George Manville Fenn

“ What! What! What’s that, sir? How dare you!” thundered Sir James. “Are you going to be insolent and disobedient too?”
“Excuse me, Sir James,” said the doctor. “Let me say a few words.”
“No, sir,” cried Sir James fiercely, “not one word! This is my affair. I never interfere with you over your teaching of my boys.”
“I beg your pardon, Sir James.”
“No, don’t,” cried the baronet. “I beg yours. I am very much put out, doctor—very angry—very angry indeed. I always am when I am opposed in anything which I consider to be right. ”

“ The savage brute, as if contented with having captured its prey, couched there perfectly still, glaring at its approaching enemies as if waiting before making its next spring, and then, exactly together, from one side the black plunged the keen blade of his long spear into its shoulder, while from the other Mark, thrusting forward his rifle, drew trigger not a yard away, sending a bullet right into the monster’s skull. ”

“ In another place what seemed to be a cavern was completely shut in, save that a hole was left, into which Mark pitched a loose stone that he managed to dislodge, to hear it go rumbling away into the darkness as if it had fallen to where there was a steep slope.
“There’s something to see there,” said the doctor, “some day when we are provided with lanterns and a rope or two. Why, boys, all this grows on one. There’s no doubt now that we are amongst ruins, and how far they extend it is impossible to say. ”

“ Cooey!” cried Bob Bacon, and then “Cooey!” again, while in dread of fresh calamity all listened for the reply that did not come.
“Oh,” cried Mark at last, “a lion must have leaped upon him and pulled him down while he was going his rounds.”
“Not likely, sir,” said Buck Denham, “with the ponies and all them bullocks about.”
“Then where can he be?” cried Mark. “Don’t you think a lion may have leaped upon him when he was making up the fire?”
“Might, sir,” said the man, “but lions are not likely to go near a fire. I want the day to break, so that we may follow the spoor. ”

“ And now, to bring forth the driver’s exclamation, the keen-eyed black fellow, who had evidently caught sight of something which had excited his interest, was running swiftly in and out of the bushes more and more towards the great trees, in full chase, throwing up his spear now and then as if to signal his companions to follow.
“What is it he is after?” cried Mark.
“I dunno, sir,” replied Buck, who was standing up now upon the waggon chest and holding on to the tilt so as to follow the movements of their guide. “It’s something to eat; you may take your oath of that.” ”

“ Sir James turned back with the doctor, and soon after the boys were intently examining the drove of nearly fifty beautiful, sleek, well-bred oxen in their kraal, where they were in charge of their drivers, one a big, bluff, manly-looking fellow, well bronzed by the sun, and with Englishman stamped upon every feature, forming a striking contrast to his companion, a flat-nosed, half-bred Hottentot, who grinned at them stupidly. ”

“ As if the pigmy understood his words, he dropped down quickly, joined the doctor, gave him an intelligent glance with his piercing dark eyes, and then, spear in hand, made his way through the bushes to the other side of the clump in which, the wounded serpent had sought for shelter.
“You had better leave it to me to finish the work,” said the doctor, following the little black.
“Yes,” said Mark. “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”
“Snake soup,” said Dean, laughing; “and I don’t know that I want to go.”
“I do,” cried Mark. “Here, hand over that rifle.”
“Shan’t. I want to defend myself. ”

“ Should we be satisfied with what we have found, or leave it all for to-day?”
“I will go by what the boys say,” said Sir James. “What do you think, boys?”
“Oh, go on!” cried the lads together, and as they spoke Mark caught sight of the pigmy leaning forward as if to draw his big companion’s attention to what was going on.
“Go on, then, doctor,” cried Sir James.
“Well, then,” said the doctor, “what I should like to do now would be to bore right through this cement—tamp it, as the mining people call it—then ram in the contents of a couple or three cartridges and fire them with a fuse.” ”

“ Ah, take care, Mak!”
For the black was advancing towards the dangerous enemy, and he looked back at the doctor, laughed, showing his glistening teeth, and then seizing the broken haft of his spear, he planted one bare foot upon the creature’s shoulder, gave a tug or two, and drew it away, to stand looking dolefully at the two pieces of the weapon, which he held together as if to see whether it was possible to mend them again.
“Now, doctor,” said Sir James, as the two boys stood together, whispering, “we must run no more of these horrible risks. ”

“ And Mark laughed as if agreeing with his cousin.
“Well, it may be a traveller’s tale, sir, but if you was there you’d see the fish come to the top upside down, I mean, white side up’ards, and the crocs shovelling them down as fast as you like. That’s all I know about it.”
“But is that true, Buck?”
“Yes, sir; true enough, for I have seen it. I wouldn’t tell you a tale like that without letting you know it was a bam-bam afterwards.”
“Ah, well, I’ll believe you, Buck. Ugh! Listen! What’s that? Did you ever hear anything so horrible in your life! Somebody’s being killed. There it is again! There!” ”

“ What did the captain say he was, doctor?”
“An Illaka, he called him, I believe, something of the same sort of black, as the Matabeles. But you have forgotten two more.”
“Two more, sir?” said Dean. “No, we have counted them all.”
“What about the two black forelopers?”
“Why, what are they?” cried Mark.
“The two blacks who go in front of the foremost bullocks.”
“Oh,” said Mark. “I say, we are beginning to grow.”
“Yes,” said Sir James; “we are getting to be a pretty good hunting party. What with ourselves, men and cattle, we shall have a good many mouths to feed.” ”

“ Nature is their great surgeon.”
“Then why didn’t this one heal up?” said Mark.
“I am not a surgeon,” replied the doctor, “and I do not know what may be wrong, but I should say that the wild beast which seized him crushed some bone, with the result that splinters are remaining in the wound, causing it to fester. But we shall see.”
“Then you will look, doctor?” cried Mark excitedly.
“Certainly, if I find our little patient amenable to treatment.”
“Hurrah!” cried Mark. “When will you go?”
“The sooner the better. It rests with Sir James.” ”

“ You will not let us two go alone?”
“Can’t be done, sir,” said the little sailor, shaking his head.
“Do you mean this, Dan?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Dan, after glancing at his big companion.
“Very well,” said Mark quietly. “I have no right to ask it. Come along, Dean; we will go alone.”
Making an effort over his weakness, he strode off as nearly as he could guess in the direction of the ruins, walking fairly steadily now, neither of the pair attempting to look back, and the forest was so silent that the soft rustling of the two lads amongst the leaves sounded loud and strange. ”

“ Dean Roche started in his excitement, for as his cousin spoke he saw that Mak, who had been waiting near, stood pointing with his spear at the little party of pigmies who were winding through the bushes and low growth at the forest edge, the little chief at their head, followed by four of his men bearing a couple of little antelopes swinging from spears, while behind them were two pigmies carrying what seemed to be a sort of creel, in which was their wounded fellow.
“I say, look!” cried Dean. “He must be better.” ”

“ Ah, there they go. I say, Dean, did you ever see such a rum little chap in your life, with his gold ornaments and ostrich feather? Shouldn’t you like to take him back with us to the manor?”
“Yes—no—I don’t know,” said Dean. “Here, come on. They have all gone now, and there’s Dan waving his hand for us to come to breakfast.”
“That’s right,” said Mark thoughtfully. “We understand; you needn’t shout. I say, Dean, we might as well have brought the old gong out of the hall. It would have done for dinner-bell if we had hung it outside the waggon, and been splendid to have scared the lions away.” ”

“ I should have been quite as scared, with a lion creeping right up to me like that.”
“I suppose so, sir. But I don’t quite believe that tale. I never ’eerd of a lion creeping up to look at a man who was sitting by a fire.”
“No,” said Mark, in a whisper, as if to himself, and he trotted on the newly made trampled trail of the oxen.
“Why should you doubt it?” said Dean sharply. “I have known Peter Dance ever since I was a quite a little fellow. He can be very disagreeable sometimes, but I never found him out in a lie.”
“No, sir?” said Buck. “Well, I think you have found him out now.” ”

“ But nothing seemed farther from the pigmy’s thoughts, for when a fresh start was made, with the distant kopjes and piles of stone now hidden by the heated haze, the little chief shouldered his spear, crossed to the Illaka’s side, and marching beside him, two steps to his one, kept abreast.
“I do like that, Mr Mark, sir,” said Dan. “Look at old Brown going along yonder with his foreloping. Why, it would take three of that little chap to make one of he, and I don’t know how many of him to weigh down Buck Denham in a pair of scales. But is the little one coming along with us?” ”

“ But it’s like sticking one of the Illaka’s spears into me when you, you brave old chap, keep on reproaching yourself; and every word you say is nothing but a lie.”
“Brave old chap!” cried Mark mockingly, and he burst into a strange laugh which made his cousin shiver.
“Don’t!” cried Dean passionately. “What does a fellow want? To be brave? Doesn’t he want to be well and strong?” ”

“ Now then, you Buck, look alive!”
“No, thank you, sir,” said the man, grinning. “I don’t want to see him.”
“Bah!” cried Mark. “You are afraid.”
“That’s right, sir; I am—’orrid. You tell Dan, sir. He’ll go in with his sharp spade and cut him up in chunks and shovel them out a bit at a time. Snakes is nasty things to touch. Here, go on, messmate. Don’t you hear as the young gents wants to see it?”
“You go on! They didn’t ask me to do it,” said the sailor; “and he arn’t dead yet.”
“Yah! What a fellow you are! Who’s a-going to wait till it’s dark and the thing’s made up its mind to die? Go on in.” ”

“ But what are we going to do to-day?”
“Ask the doctor,” said Sir James. “I give myself up entirely to his guidance. Someone will have to stay in camp, of course, on guard, and ready to fire or whistle and give notice of the approach of any of the blacks. What do you propose, doctor?”
“Taking two men with us to cut and slash away the growth at the first place that we think worthy of investigation; and the sooner we are off the better, before the sun gets too much power.” ”

“ We must tell the doctor to look at the brass bangles,” said Mark.
“They are not brass,” cried Dean. “I am sure they are gold.”
The doctor came out, meeting the messenger, and Dan, who was on the watch, followed him with what was required.
The necessary attention to the wound followed, and the doctor quite excitedly pointed out with what wonderful rapidity the terrible injury was healing up.
“There,” he suddenly cried, turning to the little chief, who stood leaning upon his spear, “you need not bring your friend any more, for we are going away.” ”

“ We are too fond of treating these natives as niggers, but some of them are fine fellows, and as brave as lions— Pooh! Nonsense! As brave as men can be. Yes,” he continued, as an orderly appeared, “send in Mak.”
The fine-looking black stepped in, to stand in dignified silence, looking keenly round at the party, while the captain spoke to him in broken English which sounded somewhat like that of a weak old nurse prattling to a child, and in answer to which the black responded with the single word, “Good.” ”

“ Now I should like to hear your opinion.”
“Well, Sir James, I will give it you plainly. As a man with a great love for research I should go away from this ancient place with a feeling of extreme regret—but I must own that we are buying our curios at too dear a rate.”
“Thank you, doctor,” said Sir James. “Now, boys, what have you to say. Don’t both speak at once.”
“No, father,” said Mark, “I am too ill and weak to do the talking. Dean will say all I want.”
“Well, Dean, boy,” said Sir James; “speak out frankly. ”

“ I have explained everything to him, gentlemen, and his word ‘Good’ means that he will serve you faithfully, and show you plenty of game, to find which he will take you to the mineral forest where the trees are so high that it is nearly always twilight, and after that guide you on to the great city where the old people lived, and show you the mighty stones with which they built. ”

“ And he thrust his captive more into the light. “Why, he must have been a monkey as big as me when he was in full fettle.”
“Monkey!” cried Mark. “Why, it’s a man!”
“Man, sir!” cried Buck scornfully. “He arn’t a black; he’s grey. Who ever see a man like that?”
“Not I,” said the doctor, laughing.
“There, Mr Mark,” cried Buck triumphantly.
“But a man it is, Buck,” said the doctor. “Poor old fellow! Doesn’t say much for the natives’ civilisation, for there must have been some living near. Crawled into that cave to die. ”

“ Why, he’s the boss. What’s a boss got to do but give his orders? Oh, he hasn’t been idle, and as for the doctor, why, he’s never at rest. Look here, Mr Mark, sir; I have journeyed about the world a good deal, same as Dan Mann has. You know I was a sailor and made several voyages before I settled down at Natal and took to driving a twenty-four-in-hand. But in all my wanderings about I never did run up against such a one as the doctor. He seems to know everything. Why, he’s the best shot I ever see. Peter Dance and Bob Bacon are pretty tidy with their guns. ”

“ There were moments when he could not even think, when it seemed to be unreal, a nightmare-like dream of suffering when he had been called upon to bear the horror of knowing that his cousin had died a horrible death, while he could not even feel that it was his duty to climb down somewhere into the darkness where he might be able to extend to the poor fellow a saving hand as he rose. ”

“ It was only the work of minutes, and before long the wall at the back of the camp had its coigns of vantage lined, and was sending forth its little puffs of smoke, while Captain Lawton had sprung from his horse, and cut free the prisoners, and was warmly shaking hands with each in turn.
“Thank God, my lads, we are here in time!” he cried. “But your father—the doctor—where are they?” he added. ”