Part 8 (1/2)
In consequence of being shaded from the rays of the sun, ere better able to travel than usual during the hot hours of the day We had reached the part of the country where we had expected to find the _vlei_; but, even though Jan hs of the tallest tree we could find, when he came down he declared that he could not discover water
We therefore again pushed on, until we reached a rocky hill, to the summit of which we climbed Not a pool could we see either to the north, east, south, or west
We were now getting both hungry and thirsty, for we had exhausted the water we had brought in our bottles We were convinced, however, that we round probably hid it froht of soo down to try and kill one of them, while Hans and Jan were to continue the search for water, and, should they find it, they were to meet us at the foot of the hill, fro the rocks and shrubs and tall grass, we ot nearer Harry pronounced them to be _ourebis_ We were afraid that we should have no chance of getting within shot, forthe several feet into the air, then galloping on again, and once e I once saw practised,” whispered Harry ”Do you lie doith your rifle ready to fire behind yonder bush, and I'll go forward and show ood deal of curiosity in their nature, and I'll try to excite it”
He then placed his rifle and coat and hat on the ground, and creeping a little forward, to one side of where I lay, he suddenly rose with his feet in the air, supporting hie tosurprised me I should have had the blood rush into my head and dropped down in a minute had Ithe ourebis; which, no longer leaping about, remained quiet for some seconds, and then with slow and stately steps advanced towards the curious object I had time to examine them minutely Their colour was a pale tawny above, and white below The horns straight and pointed, and, as far as I could judge, five inches in length The ani not h when it lifts up its head it looks much taller The female of the pair which approached was hornless On they came, closer and closer I was afraid that Harry would drop down and frighten theh to enable ood a position as I could desire, for, though the bush effectually concealed me, I could see them clearly I dared not, however, ree, for fear it should touch the leaves and in to et them up close to me,” said Harry, in a whisper
The anier, cath, it seemed to me, by the way they
I fired, the buck dropped on his fore-legs, and at the same instant Harry threw himself on his feet, lifted his rifle and fired at the doe before she had got ten paces off Down she also ca by Harry The buck instinctively atte one of theood reason to be satisfied with the result of Harry's experiment He told me that not only the ourebis but several other deer, if attracted in the sa aroused, can be thus shot
We lost no tihten the loads, and the better to preserve the meat Each was as , however, to leave any part behind Believing that we could carry the with our burdens, fortunately not having far to go On arriving at the spot agreed on, we found that our companions had not returned We therefore set to work to collect fuel for a fire, and to cut up one of the animals So parched had we beco their blood I had always found, however, that blood rather increased than diminished thirst We were both by this time well versed in wood-craft, and quickly divided the animal in the most scientific fashi+on While ere employed in this manner, we frequently looked round to ascertain if the two , but they were not to be seen
Having finished our task, while I wasup the fire, Harry cliht obtain a wider look-out
”I can see theht of an ani our spoor, or probably it is attracted by the scent of the deer As he is coht not condescend to eat a dead deer, hesubjects He is not likely to give us any undue notice of his approach”
Harry agreed therefore to keep watch while I continued the operations on which I was engaged I soon got soround to hold the spits, and on these I placed the venison to roast, but hungry as I was I felt that without water I could scarcely get down the food I was cooking Evening was approaching
”I say, Fred, if those fellows don't come soon, we must set off by ourselves, and look out for water Perhaps so the rocks, or if not, wefor it Those deer wouldn't be inhabiting these parts if water wasn't in the neighbourhood”
”It will be too late to coht,” I observed ”It is already nearly dark, and the chances are that the lion you saw just noill pounce down upon us, if we go far from the fire I would rather endure thirst than run that risk”
”Still we must have water,” exclaimed Harry; ”but you stay here and look after the venison, and I'll just wander to a short distance I do not suppose the brute will find me; and perhaps, you know, it was not a lion after all I saw: it nu”
”You said positively it was a lion,” I re that you will not wander fro to hisJust as he was about to set off, a loud roar, not twenty paces off, reached our ears
”What do you say now?” I asked ”You don't mean to assert that that was the cry either of an ostrich or a bullfrog”
”I wish that it were the latter,” he answered; ”for then there would be a chance of finding water However, I'll stay in camp and try to endure my thirst until those fellows come back--and they're pretty sure to find water”
I did not like to say that I was not quite certain on that subject I had hopes, however, that even should they have failed to find it, we should not perish, as I trusted before long we h none had as yet fallen from the cloudy sky Some venison which I had put close to the fire was by this tireatest difficulty that we could get down even a few mouthfuls
”I cannot eat anotherdown his knife ”If those fellows don't arrive soon, dark as it is, I must set off by myself to try and find water; depend upon it, there is some not far off, or that lion would not coround
I tried to cheer him up, and ive it up after nibbling at a piece; yet I felt that I could have sed a hearty ht of water, however tepid and full of insects ita short distance from the fire with our rifles in our hands, prepared for the reception of the lion, should he venture to invade our camp, when Harry exclaimed, ”Hark! I hear footsteps: they must be those of Hans and your black fellow”