles away, where he was well
known. So Charlie and Jack found themselves up before the dawn with the
rest of the family, eating breakfast by lamplight, and with the first
light of dawn they were on horseback, shivering in the chill morning
air.
An hour after sunrise they reached the village, a collection of grass
huts beside a river in the hills. Charlie was a little surprised to find
that the Masai were stalwart, eager-faced warriors, well dressed in
blankets or cotton cloth draped from the shoulder, and bearing spears,
bows, and black-and-white shields of hide.
"I wonder if they are really a branch of the Zulus?" asked Jack while
Botha was talking with the headman.
"Hardly," said Schoverling. "But no doubt they are distantly connected.
Perhaps they are some of the Zulus driven north by the great king
Tchaka, a hundred years ago. They are extremely fierce warriors, and
highly respected by the other natives. With a score of those fellows for
bodyguard, we'll get along finely."
Bakari proved to be the name of an English-speaking Masai who was put in
charge of twenty-five men and hired to accompany the expedition as far
as Mount Kenia, or beyond. As the Masai eat nothing but meat, foraging
for vegetables would be an easy matter, Charlie concluded.
They reached the Botha farmhouse about nine, the warriors loping easily
behind them. An hour later, almost to the minute, the wagons topped a
rise and Gholab Singh drew up and saluted. As there was no use in delay,
they all bade the hospitable Boers farewell, and pushed on straight for
Kenia.
CHAPTER VI
MOUNT KENIA
Now began the real march--a swift, ceaseless trek over veldt and through
the foot-hills, for Schoverling was in haste to reach Mount Kenia,
secure the cow and calf skins, and be gone on the real work of the
expedition, which lay farther on. Had he been able to foresee just what
that work would be, his eagerness would have been increased tenfold.
"Gholab," he said that afternoon, "we are going to push for Kenia as
hard as we can. Can we push the oxen day and night?"
"Easily, sahib. Halt for three hours at dawn, at noon, and at nightfall.
This will rest the beasts well, and the rest of the time we can march.
There will be a good moon for a week yet."
The Masai seemed to make little of a forced march, and so it was agreed
upon. The Indians and Masai did not mix, but Bakari and his men yielded
ready obedience to the semi-uniformed figure of Gholab Singh. That
afternoon the real work of the two boys began.
"Charlie, you and Jack come over here," called Schoverling, who was
sitting with von Hofe in one of the wagons, poring over a map. "We'll
have to have meat for these Masai by sundown. I must go over our route
with the doctor, so it's up to you. Get busy."
"Aye, aye, General!" and the boys saluted in high delight. They called
their two gun-bearers, but Guru the Sikh refused to be left out of the
part, so all five cantered off ahead, followed by the eager Masai at a
little distance.
Their first taste was not very encouraging. One of the Masai had leaped
ahead to a ridge in the veldt, and motioned them that there was game on
the other side. Slipping from their horses, the boys stole up gun in
hand, to see a herd of at least fifty wildebeest and zebra grazing about
three hundred yards off. But before they could get up their guns, the
quick-eyed beasts were off like the wind and out of range in an instant.
"Pretty rotten," exclaimed Charlie disgustedly. "Say, they move like a
streak!"
"You bet. Well, there's lots more where they came from."
And there was. Half a mile farther on they came upon a dozen
kongoni--another form of antelope--feeding about some bushes. Happening
on a drift, or dry water-course, the boys and Guru crawled up this and
managed to get a shot. This time Charlie dropped a buck perfectly, but
Jack had to place a second bullet in his animal. The Masai took charge
of the bodies, tying the hoofs together, placing a long spear between,
and two men trotting off with each toward the wagons.
Guru declared that this was not half enough meat for them all, so
accompanied by the rest of the Masai, they rode on, just within sight of
the caravan. Suddenly an eland dashed out from a clump of bushes barely
a hundred yards off, not having heard their approach. Jack fired,
missed, fired again, and the eland gave one high spring and rolled heels
over head. But as he did so Bakari let out a yell, and they drew rein
suddenly at sight of a lion leaping toward them through the long grass,
plainly bent on mischief.
"We've roused him up, all right," exclaimed Charlie hastily, as he drew
bead. "I'll give him a chance to turn off."
But the lion, as they discovered later, had been disturbed at his
feeding, and came straight for them. The Masai showed no signs of
flinching, and the horses trembled but stood still. Anxiously Charlie
waited until the great beast had come within two hundred yards, flying
over the grass-hummocks in great bounds, then he drew trigger.
The lion went down, but was up again instantly with a roar of pain.
Charlie gave him another bullet, but with no better result. At a hundred
yards the Masai spread out, spears and arrows ready, but with his third
bullet Charlie dropped the huge beast for the last time, the ball
piercing the eye to the brain.
"Good shot, old man," cried Jack, as the other wiped the sweat from his
face. That had been an anxious moment.
"Had to hit him in the eye," returned Charlie. "Didn't see where else to
shoot, after I missed his shoulder."
But he had not missed the shoulder. His first shot had been a mortal
one, and his second had struck nearly in the same place; the tremendous
vitality and energy of the lion had served to carry him forward until
the third bullet pierced his brain. This gave Guru a chance to point out
the advisability of shooting for the shoulder, in which case the lion
would be crippled and could not charge.
The lion was packed off to be inspected, then photographed, and on the
way back Jack knocked over a small Grant's gazelle, which would make the
food supply a sufficient one. Charlie received many compliments on his
first lion from von Hofe and Schoverling, and regretted that keeping the
skin was impossible under the circumstances.
At six that evening they outspanned the oxen, fed and watered them at a
waterhole, and rested for three hours, during which all the party slept
save Schoverling, who remained on guard. At nine the march was taken up
again, and they went on steadily until four in the morning. The night
was cold. Overhead on the horizon blazed the Southern Cross, while the
moon afforded a good light.
At seven in the morning the oxen were inspanned and they went forward
until noon. On this occasion the General accompanied the boys, and they
brought in enough game for the rest of the day and night. During their
noon halt they met a freighter's wagon-safari trekking west to some of
the outlying ranches, but the men were all Boers or natives, and no stop
was made.
So during four days and nights they pushed on relentlessly. During the
last two days they ran into a driving, cold rain, but finally this was
gone and the boys found themselves on the verge of the heavily forested
country about Mount Kenia.
At the last stopping place, a shallow drift, or river, in a valley under
the western slopes of the great hills, it was decided to make camp here
beside the drift, as a sort of headquarters. They had met scattered
parties of Kikuyu men, and had passed one or two of the native villages,
so after a day's rest a number of the Masai were sent out to bring in
some of the natives.
"They can tell us any news of the elephants," declared Schoverling, "and
can guide us to the herds. It's ticklish business going without some of
them along."
"Why so?" inquired Charlie, "Are they such good hunters?"
"Never mind," laughed the explorer. "You wait and you'll see something."
With this the boys were forced to be content. The lower slopes of the
mountains were heavily forested, while the valleys were nothing but
jungle. Great trees reached far up above, and between them giant bamboos
formed an almost impenetrable mass.
Bakari returned with a dozen Kikuyu hunters, who readily agreed to lead
the party to elephants. There was a herd of about fifty, they declared,
a day's journey to the east, and as it was morning now, the General
determined to start out at once.
"Now, Doctor, just what stuff do you want to take along?"
"My sketching kit," replied the German, all action on the instant. "My
small camera I have in my pocket. Beyond this, nothing."
The two Somalis were appointed to take care of the doctor's needs. Half
a dozen of the Masai volunteered to serve as porters, for the tents and
some supplies had to be carried. It was arranged that the camp should be
supplied with fowls, pigs and vegetables from the nearest village, but
at the last moment it developed that they would have to do without
pigs, the Gurkhas being Mohammedans and refusing to allow pigs in the
camp for fear of defilement.
The horses would of course have to be left behind. For an hour the camp
was in a buzz of excited preparation. The elephant guns and cordite
ammunition were broken out, the blankets, slickers and other necessaries
were loaded up on the porters, and the three hunters donned their
moccasins for the first time.
"Feels mighty good to get back into moosehide," laughed Charlie, as he
laced up the water-tight flaps. "What are the Masai chattering about,
Jack?"
"Making a corral--zareba, they call it--out of thorns," answered the
other, looking out through the end of the wagon. "For the oxen, I
suppose. I heard the General giving them orders about it. Gholab's
bossing things lively."
Charlie finished first, and had barely emerged from the wagon-tilt when
he saw that something was wrong. The horses were pulling wildly at their
pickets, and a number of the porters had dropped their loads. Von Hofe
and Schoverling were in the other wagon, making final preparations. But
they were not fated to leave the camp for that day at least.
"Hey, Jack! General!" shouted Charlie. "Tumble out lively--something's
busted!"
At this moment Guru and Amir Ali ran up excitedly, uncasing the heavy
guns and loading them as they ran. Amir reached Charlie first, and
thrust the weapon into his hand.
"Rhino, sahib! Rhino coming through the bushes from the river!"
Jack and the explorer leaped to the ground from the wagons as Akram ran
up with the third gun. The Masai had clustered at the edge of the camp,
but as the explorer took in the situation the warriors broke and fled
before a huge dun shape that crashed bushes and trees down before it in
blind rage. Charlie gasped at the size of the beast, for he had not yet
seen a rhino.
"Female," stated the General quietly. "Going to tear things up, too.
Ready, boys?"
By this time the ground was littered with cast-off loads, while the
natives fled in all directions. Fortunately, the zareba and oxen were at
the other end of the camp, and the courageous Gholab ran down to the
horses and loosed them as the rhinoceros charged.
This made the three hunters unable to fire for an instant. Gholab ducked
behind a huge tree, and the infuriated brute crashed full into it,
knocking off a great flake of the bark and wood. Stunned for an instant,
it stood glaring around, and in that instant Schoverling fired.
His bullet took the rhino behind the shoulder, but the beast, rage
darting from its deep-set eyes, whirled in the direction of the wagons.
It was barely fifty yards from them, and as the explorer fired his
second barrel, Charlie pulled trigger also. The tremendous charges
halted and shook the big animal, but for an instant only. Then, rocking
and stumbling, it came on full tilt for the wagons, the wicked-looking
head held low.
One of the Kikuyu porters had started to slip across the open space, and
was caught before he could escape. As the terrified man turned, the head
of the rhino caught him and tossed him a dozen feet into the air. But
that gave Jack and Charlie their chance. As the head went up, they fired
together.
Jack's bullet broke the rhino's off-shoulder; that of Charlie tore into
her throat. Jack fired again, and at this instant Guru handed back
Schoverling's rifle, reloaded; but another bullet was unnecessary. The
huge beast stood for a moment quite still, then swayed and plunged down,
dead.
"Good!" came the calm voice of von Hofe from behind them. "Now led us
see how the man hurd iss."
Only his accent betrayed his excitement as he led the way to the injured
porter. The man had been gored in the side by the horn, but had saved
himself from mortal injury. The doctor dressed his wound and saw him
borne off to the village; meanwhile, the others had gathered about the
dead rhino, the natives with wild shouts and chants, the two boys in
silent wonder.
"You chaps'll have to give me lessons in shooting," laughed the General.
"See here--my first bullet missed her shoulder, and my second likewise.
She couldn't have gone far, though; but she could have finished us right
enough. That was good shooting, boys."
"Wouldn't have been," admitted Charlie, "if she hadn't lifted her head.
Jumping Sandhills! How that fellow did go up!"
"Lucky he wasn't killed," added Jack. "I got her with both bullets,
right in the shoulder. Chuck's bullet must have gone clear through to
her tail."
It proved that the bullet fired by Charlie through her throat had
penetrated to the spine, thus paralyzing her. But as the honors were
equal, it did not matter greatly. The Masai took possession of the hide,
while the Kikuyu bore off the flesh to their village.
"I guess that ends our trip for to-day," said Schoverling ruefully, as
Gholab was directing the re-ordering of the camp. "Everything is badly
mussed up; even the men are demoralized. Well, no matter. We can leave
the camp in better shape, perhaps."
So, content with their conquest of that day, they gave all their
attention to putting the camp in better order. Jack learned how the
thorn zareba was built, and Charlie visited the Kikuyu village with his
camera. The elephant trip was to take place the next day, and guides
came over that night, with a fresh party of natives.
CHAPTER VII
ELEPHANT
The start was made early. First went Schoverling, von Hofe and the boys,
with the guides and gun-bearers. Then the Masai marched along, followed
by the crowd of natives. So far they had not struck the mountain slopes,
and the Kikuyu led them deeper into the great African forest.
The sun was shut out above by the dew-wet foliage,--twisted vines, trees
and bushes all matted together. The party traveled by means of old
elephant trails, which alone made the jungle passable to man. Hour after
hour they walked through the tangle of vegetation, striking into fresh
paths, twisting and turning until the boys felt hopelessly lost.
Great ferns and mosses grew about them. Mighty trees with trunks
corrugated and knotted towered overhead, draped with Spanish moss and
filled with scampering, chattering monkeys. Into and across tree-ferned
ravines, through dashing streams of icy water, past cataract and
morass, the party plowed its devious way until long past noon.
Suddenly one of the guides held up a warning hand and slipped ahead. In
a few moments he returned in great excitement.
"Elephant!" he whispered. "Him close! Come!"
No sign of elephant could Charlie or Jack see until they had advanced
another hundred feet in the half-gloom. Then the guide pointed out the
spoor, deep and heavy in the damp leaves that matted the trail. Here the
natives squatted down to wait, and here also the boys made a discovery.
Charlie had stepped ahead, a little to one side of the trail. But as he
did so the guides started forward in silent dismay. He paid no attention
to them, trying to peer through the dense vegetation; suddenly it seemed
that everything gave way beneath him, and the next moment his legs were
dangling in vacancy, while he gripped the vines and sticks spread over a
great hole dug at one side of the track.
The others broke into quiet laughter at his amazed expression, while the
guides pulled him out hurriedly and silently. Then he saw that he had
tumbled into an elephant pit--a long, deep trench, narrowing at the
bottom.
"I told you you'd see something," whispered the explorer, as Charlie
recovered himself, somewhat disgusted. "Now let's get busy on the
trail."
By lighting a match and by watching the tree-tops far overhead they
ascertained that the wind was right for an approach, and with guides and
gun-bearers they started off on the spoor.
"How many, do you think?" asked Schoverling cautiously. Jack had been
studying the signs intently, and answered without hesitation.
"About eight females, three little fellows, and a big chap."
"Just what the guides say," grinned the explorer delightedly. "Pretty
good, eh, Doctor? We were lucky in finding them so near camp."
The trail was now marked by freshly broken branches and splintered
trees, while in places the bushes were trampled down for yards, where an
elephant had stopped to feed. Charlie declared that the animals were not
more than half an hour ahead of them, at which the explorer nodded.
Dr. von Hofe had been sketching busily for some time, paying special
attention to the spoor and the marks of feeding. He made careful
photographs as they advanced, and as Charlie watched him he wondered at
the painstaking efforts of the big German to get every smallest detail
correctly. Then Schoverling beckoned, and the two boys slipped ahead
with him, their moccasined feet as noiseless as the naked soles of the
guides.
"Hear anything?" muttered the explorer when they had gone a hundred
yards. Listening, Charlie could hear a faint crashing, and his heart
leaped in excitement. Jack nodded also.
They went on, but now the noise grew plainer and seemed to come from one
side. As they stood in perplexity, Charlie saw a single elephant track
leading off ahead.
"General! One fellow has struck off through there--the others have
doubled back, and are on one side of us. We could follow that single
track."
A guide was sent back for the others, and now the gun-bearers handed
over the heavy guns, retaining the thirty-thirties for emergencies.
Slowly they crept forward in silence, while the gruntings, crashings,
and rumblings of the great beasts came to them clearly. Cutting through
the single track, they soon came upon the whole spoor of the herd
again--but this time they knew that Charlie had been right, and that the
beasts could not be far ahead.
So dense was the matted vegetation, however, that nothing could be seen.
One of the guides pointed to a tree-trunk with his spear, and a thrill
went through the boys at sight of the fresh-rubbed bark. From one side
flew up a flock of hornbills, with squawkings and flappings of wings,
but the slow movements of the elephants went on.
At this juncture the guides nimbly sidestepped any farther advance by
going up trees like monkeys. They indicated that the herd was close at
hand, and again the party stole forward, rifles ready for instant
action.
"Makes you feel queer," murmured Jack in Charlie's ear, "to hear 'em and
not be able to get a crack."
Every sense on the alert, Charlie gripped Schoverling's arm and pointed
ahead. A long tendril of Spanish moss at a bend in the trail was shaking
slightly, and without a sound the three stepped off the trail to one
side, followed by the Indians. The doctor had remained some distance
behind, to sketch a strange flower.
Something huge and shadowy appeared vaguely, and the hunters drew back
farther still amid the tangle. Then there came a tremendous crash, and,
at the side of the trail proper a sudden quivering seized the
vegetation. At the same moment that the first elephant appeared
leisurely, two more crashed from the undergrowth.
Schoverling cast a quick glance of warning and shook his head. The two
who had burst through from the side stopped to feed, and after them came
two calves. All three were cows, but there were crashings all around,
and the Indians were as nervous as the two boys. They stuck to their
post nobly, however, the smaller rifles ready. The explorer leaned over
and breathed in Jack's ear.
"Give the two cows both barrels. I'll bag the calves."
Jack nodded and passed the word to Charlie. But slight as the breathed
whisper had been, the sensitive ear of the elephants caught it and their
heads went up. Without hesitation Charlie aimed at the eye of the cow
on the right, and all three pulled trigger together.
Fortunately they stood at some distance apart, or the concussion of the
three heavy guns would have worked sore damage. Charlie's cow shivered
and went down at the first shot; that of Jack trumpeted loud and shrill
and tried to whirl, but the second barrel, just back of the shoulder,
finished her.
The General had given each calf a single barrel. One plunged to its
knees, the other stood shivering. The boys felt the Indians press the
lighter guns into their hands, as a great crashing arose ahead. The
single cow in the trail proper was just turning, so rapidly had all
passed, when Charlie and the General fired together. Both bullets struck
her vitally, and she went down.
For an instant the forest was filled with shrill trumpetings and the
earth seemed to shake beneath the tread of the frightened beasts. So
loud was the clamor that there came not the slightest warning of their
danger until the trees directly opposite them swayed and shattered
apart, and the enormous head and tusks of a great bull shoved through.
There was no time to run, even had they been able. Jack let drive with
both barrels of his 30-30, and the huge beast paused with the shock. In
that brief instant the large guns, already reloaded by the agile
bearers, were thrust forward. Charlie brought his up and fired just as
the bull plunged on. The enormous trunk swept up and then down, hardly a
yard in front of them. One step more, and he would be on them.
But even as the boys shrank aside instinctively, Schoverling fired
deliberately, right and left. So close was the huge head that Charlie
could distinctly see both bullets go home, each taking the bull in an
eye fair and square.
It was enough. For a moment there was no movement--a little trickle of
blood came from each eye--and then the mighty head dropped, the trunk
swept down to the trail, and over went the tusker on his side, the last
sweep of his trunk narrowly missing Guru as he leaped away.
"Jumping sandhills! I'm satisfied!"
Charlie sank down weakly on a fallen bamboo, gazing at the tremendous
bulk five feet away. Jack, deadly pale, gripped his gun and waited while
the crashings and trumpetings died away. The explorer, his deep bronze
flushed with red, smiled and mopped his face.
"By George, that was a close thing, boys! I wouldn't go through that
again for a million dollars cash." He turned and gripped the hands of
the gun-bearers. "Guru, Amir, Akram, you are men! I am proud of you!"
"I guess we all owe you a vote of thanks, General," smiled Jack weakly.
Charlie nodded.
"You bet! Jack and I both missed his eye--what dandy shots those were!"
The nervy Indians showed their white teeth at the praise showered on
them, and a moment after, von Hofe appeared excitedly, followed by a
stream of Masai and Kikuyu. These gave wild yells of excitement and
leaped and danced on the fallen carcasses, while the story of that
terrible moment was told the doctor. He could barely speak, as he
realized what the danger had been.
"Himmel! Ach, er ist--it iss vonderful! Bang-bang, und you haf ein,
zwei, drei cows, two calfs, und a bull killed! I shall no more say--ach!
Avay--raus!"
And with a roar of anger he rushed at one of the Masai who had
triumphantly thrust his long spear into the elephant's hide. The
warrior gave one look, then vanished with a long leap, while the
disgusted doctor pulled out the spear and flung it after him.
"Afraid they'll spoil your skin, eh?" laughed the explorer. The swift
change from the tragic to the ridiculous restored them all to even
balance once more, and they went forward to examine the kill. It was
indeed a wonderful example of shooting, the whole affair having taken
hardly more than two or three minutes, and Charlie found it hard to
realize that in such a short space of time they had almost fulfilled the
requirements of the whole world-over expedition.
The bull was a large, old fellow, and the General pronounced his tusks
as weighing at least a hundred and thirty pounds each. It was a great
piece of luck that he should have wandered out of the wilds almost to
their side, for full-grown bulls with good tusks are rarely found. The
big Teuton pronounced him exactly suitable for one of his groups.
The two cows who had been shot together were both of good size; the
third was smaller. The two largest were selected for skinning, together
with the calves. For a few moments the doctor sketched and
photographed, then handed over the task of skinning to Guru and his two
assistants, who were thoroughly qualified.
"Do you want to stay by them?" asked Schoverling. "If not, we might get
back to camp by dark, and they can bring in the sections of skin."
"The Sikh knows all about it," replied von Hofe. "Yes, he will see that
they are careful. Let us go back and rest."
As the explorer captured one of the guides and explained his wishes, the
boys gazed at the scene before them. Stripped naked, the natives were
swarming over the great carcasses, which had to be skinned without a
moment's delay. Most of them were already splashed with blood, festoons
of meat were dripping from the branches, and the busy hands and knives
were making fast progress with the work. It was not a nice scene, and
Charlie turned away; but Jack watched it until the explorer called him.
Carrying their own guns now, they found the trip back to camp a weary
one. All were tired and hungry, not having eaten since morning, and it
was dark when they finally stumbled into camp, to be met with exultant
shouts. Runners had already come across the forest paths bearing loads
of meat, and after a good wash in one of the mountain streams the four
sat down to a delicious meal of broiled elephant's heart and flapjacks,
with tea for beverage.
"Do you chaps realize that we almost accomplished the work of this
expedition in about two minutes?" asked the General, smiling. The boys
leaned back with a sigh of content.
"I don't care," returned Charlie. "I got all I wanted of elephant
hunting, and that's flat, General. My knees are shaking yet."
"It was sheer luck, though," said von Hofe as he filled his pipe and
settled back in his folding chair. "We will not find another bull like
that for a hundred miles."
"Well, I'm just as glad it's over," announced Jack. "Now we can strike
for parts unknown and enjoy life. We haven't struck any real work yet."
"You'll get work enough before you're through," said the explorer
grimly. And as it turned out, Jack did.
CHAPTER VIII
A RECONNAISSANCE
"Well, General, what's doing next?"
It was the morning after the great hunt, and they had just finished a
delicious breakfast of roasted calves' feet and bananas. The explorer
was puffing at his briar luxuriously, and turned to the doctor.
"Guru says that the skins are on the way now, Doctor. How long will it
take you to get them in shape to go back?"
"Ten days," returned the German, whose cases were all piled in readiness
before an open space.
"Need us here?"
"No. Get out and keep those boys from bothering me."
"Good!" laughed the explorer, and turned lazily to Charlie. "Feel like
starting out this morning? I want to push ahead on horseback and trace
out the route for the wagons. I've got it pretty well lined out now, but
we've got to make sure about provisions and all that."
"I'm willing," announced Charlie, and Jack nodded unconcernedly.
So, just as the Masai and Kikuyu, who had worked all night, came in with
the skins of the slain elephants, the three rode out together. The
Indians were highly disappointed that they were not to go along, but the
explorer did not wish to be bothered with them, and they would be
useless on this excursion.
Schoverling had provided himself with government maps showing the
villages, and the best route across the plateau and through the hills
had been traced out for him. On second thought, however, he sent back
for Gholab Singh, who knew most of the native dialects from his years of
residence in the country, and left the camp in charge of Guru instead.
At noon they struck into the caravan track from the north, and stopped
at each village in passing, where Gholab made inquiries. They found that
there was no lack of chickens, and wild fowl might be had on every hand
for the shooting. As for vegetables, every village had its mealie patch,
yams, bananas, a beet-like plant, and other greens which none of the
three recognized, but which Gholab assured them were excellent eating.
Besides, there were quantities of fish in the streams. On the whole,
Charlie was amazed at the readiness with which food could be had; while
to Jack, used to a hard-earned rabbit or trap-line in the snows, the
quantity of game was astounding.
"I don't think we'll have any trouble living off the land," chuckled the
General that night. They had camped beside a mountain stream. In place
of tents, their hand axes lopped off a brush shelter in short order. A
trout-like fish was plentiful in the stream, and half a dozen of these
were soon broiling. These, with fried bananas and tea, made a generous
meal.
"Can't see the sense o' fetching them traps," grunted Jack. "Better
leave 'em behind when we start. What good are they?"
"I don't know, Jack. Can't tell what we'll strike, though."
"Where does this caravan route go to?" asked Charlie. "This looks as if
it was deserted."
"Oh, a caravan of camels and horses comes down about once a year from
the lakes up north, toward the Abyssinian border. We only follow it over
the plateau with the wagons."
There was no doubt that the route, which existed on the map only, was
practicable for the light wagons. The next day they were among the
hills, in high altitudes, and here the game almost vanished for the next
two days. The villages of the natives were scattered, but those that
they found had more cultivated land near by than the others, which made
up for the scarcity of game. The wagons were much under-loaded, and were
taken more to bring back what might be found north of the Lorian swamp
than for anything else.
"Seems to me," said Charlie on the third day, as he thawed out a gourd
full of water that had frozen overnight, "that we could load up the
wagons with green stuff when we go through here. That last village we
came through was plumb chuck full o' pumpkins."
"Melons, you mean," laughed Jack. "I dug into one. There was some
squash, though, in the back fields. How far we going, General?"
Schoverling consulted his pocket-map and compass before replying.
"We ought to be near the station of the commissioner of the district
now. If we don't strike it by night we may as well go back. I've found
out what we came for."
About noon, however, they came to a long unpainted frame building with
corrugated iron roof, set in the midst of a grove of small trees. At the
rear were stables and a great corral of wire netting, in which grazed a
herd of ostriches. As they rode up to the door one or two natives came
out, and a khaki-clad Englishman with shoulder-straps rushed out to
receive them.
"Hello!" laughed Schoverling as he shook hands. "This is the
commissioner--Captain Yonge?"
"Yes--and this is the famous Schoverling, I'll wager," smiled the
clean-shaven officer. "But where's von Hofe? I got word from down
country to watch out for him."
Matters were soon explained, and they joined Yonge at lunch. An hour
later a dozen trim King's African Rifles cantered up--Zulus all, under
command of Yonge, who maintained order through two hundred miles of
savagery.
"Say, the old M. P. ain't in it with this!" said Jack that evening, as
he and Charlie wandered out to inspect the ostrich farm. "Hear that yarn
he told about nabbing those ju-ju murderers last year, single-handed.
No wonder he got a D. S. O. for it!"
"And they do it all with native troops, too," added Charlie
thoughtfully. "You've got to hand it to the British for governing by
force of character, right enough. Wonder what the country gets like on
the other side of this plateau. Let's find out."
But they found out little. Captain Yonge said that beyond the Guaso
Nyero, in the north, the region was practically unexplored. After the
great river was left behind there were deserts, strange tribes, great
morasses, and the "going" was exceedingly "tough."
"Did you ever hear of a Lake Quilqua?" asked Charlie.
"Often," and the commissioner chuckled. "But, as you Americans say,
there's 'nothing in it.' These natives will make up all kinds of yarns,
simply to amuse us."
Yonge himself had tried to penetrate the country to the northeast, but
had found it impracticable, as he could not get away for very long.
Other explorers had sheered off to the easier country to south and
northwest, but he agreed that if they wanted a big bull, a rogue, they
would stand a better chance of getting one in there than anywhere else.
"When you stop with the wagons," he said, "I'll give you some
water-casks. They may come in handy, as I know from experience."
All remained the next day, highly interested in the court of justice
being held over a dispute between two villages. The little plain on
which lay the commissioner's station was not cultivated, but it lay in
the central part of his district, and was eminently suited for ostrich
farming, which was his hobby.
They set out on a leisurely return to the little safari, accompanied for
a few miles by the soldierly Zulus. They were well received by the
natives, for except in a few spots of Africa, there is to-day nothing
but respect for the whites; the dangers of early explorations have
largely passed away under the influence of the far-reaching prestige of
civilization. The natives are as savage as ever, but they have tasted
the retribution of English and German justice, and have little liking
for it.
The four trotted along, Gholab making arrangements with the natives at
each village to give them a large supply of fruit and vegetables, but
they did no shooting as it was possible to get sheep, goats, or fowl
from the natives and fish from the streams and pools. They had timed
their ride to get back to the doctor in the evening, and on the morning
of their last day's march they came upon a large party of natives
setting off into the jungle.
"Want to go along?" smiled the explorer. "Judging from their primitive
digging implements, they're going to make an elephant pit."
"You bet!" cried the boys. Slipping from their horses, which were left
in charge of Gholab Singh, all three joined the natives, who received
them with delight, and all set off along an old elephant track.
"Guess they think we'll bring 'em good luck," grinned Jack. "Got your
camera, Chuck?"
Charlie fortunately had brought it, and an hour later he put it into
active operation, to the curiosity and childish amusement of the
negroes. They had stopped in a little open space full of fresh spoor and
elephant signs, and a score of natives were instantly at work clearing
off the ground at three points. The boys were amazed at the rapidity
with which the work was accomplished with the primitive implements.
Chanting a loud, monotonous chorus, the natives threw themselves into
the work and speedily had three pits started. These were about four feet
wide and twelve long at the top.
"It's against the law for them to kill elephants," said Schoverling,
"but they pay little enough heed to that. There are hundreds of these
pits scattered between here and Kenia."
"How do they watch them all?" asked Charlie. "They must have an awful
time keeping track of their trap-line!"
"They don't watch them," laughed the explorer. "They wait till they see
the vultures and jackals heading somewhere, and trail along. An elephant
lives for days after he is trapped, for you'll see that the pits narrow
down at the bottom, and his feet are wedged in so that he can't move."
"He must be pretty ripe by the time they get to him," returned Jack
disgustedly.
"They don't care for that. These Ndorobo are little better than carrion
feeders anyway, and once an elephant is caught a whole village is
stocked in meat for a long time."
As the holes were dug deeper, others of the natives carried off the
dirt, scattering it carefully in the depths of the jungle. The boys
secured some excellent views of the proceedings, but they were unable to
remain for the entire digging. The finished pit would be about ten feet
in depth, and at the bottom scarcely a foot wide. Fortunately for white
hunters these pits were not staked, as after a week or two the slight
covering of sticks, leaves and dirt is overlaid with vines and
vegetation that completely conceals it from sight. Indeed, they had
passed more than one pit on their way.
A guide was sent back with them when they left the scene of operation. A
little after noon as they neared the safari they came upon a village
which was in great excitement. The day before, a man had been killed and
another badly gored by a bull buffalo, and the wounded man was then in
camp under the doctor's care. The villagers appealed to the white men to
kill the buffalo, and the latter needed little urging.
"You want to be careful," said Schoverling as they advanced on foot with
some of the men. "A buffalo is about the most dangerous of beasts in
these parts. Shoot to cripple him, never mind the head."
The buffalo was located in a patch of reeds and long swamp-grass near a
pool only a few miles distant. Further approach was impossible, and they
remained on dry ground while the natives tried to beat out the animal.
In this they were all too successful. With a crash, the powerful beast
swept through the reeds and charged a group of warriors, who scattered
to shelter with yells and splashings.
"All right, Charlie," said Schoverling, quietly.
Charlie put a bullet behind the shoulder just in time to save a Kikuyu
man. The bull whirled like a flash, and as he did so two more broke
cover and charged with a bellow. Jack halted one with a stunning bullet
that shattered against its skull. The explorer dropped the other,
breaking its shoulder at the first shot.
Then the other came on full tilt, with lowered head. Charlie emptied his
magazine at the one he had first wounded, and all four shots took
effect, breaking the animal's back and killing him instantly. Jack's
bull got within fifty yards of them before the boy fired again,
imitating the action of the explorer with the bull elephant. Taking
careful aim, he pulled trigger when he was sure of his shot, and the
bull crashed down into the swamp-reeds badly wounded and seemingly
helpless.
The natives darted forward with yells of triumph, but with a final
effort the brute clambered up and nearly caught them. Jack put a bullet
through its eye, however, that finished it, and the hunt was over. The
natives went into ecstacies of delight, dancing around and thanking the
three hunters exuberantly.
"That is not useless slaughter," said Schoverling as they returned to
the horses. "These buffalo are hard on the natives, breaking into their
mealie patches and tearing things up badly. They will charge without the
least provocation, and the natives can't stand before them. We did a
good turn to this village, certainly."
They remounted and rode on, but their halts had delayed them, and it was
nearly dark when they finally rode into the safari and were greeted
with loud yells by the Masai, while the big German came forward with
smiling countenance and bade them welcome home again.
CHAPTER IX
INTO THE UNKNOWN
"Well, Doctor," announced Schoverling the next morning, "How near
through are you? The sooner we get off the better."
"I will be through to-morrow night," said von Hofe contentedly. "The
skins have been pared down to the right thickness, and to-day and
to-morrow they will be fixed up and sent off. What does the country look
like ahead?"
"It looks like several weeks of rough work," smiled the explorer. "We'll
have no trouble in getting on, at least for the present. When we strike
down into the plains on the north, however, we may have a harder time.
But there are fig-trees in plenty, and on the northern rivers cabbage
palms and other wild fruits which ought to supply us. Then we can count
on leaving on the third morning?"
Von Hofe nodded, and fell to work. The sections of skins were set out
on the ground and by this time were well dried, while their superfluous
thickness had been pared off by scores of Kikuyu and Masai knives. Now
the doctor mixed gourd after gourd of his preparative, and set the
natives to work rubbing it into the under side of the skins.
At one side stood the skulls and a few other bones, boiled clear of all
flesh and varnished. These, with the tusks of the bull, the doctor began
packing up while the skins were being attended to. Guru and the other
Indians did all this work with great care, to the entire satisfaction of
the scientist. Then the well-wrapped packages were slung to poles, for
greater safety and more ease in carriage, and by evening were ready.
The boys pitched in and gave good assistance in this work, directing the
natives in putting on coat after coat of preservative and rubbing it in
well. But von Hofe was everywhere, mixing his chemicals, seeing that
everything was done exactly as he wished it, and seemingly endowed with
superhuman energy.
"He's no slouch when he gets a-going," murmured Charlie that night, as
von Hofe was getting his sketches and films into shape for packing.
"He's done more hustling to-day than on all the rest of the trip put
together."
"That's no lie," agreed Jack. "I kind of thought the old boy was a
bluff, at first. But he's all to the good, Chuck. Shouldn't wonder if he
surprised us a heap later on."
The next day everything was packed up that could be got ready. The skins
were still staked out to dry thoroughly, but the Indians could attend to
them, and Schoverling was impatient to be off. Fifty Kikuyu men were
hired to take the stuff back, under the lead of the Arab and the two
Somalis, who were intelligent and thoroughly reliable. The spare Gurkha
was to accompany them.
So far the oxen had got along in fine shape, and when it came to loading
the wagons, Charlie in charge of this duty, found that their equipment
was light indeed.
"Look here, Gen'ral," he complained late that afternoon, "the doctor has
used up ten cases of his stuff. That leaves only five, with his little
brass trunk. Then there's that case of tomatoes we haven't opened yet,
another of baked beans, the ammunition and guns, tents and Gholab
Singh's little stove, and the traps. The whole business won't make a
quarter-load for one wagon."
"So much the better for the oxen," returned the explorer. "We'll load up
as we go along, Chuck. Jack, I'll appoint you commissary-major, to bring
in the supplies of green stuff and vegetables. You can take Gholab as
interpreter. It'll be up to you to load, Charlie. We won't have to do
much hunting till after we pass the commissioner's place, except for the
Masai."
"I'll give you all the work you can handle," prophesied Jack, to his
chum. "You just wait!"
The next morning the safari filed out from the camp, the Masai greeting
the inspanning with huge delight. Bakari and his men promised that they
would accompany Schoverling as far as he wished to go, and the boys were
struck more than once by the utter fearlessness of these Masai, who had
absolutely no dread of advancing into a strange country.
The march, however, was by no means fast. Von Hofe remained to see his
skins safely off, promising to catch up to them later. As before, they
made forced marches, for the oxen were fresh and the work was light for
them now. Now, as Schoverling had foretold, Jack got all the work he
wanted. With three three-hour halts a day, Jack and Gholab rode on ahead
and got everything ready for each halt--bartered for goats and sheep and
chickens, obtained what vegetables and fruit the natives could spare,
and when the wagons arrived Charlie pitched in and loaded up.
So tired were the boys that at night they wrapped up in their blankets
and dozed as they rode. Once they passed a herd of at least fifty
buffalo, which gathered in a clump, horns out, and pawed the ground and
bellowed as the wagons passed. Fortunately, no charge was made, and all
drew a breath of relief when the danger was over.
They finally drew up to the station with the wagons loaded high. Captain
Yonge greeted von Hofe delightedly, and they rested there for a day. A
dozen small water-casks were slung beneath the wagons, to be filled
later. As they were departing a native runner came up with news that
caused the commissioner to saddle in haste.
"There's an outbreak fifty miles to the west," he said, his men
appearing from their own building. "We've got to go over and quash
things before the riot spreads. Well, good luck to you all! Sorry I
can't be with you!"
Both boys were glad enough to hasten on. The high altitude was not good
for the oxen, and the cold nights disgusted both of them, for they were
hardly prepared to meet cold in this region. Day and night they forced
the march along, and were soon rewarded by drawing through valleys and
slopes to the plains once more.
As they went forward the vegetation changed. There was no jungle ahead
of them--only long rolling slopes dotted with thorntree patches and
covered with long thick grass. More than once lions trotted away before
them, and on one occasion they were forced to kill a lioness that
charged full at the wagons.
"It is beautiful country," exclaimed von Hofe enthusiastically, pointing
to the mountain peaks that shot up on every side. "Some day it will be
grand farms, when the soil is watered. See, it is volcanic."
He picked up a stone, showing them the indications of volcanic origin.
Here and there palms towered up, and when they camped beside a river
the next evening the vegetation bordered its banks thickly. Of game
there was no lack, and that night the three took their gun-bearers and
sallied forth.
"We ought to find a deer-run along this river," declared Jack.
Schoverling smiled.
"According to the map it's a branch of the Guaso Nyero, and the last big
stream we strike. To-morrow we head off to the northeast, and into the
mapless country. See if you can run across any tracks, boys."
Charlie and Jack separated and after twenty minutes' search in the dusk
Charlie located an open glade in a great grove of mimosas, where the
deep tracks showed that hundreds of animals were in the habit of
watering. Von Hofe had followed them and now joined the party, bearing a
little rifle which he had carried in sections in his tiny brass trunk.
"I am something going to shoot," he said, paying no attention to their
jests. "Is it allowed to smoke?"
"Not much," chuckled Jack. "You just sit tight and wait. What you going
to shoot?"
"I want a good oryx head," declared the scientist. "But I will shoot him
myself."
That was a wonderful night to the two boys. Hour after hour they waited
until the moon came up, and before them filed uncounted hundreds of
animals. There were great droves of zebra, giraffes by the score, three
or four rhinoceroses who plunged across the stream and vanished, herd
after herd of gazelle, antelope, and wildebeest, and a magnificent drove
of the cow-like eland.
Lions abounded, but the other animals paid them no attention, nor did
the great cats come for game; they would appear, drink, and slink away,
two or three even swimming across the stream. Toward midnight a number
of oryx were seen, their long, black, sword-like horns mixed with a herd
of zebra. So far not a shot had been fired, but without warning von Hofe
raised his little sporting rifle and fired twice.
Instantly the game was off, with a great clicking of hoofs and startled
snorts. The explorer and the two boys at once picked out their animals
and opened fire. To his vast delight, von Hofe's oryx bounded high and
fell dead; it was found that both bullets had gone through the heart.
Schoverling put down another oryx and a zebra, whose flesh the Masai
delighted in, though it was too tough for the others. Jack and Charlie
each dropped an eland, Jack wounding a hartebeest which got away in the
rush. An instant later, only the thunder of hoofs dying away in the
distance showed what vast herds had been there.
The next day they headed by compass for the northeast, which would take
them into the supposed desert country, but clear of the great Lorian
swamp. Here for the first time they began to be tormented by
flies--great long insects such as the boys had never seen, and which
rendered fly-nets necessary to their tents at night. Had it not been for
them, the tents might have remained unused, for the whites needed them
little and the Indians slept in the wagons.
Once they came to an outlying village of the Samburu--a nomad people
dwelling farther south. Here they found not only cattle, sheep and
goats, but herds of camels, which were kept for their milk and hair
alone. These villagers knew nothing of what lay beyond, save that it was
desert and uninhabitable.
So, with full water-casks, a renewed store of figs, cabbage-palm tops,
and other vegetables, the safari pushed into the desert, going forward
day and night. Charlie, much to his surprise and disgust, found that the
Masai had little need for water, drinking the blood of game instead, "to
make their hearts fierce." This, however, was a great saving to their
supply.
There were many hyenas scattered over the district, and these the boys
shot wherever found, as they are a perfect scourge and good for nothing.
The earth was sun-baked, and the explorer declared that no water had
fallen here for possibly a year or more, which the boys could well
believe. The game gave place to giraffes, ostriches, and a few varieties
of the plains antelope, so that each day they had to circle farther from
the camp to secure enough.
Day after day they pushed forward, skirting at times the edge of miasmic
swamps, and generally sticking to the desolate plain. They refilled
their casks at occasional water-holes, and the oxen used little water on
the march. Von Hofe made no comment, until two weeks of this had passed
with no sign of approaching villages or elephant country. Then, one
night, he gave voice to his thoughts.
[Illustration: For the man, just as he relapsed into unconsciousness,
murmured four words: "Help--me debbil man!"]
"Are you sure, Schoverling, that there is anything beyond this? It to me
seems not much like elephant country."
"I'm taking a chance, Doctor," returned the dust-caked explorer. "This
desert is bound to loosen up sometime, and there is surely elephant
country ahead. Give us another week; then if we strike nothing I'll head
around toward Lake Rudolph and the mountains."
The other nodded, and said no more. Charlie and Jack had also grown
weary of the desolate surroundings, but no complaint had come from the
Masai. Two days later one of the oxen died, and on the third day
another, from unexplained causes. Then, on the fifth morning, a yell of
delight went up from all at sight of green trees ahead.
"It's a drift," exclaimed Charlie, examining the slender line of trees
as they pushed their horses on.
"What's that under those big mimosas?" called Jack. "Looks like a native
hut."
"Right you are, Jack!" cried the explorer. "Come on Guru!"
They advanced at a gallop, leaving the wagons far behind. Half an hour
later they came to the drift--a wide, rocky little valley through which
trickled a tiny stream of water. No sign of natives appeared, however,
until their horses had watered and they clambered over the stones on
foot toward the single hut beneath the mimosas. Then, as Jack shouted
aloud, a man appeared in the doorway, crawling toward them on hands and
knees.
"The poor devil's all in," exclaimed Schoverling. "Careful, boys! He may
have the plague."
"Let me go first," said the German quietly. They could see that the man,
who seemed to be an Arab, was frightfully emaciated. His head was bound
up, and half-healed thorn-scars covered his body. Von Hofe beckoned them
to come on, as he knelt beside the poor wretch, but as the boys came to
his side a startled exclamation broke from them.
For the man, just as he relapsed into unconsciousness, murmured four
words.
"Help--me debbil man!"
CHAPTER X
MOWBRAY'S END
"He iss starved," exclaimed von Hofe. "See what iss in the hut. I will
care for him."
Charlie, Jack and Schoverling, with a single glance of amazement at the
words of the senseless Arab, advanced to the hut while the Indians
clustered about von Hofe. The shelter was a crude one, of bushes and
grass, built against the trunk of one of the great mimosas.
"There's a man in here!" cried Charlie as they stood in the doorway.
Before them, lying on a bed of leaves, was the figure of a man in
European clothes. His head, one arm, and side were bound in
blood-stained bandages. On his chest lay his right hand, still gripping
a pencil, while on his knees lay an old letter, scribbled over. With a
cry of pity, Schoverling knelt at the man's side--but started up again
in horror.
"Good heavens!" His voice rang with a note that struck Charlie's heart.
"It is Mowbray--dead!"
They pressed forward, and saw that the man was indeed dead. And Mowbray
it was--his cheeks fallen in, the bandage half-concealing his face, but
the iron chin locked grimly as ever in the last battle.
"Yes," said Jack softly. "He's dead, right enough. Must have passed out
not long ago, though. Let's see what that letter says, Chuck."
Charlie leaned over and picked up the paper sheets. The hut was
absolutely bare, save for an empty revolver that lay on the earthen
floor. With a shudder the boys emerged into the sunlight again, followed
by Schoverling. The wagon had not yet come up, and the doctor was
standing over the Arab. He turned at their approach.
"No use, mine friends. He iss dead--was ist das? A letter?"
He peered down at the paper in Charlie's hand. Without a word the boy
handed it to Schoverling. The wagons were just creeping through the
first trees, toward the water, and the Indians rushed off to restrain
the oxen from plunging into the stream.
"Come over here into the shade," said the explorer quietly. "Mowbray is
lying in there, Doctor, dead, and seemingly pretty badly wounded.
Perhaps these two sheets will throw some light on the situation."
They sat down around him beneath one of the big trees, and for a moment
there was dead silence as the explorer examined the scrawled writing on
the two sheets of paper and tattered envelope. Von Hofe nervously filled
his pipe, nearly dropping it in the attempt.
"He seems to have written this after he got to the hut here," began the
explorer. "It has no date and runs on in disconnected sentences." He
paused, a catch in his voice. After a moment he went on, with no further
sign of the emotion that must have possessed him.
"'Yesterday the camel died. Conscious but helpless. Arm, leg, ribs and
head broken. Five days travel, to south. Zahir hurt, but managed to drag
me to river and trees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, whence
cometh--'
"That's the first of it," said the explorer. At this moment Gholab
approached and saluted respectfully, his bearded face immobile. "Well,
what is it?"
"Does the sahib wish to outspan here?"
"Yes. Outspan and pitch camp for to-day. And, Gholab, have two graves
dug at the top of this little rise."
The Gurkha saluted and wheeled. Charlie caught an excited look from
Jack, and then gave his attention to the General once more.
"'Zahir has built a hut. Could get away but refuses. No cartridges in
revolver. Z. is cutting up camel. Tough but nourishing. Have hopes. If I
pull out will reward Z. for life.'
"That's the second bunch of sentences, written on the envelope. The next
seems to come on the back of the letter, and is addressed doubly."
The explorer swept his eye down the two dirty, torn papers, and then
read slowly:
"'To Selim ben Amoud or Louis Schoverling. Whoever finds, take to them.
"'Fever for two weeks. Camel gone bad, no cartridges. Zahir-ed-din ben
Yusuf has caught some mice for me and starved self. No hope left unless
L. S. comes. Am weaker, and Z. has fever.
"'In watchcase is plan of Selim's. Struck east from Lake Sugota with
camels. Had brush with British but shook them off. Into desert five days
full speed. Country deserted. Chain of small lakes, woods, hills as
indicated on plan. Deserted ruined huts, no natives. Found Lake Quilqua
to south of others.'"
"What!" cried Charlie. "Is that there, General? Is it--"
"You vill keep quiet, please!" rumbled von Hofe. Charlie subsided as the
General nodded. Jack said nothing, only his flushed cheeks and gleaming
eyes showing his eagerness.
"'Lake fed by hot springs. Water warm, very reedy. Crossed to island
fifty yards from shore. Found stronghold ruined, slave irons and
neck-rings, plenty of skeletons. Evidently place was swept by plague,
none escaping. Burned slave-barracoon and house. All very old--at least
ten years. Slavers' stronghold explains desolated country. Natives all
skipped or slaves.
"'Z. and I located big ivory cache under left gate-post. Went back to
camp for men, found dying Arab. Gigantic buffalo gored him. Rest gone
with camels. Big python showed up; all scared out. Found camel in trees
and stayed to look around. Stories true. Shot two buffalo--suggested
prehistoric type, great horns. Shot python, thirty-nine feet.
"'Guns safe. Third day found elephant spoor. Could hardly believe it.
Sighted and caught him by deserted native village. Rogue, fine trophy
for L. S. Biggest ever saw, must stand fourteen feet or better. Ivory
twelve feet. Z. game to tackle him, next day.
"'Rogue didn't wait. Tackled us before dawn. One foot came down through
tent, missed me by six inches. Rolled out and grabbed gun. Z. knocked
senseless. Fired once, but rogue placed trunk around me and threw me
twenty feet into bushes. Senseless.
"'Woke up to find rogue gone. Z. pulled me out of thorns and tied me up.
Badly smashed. Amputated left hand at wrist. Elephant had smashed guns,
with all he could find. Z. lost his nerve. Don't wonder. He caught the
camel unhurt. I told him to head south to find L. S. or natives, then
fainted again.
"'Don't remember much of what happened next. Z. says we rode bareback.
Held me in his arms all the way. Five days. No water or grub. Camel
died with river only hundred yards away, poor brute. That's all.'"
The explorer paused, trying to make out the last few lines, which seemed
almost illegible. Charlie stared, gulping down a sob at the bare recital
of that terrible journey. It was hard to realize that only a few weeks
ago he had seen and talked with the intrepid little man who lay cold in
death on his bed of leaves, and whose last words were being read to
them.
"This last is pretty faint," said Schoverling with expressionless voice.
"It's the last thing he wrote, and he seems to have failed at the end.
Here is what I can make out of it:
"'Z. knocked over a vulture two days ago from carcass of camel. Made him
take half, and he promised to go for help. Was too weak and came back.
I'm pretty near gone. If you get this, L. S., go kill that rogue for me.
Ivory worth while in cache. Feel cold to waist--must be going. Great
news for British, eh? Thank God I've lived a decent life, according to
my lights.'"
Schoverling's voice died away, and they knew he had reached the end.
Without another word the explorer rose to his feet, walked a few paces
and stood gazing over the river with his back toward them. Von Hofe,
sucking his unlighted pipe, made no secret of the tears that trickled
over his dusty blond beard. Charlie and Jack gazed at each other in awed
silence, for that last letter was very vivid and very real to them both.
"He ampudaded hiss own hand--ach!" said the big German huskily, at last.
At the words, Schoverling turned and came slowly back to them, his face
set and hard. Behind them the Masai were digging the graves under the
direction of Akram Das, and the oxen were splashing about in the shallow
silver thread of the river.
"Five days by camel--that would mean at least a week or ten days with
the wagons," said the explorer quietly, looking at von Hofe. The German
met the look and nodded.
"Yess. We shall do as he ordered."
"Do you mean that we are going to Lake Quilqua?" exclaimed Jack eagerly.
"We are, Jack. There is no reason why we should not bring back that
rogue. He's just the fellow we're after, as--as poor Mowbray said." His
voice shook a little. "If we'd only arrived a day or two sooner!"
"It can't be helped, General," returned Charlie softly. "We could not
know that he was here, and we might have done no good anyhow. Those last
words of his were fine."
"That letter will be framed, some day," said the explorer, "and it'll
hang where every man in the Explorer's Club will be proud of it. What a
fine fellow that Arab was, too! I'm heartsick to think that we failed to
save him."
"It was no use," von Hofe rose to his feet calmly. "It was starvation
and wounds. He was a good man, yes. My friends, we will bring that
rogue's skin back, and those others. What a triumph of science!"
"That letter said something 'bout there bein' a plan in his watch-case,
Gen'ral," spoke up Jack. Schoverling nodded, and turned to the hut. A
moment later he came out, a smashed and bent gold watch in his hand.
This they managed to pry open with a knife, and the explorer pulled out
a tiny, many-folded map of onion-skin paper. The tracings were made in a
brown ink, with marks that meant nothing to the boys.
"Arabic," explained Schoverling briefly. "Evidently it was supplied to
Mowbray by Selim ben Amoud. From what I can make out, it is a plan of
the chain of lakes Mowbray mentions. Here is one off by itself to the
south, named Quilqua. Well, this does us no good. Let's get down to
cases."
"One thing is sure," said Charlie as the explorer paused. "That is, that
our march will lie just about due north."
"Yes. Now, Mowbray speaks of an island with a slaver's stronghold. That
would account for the desolated country--that and the rogue elephant.
Probably some Arab settled down there years ago and ran off slaves until
he and all his men were swept out in one of the terrible and mysterious
plagues that sometimes sweep this country. That would explain the rumors
among the natives. Probably Selim heard the story and fancied the place
might be worth finding, so went into partnership with Mowbray. The
latter evidently found a good store of ivory planted away."
"I guess you've doped it out," said Charlie. "How long will we stay
here, General?"
"Two days. That will give the horses and cattle a good rest. The three
of us ought to bring in a lot of game, and we'll make some real
northwoods pemmican to take us on. First, let's see if the Masai will go
with us."
The explorer called to Bakari and the Masai leader came over grinning.
Slowly they explained what lay before them, the terrors of the
mysterious lake, and the desert journey, and asked if Bakari and ten of
his men would accompany them. The unabashed warrior grinned.
"Me go! Him men go, very fierce. No 'fraid."
Satisfied that he had understood, Schoverling dismissed him, and turned
to the boys.
"Pemmican for ten Masai and Bakari, us four, and three gun-bearers. The
rest will stay here. We'll take one wagon and six oxen; they can go for
two or three days without any water easily enough. We have one thing to
do before we go on the hunt, though."
What this duty was all knew well enough. The body of Mowbray was brought
out and sewed in the canvas of a spare tent; a small American flag
belonging to Schoverling was laid over him, and he was placed in one of
the graves. The faithful Zahir-ed-din was laid in the other. As the
story was told the Indians, they waited till von Hofe had recited the
Lord's Prayer over Mowbray, then Gholab Singh, Mohammedan like the other
Gurkhas, delivered a short prayer from the Koran over the Arab, and the
graves were filled in.
Charlie, Jack and the General scoured the plain that afternoon, bringing
in three eland and sending the Masai out after two zebra. On their
return they found that von Hofe had been at work, for over each grave
stood a cross of wood, rudely carved with the name of him beneath. Oddly
enough, the Mohammedans made no objection to the cross being placed over
the Arab.
"He was a good man," said the big Teuton softly. "It matters not that he
believed in Allah, for worse Christians I haf met, yes."
During the next day the game was cut up and smoked by Jack and Charlie,
the explorer and Guru bringing in enough fresh meat to keep them for two
or three days ahead. That night six of the rested oxen were inspanned to
one of the wagons, loaded with water-casks and what was left of their
yams and bananas. The spare Gurkha was left with his own rifle, an old
Snider, to provide meat for the little camp, and as the moon rose the
expedition pushed out across the river to the north--in search of Lake
Quilqua and the Rogue Elephant.
CHAPTER XI
THE DESERT TREK
The rest, short as it had been, had worked wonders for the cattle. They
were as fresh and sleek as ever, and the lightly loaded wagon was a
small burden to them. At the last moment Schoverling had flung in the
six traps.
"I have a notion," was all he would reply to the questions of the boys.
He and the boys and von Hofe rode first, the Masai tramping along to a
swinging chant beside the wagon, and the three gun-bearers bringing up
the rear. The oxen did not require any driving, as they followed the
leaders unhesitatingly and patiently.
"I guess we've got our work cut out for us," said Charlie as the long,
rolling white-dusted plain opened out before them in the moonlight. He
and Jack rode together, as usual.
"Seems weird," replied Jack, "to think o' Mowbray coming across here on
a camel only to die, an' us going back on the same trail. Wonder how
that camel died in five days?"
"I don't know. He said it was unhurt. Prob'ly the Arab pushed it day and
night at full speed. Even a camel would go down under that."
As they advanced, the dust rose in clouds about them, hanging low and
choking the Indians behind until they had to come forward. Once or twice
the barking call of a zebra sounded from the distance, and toward
morning the distant growl of a lion, but no other signs of life came to
them.
The boys had been busy all day, and they were tired enough to doze off
in the saddle as they went forward, the white dust covering them all
with a thick coating. Hour after hour they plodded on, at intervals
wiping out the nostrils of the horses and cattle with a wet cloth by way
of refreshment. Von Hofe chatted intermittently with Schoverling, who
guided the march by compass, but the boys were too weary for talk.
At five o'clock they halted on the edge of a dry water-course. They had
not omitted to fetch along a good supply of fodder for the cattle, which
was loaded in the wagon to the very top of the tilt. The horses were
given a few swallows of water each, the Masai dined on roast meat about
their fires, while the four explorers and the Indians made an excellent
repast on cold meat and biscuits with tea. Biscuits were Charlie's
specialty, and before the start he had made a good supply, as their
flour was running low.
For three hours they rested here, Schoverling and Jack keeping watch in
turn. At the next halt von Hofe and Charlie would stand guard, then the
three Indians. At eight the cattle were inspanned, and they plodded
onward until noon, hot and choked with dust. No complaint came from the
Masai, and here the second meal of the day was eaten.
The boys had thought that first march across that almost deserted grass
plain was hard, but this gave them an inkling of the meaning of an
African trek. They slept with heads on their saddles, the single tent
they had brought along shading them somewhat. The Indians and a few
Masai slept on the fodder beneath the hood of the wagon, the rest
stretched out under the wagon itself.
At three they inspanned and went on again until seven, when another two
hours' rest and the evening meal took place. Thus they traveled sixteen
hours and rested eight, the men and cattle both getting on more easily
at night than in the blazing sun.
That first afternoon nothing much occurred to interest them. Out on the
dry desert scoured a few ostriches, at which the boys took distant shots
but without result. In the evening they saw two giraffes lumbering
across the horizon.
"Wish we had a few yoke of those fellows," said the explorer. "They can
go for months without water, and seem to pick up a living from the dead
grass."
"I thought camels were the only beasts who could live on air?" said
Charlie in surprise. "Do you mean that giraffes absolutely require no
water?"
"That is it," answered von Hofe. "It is an unexplained mystery, my
friend. The giraffe, he carries no water-tank inside like the camel, yet
he sweats and lives. How, is not known."
Charlie and Jack looked after the Masai, but found them dust-grimed and
cheerful. The leader, Bakari, had evidently picked out the best men--all
stalwart, sinewy warriors who won the respect of the boys in that
terrible march by their powers of endurance and unfailing good humor.
"I don't see how they can plug along on foot that way," volunteered Jack
on the third day. "By jiminy, two days of it would 'bout put me in
hospital! Say, Chuck, ain't these moccasins great? If we had boots now
we'd be sorry."
"You bet," nodded Charlie. "They keep the dust out pretty well. The
doctor has to empty out a pound o' dust every hour. No wonder his feet
are swollen up!"
Indeed, that night von Hofe made application for a pair of the spare
moccasins. The dry, irritating dust made no entrance through the thick
moosehide, and although the moccasins were undeniably hot, they were
much better than hunting-boots. He freely admitted that in no instance
had Schoverling's prophecies and ideas fallen down, and thereafter wore
his moccasins until the end of the trip.
The dry, brown grass of those plains was almost hidden by the dust, but
when their fodder gave out, on the fifth day, the oxen seemed to take it
willingly enough. Day after day the march kept up without intermission,
and fortunately the six-oxen suffered no loss. They were used to such
treks, and the unremitting care of the boys kept them in good shape.
On the seventh day the supply of meat, large as it had been, began to
show signs of giving out. The Masai had accepted the smoked meat
willingly enough, but neither the explorer nor the boys had counted on
their enormous appetites. As it would not do to halt the march, the
wagon was left in charge of von Hofe, while the General, the boys, and
the three gun-bearers cantered out after whatever game they could find.
So far the horses had stood the strain well, being seasoned, wiry little
beasts. Schoverling rode between the boys.
"I didn't want to tell the doctor," he volunteered in a low tone, when
they were a good half-mile from the wagon, "and don't let on before the
Indians; but we're going to be in bad unless we get across pretty soon.
There are only two casks of water left. I'm afraid the Masai have been
tapping them at night."
"Jumping sandhills!" exclaimed Charlie, staring in dismay. "Why, we have
to use at least half a cask a day, only giving the horses and cattle a
few swallows, and us too! I s'pose we'll cut out the cattle?"
"Have to," nodded the explorer. "I hate to do it, but we can't return
now. I'd like to take a gun-butt to those Masai!"
"You can't blame them," put in Jack. "They've got the hardest end to
bear up, Gen'ral. We've only allowed them about a pint a day each, same
as us, when they've been hiking steady. It's hard lines on them, take it
from me."
"We can't help that, Jack," Schoverling returned. "There's no use
punishing them, of course, for they may be valuable later on. But when
you're on watch, just take a look under the wagon now and then. If you
find anyone at the water-casks, take the cattle-whip to him. That water
means life to all of us--and _we come first_!"
The boys fell silent. The danger was brought home to them, as the
explorer intended, and they realized the grim law of the white man in
savage places--that whatever happened, whoever perished, he must
survive. It is not a merciful law; Schoverling was not one of the
generous-hearted kind who treat the native as an equal at such times.
He was an average, self-preserving Caucasian, who was only merciless
when his own life hung in the balance. The boys had been trained in the
same school, and fully realized the force of his words.
"The Masai are holding up finely," he went on, "but we'll have to watch
them close. At any minute they may get sick of things and try to rush
us. That means trouble, which I hope will not come."
Charlie joined him silently in that hope, though from the behavior of
the natives he could hardly believe that they would turn on the whites.
However, the conversation was soon shifted by the discovery of a herd of
giraffes to the north.
"Long range, I s'pose?" queried Jack, getting out his heavy gun. The
Indians were armed with the lighter ones.
"Yes," returned the explorer. "We'll never get up on them in this
territory. Fire high, when they begin to run, or we'll lose them."
The giraffes saw them plainly enough, but they got to within four
hundred yards before the herd began to shift. All drew rein instantly,
the trained horses standing stone still, and just as the herd took
alarm and broke into their lumbering, awkward-looking gallop, the six
rifles rang out.
The lighter weapons of the Indians seemed to have no effect. Charlie saw
the bull at which he aimed stagger and go down. Another stopped with a
broken shoulder, and Jack's second barrel finished it. Schoverling fired
again, but either missed a vital place or his bullet went wide, for a
moment later the herd was gone in a cloud of dust.
"Never mind," he cried gayly, reloading as they trotted forward. "Two
will be all we can carry in, and will help out wonderfully. They are
poor eating for us, but the Masai will be overjoyed."
Reaching the two dead giraffes, all leaped from their horses and set
about cutting up the bodies. At last it was finished. Spattered with
blood, the boys got the heavy loads on their quivering, blood-sniffing
horses after some delay, and set about returning to the wagon.
"Where is it?" exclaimed the explorer. "Surely we can't have lost it?"
But, even with their powerful glasses, no sign could they see of the
little safari. In all directions the plain stretched out dry, white,
dusty, with no moving speck to break the monotony. The general cased his
glasses in disgust.
"I was so interested in giving you my warning that I forgot to take any
thought of our direction, and the doctor has my compass. Let's
see--we've been riding about northeast."
"Here," cried Jack, pointing to the dusty plain, "there's no wind, so we
can follow the tracks. It's a cinch."
"Of course," laughed the explorer, and with Jack and Charlie in the lead
all six began retracing their steps. But it was not so easy to follow
the trail, after the dust had settled down upon it, and it was an hour
later before the white tilt of the wagon was seen, far to the southwest.
"We came more east than north, evidently," said Schoverling. "However,
all's well that ends well. Don't gallop, Akram; we must go easy on the
horses!"
They were soon up to the wagon and were greeted with a joyful yell by
the Masai, who had no scruples about partaking of the raw meat. Knowing
their tastes, the explorer had filled two or three gourds with the blood
of the slain giraffes, which the natives drank greedily. The boys were
disgusted, and sought refuge at the head of the column again.
That night the two remaining casks of water were shifted to the bed of
the wagon, the empty casks remaining slung below. With the next evening,
however, there came a joyful change in their prospects, for as they
proceeded they saw that dark clouds were gathering along the horizon to
the north.
"Rain!" cried the boys eagerly. Von Hofe nodded, and the Masai struck up
a "rain chant" which seemed to have the desired effect. By midnight the
sky was overcast, and when they outspanned the next morning for the
early halt gusts of wind and rain were sweeping down upon them that
gradually changed to a steady, settled rain.
"This is a great piece of good luck," exclaimed Schoverling, revealing
to von Hofe for the first time how their water supply had shrunk. "Get
out all the casks, boys, and let them fill. It's a bad thing for the
march, however."
"Why so?" queried the doctor, as the two boys began unslinging the
casks.
"Because when this soil is wet it's mighty greasy, and makes hard going
for the ox-team. However, it's well worth it."
The only trees on the plain were stunted thorn-trees, but from these the
Masai got enough dry wood to start a fire, after which others were
started. The boys, Schoverling and the doctor huddled together in the
wet grass under the tent, blankets around them and saddle-cloths over
their feet, and slept comfortably enough despite the drenching rain.
When the camp wakened into action, the rain had passed over and once
more the sky was bright and the air hot. But they had obtained three
full casks of water, and now had little fear for the future. As the
explorer had predicted, the soil was wet and greasy, but aside from
getting stuck once in an old drift, they had no great trouble, and after
the noon halt the sun had dried up the ground fairly well.
When they halted at sunset that night Charlie pulled out his glasses and
then gave a cry of joy. Far ahead, but unmistakable, they could see
green slopes and trees. Quilqua the mysterious was in sight.
CHAPTER XII
A DESERTED LAND
That night the water was not spared, and the rest of the meat was
polished off in reckless fashion. After a three-hour rest, they took up
the march again in renewed spirits, the Masai singing and chanting
eagerly. But distances were deceptive in that country of clear vision
and high altitude. When they camped at dawn after a hard march, they
seemed no nearer the trees than before, and the Masai and Indians went
to bed hungry, Jack making what little flour they had left into
flapjacks.
By the time they camped at noon, however, the boys and Schoverling had
brought in an eland, which they had found solitary. This staved off
hunger, and without pausing to sleep the hunters set off again while the
cattle rested. The country was well timbered farther ahead, and they
rode toward this through scattered clumps of thorn-trees.
"There's a lion, right enough," said Jack, as one of the tawny beasts
bounded away from a knoll to their right. "That means there's game
around."
"We'll strike it in the trees," declared the General. "That seems like a
good rolling game country stretching out in front."
Knowing that the doctor would bring on the wagon, they struck straight
ahead for five miles. Gradually game became apparent, and after knocking
over a couple of gazelles and a fine oryx, they found a waterhole. Akram
Das was sent back to guide the wagon to it, and that night there was
high feasting in camp.
"I'm mighty glad our cattle pulled through safe," said Schoverling.
"We'll need them on the back trail."
"Yes," put in von Hofe, "they will have to draw the elephant skin and
the ivory."
"Don't count too far ahead," laughed Jack. "It's not going to be any
cinch! But I'd like to meet up with one of those buffalo."
"If poor Mowbray's account is true," said the General, "we'd better have
the gun-bearers stick close with the heavy guns. There's no telling
what we'll strike here. We'll have to keep pretty good guard, too, for
lions will be apt to make a try for the cattle or horses."
Now, with the worst of the march over, they relapsed into regular
day-marches again. But that night, sure enough, Charlie heard the low
mutterings of a lion, and by the light of the fires could see one of the
great beasts slinking past. He gave him two shots from his 30-30, and
the aroused camp found only a dead lion to exult over.
The first day's march brought them to a tiny trickle of water in the
center of a drift, where they outspanned. There were palms and wild figs
in abundance, and with cabbage-palm hearts as a substitute their meat
diet was abandoned. Game was increasing, and that night they located
another drinking-place half a mile up the drift, where the boys bagged
three gerenuk, a kind of gazelle, and two wildebeest.
As they went forward the next day they were all amazed at the remarkable
tameness of the herds which passed on every side. A drove of at least a
hundred zebra paused within fifty yards of them, gazing curiously, and
not until Bakari flourished a spear did they whirl and dash away. At
another time a group of slender-horned impalla bunched together not a
hundred yards away, watching fearlessly as the wagon passed.
"That looks mighty queer," declared Charlie. "Seems like they don't get
hunted much up here."
"Remember what that letter o' Mowbray's said?" interjected Jack quickly.
"How he never met any natives, I mean? Bet a cookie you were right,
General, about the slavers."
"What's worrying me," returned Schoverling, "is where that lake can be.
There seems to be hills ahead, and to the right, but I can see no sign
of a lake."
"I tell you," cried Charlie. "If we strike another drift, it's a good
guess that it comes from a lake, isn't it?"
"Yes," rumbled von Hofe, smiling. "That is right, my boy. We will follow
the next river to which we come."
Plainly enough, the country was a desert as far as human life was
concerned. But the animal life was far too abundant to suit them. That
day they passed a rhinoceros, standing to one side and watching them
from a distance of fifty yards. With his ears cocked forward he looked
like a gigantic pig, but the hunters kept their heavy rifles cocked, for
at any moment the beast might take it into his head to charge, and they
had had one experience with these huge beasts.
"He's two-horned!" exclaimed Jack, watching intently. It was their first
meeting with one of the two-horned variety, and they were relieved when
he turned and slowly trotted off, the tick-birds on his back settling
down again.
That night Schoverling issued orders that with each halt the Masai
should construct a thorn zareba for the oxen, while big fires should be
kept blazing all night. Lions were very plainly in abundance, and they
could afford to run no risk of losing the cattle, or horses either.
Toward dawn they were aroused by Guru, on guard, to find the horses
shivering with fear and the glowing eyes of lions shining from the
undergrowth around the camp. A shot seemed to have no effect, until with
a well-placed bullet Schoverling killed one of the beasts and the rest
disappeared with threatening rumbles.
"That shows what we can expect, in this no-man's country," he said.
"We'll have worse than that later on, I'm afraid."
And his words were to prove true, though not exactly as he had intended,
before two days more had passed.
Shortly before noon they came upon lower ground, with the high hills
rising some ten miles farther on. A stream trickled through beds of
reeds and swamp-grass, and it was decided that they should follow the
high ground upstream, in the hope of being thus led to their hard-sought
goal.
Schoverling and Charlie employed the shotgun in turn, shooting from
their horses, and stocking the whole camp with wildfowl. The Masai had
spread out in great glee, investigating this strange land like children,
when a sudden yell of horror went up from one of them.
Turning as the doctor echoed the shout, those ahead were horrified to
see a tremendous python curled about the struggling warrior, at the very
edge of the reeds twenty yards away. The huge head of the snake was
high--at least six feet above that of the warrior, about whom its coils
were tightening slowly. The Masai, with horrible yells, was slashing
away without effect, and even as they looked his arms were bound about
and fell useless.
"Good heavens!" groaned Schoverling, who had left his rifle in the
wagon. The Indians spurred forward with outstretched guns, but in that
moment von Hofe proved himself cooler than any. The boys had been afraid
to fire, but even as Charlie and Jack threw up their guns the little
rifle of the doctor spoke out once and then again.
Struck in the neck by both balls, the python's head drooped and his
coils broke away. In a flash the Masai wriggled loose and turned, sword
in hand, while his comrades dashed fearlessly to his rescue. For a
moment there was a wild turmoil of bodies; one of the warriors was flung
a dozen feet away by the slashing tail, then the python fell, cut into a
score of pieces.
The exciting combat was begun and over in a moment. Charlie dashed to
the side of the men, but it proved that neither of the Masai had been
seriously hurt. The first had suffered merely from a vigorous squeeze,
the second had the breath knocked out of him, so no attention was paid
to the injuries. Measured carefully, the python proved to be thirty feet
in length.
"Things look pretty grave," said Schoverling soberly that evening when
they were in camp farther up the stream, but well away from the reeds.
"Mowbray's forty-foot python was no dream, my friends. We must keep our
rifles in the holsters and at our hands night and day in this country."
"The Masai behaved splendidly," exclaimed Charlie admiringly. "Where are
you going?" he asked as the General arose.
"Show you in a minute. Guru!"
The explorer had joined the Sikh at the wagon. There was a rattle of
chains, and with the steel traps in their hands the two returned to the
fire.
"Now, Guru, we are going to set out these traps around the camp. After
this you and Akram and Amir Ali will have to do it, so observe us
closely."
"Oh, that's what you wanted them for, eh?" cried Jack. Schoverling
smiled.
"Not exactly, but they're going to be a whole lot of help. My idea is,
Doctor, that if we set these out around the camp they will keep us from
being surprised to some extent. They won't stop a lion or buffalo, of
course, but they will serve to check them or any other big game."
"It is good," nodded von Hofe gravely. "I think it will be of much use.
I will go too."
The boys cut heavy stakes with their hand-axes, and all six of the traps
were fastened securely. Then, accompanied by the Indians, they placed
the traps in a wide circle on each side of the zareba, the most
threatened point of attack. When the stakes were driven, the jaws of the
traps were opened and light creepers flung over them.
"By golly, that'll make me sleep a whole lot sounder!" admitted Charlie
when they returned. Jack was disposed to turn up his nose at the
unbaited traps.
"Any fool jackal would smell 'em," he declared emphatically. "Why, you
can see them glint in the moonlight!"
"No matter," smiled the explorer. "We don't want to catch anything in
them--they're only there to keep us from being surprised."
That very night the traps proved their value, for while Jack was on
guard he was roused by the click of steel, a tremendous snarling growl,
and the sound of a furious struggle. The whole camp was up instantly,
and by the light of the natives torches they could see a lioness rolling
over, tearing furiously at a trap which clenched her two forepaws.
A moment later she tore free, but Jack's elephant-gun crashed out and
she lay still. The trap was promptly restaked and reset, while the Masai
dragged the body away. And after that, Jack said nothing more on the
question of unbaited traps.
They were now in a veritable hunter's paradise. It was unnecessary for
Schoverling and the boys to shoot game, for the Masai could spear all
that was needed without trouble, two or three of them going up-wind and
driving the game past the hiding-place of the rest. The next morning
they were off with the dawn, in high hopes of reaching the lake, for the
water in the stream seemed warmer than usual, though the explorer laid
this to imagination.
The country was open enough for the wagon to proceed without hindrance
at a little way from the vegetation of the river. In the course of the
morning Charlie descried what looked like grass huts ahead, but as they
did not dare leave the wagon it was nearly noon before they came up to
the little village.
"Deserted, of course," exclaimed the General when they drew near.
"Old and broken down, too," added Jack. "They're pretty well covered
with vines and creepers, and that hut over on the left is a--why, all
those mounds are old huts, General!"
Sure enough, at close quarters they saw that scores of little mounds
scattered around had once been huts, fallen to pieces under the attacks
of animals and the weather. The few that were standing had been somewhat
preserved by the shelter of spreading juniper trees overhead, and young
bamboos had sprouted around and inside, thus serving to keep them in
shape.
"Pretty rotten," said Charlie, poking one with his rifle. The grass and
twigs fell at the touch. "They've been deserted for years. But look over
there--that used to be a yam patch, and I'll bet a dollar--"
Without finishing he flung himself from the saddle and ran to an
overgrown stretch of ground, where his quick eye had detected a few yams
growing wild, with a variety of squash. Most of them were trampled or
eaten by animals, but they managed to collect a dozen of each, which
would give a welcome variety of food.
"General!" called out Jack, fifty yards away.
"Come over here, all of you."
He was standing over something on the ground, at the edge of the forest.
When the others arrived, he pointed to an immense buffalo track in the
soft ground.
"There's your giant bull," he said triumphantly. "This is no place for
us, I guess."
"I should say not!" cried Schoverling. "What a brute that fellow must
be! Ever see as big a track, Doctor?"
"Never," and the German wagged his great beard, with a dubious glance
around. "Come, let us go on. Ach, what a country is this!"
An hour later they outspanned for the noon halt. By some subtle warning,
Schoverling led them away from the river to a little bare mound crowned
by a single spreading mimosa, around which the oxen were grouped. Below
on one side, stretched the jungle. On the other, tall grass, reeds and
undergrowth led away to the river. And on that little eminence the
expedition all but came to grievous wreck.
CHAPTER XIII
A DESPERATE BATTLE
Fortunately for the entire party, the bandoliers were filled that noon
with the heavy cordite bullets, for Schoverling advised all to carry
their heavy guns. Guru, Akram Das and Amir Ali carried the 30-30s, while
von Hofe broke out a box of shells for the shotgun, as he wished to get
a specimen of a peculiar crane he had seen that morning in the river,
and refused to let the others shoot it for him.
"Nein," he objected determinedly. "I shoot my own specimens, thanks, for
it is good to say, 'Shot and mounted by Gross von Hofe.' I can shoot
when I wish."
"I should say you can," laughed Charlie. "You sure nipped that big snake
in the right place, Doctor! I never saw any better shooting."
"You let the doctor alone," chuckled Schoverling. "He knows his business
better than any of us. Give him an elephant gun, if he wants it!"
The big Teuton smiled broadly through his blond beard, for the praise
was dear to his honest heart. While they sat and rested, Gholab Singh
washed the tin dishes, humming one of his native songs. Jack's quick eye
caught a movement in the bushes toward the river, and as he jumped up a
big boar came running out.
"Knock him over," suggested Schoverling lazily. "But we'll have to cut
him up and cook him ourselves."
Jack agreed, as the boar trotted across the open space, followed by
another. Catching up his 30-30, which lay with the other guns close at
hand, he put a shot through the brain of the second animal. Charlie
joined him and they ran out to bring in the body, as the Sikh was the
only Indian who would touch pig's flesh.
"Say, Jack," exclaimed Charlie as they bent over the boar, "didn't it
strike you queer that they'd run out that way? 'Most as if somethin' was
after 'em."
"Right," and Jack sprang to his feet. Looking closely, they could see
the tops of the twenty-foot reeds along the river-bank shaking heavily
and slowly, as if massive bodies were advancing. "Maybe it's a rhino,
Chuck. He wouldn't bother us--hello! What's up?"
A chorus of shrill yells from the Masai above startled them. Glancing
up, they saw Schoverling and the gun-bearers catching up their weapons,
while the natives were leading the cattle away from the wagon, the
inspanning having already begun for the march. They saw Gholab Singh
catch up the little rifle belonging to von Hofe.
"Jumpin' sandhills!" began Charlie in wonder. "What on earth--"
"Get up here!" roared the General at them. "Boys! Quick!"
Without pausing to inquire further the boys jumped for the camp. A
moment later they stood gazing around in amazement, inquiring what was
wrong. For answer the explorer pointed to the river below. The boys
whirled, then a single cry burst from their lips and they stood
astounded, unable to believe their eyes.
"Ach, himmel! Vot a sight!" broke from the doctor.
There, bending down the tough reeds like grass, a mighty herd of buffalo
was coming slowly forward, the first two or three just emerging into
the clearing. All together, there must have been sixty or seventy of
them--but what buffalo they were!
Great, shaggy fellows, nearly a third larger than those the boys had
seen and shot during the first part of the trip, they seemed like some
part of a wild dream. It flashed through Charlie's mind that it must
have been such buffalo as this that Mowbray had seen, or rather, that
had scattered his Arabs.
Slowly the great mass pushed forward, heads upturned. Plainly they had
scented the camp, for they were down-wind, and intended to investigate.
Both boys realized that they were in grave danger, as this became
apparent.
"Think they'll dare to charge us?" murmured Charlie, a little pale.
"Can't tell," returned the explorer, staring. "Great Scott, what
animals! No wonder Mowbray's men lit out for safety! If they come on,
we're goners."
That they plainly meant to come on was soon evident. The foremost paused
to sniff and paw the body of the slain boar, and to gaze up at the
waiting men, then those crowding behind shoved them onward. Two or
three went on to one side, but the others began the ascent of the little
hill without hesitation.
"We'll have to stop them," said Schoverling, his face set. Charlie
looked around to find Jack at his elbow, gun ready, black eyes
glittering, and cheeks flushed darkly. Behind were grouped the Indian
gun-bearers, fully recognizing the danger. The Masai, chattering but
with arrow on the string, stood near the wagon.
"Bakari!" called the explorer quickly. At the sound of his voice the
giant buffalo halted for a moment, and the boys yelled in hope that they
would retire. But the hope proved groundless, as they came forward with
slow steps again.
"Bakari, put some of your men up into that tree--keep those bulls away
from the wagon and oxen at all costs," ordered the General. The Masai
nodded, and a moment later five of his men went up nimbly into the big
mimosa, and threaded their way out along the branches until they stood
over the heads of the boys. The wagon and oxen were twenty feet behind,
and the remaining natives grouped before them.
"All right, boys," said Schoverling quietly. "Don't fire at the head,
remember, unless you are sure of the eye. We've got to stop them at
once."
Charlie and Jack lifted their guns. The tremendous beasts were a scant
fifty yards below, but more were crowding up from the reeds every
instant. The four white men spread out at intervals of a few yards, the
gun-bearers between. Von Hofe, shotgun in hand, stood on the long
wagon-tongue with Gholab Singh.
The three heavy Hammonds rang out with a crash. Charlie's bull went
down, as did two more, and a wild bellow of fury went up from the entire
herd. Instantly the second barrels streamed forth their deadly cordite,
and a mass of kicking, struggling animals lay below them, while from the
Masai streamed forth spears and arrows.
"Hope that holds them," said Schoverling, as they reloaded rapidly. The
gun-bearers, as good gun-bearers should, had not yet fired but stood
waiting till the last extremity.
"By golly!" yelled Jack, bringing up his rifle hurriedly. Instead of
being intimidated, the shots and powder-reek seemed to render the herd
more furious yet. Loud snortings, swishing tails and pawing hoofs
testified to their rage, and the bodies of the slain were trampled into
a bloody mass as the herd swept on.
Down went the foremost again, impeding those behind, and Schoverling
nodded to the Indians as he reloaded. The 30-30s spoke out, each of the
old soldiers wasting not a shot, but firing the five cartridges in his
magazine slowly and methodically. The scene below was terrible, and the
wild yells of the Masai rose high over the snorting and bellowing. But
great as was the slaughter, the immense herd poured up bodily, until
they were but thirty yards down the hill, the bodies of the killed
trampled underfoot, those behind pressing the others forward in mad
rage.
Now there was no let-up. Charlie loaded and fired as fast as he was
able, as did Jack and the rest. Another volley from the Indians helped,
and from the wagon von Hofe scattered bird-shot wildly, but Gholab's
little rifle-ball picked more than one bull neatly through the eye to
the brain.
From above the Masai streamed down their arrows into the backs of the
giant brutes, until the wounded ones turned and lashed out at their
fellows. Shot after shot poured down into the crowded mass of buffalo,
and a moment later Charlie knew that the fight was all but won. Those in
the van had gone down, those behind were rearing and trampling, fighting
each other in desperate confusion, forgetting what lay ahead.
Suddenly a yell of terror from behind startled Charlie and he saw Jack
whirl with a shout. While they had been fighting the foe in front, a
single bull, led perhaps by some instinct, had quietly ascended the hill
from the rear and was shaking his head angrily at Bakari and his
remaining five men.
As the boys turned, the Masai unhesitatingly poured spears at him, and
with a bellow of pain he charged them. They faced him gallantly, but
before Jack or Charlie could fire, one went high in air and another was
trampled under foot. Gholab leaped from the wagon with his small rifle,
and sprang forward; but, taking a desperate chance, Jack had fired at
the brute's shoulder. The buffalo turned and made for the little party,
and as he did so Gholab Singh shot him through the eye at ten yards.
A yell of delight from Guru drew Charlie back to the front. Here it was
evident that the buffalo were retiring, only two solitary bulls
charging through the bloody, tangled mass of hoofs and horns. One of
these the General dropped, and Amir Ali attended to the other. A moment
later the herd drew away, sullenly and fighting among themselves still,
to the shelter of the reeds, where the snortings and bellowings
gradually died away in the distance.
With the lifting of the terrific strain, Charlie staggered and caught
Schoverling's arm, while Jack sank down beside him with drawn face. Guru
and his comrades leaped down the hill to kill the wounded, kicking
bulls.
"There, boys, you take it easy," said the explorer, his voice just a
trifle shaken. "That was pretty bad for a minute, but we pulled out all
right."
"Better see to the Masai," said Charlie faintly.
Schoverling looked up, noting for the first time the slain bull by the
wagon. The boys watched him leap to the side of von Hofe, who was
kneeling over the injured men.
"I've had about enough of this country," grunted Charlie, rising shakily
as his weakness passed. "Feel better?"
"Some." Jack, also unsteady under the reaction of their great mental and
physical strain, got to his feet. "It was a tight squeeze, old chap!"
"You bet. Let's see how bad the men were hurt."
They joined the group. The gored man had an ugly wound in his side. The
other had hung to the horns of the buffalo, and beyond a slash in the
arm and a few broken ribs, was in no serious danger. The two were placed
in the wagon, where the doctor gave them much needed attention.
"I'm going to get away from here," said the explorer. "Bakari, you did
nobly! Gholab, Guru, and the rest of you, I can only say that I am proud
of you--more proud than ever. Shake hands!"
Smiling broadly, the bearded Indians obeyed, after which the boys shook
hands also.
"It was good work, sahib," declared the Sikh gravely. "We are men, all
of us. Such a fight will make great telling when we get back!"
Von Hofe received his full share of the praise, for his bird-shot had
contributed no little to the rout of the giant buffaloes. He, however,
was already busy with his camera, and only the assurance of Schoverling
that they could get a skin at another time got him to his horse. Half
an hour later they were away from the scene of the battle, to which the
kites and vultures were already flocking through the sky.
"We won't go far," announced the leader. "I don't mind confessing that
I'm pretty badly shaken up and want to rest for the remainder of the
day. We got out of that scrape almighty well, boys, if you want to know
it!"
"Guess we did," returned Charlie with an uneasy glance around. "I won't
forget that for many a long day! If the Indians hadn't stood by us--"
He did not need to finish, and the explorer nodded. Two miles farther
on, and a mile from the river; they halted beside a little creek. They
had learned the value of a big tree, and the oxen were outspanned around
a spreading fig-tree of gigantic size. The Masai built a zareba around,
and for the rest of the afternoon they stayed quietly recuperating from
the terrible exertions of that battle. In the evening great fires were
built and the traps set out again.
Nothing disturbed them that night. They slept in their blankets under
the shelter of the giant tree, but as they rolled up--von Hofe being on
guard for the first three hours--Jack whispered to Charlie.
"If we struck a herd of them fellows while we were down on low
ground--good-bye!"
"You shut up and go to sleep," retorted Charlie. "Every time I close my
eyes I think of those tossin' heads. I don't want to dream about them."
"Bet a cookie you will," chuckled Jack. "Remember how their eyes rolled,
and the first ones we shot got all trampled out of shape, and--"
Charlie reached over with a mimosa thorn and ended the discussion
suddenly. But, nevertheless, his dreams that night were none too
pleasant, and he woke more than once, almost feeling a herd of those
giant buffaloes grinding him beneath their hoofs.
CHAPTER XIV
THE LAKE OF MYSTERY
"This stream must be the outlet of the warm lake, all right," said
Schoverling the next morning as they sat at breakfast. "There seems to
be low hills ahead of us, but I think the wagon can get along."
"Yes," announced the doctor. "The hot lake must be of volcanic origin, a
very long time ago. These things one meets with often in Africa. I must
shoot one of those big buffalo, please."
"Then you'd better take my heavy gun," offered Charlie. "I've shot all
of 'em I care to." The doctor's white teeth flashed, as he nodded.
"If it was anywhere else we could ride ahead and pick out a road," said
Jack. "But we wouldn't dare leave the wagon here."
"Not much," laughed Schoverling. "If we'd been gone yesterday we'd have
had to settle down here for life. Well, let's inspan."
"Let's see that plan of Mowbray's--the Arabic one," said Charlie. The
explorer found it and tossed it over. The two boys pored over the
rudely-drawn chart while the oxen were being inspanned.
"This must be the river we're on," and Jack pointed to the line of a
stream flowing to the south and west of a small lake. "Why couldn't
we--"
"Hey, General!" called Charlie. "Come back here a minute!" The explorer,
who was filling his bandolier, came over to their side, and Charlie
pointed to the stream. "This river seems to run west out of the lake,
and then turn south. Now, she's running north and south right here,
isn't she?" The explorer, glancing at his compass, nodded. "Then instead
of keeping close to the stream, why couldn't we strike off northeast and
head straight for the lake? The river only leads us every which way."
"Good idea," exclaimed the General. "I had forgotten all about that map,
to tell the truth. The only question is whether we can depend on it."
"That fellow Selim," put in the interested doctor, "was a man of brains,
my friends. He would not send his camels and partner where he did not
know. There is too much game beside this river, also. I like it not."
"Very well," said Schoverling. "Then we will simply cut around those
hills ahead and march by compass. No lack o' water here, fortunately."
So, much to the relief of the boys, they left the dangerous vicinity of
the river and struck across country. Except on the very banks of the
stream there was no jungle, but open and well-wooded country that seemed
well able to support a population of natives, had there been any to
support. An hour after inspanning they came to another and larger
village, which had fallen to decay as had the first. Monkeys were
everywhere, grinning and chattering among the ruined huts, and in the
center of the old village, fastened to a still sturdy post, they came
upon a pair of heavy iron hand-cuffs, which were simply a mass of rust.
"There's an indication of the slave-trade," and Schoverling pointed.
"Probably a refractory slave was tied up there and whipped. I suppose
those Arabs found this a thickly populated, happy country and simply
made a clean sweep, men, women and children. Those that weren't killed
or carried off north no doubt perished miserably in the wilderness. Poor
devils! It's a tremendously good thing for Africa that the British put
down the slave-trade."
"If they'd only conserved their resources," declared von Hofe, "they
might be running out slaves yet. But it was more than slavers, my
friend." He had advanced to the door of a hut and now drew back. "It is
not a good place to stay. There are skeletons--perhaps of the plague."
"That's more like it," exclaimed Charlie, as they rode on. "Mowbray said
that he had found the Arab place plague-swept, and had burned the whole
thing, prob'ly for fear of infection. That would account for the absence
of human life a whole lot better than by laying it all on the slavers."
There was another thought running through Charlie's head,
however--something of which no one had yet spoken openly. He wondered if
Schoverling had paid any attention to Mowbray's narrative of the big
cache of ivory "underneath the left gate-post." He had been long enough
in Africa to know the tremendous value of tusks, and resolved to talk
things over with Jack at the first opportunity. Von Hofe, meanwhile, had
been thinking along more practical lines.
"If we had a large party, Schoverling, and plenty of time, we could make
money," he announced suddenly, and pointed to the hills on their left.
"Those hills must be of old volcanoes. Why should the Arabs have come so
far to settle here in a terrible land? Not for slaves or ivory alone.
No. In these lakes and rivers there is gold."
"What!" exclaimed the explorer sharply. Then, more slowly, "I shouldn't
wonder if you're right, Doctor. I'd like to take a little trip with a
washing-pan up through there! If that is so, as it well might be,
there'd be some rich pickings for the taking. However, we're here for
elephant first and last, and I'm not inclined to linger with this
outfit."
This excited the boys hugely, but both realized that on this expedition
there would be small opportunity for any gold-hunting, even if the
supposition should prove to be true. The sight of that big python and
the giant buffalo had been a good indication of what they might expect
if they lingered long hereabouts, and the fate of Mowbray's expedition
was vivid in their minds still.
The day passed with no exciting feature, as all kept close to the slow
advance of the cattle and wagon. The Masai spread out fearlessly enough,
and brought in enough game for the party. That terrific battle with the
herd of buffalo had made great inroads on their stock of ammunition, and
the explorer cautioned them not to waste a shot in useless hunting.
No sign of the expected lake appeared during the afternoon, and in the
evening they camped in a little valley between two kopjes, beside a
waterhole that welled out and sank again almost immediately into the
thirsty earth.
"We'll need those traps here, I guess," declared Charlie when the
outspanning was going on. "Prob'ly every one of these water-holes is
pretty well frequented by animals, so we can look out for visitors.
Who's on guard to-night?"
"You are," chuckled Jack; "You and your friend Amir Ali. So mind you
don't go asleep on duty, Chuck! I'd hate to wake up in the morning and
find one of your moccasins left around to remember you by."
"Never you mind about me," retorted Charlie. "I never woke up the whole
camp by letting go an elephant gun at a jackal."
This reminder of an earlier episode in the trip silenced Jack for the
time being, but Charlie had no intention of letting himself be caught
napping on duty. His watch lasted till midnight, when Amir would relieve
him, and as there was no moon the boys got in a plentiful supply of wood
for the fire. While the Indians were setting out the traps as usual, von
Hofe departed to inspect the injured men, and Charlie seized the
opportunity.
"Say, General, what about that ivory cache of Mowbray's? Think we can
lug it off with us?"
The explorer remained silent for a moment, the boys watching him
eagerly.
"Look here, you chaps," he said at last, "there were two words in that
letter I didn't read. Mowbray said 'ivory--_and dust_!' I was afraid you
might get the gold fever, but I guess you're pretty safe. I was talking
to von Hofe about it yesterday. Now, you know that we're paid by him to
get elephant and nothing else. Still, the old boy is a sport clear
through, and underneath his German reserve he's just as eager as any of
us. If we strike the island before we strike the elephant, we'll camp
on it for safety and clear out the cache."
"Hurray!" exclaimed Charlie. "Bully for him! Say, we'll--"
"You wait, Chuck," interrupted Jack quickly. "Look here, Gen'ral, it
ain't so simple. Those Arabs with the camels got clear away. Selim ben
Amoud ain't a man to let Mowbray stick alone down here, not by a
jugfull. I'll bet you that we'll find a bunch of Selim's men there with
Selim himself. He was no slouch, that guy."
Schoverling's face clouded. "You've struck the nail on the head, Jack.
That thought occurred to me also. Well, if he's there then we'll have to
keep away and stick to the rogue. But if we get there first--by thunder,
I'll load that cache into the wagon and get out with the elephant!"
"Still, in a way it belongs to him--" began Charlie, but the explorer
grunted.
"Rot! His expedition lost out. Mowbray directed his letter to me or
Selim, and said nothing about splitting up. Whoever gets there first
lands the loot, that's flat. If it belonged to anyone, it belonged to
the original bunch of slavers. However, we're counting our chickens a
long while before the incubator's opened. When we get there it's time
enough."
To this there was no answer. That night, sure enough, Charlie was glad
that he had kept the big fires blazing high, for herds crowded about in
vain endeavors to get at the water-hole, even pressing up to the thorn
zareba, until the boy had to scatter burning brands among the quantities
of eland and antelope and zebra, not wishing to shoot them. Two of the
steel traps caught, however; one a slinking jackal and the other a fine
oryx, both of which Charlie reluctantly shot with the small rifle
belonging to the doctor.
In the morning Amir Ali reported that lions had been about, but they had
made no disturbance, and the safari took up its advance soon after
sun-up. At the noon halt they were still winding through the valley, but
in the afternoon this opened out into open country once more. Jack had
his glasses out and gave a yell of delight.
"There's the lake! Dead ahead!"
Even without the aid of glasses they could all see the shimmer of water
in the sun, three miles ahead. The Masai gave a yell of joy at the news
that they had nearly reached the end of their journey, but they could
not hope to get up to the lake until evening with the slow-moving oxen.
So, leaving the doctor and the Indians to defend the wagon if need were,
Schoverling and his two assistants rode slowly onward to have a look at
things and pick out a suitable place for the night's camp.
In half an hour they were standing on a slight rise that sloped down
gently to the waters of the lake. These were thickly cloaked with reeds,
but there was no sign of the high jets of hot water of Selim's story on
the _Mombasa_.
"See that steam up at the other end of the lake?" said Schoverling,
looking through his glasses. "That's where the hot springs are, no
doubt."
"There's the island," cried Jack excitedly, who had moved a hundred feet
away. Joining him, the others were now able to see a low island which
had been hidden by intervening trees. It lay barely half a mile beyond
them, and seemed almost a part of the shore. Beyond this the trees
seemed to get thicker, while across the lake itself the green and brown
hills rose to the height of a few hundred feet. In fact, hills seemed
to be all around them, save to the south.
"Shouldn't wonder if this was one of the craters of an old volcano,"
declared the General.
"The ground has risen slightly, since we left the wagon, and those hills
all around would indicate such a thing, as would the steaming hot
springs up at the other end. Well, we can ride forward to the island.
Mowbray's camp must be there somewhere."
Keeping a wary eye open for any danger, they rode on until they arrived
opposite the island. Here, under a group of spreading mimosas, they saw
vague signs of an old camp. All was overgrown with vegetation, but as
they rode down to it the indications of a camp were clear.
"There are tattered old tents, all right," exclaimed Charlie in huge
excitement. "But animals and the weather have covered things up pretty
well."
Arriving on the spot, they leaped from their saddles and kicked away
vines.
"Here's a gun-butt," shouted Jack, holding up a moulded fragment of
wood. "And here's the rest of it--an elephant gun."
Schoverling took the pieces and fitted them together. The barrels were
twisted and bent, the stock splintered. Rubbing the latter clear of
mould, something gleamed in the sun and he uttered an exclamation.
"Mowbray's! Got his name on a silver plate. Well, that's worth keeping
as a trophy, boys. Now about camp. This was a mighty poor place for him
to land, but he wasn't expecting overgrown buffalo and pythons. There's
a little rise behind, where we can camp for to-night, but to-morrow
we'll try to get across to the island. That will be a whole lot safer
from his majesty the rogue."
"Jumping sandhills, I forgot!" cried Charlie suddenly. "Say, General,
we've beat the Arabs back, that's a cinch!"
CHAPTER XV
"UNDER THE LEFT GATE-POST"
They made a brief examination of the ground for any sign of elephant
spoor, but were relieved to find that there was nothing to indicate a
recent visitation from the rogue to the scene of his exploits.
"Hold on," cried Charlie as they remounted. "Something's wrong!"
The faint sound of gun-shots drifted to them against the wind, and as
the safari was out of sight behind the clusters of trees, all three
urged their horses into a gallop, grave anxiety in their hearts. With
rifles ready, they galloped on to find the wagon stuck hard and fast in
a rocky drift, while at one side lay the huge body of a rhinoceros.
"All is well, sahib," saluted Gholab Singh, beaming. Von Hofe grinned
through his beard.
"The rhino wished to inspect us, Schoverling, but the boys soon finished
him off. We'll have to work to get out of this, I fear."
Congratulating the four gun-bearers, all placed themselves at the wheels
of the wagon, while Schoverling went to the heads of the cattle. After
twenty minutes of hard work they got the wagon across the drift and onto
better ground.
They told of finding the camp abandoned by Mowbray, and the General
showed the fragments of the broken elephant-gun. This was a visible sign
that the rogue elephant was indeed to be feared, and the doctor
brightened up and rubbed his hands.
"Ach, he must be wonderful! Let us push on, please!"
They camped that night on the little hill that sloped down to the lake,
just opposite the island. None knew what danger might lurk in the reeds,
and as these seemed to be dry above the level of the water, with the
wind off-shore, they sent the Masai ahead to fire them while the others
waited with rifles ready.
The reeds blazed up quickly for a width of a hundred feet, beyond which
they managed to keep the fire under control, for had it spread to the
country behind it would have worked sad havoc with animal life.
Gradually the smoke died down without anything having happened. But a
moment later there was a rustling of the reeds and grass off to the
right, and a cry broke from the Masai as a tremendous python swept
toward them.
The heavy guns roared out instantly. With its head blown to pieces, the
huge snake lashed around for a few moments and then lay still. When they
advanced to measure it the boys could hardly believe their senses. The
python was a good forty feet in length, and while the excited Masai
danced around, von Hofe took photographs eagerly.
"We'll get over to that island to-morrow." Schoverling peered through
his glasses as the sun sank below the hills. "No trees on it, but you
can make out the ruins of the place that Mowbray burned. We'll have to
make sure the oxen can get across that thirty yards of water, too."
Von Hofe and Gholab Singh were on guard that night, but the dawn came
without any disturbance. The first move was to make sure that the cattle
and wagon could get across the strip of water to the island; if not,
then all their plans would have to be changed. Fortunately, they had met
with no crocodiles in the country.
Schoverling and the boys, right after breakfast, rode down to the shore.
The burned patch of reeds had left the lake clear before them, and as
they urged the reluctant horses down into the water, they were gratified
to find that it was shallow--at the deepest part there was only three
feet of water. Without returning, they shouted to Gholab to lead on, for
the bottom was sandy and strewn, with small rocks.
On these one of the oxen went down, but without injury. With the Masai
tugging at the wheels to help, the wagon soon rolled up on the shore
where the three were waiting, and they turned to look ahead. The island
seemed bare of trees, which fact was explained later; only thorn-bushes
clustered around them, the ground gently rising.
"There's the stronghold Mowbray talked about," exclaimed Charlie as they
urged their horses to the crest of the little rise on the bank. Ahead of
them lay the ruins of a burned building, black and desolate. Others
could be seen behind, while around the first was a ring of half-burned
stakes that had at one time formed a strong palisade of heavy timbers.
"We'd better keep out o' there," said Schoverling. "Here's a good place
for the outspanning, just at the bank. Bakari, better get a thorn fence
up right away. There's no telling what's liable to happen here, and we
can command the shore at all events."
"Why can't we take a look around inside?" queried Jack, somewhat
puzzled. "There's no sign of any animals around."
"Plague," returned the explorer briefly. "First thing we do, we must go
back and get in some game. The Masai only got one impalla buck
yesterday, and we can't run short on grub."
With no disappointment the boys gazed over the blackened ruins before
them. At one time these must have formed a stronghold indeed. Signs of a
"corduroy" road for wagons led down to the water; a clear spring bubbled
out cold and refreshing from inside the compound and ran on past their
camping-place; and the sturdy palisade had resisted even the fire.
Charlie looked regretfully at the huge gate-posts, each nearly three
feet thick and planted solidly in the ground.
"Well, the sooner we do the shooting the sooner we can dig," he sighed,
and turned to the horses. The three gun-bearers had old Snider rifles
of their own, which so far had not come into use, and these they left
with the doctor and Gholab, carrying the 30-30s as had been their custom
during the march.
It was still an hour before noon, and by midday they had shot two
impalla, which with four hartebeest made up all the game they could
carry back. No signs of danger were seen on that short excursion,
although once a lion broke cover and trotted away ahead of them. The
boys could see no sign of elephant with their glasses.
"He's around," laughed Schoverling to their expressions of doubt. "An
old rogue will stay hidden away until he makes up his mind to wipe the
earth with whomever's around. When we get ready to go after him, you'll
have your hands full." Which statement later turned into a very true
prophecy.
They rode back to camp to find the zareba done, and von Hofe standing
before the charred gate-posts, hands on hips. He turned at their
laughter and smiled.
"But yes," he retorted to their jokes as they surrounded him, "I too
have the treasure-hunt fever got! Yet is there one question which
puzzles me, my friends!"
"What's that?" laughed Charlie.
"The letter said 'under the left gate post.' Now, when you face the
burned buildings here, this one is the left; but when you turn around,
it becomes the right!"
"Well, we'll tackle that one first," smiled the explorer. "But we'll
have to satisfy Gholab before we do anything else. Impalla steak would
taste pretty good right now, to me."
None the less, the boys were too hungry to do much speculating over the
treasure, eager though they were. Half an hour later, over their tea, a
council was held as to just how to get at the cache. Spades they had
none, and the spears and swords of the Masai were not fitted for
digging.
"Listen," said Jack impatiently. "Mowbray said he located the cache,
didn't he? Well, at best, he had only a few hours over here. When he
burned down the place the smoke kept him from knowing that his Arabs had
lit out. That stands to reason. He didn't have time to dig around; he
knew right where that stuff was hid, and he went for it. If he found
it, the earth would still be pretty loose where he dug."
"I've got a better scheme than digging," put in Charlie, his eyes
gleaming. "Hitch up the cattle to the posts an' pull 'em out."
"Good!" shouted Schoverling. "We're behind the times on thoughts,
Doctor! Gholab, inspan the cattle over by those posts."
Ten minutes later the oxen were standing ready, while the explorer and
the boys made the ox-chains fast to one of the heavy posts. Slowly the
oxen forged ahead, but to their dismay the post broke off short.
"That's a pretty good sign that the earth is unmoved," declared
Schoverling cheerfully. "Now for the other one."
Once more the oxen were inspanned to the other post, and walked off at
the yells of the Indians. This time a shout went up from all, for the
huge post had been ripped out of the earth bodily, leaving a cavity
exposed. Charlie leaped down at once, feeling around.
"More logs down here," he cried. "We'll have to throw out the dirt after
all."
Instantly Jack was at his side, with two of the broad-bladed Masai
knives. There was but room for one to work, but with Jack above and
Charlie below the dirt began to fly at a great rate. The two boys were
soon plastered with sandy mud. Then came a shout from Charlie, who was
buried to his eyes.
"Catch hold, up there!"
Something rose above the ground, and Schoverling and Jack caught it,
while the doctor peered down. No sooner had the explorer caught the long
object than he gave a cry.
"Those aren't logs, Chuck! They're tusks--wrapped up for carriage!"
A moment later the hole had been enlarged in the sandy soil enough to
let Jack leap down to his chum's aid. One by one the tusks were passed
back to the Indians and Masai, who grouped them in a pile with much
wondering chatter.
"Reg'lar cave down here," came the muffled voice of Jack. "All ready?"
"All ready," and more tusks came up. A moment later the dirt-smeared,
excited face of Charlie appeared, and he clambered out, followed after
by the figure of Jack.
"That's all, General. Hurray!"
"All!" echoed Schoverling. "Sure there's nothing else? Here, let me get
down there."
For the first time Charlie remembered the gold-dust. But although the
explorer poked around in the cave-like hole beneath with one of the
Masai knives, he finally had to climb up with the admission that the
boys had been right. There was no gold-dust.
For a few moments they stood around the huge pile of tusks, while von
Hofe counted them. All were wrapped securely in canvas, mouldy and
rotted away with the damp of the ground. Charlie tore at one and it came
loose in his fingers.
"Thirty-two," announced the big German excitedly. "They vas all goot,
but none fery large, too. Ach, vat a pile of ifory!"
"I'm sorry there was no gold-dust, though," said Schoverling. "Funny
Mowbray mentioned it. Prob'ly he took it for granted that it was down
there with the tusks. You don't suppose there could be a cache under
that other post, do you?"
"One o' these would be plenty to build," returned Jack. "Let's have a
look at the ivory, Chuck."
He pulled out his knife and ripped off the covering of the tusk Charlie
had been pulling at. The ivory gleamed yellow and discolored in the
sunlight, while a gasp of surprise went up from the Masai, as for the
first time they realized what these things were. The gun-bearers gazed
stolidly.
[Illustration: One slash of the knife, and out trickled a little stream
of yellow grains into the brown fist of the explorer.]
"What's this?"
Jack had held up the tusk, the point of which towered far above his
head. As he lowered the hollow butt to the ground in triumph, Charlie
sprang forward and picked up a little bag of skin that had been held
inside the hollow end by a wooden plug, rotted away. The explorer leaped
forward, whipping out his knife, and grabbed the little bag from
Charlie's hand. One slash of the knife, and out trickled a little stream
of yellow grains into the brown fist of the explorer.
"Gold!"
For a moment they all stood motionless, gazing at the little bag. Von
Hofe's face expressed mild interest; that of Schoverling was aflame with
passion; Charlie knew that his own eyes were gleaming and glittering, as
were those of Jack. But almost instantly the General laughed and resumed
control of himself.
"We're acting like a lot of fools. Here, boys, rip open the rest of
those tusks and see if there are more sacks."
They fell to work with their knives, von Hofe joining in the work, and a
few moments later a little heap of skin bags, each the size of a man's
fist, was piled up. Each tusk had held one, and two or three yet
retained the wooden plugs, which had to be dug out, so firmly were they
fastened.
Charlie stood at the edge of the group, oblivious to all else. Suddenly
he felt the hand of his gun-bearer, Amir Ali, laid on his arm, and the
Gurkha whispered in his ear.
"Will the sahib come over here?"
Wondering, the boy followed the Gurkha off to one side. The gun-bearer
pointed to the mainland, toward the foot of the lake, and Charlie
whipped out his glasses instantly.
CHAPTER XVI
SELIM SHOWS HIS TEETH
No sooner had he obtained a focus than Charlie gave a cry of surprise.
There, half a mile away still, were a dozen camels grouped together and
covering the ground with huge strides. On their backs he could make out
the white figures of men, and something flashed in the sunlight like a
rifle-barrel.
Despite his surprise, Charlie saw with a glance that the others had not
heeded him, and smiled. Casing his glasses, he walked back to the group
and stood beside Schoverling, who was examining some of the gold-dust
from the opened bag.
"I have a little surprise-party for you," he said quietly. They looked
up at him, but Jack caught something in his voice. "You might be
interested in knowing that Selim and his party are about half a mile
away and coming up at full speed."
With a rush and a shout the party ran to where they could get a good
look at the mainland, Charlie smiling at the sensation his words had
created. Gholab, whose keen eyes had first detected the approaching
camels, came running from the camp with the rifles in his arms.
Schoverling, after a long look through his glasses, turned and took one
of the 30-30s without a word, buckling on his bandolier hurriedly. Von
Hofe turned to him protestingly.
"We are not going to fight, Schoverling?"
"Don't see what else," returned the explorer, grimly, as he motioned to
the boys to take their rifles and bandoliers. "Those are Arabs beyond
any question. There's only one thing they are here for, and that's the
ivory and gold."
With a troubled look, the doctor watched them.
"You don't mean that they'd fight for it, General?" asked Charlie,
pausing. "Are you joking or do you mean it?"
"Mean it?" repeated the explorer, his bronzed face hardening. "Why,
boys, there's a fortune in that stuff there! Do you think for a minute
that those Arabs are going to give it up to us, or that I'm going to
hand it over to them? Not much! We've got it and we'll keep it while we
have a cartridge left!"
The Indians grinned, while they loaded their own Sniders, Gholab taking
one of the heavy Hammonds. Schoverling took command of the situation,
while the boys gazed at each other in dismay, knowing that he would
never give in, and not relishing the idea themselves of either fighting
or giving up the treasure that lay there in the sun before them.
"Bakari! Come here. Gholab, you see that the cattle are led inside this
old stockade, which will keep them under cover from shore at least.
Bakari, post your men to north and south in the bushes fronting the
mainland. Do you understand? But don't loose an arrow or spear until I
tell you. Got that?"
The Masai understood well enough, and his fierce eyes glittered at the
thought of battle with the Arabs, whom every native hated with good
reason. The oxen were led inside the half-burned stockade and left to
themselves.
"Now, Doctor," and Schoverling's voice was very keen and cold, "this
isn't your funeral, you know. If we have a row with these fellows you
had better keep--"
"You are crazy as a loon, yes!" roared the big Teuton with a smile.
"Would we gife up all dis?" and his hand swept toward the tusks. "Never,
mine friends! I like not to fight, und maybe we don't fight, but ve vill
not gife up,--nein!"
At this emphatic declaration the explorer smiled grimly. A look showed
Charlie and Jack that the camels were almost to their old camp above the
lake, opposite.
"If there's any chance to get out of it, General," said Charlie, "I
suppose you won't go huntin' for trouble?"
"Not I," returned Schoverling. "There are twelve of them and eight of
us, besides the Masai, but we've got the stuff and we've got a strong
position here. Well, come on down to the shore and we'll see what's
doing."
Five minutes later they stood in the bushes above the water. The Indians
Schoverling posted at intervals, the Masai being hidden farther on.
Across the way, through the burned opening in the reeds, they could see
the camels drawing up on the eminence a hundred yards back from the
lake, and through their glasses the boys distinctly made out the figure
of Selim ben Amoud, in white burnous.
The Arabs bunched together for a few moments, examining the island
through their glasses. The wagon and zareba were in plain sight, but
they seemed to be puzzled by the absence of men or cattle. All were
armed with rifles, and two or three began picketing out the camels,
others taking off the camel-bags and proceeding to make camp. A moment
later the tall form of Selim ben Amoud advanced alone to the edge of the
water. As he did so, Schoverling rose to his feet and greeted him with a
warning shout in Arabic.
"_Naharak said_, Selim!"
Selim paused, evidently in astonishment, stared, and half-raised his
rifle. Then he dropped it again, and Charlie could distinctly see his
white teeth flashing in the sun.
"_Naharak said_, effendi! So it is my friend Mr. Schoverling, eh? What a
delightful surprise to meet you here!"
"I guess it's a surprise all right, Selim," responded the explorer. "But
the delight is all on your side. Are you out trading?"
"If you would come across and visit us," returned the Arab evasively,
"we would be very, very pleased to receive you."
"Don't doubt it a bit," and Schoverling grinned. "Say, come on over and
have tea, Selim. Come alone, though. You can trust me but I don't trust
you worth a whoop."
For answer the Arab waved his hand and turned back to his camels. The
boys gazed after him in curiosity, and Charlie turned to the explorer.
"Think he'll come, Gen'ral?"
"You bet," laughed the other. "He's dying to know whether we've found
that cache, and he'd trust me well enough. But we've got to make ready.
Jack, go and sling a tent over that pile of ivory. Gholab!"
"Ready, sahib."
"Make tea for all of us, with Selim thrown in. A slice of that impalla
for him, too, as he's apt to be hungry. Guru, you and Akram and Ali keep
hidden. When I call for you, come alone."
"Yes, sahib."
"What you goin' to do, General?" asked Charlie as the explorer told him
to return to the zareba with von Hofe and make every preparation to
receive their visitor.
"I'm goin' to run a big bluff on him," said Schoverling. "Remember,
those chaps are watching everything we do. Ah, Selim's taking a camel.
Keep well hidden up there, Guru!"
With this parting admonition he departed. As they walked slowly back
toward the camp, Charlie saw Schoverling pause amid the bushes, fling
out his arm as if talking to some one, and point toward the shore. At
one place he called Bakari and two of the warriors, whose appearance and
disappearance caused a flutter in the group of Arabs.
Selim, meanwhile, had mounted a camel and was approaching the shore. It
was only three in the afternoon, and the stately Arab, clad in pure
white from head to foot, gleamed in the sunshine, to the admiration of
the boys. He drove his ungainly steed into the water and they splashed
across. Schoverling, returning, met them at the shore of the island, and
led the camel forward to the camp.
Selim cast quick glances to right and left, but the gate-post hole and
the treasure were hid beneath canvas and behind the grazing horses--a
touch of Jack's. The camel knelt, and the Arab slipped off, Charlie
dividing his attention between the man and the ugly, thick-lipped camel.
They all shook hands with smiling courtesy, as if rifles had not been
leveled five minutes before, and squatted on blankets around the folding
canvas table. Gholab was just making ready tea and a slice of game for
the Arab.
"So," smiled Selim, though his black eyes narrowed, "you found the
wonderful lake of Quilqua, after all! Did you have any guides?"
"We had Mowbray for a guide," retorted Schoverling dryly. A look of
astonishment went over the dark face as the explorer handed him his own
map. Then, in a few words, the General related how they had found
Mowbray and produced the letter in proof. As he finished, Gholab came up
with the tea, the plate of impalla for Selim, and one or two biscuits.
The Arab glanced at the game hesitatingly.
"All right, Selim," declared the explorer. "There is no salt on it. Take
away the biscuits, Gholab."
Charlie and Jack interchanged a meaning glance. The Arab would eat no
salt with them, which was not a good sign. But he fell to on the
venison with gusto, and for half an hour the talk was merely of the
country, the game, and their trip. Selim stated that the Arabs who
deserted Mowbray had all perished crossing the desert except one, who
had remained to guide him with a rescue party. He congratulated them
warmly over their first elephant hunt, and also on their battle with the
buffalo. But at last Schoverling became exasperated.
"Look here, Selim," he said firmly, "you and I know each other pretty
well, and I don't see any use in beating about the bush. Did you come
after Mowbray, and nothing else?"
The Arab's face changed, his lids narrowing and his cruel smile thinning
down. He met the gaze of the American squarely.
"Do you know of anything else I might have come after?"
"It might have been ivory and gold-dust, for one thing," with which the
explorer relieved the tense situation by proffering a cigar. Von Hofe
smiled to himself as Selim took it with no indication that the words had
startled him.
"Yes," he admitted, "it might." He lit the cigar calmly. At the same
moment Guru came into sight, evidently having received some
instructions beforehand that Charlie had missed. He advanced toward the
party and saluted.
"Well?" said Schoverling.
"Report, sahib. Two of the Arabs have gone up north by the shore."
"You'd better call over to your men, Selim," chuckled the American.
"They're liable to meet a buffalo or python in there." The Arab shrugged
his shoulders unconcernedly. "Very well, Guru. Keep the men just as they
are. Send out twenty of the Masai to spread along the shore to the
north. Your men are arranged?"
"Yes, sahib," said the quick-witted Sikh impassively. "Ten near the ford
under Amir, and my ten somewhat to the south."
"You may go." Guru saluted and wheeled. Charlie, watching Selim's
clear-cut face during this amazing dialogue, saw it change expression
slightly.
"You have quite a force, Schoverling," remarked the Arab calmly. "Then,
I suppose that you have found the gold-dust and the ivory?"
"Under that canvas," and the explorer pointed. "The game's up, Selim ben
Amoud. We got here first, that's all. If your men had not deserted
Mowbray he would have cleaned up the stuff. As it is, we have it."
"Yes, you have it," repeated Selim slowly. "But, my friend, you shall
not have it long."
"Oh, we have men enough to defend it," retorted the American carelessly.
Charlie drew a quick breath. "You have only a dozen over there, and
could not cross the strait under our fire."
"If it comes to that," and Selim's teeth glinted, "you cannot cross
under _our_ fire, my friend. I learned of the cache and of this lake,
and equipped the first expedition. By right, that treasure is mine."
"But I found it," returned the explorer brutally. "And by might it is
mine."
For a moment tense silence fell upon the group. The boys watched the
slim Arab, whose composure never gave way under the strain, which must
have been terrific. He puffed slowly at his cigar, and then smiled.
"Mr. Schoverling, and you, Dr. von Hofe, you will realize that your men
cannot subsist on air. They must have food. You may be too strong for us
in open fight, but at least we can keep you on the island. I do not
give up so easily. You may give me trouble, but in the end you will
die--either of starvation or by bullet. By the way, this brush seems to
be pretty dry. When my men were here it was green. I think a taste of
fire--you catch my meaning!"
Charlie, at least, caught it and stared aghast at the cruel smile of the
Arab.
CHAPTER XVII
FRESH SPOOR
"That's a good bluff, Selim," rejoined Schoverling coolly, "but it won't
go down with me. You might as well give in."
The other shook his head, still smiling. But at this instant Jack, who
had listened with intense interest to the duel of words, struck in and
cut the Gordian knot.
"Look here, General, and Mr. ben Amoud," he said, leaning forward
earnestly. "There's no sense in getting hot-headed over this. As near's
I can see, we've each got a mighty good excuse to scrap, and we can do a
whole lot of damage once we start. But this country isn't the place to
start a row, not to my notion.
"You hold on, Gen'ral, till I get through. We might shoot things up
consid'able, both of us, an' when we got through there wouldn't be
enough of us left to get back home with. If you start anything, Selim,
we'll raise you the limit; but there's no sense to it. _I_ say, let's
each of us divvy up the loot an' dig out for home."
That Schoverling had not considered any division of the cache was
evident, and he considered Jack's speech silently. Selim, however,
smiled again.
"My young friend, you are very wise. Mr. Schoverling, perhaps we might
agree on that basis. A fight would be costly to each of us, and might
leave us unable to get home, as is suggested. I am none too anxious to
stay in this land after the tales you tell. I recognize the fact that
you have the advantage of having the treasure in your power, and see no
reason why we should not share it and be gone."
Schoverling hesitated as Selim spoke. He plainly realized the force of
the argument, and yet to give up even a share of the ivory and dust went
against the grain. Perhaps he doubted the good faith of his friend the
enemy, but in any case von Hofe's grunt of approbation decided him.
"It iss goot," said the doctor anxiously. "We haf come for elephant,
please."
"All right," and the American's face cleared as he held out his hand to
the Arab. "We'll split even, Selim!"
"Hurray!" shouted Charlie in delight. "Bully for you, General! Good
work, Jack!"
"That is entirely agreeable," smiled Selim, as he gripped Schoverling's
hand. "Now, my friends, we have been in this country for two days, and I
have many affairs to get back to. There is no reason why we should delay
here for an hour. It is still two hours to sunset, and our camels could
cover much ground before then. So, if you are willing, let us divide the
spoils and I will trouble you no more."
"That suits us," exclaimed the explorer, springing to his feet. "Come
along and we'll have a look at the stuff."
Casting a glance opposite as they arose, Charlie saw that the Arabs had
started a fire and seemed to be eating, while the camels grazed. The
party left the zareba and moved over to the stockade. Jack threw the
canvas from the two piles, and for a moment the Arab's eyes glittered as
he surveyed the great heap of ivory.
"Those tusks," he said, "will be hard for us to carry off. We had
thought to sling them on our camels, but after our experience of that
desert to the north it would make hard work, I fear."
"Well," suggested Charlie, "you might swap your share of the ivory for
some of our gold-dust. That would make it easier to carry."
"Yes," added the General thoughtfully. "We can carry the tusks easily
enough in the wagon. There are sixteen each, Selim, and the same number
of bags. Here's one I cut open."
The Arab ran the soft gold-dust through his fingers for a moment.
"There is no use stopping to count or weigh all this, Schoverling. Each
tusk must be worth, at an average, some fifteen pounds at the coast.
Each of these bags seems to be of a size, and they are probably weighed
to the same amount. My share of the ivory is worth, at a guess, some two
hundred and forty pounds, or twelve hundred of your dollars. What would
you say the dust weighs?"
"That is a little hard to say," returned the American. "I rather think,
however, that an estimate of about two hundred and fifty dollars--or
fifty pounds a bag--would be just about right. If that suits you, I'm
agreeable."
"I think that is nearly correct," smiled Selim, nodding. "It is, I
believe, slightly an under-estimate, but that matters little. Then, at
the rate we figure, I would have twenty-one bags as my share, leaving
you all the ivory. That is correct?"
"Perfectly," returned Schoverling. "It looks to me like a fair split,
and if the gold runs over that figure, I won't kick. I'll throw in an
odd bag for good luck, Selim; that leaves us an even ten and the ivory.
There must be more gold where that came from, just the same. You might
come back here with a good force and make a clean-up, old man."
"Perhaps I will," said the other seriously. "Now, will you help me get
these bags into my saddle-bags? I have no fancy to remain overnight by
this lake."
All pitched in and helped to carry the twenty-two little bags of
precious metal over to the camel, which was kneeling and chewing
stolidly. Jack stepped too near with his burden, and the vicious head
swung about to snap. He leaped back amid the laughter of the rest, who
remained at a safe distance.
"Well, I suppose we must part," smiled Selim, holding out his hand as
the last of the bags was laced in the leathern flaps. "It would be
insincere to say that I am not sorry at finding you here before me, but
I am really very glad we did not have to fight. To tell the truth, my
men were almost too frightened to remain here, and had it come to
fighting, they would have refused point-blank."
"Well," laughed Schoverling whimsically, "I might as well show under
true colors, since you have led the way," and he called in all the men.
At sight of their real numbers, Selim gave a shout of laughter.
"Good, brother, good!" he cried as he urged his camel forward from its
knees. "We played the game well, you and I." He waved a hand as the
camel plunged into the water at the ford. "_Abqa'la kheir!_"
"_Abqa'la kheir_," shouted the American, and the two boys waved their
hats with attempts at the Arabic, which drew a last laughing wave from
Selim. Then his camel went up the farther bank.
"That means 'until the next time,'" laughed Schoverling. "Well, I'm glad
that we got out of that as we did."
"So am I," declared von Hofe, smiling broadly. "See, they are going."
So it appeared, for as Selim joined the rest there was an immediate
bustle. The camels were unpicketed, the saddles adjusted, and the camp
broken. All twelve Arabs were now in camp, and one by one the awkward
steeds rose to their feet.
"They're mighty fine beasts," declared Schoverling. "No common camels
there, but picked racers, worth a fortune apiece. Selim does things up
right, no doubt about that."
"He come pretty near doing us up right," grinned Jack. Then came a
flutter of the burnouses, those on the island waved, and the group of
camels moved away at an amazing speed, to the southwest.
"Probably going to circle around the hills and strike for the north,"
commented Charlie.
While daylight remained they did nothing save store the ivory in the
wagon and place the gold-dust in the brass trunk belonging to von Hofe.
It was decided to place the traps along the shore of the island near the
mainland, and all the men were called upon to make note of where they
were placed, as they would be left in position until the camp was
abandoned.
The injured Masai were slowly recovering from their hurts, for although
their wounds rapidly healed, the broken bones took longer. As they sat
around the dinner-table that night the four explorers decided that every
day spent in that country added to their danger, and that the search for
the rogue elephant should begin the next morning.
"I'm kind of disappointed," muttered Charlie to Jack, as they rolled up
that night with Schoverling on guard. "Aren't you? I thought that stuff
would be worth heaps o' coin, but according to the General's figures it
doesn't come to more'n five thousand iron men."
"What're you looking for?" retorted Jack wearily. "Four or five million?
S'pose we split up on that, it means a thousand each, easy. Why, I never
saw a thousand dollars in my life. It looks mighty good to me, Chuck."
"Oh, it looks good," admitted Charlie hastily. "But when you talk about
treasure you reckon in big figures. I'm not kicking, though,--not on
your life! Good thing you came in when you did with that splitting
proposition. How'd you happen to think of it?"
"Who wouldn't?" returned Jack. "Made me tired to hear 'em sit there and
argue back and forth, making threats and so on. No sense in it."
Nothing occurred that night to disturb the camp, although the Masai kept
up until late a dance and chant in triumph at having, as they supposed,
put the Arabs to flight. But in the morning Schoverling made an
announcement that roused everyone.
"About eleven last night," he said at breakfast, "I heard a big crashing
north of us, farther toward the head of the lake. Then came snorts, and
a single trumpet. Sounded as if the rogue elephant was out on a stroll
and had run into a buffalo or something."
"Then I feel very sorry for that buffalo," smiled von Hofe. "We shall
all go out this morning, no?"
"You don't have to go, Doctor," said the explorer earnestly. "At best
you could only take one of the rifles, for we'll have to carry the big
guns."
"Pouf!" grunted the German. "It is my party, and I shall go."
"We might as well go on foot," declared the American. "Now, boys, we can
put a little tracking into play. The Masai won't do us any good. As
near as I can see, we'll have to catch that fellow when he isn't looking
for trouble. And remember, under no circumstances fire at his head."
"How about the bull you killed back at Kenia?" objected Charlie. "You
put a bullet in each eye, an' laid him out cold."
"He was within ten feet of me then, and I had no choice in the matter.
No, when we do get a shot just you aim to cripple him--in the shoulder
or leg. If he charges, hit his trunk or break his leg. One of those
bullets, big as they are, would simply flatten out on his skull and stun
him."
Von Hofe, who still wished to kill one of the giant buffalo himself,
took a 30-30, and Akram Das had perforce to take his Snider or go
weaponless. The three hunters carried their own heavy guns, for they
might be needed at an instant's notice, and filled their bandoliers to
the limit. Gholab Singh was left in charge of the camp with five Masai,
Bakari and the other five accompanying the party as flankers and scouts.
An hour after sunrise they waded across the strip of water between the
island and shore, and turned toward the head of the lake, as it was in
this direction that the explorer had heard the elephant during the
preceding night. There seemed to be no sign of any game around them, for
once, at which Jack wondered.
"Scared out," said the explorer grimly, "if that rogue was around."
Ahead, the country did not appear so densely wooded as they had thought.
It ascended toward the hills beyond in gentle, rolling swells, and they
had no difficulty in advancing through the knee-deep grass. On every
hand were trees in clumps or singly, but no sign of elephant spoor could
they see.
"Maybe we'd better strike in a little from the river," suggested
Charlie. "Jack and I could have a look, anyhow, an' we might pick up a
trail."
"I don't think there's much danger that he'd be here, so go ahead,"
returned Schoverling to their delight. "Circle around for a couple of
hundred yards, but don't get out of sight. If he was here last night, he
was probably drinking, and has gone in to feed."
The two boys left the party, followed by Akram and Amir Ali, their
gun-bearers. But although they searched the ground well, no sign of a
trail did they see. Getting a little farther from the party all the
time, they proceeded for nearly a mile, and found the forest verging
into a jungle of bamboo.
"Jack," exclaimed Charlie quietly, stopping, "come over here."
Jack and the Indians joined him, and he pointed to the ground a yard
ahead. There, deep in the soft soil, was the fresh spoor of an
elephant--and at its size the Indians gave a gasp of wonder. It was the
rogue!
CHAPTER XVIII
LOST!
Charlie looked around. The bamboos were all about them, and without
retracing their steps they could not summon the others. Jack gripped his
arm.
"Look here, Chuck! Let's cut away from the General an' get after that
rogue ourselves!"
"Got to obey orders," and Charlie negatived it with a shake of the head.
"That spoor is too fresh to suit me, Jack."
"Well, then," and Jack was quivering with eagerness; "we can start on
an' send Akram back--slow. We ain't kids. We can tell pretty well if we
get up on him."
Charlie considered this proposition for a moment. He longed to have the
triumph of downing the old rogue himself, and yet he knew that
Schoverling would countenance no disobedience, no departure from orders.
But that fresh spoor, leading off through the trees, tempted him and at
last he fell.
"All right. Akram, you go back and call the General. But don't hurry.
Tell him that we'll wait for him at the first sign of any danger."
The Indian grinned, saluted, and loitered away. Without hesitation
Charlie turned and led the way along the trail. This followed a
newly-broken path through the bamboos, and five minutes later they were
swallowed up in the dense thickets.
Both the boys had been used, Jack especially, to following the trail of
deer or moose and smaller animals through the woods of the northland,
but this was very different. The ground was soft, and the huge bulk of
the elephant had sent his feet down at times three or four feet.
However, they were able to read the signs of the trail well enough.
"He stopped to feed here," declared Charlie, pointing to a tangle of
broken branches at one side. Wherever possible they trod in his tracks,
as no sticks or twigs remained to crack beneath their feet; the holes in
the swampier ground they of course avoided.
"Hello, what's this?" cried Jack. A new trail merged into that which
they followed, and by a footprint they knew it for that of one of the
giant buffaloes. "We've got to see if he's waiting or not."
The Indian watched them stolidly, gun ready, while they examined the
broken bamboos and twigs, as well as the hoof-prints.
"He came in ahead o' the rogue," declared Charlie positively. "Look,
here's a deep buffalo-print that's dry. There's one 'bout as deep made
by the rogue, but there's water at the bottom. Then these trees over
here are dry, but there's still a little sap on the elephant's trail."
"Then they came by last night, sure enough," said Jack. "The buffalo
started along feeling pretty good. Stopped to nibble here. The rogue
struck into his trail and swished right along careless. Stopped to rub
on that tree--there's buffalo hair--whew! Say, that rogue is big!"
"Twelve feet up," said Amir Ali with a delighted display of teeth, as he
reached in vain toward the scarred bark.
Somewhat sobered by this, the boys stared at each other until Charlie
resumed the march. No sign had come from behind of Schoverling and the
rest. Fifty feet farther on the bamboos thinned out, and in a little
glade they came upon fresher tracks.
"Hello!" cried Jack. "Buffalo stopped to feed over here but didn't stay
long. Look at the tracks, Chuck. He turned around and stood for a
minute, till his hoofs sunk down. Most likely that's where he heard the
elephant coming along."
"Well, he didn't wait." Charlie was bending over the spoor as he walked
along, reading the sign eagerly. "He pushed right ahead after a
minute--say, do you s'pose that was the rumpus the General heard last
night? He said it sounded like a buffalo and an elephant!"
Jack shook his head, and now they followed the trail out onto higher
ground. The bamboos thinned behind them, and before them were scattered
woods, heavy, flat-topped thorn trees, junipers, and others the boys did
not know, while the country was well broken up by little rises. But that
was not what caused the boys to leap forward.
In the open space ahead lay a shapeless mass that had once been a
buffalo. It was easy to tell what had happened here. The elephant,
possibly coming upon the great bull at the edge of the bamboos, had
paid no attention to him; possibly had brushed him aside. At all events,
the bull had drawn blood, for they saw spots on the edge of the elephant
spoor. The huge rogue had plainly turned and pressed his opponent
against a big tree, which was scraped and dotted with hair and blood.
But this stood a good fifteen feet away from the position of the
buffalo, and there were only elephant tracks between!
"Jumping sandhills!" cried Charlie, realizing the truth. "He must have
caught up that buffalo and _flung_ him! Then he went over and kneeled
all over him."
"Right you are," exclaimed Jack. "Ugh, what a mess! Let's go on."
As they turned, a vulture came winging out of the sky and descended
without fear on the carcass. Charlie pointed out that they must be
wrong.
"This is another bull, Jack. If the other fellow fought last night, the
vultures would be on him by now. Anyhow, that sap was too fresh on the
twigs. Bet a dollar the rogue had two scraps last night instead of
one."
That they were right was verified a moment later by Amir Ali, who
attracted their attention to a moving object behind some trees six
hundred yards away, at the crest of a rise. The boys had their glasses
out instantly.
"It's either a rhino or the fellow we're after," declared Jack with a
low exclamation. "He's moving off--there he goes on the other side!"
"Come on!" cried Charlie, running forward. Carried away beyond all
thought of caution by the excitement, Jack and Amir Ali dashed after him
recklessly. It had been impossible to make out the elephant clearly by
reason of the trees between, but Charlie had no doubt that he was the
one they were after.
That they were plunging into grave danger never occurred to him, nor did
he wonder why Schoverling and the rest had not come up. The sun was now
high overhead, and the higher ground around them bore no tracks. But
neither boy had eye for anything except that clump of trees where the
huge animal had stood.
"You keep your eye peeled," cried Jack, at his chum's shoulder. "He's
liable to be waitin' there."
But as the trees opened out ahead they saw that the elephant had not
waited. The group of mimosas where he had been was waving slowly in the
wind, and for the first time Charlie remembered that most essential part
of African hunting. A brief glance, however, showed that they were
across the wind from their prey, and so were safe enough. What lay
beyond the mimosas was hidden by the rise, toward which they were
rapidly approaching.
Panting, the boys at length drew up to the trees, and the country ahead
unfolded. To their keen disappointment, there was no sign of the
elephant to be seen. Jack, however quickly pointed to some tall bushes
that grew on a slope to their left, more in the direction of the lake.
"There he is! See them bushes wave, Chuck? Better send in a bullet!"
"Cut it!" exclaimed Charlie sharply as Jack brought up his rifle.
"Remember what the General said--that we'd have to catch him when he
wasn't looking? Got to bust a leg first crack or we're goners. Say,
how'll the rest know where we are?"
"They can follow our tracks," cried Jack over his shoulder, as he fell
into a lope and headed for the bushes, beyond which rose trees. They
were but four hundred yards away, and could plainly be seen waving as
some heavy body struggled through them. The thought crossed Charlie's
brain as he followed, that even Schoverling would have a hard time
tracking; them on that high, rocky ground, but he dismissed it
carelessly enough. Amir Ali pounded along after them, grimly determined
not to be left behind.
They were soon near the bushes, but instead of venturing into them, Jack
turned aside toward a small hill. Charlie was at his heels, and a moment
later the two boys drew up with a simultaneous cry of dismay.
"Rhino!" ejaculated Charlie in disgust. "We're a dandy pair, we are!"
Emerging from the bushes, a hundred yards farther on, was a huge
rhinoceros. They were now down-wind, and he neither heard nor saw them,
but trotted off lumberingly without so much as a glance in their
direction.
"We're a nice bunch of idiots," said Jack angrily, unconsciously
including the innocent Amir in the epithet. "We just saw something big
and gray moving around, and took it for granted he was an elephant. We
should have stuck to the trail, Chuck."
"Well," returned Charlie, "we're here. Next question is, where are we?"
"Where are we?" repeated Jack, turning in surprise. "Why, we headed east
to that first clump of trees, and then north to here. There's the bamboo
patch we left, over there."
"Not much," retorted his chum with conviction. "We headed south first,
and then east. There's our elephant trail," and he pointed to a second
patch of bamboo jungle to their left.
For a moment the two stared at each other. Then Jack broke into a laugh.
"Say, remember that story 'bout the two tenderfeet up north o' Smith's
Landing? One said east was one way, the other said it was the other way.
They had a scrap and each went east for the camp. An hour later they
come face to face in the same place. Well, that's us."
Charlie appealed to Amir Ali, but the Indian shrugged his shoulders and
declared that he had not kept the sense of direction, supposing that the
sahibs had done so. As neither boy had followed the compass, the
instruments were of little use to them.
"Plain fact of the matter is, we're lost," announced Charlie. "If we
fired our guns we'd get the General down on us soon enough, but it'd
scare off the rogue."
"Be a heap more likely to bring _him_ down on us," grunted Jack. "We've
got to find the bunch before the General gets sore, Chuck."
Charlie suggested following their track back, but of course this proved
impracticable. There were clumps of mimosa thorn in every direction,
each similar to that which they had first headed for. They had left no
tracks on the bare, rocky soil, and the grass had closed behind them in
the wind.
The tired Amir Ali squatted down to rest, while with their glasses they
searched in every direction. They thought of the smoke from the
camp-fire, but this was invisible behind the trees. In the distance
moved a herd of zebra and another of impalla, but this was the only
indication of life that they could find.
"We'll hear the General shooting pretty soon," said Charlie disgustedly.
"What's that over in those trees? Looks like an old native village."
"Let's go over an' see," suggested Jack. "We can camp down there and
build a fire. That'll draw the General quicker'n shots would. They might
get the rogue's notice."
"Ain't so eager," grinned Charlie. "What's the matter? Nerve failed
you?"
"No," confessed the other. "It's all right chasing along when you know
the rest of them are right behind. But to get stuck off somewhere all by
yourself isn't so soothing. Guess we won't monkey with that rogue till
the General comes along."
They started across the slope to where a few of the ruined huts showed
the location of a former village. This, when they reached it, proved to
be of large extent, a few huts yet standing, others lying in over-grown
mounds amid the trees. To their right extended fairly open plain, while
at the left the heavier forest and bamboo patches closed in almost to
the village.
Jack set about building a fire to send up a smoke-signal, while Charlie
wandered through the desolate village. Suddenly he came upon something
that surprised him. Lying in a half-cleared space were the half-burned
sticks and the ashes of a fire. Plainly, they had been there for weeks,
for vines were growing through, but they could not be as old as the
village itself. He called Jack over to look at it.
"This must be where Mowbray hit off to after the rogue," exclaimed Jack
excitedly. "We're plumb on his tracks. I'm goin' to let off a gun, rogue
or no rogue. There--that's the bunch now!"
To their ears came the faint report of a heavy gun, borne over the
trees, Jack lifted his own Hammond, and sent off both barrels in
response.
"That'll get him," he chuckled as he threw out the shells and reloaded.
"Now for the fire."
But as he turned away, a startled cry from Amir Ali drew their
attention.
CHAPTER XIX
THE ROGUE ELEPHANT
"Sahibs! Sahibs! The elephant!"
At first the boys looked behind him, taking it for granted that he was
running from the danger. But at his gestures they whirled, and there
Charlie saw a sight that he never forgot.
Breaking slowly and deliberately from the forest to their left, three
hundred yards from where they stood, was an elephant. But no ordinary
tusker, this. To the startled imaginations of the two boys it seemed
that the tremendous brute towered far above them; in reality, he was
over thirteen feet tall, but his immense tusk and huge flapping ears
increased his terrific aspect two-fold.
"Jumping sandhills!" breathed Charlie. He heard Jack give a startled
gasp at his side.
They were up-wind, and the elephant not only heard but saw them. For a
moment he stood, and the boys were so awed by that terrible sight that
they forgot to shoot. With his great trunk flung far up, those
twelve-foot tusks stretched far up, and the great semi-circular ears
lifted up until they almost met above his head, he seemed like some
prehistoric monster from thousands of years ago.
Watching the evil glitter of the little red eyes, Charlie stood as if
paralyzed. He realized how the primitive men must have felt when they
stood face to face with some huge mammoth, hurling against him their
stone-tipped spears and wielding stone axes.
The very thought woke him to himself, bringing back to mind the gun in
his hands. Jack stood, awestruck at that fearsome sight, and Charlie
yelled at him. As he did so, the rogue elephant curled forward his trunk
and trumpeted loud and shrill--a wild scream of rage and defiance that
sent the chattering monkeys scurrying in frightened silence.
"Shoot, sahibs!" implored the sweating Amir Ali, not daring to infringe
the rules himself.
Once again the elephant trumpeted, and broke forward with a lurch that
sent the trees crashing down around him. Jack, trembling with buckfever,
flung up his gun and let go both barrels at once. The shock sent him
over backward with a groan.
Charlie waited an instant. He knew that Amir was helping Jack up, but
those two cordite bullets had not stopped the great rogue--if, indeed,
they had hit him at all. As it proved, both bullets had merely raked
along his side. Then he charged--terribly, deadly, asking and receiving
no quarter from these puny men who dared to stand before him.
For that instant Charlie felt a wild inclination to turn and run. Then
he conquered himself and became cool as he heard the click of Jack's
rifle-breech behind him. Up went his Holland, and aiming for the
elephant's right fore-leg, he pulled trigger.
Without pausing to see the effect, he followed it instantly with the
second ball. During one brief moment it seemed that neither had taken
effect, and with feverish energy Charlie pressed home two fresh shells.
That awe-inspiring beast was a hundred and fifty yards away, and each
second seemed an hour. But, just as Jack stepped forward and fired
again, the great beast rocked and went down.
Both bullets had struck his fore-leg, shattering it. A wild thrill of
hope ran through Charlie and he leaped forward. But the rogue had
vitality beyond the ordinary, vitality and a tremendous raging strength
that carried him to his feet again. For an instant he stood, lurching
and rocking on three legs, trumpeting shrilly until the woods re-echoed,
and then the horrified Charlie saw him plunge forward, trunk thrown out.
Again Jack fired, and splinters of skin and bone flew from the rogue's
head. Charlie realized full well that his only hope lay in crippling the
terrible beast, crippling him so that he could advance no farther. A
hundred yards away now, and as he raised the big rifle slowly, mist
blurred his sight for a moment. All depended on those two last shots in
his rifle.
The mist cleared away. It seemed that the great beast was towering over
him, reaching for him with that terrible trunk. But he resisted the
temptation to fire at the head, and drew a careful bead on the left
fore-shoulder.
Charlie never remembered firing those two shots. The next thing he knew,
the rogue was standing before him, then the great head went down with a
shrill scream of pain and anger, the mighty form crumpled, and with a
crash that shook the very earth beneath them the rogue elephant toppled
forward.
Something long and white flashed past, and from behind came a sudden
scream of pain. Whirling, Charlie saw Amir Ali, who had stuck to them
bravely, stagger away and sink down. As the elephant dropped, his
impetus and the tremendous weight of his gigantic body had snapped off
short one of the ends of his tusks, the severed ivory flying forward and
striking the Gurkha in the head.
Charlie ran to the man's side, but at a shout from Jack left him and
sprang up. The rogue was not dead yet. Fighting to the last, he was
trying to rise to his shattered knees, trumpeting till the woods rang
again with the horrible screams. Jack was dashing around to his side for
a finishing shot, and Charlie watched. Despite himself, he could not
help feeling a throb of pity for the great animal, rogue and destroyer
though he might be, struggling there so desperately to rise.
And, impossible though it seemed, the elephant actually regained his
feet. But even as he did so the shattered fore-legs crumpled up again,
and with a low muttering moan of pain he went down. A moment later Jack
fired, twice, placing each bullet behind the left shoulder.
Charlie saw the mighty trunk go up, but no sound issued forth. The red
eyes seemed to meet his as with one tremendous effort the rogue lurched
up once more, then the huge ears sagged down, the trunk frothed forth
bloody foam and fell in the dust, and with a single groan the elephant
went over on his side, dead.
Charlie's first thought was for Amir Ali. Reaching the man's side, he
pulled the stopper from his canteen and poured water over the Gurkha's
head, which was flowing with blood. The wound, however, proved to be
slight and the man was but stunned. Charlie gazed down at the foot-long
sliver of ivory, and rose. He felt unable to do more, and glanced around
for Jack. The other was sitting in the grass, gazing at the dead rogue.
Feeling his knees growing weak with the reaction, Charlie staggered to
his side and sank down. For a few moments neither boy spoke. There was
something terrible about having killed such an animal, something that
oppressed them both with a feeling that it was not yet over, that at any
moment he might rise and come at them.
Charlie tried to speak, but his throat was dry. He had emptied his
canteen over Amir, and caught that of Jack. Taking a swallow, he forced
the water on Jack, and a moment later the boys rose to their feet.
"I'm kind of sorry," was all Jack could find to say, as he stared down
at the brute who had lived so badly and died so well. Charlie shared his
feeling, but a moment later a loud gun-shot came to his ears. He
remembered the other party, and raising his gun, fired twice in the air.
"Buck up, old man," he said, with a shaky laugh. "The General will be
here in a minute, and he'll give us what for. The old boy died game,
Jack--but he had it coming to him. Just remember Mowbray."
Jack nodded without speaking. Then, from the forest, not behind but
ahead of them, broke a group of yelling Masai headed by Bakari, running
on the spoor of the rogue elephant. Behind, trying to hold them back
from too close pursuit, ran the figure of Schoverling.
Both explorer and natives paused together as they grasped the scene
before them. Jack and Charlie stood at the side of the dead beast, still
pale with the strain of their terrific battle. Behind lay the motionless
form of Amir Ali, his beard sticking up in the sunlight, the sliver of
ivory by his head, while a few yards away the forgotten fire sent up a
thin wreath of smoke into the air.
Schoverling was the first to break that awed silence, as on his trail
appeared Guru, von Hofe, and the rest, all at full speed. While they
came up and paused in amazement, the explorer advanced and held out his
hand.
"I congratulate you," he said huskily. Meeting his eye, the two boys
found there only honest admiration, as from man to man, and they shook
hands without a word. Then von Hofe joined them, shaking hands with a
flood of excited German through which broke no word of English, and the
boys laughed.
"We thought you'd be pretty sore, General," admitted Charlie a moment
later, "about our going off that way. But, honest, we didn't mean
to--except at first."
"I understand, boys," smiled the bronzed explorer. "But never mind
that--Akram told me all about it when we began to get anxious. We
thought you had gone right on the trail of the elephant, which only led
us out here, so we kept on as fast as we could. And this is the great
Rogue Elephant! How on earth did you boys kill him? Is Amir dead?"
"No, only stunned," said Charlie. Guru and Akram were attending to their
injured comrade, who by this time was sitting up, dazed but not badly
injured. Before hearing their story, Schoverling despatched Bakari and
Guru to bring on the Masai with all speed, while Guru had instructions
to inspan and move the camp to this spot, it being possible for the
wagon to get around the forest from the south. The Masai who were left,
at once fell to work, von Hofe directing them while he listened.
The two boys told the story of the hunt together, freely confessing that
at first they had been too much frightened to take good aim. The course
of their bullets was followed, von Hofe carefully pocketing the sliver
of ivory that had so nearly done for Amir Ali.
"It iss no matter," he said. "I can it fix when I set him up.
Ach--vait, vait! My camera!"
He hastily brushed the five Masai off the carcass and photographed it
from every angle, then posed the boys with their rifles, each holding
out an ear of the huge beast. The elephant had rolled back until its
head lay on the ground, trunk extended, between its fore-legs, and the
two boys looked and felt very small indeed as they stood on each side of
the massive head.
An hour later the remaining Masai arrived and all fell to work on the
skinning. The explorer built up the fire, making a great smoke signal
that would guide Guru and Gholab for miles, but it was not until evening
that the slow ox-team crawled up to them and was outspanned. In place of
a zareba, the traps were set out, but there was to be no rest for the
skinners. While great fires were lighted, before which strings of
elephant meat were roasted, they worked far into the night getting off
the skin of the Rogue.
"How long will we be here, Doctor?" asked the explorer anxiously.
"We have not enough men to pare down the skin inside of a week," said
the scientist. "However, the wagon can stand the weight, and we can let
the paring go. With two days of drying in the sun and one day to rub in
the chemicals, we will go."
"Three days," nodded Schoverling, and turned to the boys. "Well, boys, I
needn't say that I'm sorry not to have had a shot at the brute, for poor
Mowbray's sake, but I'll donate a case with his shattered rifle, his
letter, watch, and pictures of the Rogue to the Club when we get back.
So you both get the credit for him together, eh?"
"I guess so," said Jack. "I didn't do much to knock him over. Chuck did
that. But I got in the two shots that finished him."
"Jack stopped him all right," protested Charlie, "with that bullet in
the head, when he charged us on three legs. Honest, General, even after
he went down the second time, I was scared stiff when I saw him get up!
I thought I was dreaming, for I knew that both my bullets had got him in
the knee."
"I should think you would have been scared!" laughed the explorer. "I
was scared myself, that day the other bull nearly got us up on Mount
Kenia. Well, it's all over now. I guess you boys have gained the
biggest share of the credit, but you sure deserve it."
When the boys woke in the morning, the Masai were already hard at work
again. At last they got the huge sections of skin off, and the
protesting oxen were made to drag off the carcass away from the camp.
The hide was thoroughly cleansed, and then staked out to dry in the sun
for two days, after which the doctor would attend to it further.
"Doesn't it all seem like a wild old dream to you?" asked Jack that day,
as they rode out after an impalla steak. "It's hard to realize that
we've done it, Chuck."
"Just the same, we have," laughed Charlie. "Say, when we get back an'
show up the pictures we've taken, with the doctor's, won't we raise a
howl? I'd like to see that Inspector what's his name?--Inspector
Harrington's face when he hears about it! He'll throw a fit!"
"Not him," chuckled Jack ungrammatically but happily. "He'll put out his
hand an' say, 'By Jove, allow me to congratulate you! Wonderful!'"
Which, as it turned out, was exactly what he did.
CHAPTER XX
THE BACK TRAIL
They remained in "Rogue Camp," as Charlie christened it, for three days.
The injured Masai warriors were still in no shape to march, although
Amir was all right again, but the big wagon had plenty of room. The
ivory was loaded solidly and lashed down, with the elephant hide and
skull over it, the latter being up in front. On top were placed the
tents and other impedimenta, leaving just enough room for the two Masai
to lie comfortably beneath the tilt.
"I don't envy him his place," grinned Jack as they loaded him on, the
fourth morning. "Bet that hide won't smell like roses."
"Little he minds that," laughed von Hofe, in huge delight. "He is used
to much worse. Schoverling, what are the plans?"
All gathered about the explorer with interest. He drew forth the chart
belonging to Selim, which the Arab had omitted to take with him.
"I have our compass-bearings from the other camp, where Mowbray died,
to the first water-hole we struck. We can circle around these hills to
the southwest, then strike back to the river. To follow our old march
back to the water-hole will not be hard.
"There we had better rest a day and stock up. Fortunately, the cattle
are in prime shape for the return march. I'll warn Bakari to keep his
men away from the water this time, and we ought to get across. Gholab,
come over here. Can you follow a compass-bearing through the desert?"
"Yes, sahib."
"Very well, that is all for now. You see," and Schoverling turned to the
others, "I figure that by sending Gholab and Guru on ahead with the
wagon for three or four days, the other six of us can wait at the
waterhole. That will help out the water in the casks wonderfully. With
three canteens apiece, we will be able to catch up to them after four
days, and our horses will still be in prime condition."
This plan was ultimately followed, and proved excellent. They reached
the water-hole by easy stages, the wagon now being heavily laden, and
gave the cattle a day's rest here. The doctor was forced to abandon his
idea of getting a buffalo, as every pound of weight would tell on the
oxen, but he cared little for that now.
They met with no molestation on the return trip beside the river. On one
occasion Jack shot another of the forty-foot pythons, which seemed to
live in the river, but they saw nothing of the great buffalo herd. On
the day they reached the waterhole a rhino charged down on the caravan
and narrowly missed goring Bakari, but Schoverling managed to drop him
in the nick of time.
The explorer allowed the wagon and the Masai four days' start from the
waterhole. A good supply of fodder for the cattle was taken, although
this was hardly necessary for any save the horses, and with full
water-casks Gholab and Guru plodded off. The others camped, resting the
horses and hunting, and on the fifth morning took up the desert trail.
They caught up with the caravan on the eighth day, after narrowly
missing it, for a compass-led trip over the desert is no easy matter to
keep accurate. The cattle were going along well, the injured Masai were
healing well enough to walk part of the day, and all promised favorably
for the last stages of the journey.
Being away from fresh game, the Masai were forced to drink water on the
desert, much to their disgust. However, Bakari realized the necessity of
keeping his men on the allowance given them, and there was no tapping
the barrels at night this time. Day after day they plodded along through
the dust, and at length Schoverling and the others rode ahead to bring
out the other wagon with more water.
So well had the explorer led them that they arrived within half a mile
of the camp, to be met with shouts of delight by the men and tears of
joy by the lonely Gurkha who had remained in charge. The other oxen were
found sleek and well, and Guru, who protested his entire ability, was
sent out with the second wagon, loaded with water and fresh fodder, to
meet the other.
They came in five days later without accident, the footsore and weary
Masai riding delightedly in the extra wagon. After a rest of two days,
the load was divided between the two wagons and all set forth for the
last trek across the first plain they had crossed. But this was not so
bad as that other, and with the aid of an opportune rainstorm that
lasted all night, they reached the friendly foothills once more and
gained the villages of the Samburo.
From here on to Yonge's Station was play compared to what they had been
through. The commissioner met them with great delight, and they
outspanned the oxen for a three-days' rest before going on. The Masai
were paid and dismissed, each with a handsome gift that sent them away
rejoicing.
"Here," said Captain Yonge, holding out an envelope, "is a cable that
was forwarded by runner. It came in two days since."
Schoverling reached across the dinner-table and tore it open. He scanned
it, then broke into a laugh and read it aloud:
"'_Louis Schoverling, care Captain Yonge, Commissioner
District, B. S. A._:
"'Best wishes. Bags valued seventy pounds. Got ahead of you there.
"'SELIM BEN AMOUD'"
They related the story of their trip to Yonge. Schoverling had been in
some doubt as to the advisability of saying anything about the
gold-dust, but von Hofe overruled him. When they had finished, the
captain dissipated their doubts.
"Why, of course, my dear fellow! There will be no objection in the least
to your keeping the ivory. You have brought back great news. Poor
Mowbray! He was a plucky fellow, and we always regretted orders to go
out after him--though he licked us every time. But that news about the
new country up north is great! I shouldn't wonder if you got an F. R. G.
S. out of it, Schoverling."
Taking it easy, they arrived in due course of time at the end of their
trip. Runners had gone on ahead, and for the last two days Piet Andrus
with a dozen more rode with them, having gone out to meet the wagons.
At Mombasa they interviewed the governor, relating officially their news
of Mowbray and giving a detailed account of the lake country which had
been discovered. It was at once arranged that six months later a great
safari was to be sent up, with Louis Schoverling in charge, to make a
scientific exploration and map out the country about the hot lake.
Letters and cables poured in on them, and the two weeks spent at
Mombasa were busy ones. Accounts of their trip were despatched to
London, New York and Toronto, and on the day they left a cable came
which announced that Schoverling had gained one of his life-long
ambitions--Fellowship in the Royal Geographical Society.
"Well, we've sure had a great time," sighed Jack as they steamed out of
Mombasa. Von Hofe was accompanying them to New York. "We've pulled
pretty near two thousand each out of that ivory and dust, Chuck."
"It certainly does look like big money now," admitted Charlie. "Well, I
see where I dig in to learn for a while. Then maybe we can get together
for another trip somewheres, eh, General?"
"I hope so," laughed Schoverling. "I thought maybe you would have had
enough of it."
"Not much!" cried both boys together. Von Hofe smiled.
"Wait!" he said. "I have a surprise, some day!"
And one day, months later, he took them to a special room in the great
Museum of Sciences, where stood the Rogue Elephant as he had stood on
that last day of his life; beneath, on the great brass plate at the
bottom, were these words:
_Elephas Africanus Peeli_
SHOT BY CHARLES COLLINS AND JACK SAWTOOTH.
Mounted by Gross von Hofe, F. R. S.
The Boy Scouts of the Air Books
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THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR ON FLATHEAD MOUNTAIN
_Splendid Illustrations by Norman P. Hall_
* * * * *
Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago
The Famous AIRSHIP BOY SERIES
_By_ H. L. SAYLER
_SEVEN TITLES_
=1. THE AIRSHIP BOYS Or, The Quest of the Aztec Treasure=
=2. THE AIRSHIP BOYS ADRIFT Or, Saved by an Aeroplane=
=3. THE AIRSHIP BOYS DUE NORTH Or, By Balloon to the Pole=
=4. THE AIRSHIP BOYS IN THE BARREN LANDS Or, The Secret of the White
Eskimos=
=5. THE AIRSHIP BOYS IN FINANCE Or, The Flight of the Flying Cow=
=6. THE AIRSHIP BOYS' OCEAN FLYER Or, New York to London in Twelve
Hours=
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Fascinating stories of that wonderful region of invention where
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Or, Morey Marshall of the Signal Corps_
_2. THE STOLEN AEROPLANE
Or, How Bud Wilson Made Good_
_3. THE AEROPLANE EXPRESS
Or, The Boy Aeronaut's Grit_
_4. THE BOY AERONAUTS' CLUB
Or, Flying for Fun_
_5. A CRUISE IN THE SKY
Or, the Legend of the Great Pink Pearl_
_6. BATTLING THE BIGHORN
Or, The Aeroplane in the Rockies_
_7. WHEN SCOUT MEETS SCOUT
Or, The Aeroplane Spy_
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Or, An Aeroplane in Snowland_
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Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 3, "reak" changed to "reek" (the reek of cedar)
Page 19, "wierd" changed to "weird" (in weird-looking)
Page 29, "surpise" changed to "surprise" (his vast surprise)
Page 90, "botton" changed to "bottom" (at the bottom)
Page 131, "Ghobal" changed to Gholab" (then Gholab Singh, Mohammedan)
Page 136, "though" changed to "thought" (I thought camels)
Page 207, "shoud" changed to "should" (we should not share)
"Charley" was changed to "Charlie" to fit rest of 308 uses in the text.
15: Charlie paused and
84: Charlie had stepped
90: thrust forward. Charlie
Charlie sank down
91: Charlie nodded.
97: Charlie. "This looks
100: Quilqua?" asked Charlie.
177: began Charlie, but the
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