The night was so dark they could not distinguish footmarks, and they had not the slightest evidence of their own for believing that they were on the tracks of Willem"s horse.
"How do you know that we are going right, Cong?" asked Hendrik.
"We follow Spoor"em; he know it," answered the Kaffir. "He find anything that go over the gra.s.s."
"But can you be sure that he is following the spoor of Willem"s horse?"
"Yaas, Master Hendrik, very sure of it. Spoor"em is no fool. He knows well what we want."
With blind confidence in the sagacity both of the Kaffir and his dog, the two hunters rode on at a gentle trot, taking more than an hour to travel the same distance that Willem had gone over in a few minutes.
There was a prospect that the trail they were following might conduct them back to the camp, and that there would be found the man they were in search of. Willem would be certain not to return over the same ground where he had pursued the giraffes, and they might be spending the night upon his tracks, while he was waiting for them at the camp.
This thought suggested a return.
Another consideration might have counselled them to it. A thunder-storm was threatening, and the difficulties of their search would be greatly increased.
But all inclinations to go back were subdued by the reflection that possibly Willem might be in danger, and in need of their a.s.sistance, and with this thought they determined to go on.
The dog was now urged forward at a greater speed. The storm was rapidly approaching; and they knew that, after the ground had been saturated by a fall of rain, the scent would be less easily taken up, and their tracking might be brought to an end.
The elements soon after opened upon them, but still they kept on in the midst of the pelting rain, consoling themselves for what was disagreeable, by the reflection that they were performing their duty to their lost friend.
It was not until the thunder-shower had pa.s.sed over, that Spoor"em began to show some doubt as to the course he was pursuing. The heavy rain had not only destroyed the scent but the traces of the footmarks, and the dog was no longer able to make them out. For the last half hour, they had been moving through an atmosphere dark as Erebus itself. They had been unable to see each other, except when the universe seemed illumed by the flashes of lightning.
The night had now become clear. The moon had made her appearance in the western sky; and the search might have been continued with less difficulty than before, but for the obliteration of the spoor. The dog seemed bewildered, and ran about in short broken circles, as though quite frantic at the thought of having lost the use of the most important of his senses.
"We shall have to return at last," said Hendrik, despairingly. "We can do nothing more to-night."
They were about to act according to this advice, when the loud roar of a lion was heard some half mile off, and in the direction from which they had just ridden. In going back that way they might encounter the fierce creature.
"I have kept the lock of my rifle as dry as possible," said Arend, "but it may not be safe to trust it. I think I shall reload."
Drawing the rifle out of the piece of leopard skin with which the lock had been covered, Arend pointed the muzzle upwards and pulled trigger.
The gun went off.
As the report fainted away in the distance, the far-off sound of a human voice could be heard as if shouted back in answer to the shot. What they heard was the word "Hilloo."
They hastened in the direction from whence the sound seemed to proceed.
Even the dog appeared suddenly relieved from its perplexity, and led the way. In less than ten minutes they were standing around Willem, delighted at finding him in safety, and in the possession of a live giraffe.
"How long have you been here?" asked Hendrik, after the first moments of their joyful greeting had pa.s.sed.
"Ever since noon," was Willem"s reply.
"And how much longer would you have stayed, had we not found you?"
"Until either this giraffe or I should have died," answered Willem. "I should not have abandoned it before."
"But supposing you had died first, how would it have been then?" asked Arend.
"No doubt," replied Willem, "something would very soon have taken me away. But why don"t you take my place here, one of you? I must stretch my legs, or I shall never be able to stand upright again."
Hendrik placed his hands on the head of the giraffe, and Willem with some difficulty arose, and, after walking around the prostrate animal, declared that he had never been happy until that moment.
It was decided that they should not attempt to stir from the place until morning; and the rest of the night, with the exception of an hour or two devoted to sleep, was pa.s.sed in asking questions and giving explanations. Willem was a little woeful about the loss of his riding-horse, and also on learning of the robbery of the cattle; but these misfortunes could not entirely counteract the joy he felt at having taken the young giraffe.
"This creature is quite tame now," said he; "and if I cannot find my horse again, I shall ride it to Graaf Reinet. Before I do that, however, I shall use it in catching another. I must and shall have two, and we can easily find another chance. You and Hans ought to be ashamed of yourselves. The three of you have not done so well as I. You have allowed two or more young giraffes to escape, while I, single-handed, captured all the young that were in the herd I followed."
Arend and Hendrik glanced significantly at one another while Congo stared at both of them. A shake of the head given by Hendrik was understood by the two who were in the secret, for Congo had been told of the capture of the second giraffe, and of course not a word was said to Willem of that affair. His companions preferred giving him a surprise.
CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN.
AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN OLD ACQUAINTANCES.
When morning dawned, the first thought of the hunters was to contrive some plan for getting the young giraffe to the camp.
Willem expressed surprise at his companions having come out without their rheims. The reason given by Hendrik for their having done so was that they did not think they would require them; besides, they had left the camp in a hurry.
They did not antic.i.p.ate much difficulty in taking back the giraffe. It appeared so weak and submissive that their only fear was of its not being able to make the journey.
For all that, without ropes or lines to lead it, there might be difficulty enough. It might take a notion to resist, or get clear out of their clutches.
"I must have a line of some kind," said Willem, "even if I have to cut a thong from the hide of one of your horses. I have been standing, or rather sitting, sentry over this creature too long, and have travelled too far for the sake of finding it, to allow any chance of its escaping now. It is but half what we want; and if any of you had been worthy the name of hunter, you would have taken the other half."
A few hundred yards from the spot grew a copse of young trees,--slender saplings they were, forming a miniature forest, such as one would like to see when in search of a fishing-rod.
Going to this grove, Willem selected out of it two long poles, each having a fork at the end.
One of these was placed on each side of the captive giraffe, in such a manner that the forked ends embraced its neck, and when so tied, by twisting the twigs together, formed a sort of neck halter.
By this means the creature could be led along, one going on each side of it.
Arend grasped the end of one of the poles and Hendrik the other.
So long had the young camelopard been kept in a prostrate position, that it was with some difficulty it managed to get to its feet; and, after doing so, its efforts to escape were feeble, and easily defeated.
At each attempt to turn to one side, its head was instantly hauled to the other, and it soon discovered that it was no less a captive on its feet than when fast confined in the rec.u.mbent att.i.tude.
Finding its struggles ineffectual, it soon discontinued them, and resigned itself to the will of its captors.
Mounting their horses, Arend and Hendrik held the poles by which the giraffe was to be guided, while Willem and Congo walked on behind. In this manner the captive was conducted towards the camp.
More than once during their journey Willem reiterated the reproach already made to his companions. If they had only shown as much energy and determination as he had done, they might now have been ready to take the road for Graaf Reinet, with a triumphant prospect before them.
"I would have followed this giraffe," said he, "until my horse dropped dead, and then I would have followed it on foot until it became mine. I had determined not to be defeated and survive the defeat. Ah! had any of you three shown a particle of the same resolution, we might have abandoned our cattle with pleasure, and started on a straight line for home by daybreak to-morrow morning."