Part 16 (2/2)
”He thinks the bucks here are all eighteen inches too short,” struck in Jeffreys, with half a sneer.
”That was only in the first kloof, Jeffreys. They're longer about here, you see,” replied Claverton, filling his pipe. ”Give us a light, Jack.”
”Here you are, old Baas. One good turn deserves another, so just throw that flask at me--thanks. Fancy Hicks treed by a pig--eh!”
”You shut up,” called out that worthy. ”Didn't I see you turn tail when that buck ran right over you?”
”No--you didn't--so help me Moses. But Hicks, you ought not to have missed the pig at no yards.”
The other retorted, and so they went on, bandying chaff and fighting the morning's battles over again, till at length it became time to resume operations. Horses were caught and saddled, and the Kafirs calling their curs, started off to beat the bush again--but not with the same spirit as before, for the day was piping hot and the dogs were beginning to flag--some would hardly be induced to enter the bush at all, but trotted along with lolling tongue, panting in the heat, and by the time they had swept down a couple of bits of bush it became obvious that most of the sport was already behind their backs.
”We'll just drive this kloof through and then knock off,” said Jim.
”Now then, here's every one's last chance. Allen, you haven't got your buck yet.”
They resumed the drive, and the slumbrous calm of the quiet valley was broken now and again by a ringing shot, and the blue smoke curled up through the golden haze in the still, summer afternoon; and every living thing was routed out of its. .h.i.therto secure retreat before the advancing line of beaters, to run the gauntlet for its life, to fall before its ambushed foe, or haply to escape until some future field day.
Note 1. Biltong is meat which has been dried in the sun till it is quite hard. It is usually made of venison or beef.
VOLUME ONE, CHAPTER TWELVE.
A WILD NIGHT.
The morning after the hunt was gloomy and dispiriting, for the weather had undergone a complete change daring the night, and now, instead of blue sky and a sunny landscape, a dense vaporous curtain hung over the kloofs, everywhere thick, heavy and impenetrable, while from the dull grey sky fell a continuous and soaking drizzle.
”I say, but it'll be poor fun riding back in this,” exclaimed Hicks, contemplating the spongy ground splashed by the drippings from the iron roof. ”We shall have to wait until it clears.”
”Shall we? Speak for yourself, Mr Hicks. _We_ are not made of sugar,”
said Ethel, mockingly. She was in high spirits this morning and br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with mischief.
”Now that _is_ rational,” put in a voice behind her. ”Hadn't we better start at once?”
She turned. ”Oh, so you are afraid of the elements, too. Then out of consideration for you two, we shall have to wait. Or shall we go on and leave them, Laura?”
”They deserve it,” said Laura. Then dubiously: ”It's a nuisance, though, because I know aunt will be expecting us back.”
”Now look here,” rejoined Claverton, quietly. ”Your aunt specially authorised me to see that you did nothing rash. Getting wet through under circ.u.mstances totally unnecessary is an eminently rash proceeding.
Wherefore I am constrained to lay an embargo on anything of the kind.
More especially as by two o'clock there will not be a cloud in the sky.”
”Won't there? Two to one there will. What shall it be?” cut in Armitage.
”Jack never bets. At least I heard him not many days ago striving hard to convince a Methodist parson of that fact,” said Claverton, appealing to the company in general.
”Wanted to throw him off his guard and book the devil-dodger for a venture. Besides, it wasn't a parson, it was only that humbugging old Garthorpe, who goes about preaching, and--”
”I should have thought you had found out he wasn't such an a.s.s as he looked, Jack,” said Naylor, significantly.
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