The Vee-Boers: A Tale of Adventure in Southern Africa

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

  HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNTING.

  While the battle with the bees was progressing upon the raft, the sameenemy was being fought on the bank by the towers who had stayed there;seven or eight of whom could not swim. Some of these had leaped intothe river, where they saw it was not of a depth to drown them, the restrunning off over the veldt. Equally ludicrous was the behaviour of bothparties. They in the water having waded in, deep as was safe, therestopped. But as the bees followed, and were still buzzing about theirheads, they had to keep ducking under water, bobbing up and down, asboys in their first essays at diving. Those who remained on land rushedwildly hither and thither, at intervals bounding up like springboks, allthe while sawing the air with their arms to an accompaniment of dolorouscries. It was some time before the towing could be resumed, every onebusy doing his best to allay the pain from stings received. But as theraft had now nigh come to a stop, the voice of the head baas was oncemore raised in command; the hawser fished up out of the water, and againtaken ashore; then a detail of fresh hands following to man it, thetowage was continued as before.

  But the rope was no longer allowed to trail. Heavy though it was, andstill hot the sun, care was taken to keep it clear of the ground, with asharp look-out for bees' nests; several others that were encounteredbeing given a wide berth.

  Fortunately for all, this toilsome trek did not need to be of longduration. At the lower end of the straight reach there was a bend inthe river, rounding which they once more caught the current in strengthsufficient to carry the raft briskly along. So the towers were calledback on board; the hawser drawn on deck, and stowed away in a coil forfuture service of a similar kind, should it be required.

  The rafters were just beginning to congratulate themselves on thesmooth, easy gliding again, with a satisfactory rate of speed, when theyobserved that this last was gradually increasing. But not slowly;instead, with a rapidity to give them cause for apprehension. It was achange from one extreme to the other, a revulsion of feeling sudden ascomplete. But an hour before they had been chafing at still water; nowdid they as little like it running--their minds filled with a fear ofrapids below.

  Just such there proved to be; a chain of them, one succeeding another,for the next twenty leagues of the river's course. It was where theland surface sloped down from the high plateau of the interior to thelow-lying belt of the coast. But luckily by a gentle incline; had therebeen any abrupt escarpment, a cataract in the stream would have been theconsequence, and possibly the raft gone over it, so bringing theadventures of our Vee-Boers, with their lives, to a termination, thereand then.

  As it was, they encountered no waterfall, only rapids; which, by adextrous use of the poles, with one or other of the Macobas all the timeat the steering oar, they succeeded in safely running. It was often aclose shave though, with wreckage imminent more than once. Once,indeed, the raft grounded upon a subaqueous reef, and threatened goingto pieces. But what with the buoyant koker-booms, the reliable lashingsof Baavian-touw, and the skill of the Lake Figam boatmen, it was got offagain without serious damage.

  Rejoiced were all when at length assured that the last of the turbulentrushes had been run, and they were once more in a tranquil current, withthe assurance of its extending to a far distance beyond them. They hadthis confidence from the changed character of the stream, and thescenery on its banks. It now coursed through flat, alluvial land, onboth sides wooded to the water's edge; the trees of great height, andbroad leaved, with that lush luxuriance of underwood only found intropical forests.

  Thenceforward it was all plain sailing, and easy; though the steerershad a hard enough task, and required to be continuously at it. For thestream was now winding, often nigh back upon itself like the letter S,and at times near to being as the figure 8. Here, again, it was toodeep for polling, but neither were the oars resorted to. Without themthe raft made way averaging a league to the hour, and with this all werecontented. The Boers of South Africa, as their ancestors by the ZuyderZee, take things easily. Besides, the rainy season would not set in foranother month, and in less than half that time, barring accidents, theyshould reach the reported Portuguese settlement by the river's mouth.Thence, getting out to sea, they would escape the fever danger.

  Thus reliant, they allowed the raft to glide on, giving it no aid ofoars, save the steering one, at which the two Macobas took turn and turnabout, having all the work to do. The rest of the people did little ornothing, though the young Boers were busy enough. But with sport, notwork; their activity consisting in a display of shooting skill. Largebirds were all the time hovering overhead, or flying past--cranes,pelicans, flamingoes, vultures, and eagles--and to bring one of thesedown with a bullet was the feat on which bets were made.

  Many so fell, and doubtless more would have fallen; but before they hadbeen long thus engaged, an order was issued for them to desist. It camefrom Jan Van Dorn, who had just conceived a grand economic scheme,suggested by something he saw in the river. This was a hippopotamus, orrather several; for since leaving the foot of the rapids, numbers ofthese amphibia had been observed, some waddling about upon the banks,others swimming to and fro in the water, the cows with calves on theirbacks; still others at rest on the surface as if asleep, with whitebirds--a species of sea-gull--perched upon their shoulders. Even thosemoving about had each its quota of such perchers, now and then affordingan amusing spectacle, as the unwieldy quadrupeds sank under water,forcing the birds to take wing with an odd air of bewilderment. Not sodifferent was the behaviour of the quadrupeds themselves, as they sawthe raft bear down upon them, and go drifting by--a sight altogether newto them. They may have seen canoes, water-horses, and othercontrivances of river navigation in use among the natives, but never acraft like that--never one of such monstrous dimensions. And a monsterit must have appeared to them, as at intervals it belched forth flameand smoke, accompanied by the loud reports of the roers.

  With heads raised on high, the hippopotami responded to all this in loudsnorts, groans, and bellowing, more in astonishment than alarm. Therewas also a tone of defiance in it which gratified the ear of the oldjager, making known to him that he was in a river where these animalshad rarely, if ever, been hunted. This meant money, should theopportunity be taken advantage of, and he was not the man to let such achance slip. Hence his having ordered the young Boers to cease firingat the birds, the _zeekoes_ [Note 1] offering a mark better worth powderand ball. So, from that moment, not one was passed within shot-rangebut had a bullet lodged in its body, and a second if the first failed tokill it; sometimes a whole volley, when needed to make death sure.Rarely was there a call for such wholesale expenditure of ammunition.Most of them had slain zeekoes before, and knew the exact spot to aimat; that most vulnerable being midway between eye and ear. Withmarksmen skilled as they, misses were rare; and the crack of a gun mightbe taken as sounding the death-knell of a hippopotamus.

  While engaged in this practice, they became witnesses of an oddspectacle afforded by an old bull, which had been fired at and hit justbehind the ear, too far back to give him his death wound. It seemed butto drive him crazy; as he commenced spinning round and round on thewater, as a sheep in a pasture field, attacked by the "turn giddies."But he was not permitted to make many gyrations, ere a volley from theraft brought his spin to an abrupt termination, along with his life.

  Thus, day after day, was slaughter made among the zeekoes, as therafters went on down the river. Not wanton slaughter; but in pursuanceof that scheme of economy the head baas had got into his head, nowknown, and approved of by his associates. How could they help approval,as they looked on a pile of hippopotamus teeth that lay on the raft'sdeck, every hour growing bigger, each fresh pair added being as so muchmoney put into their pockets?

  All this was satisfactory enough, but nothing to what awaited themfarther down. As they drew near the coast, they came upon an isletlying centrally in mid-stream, at a place where the river was more thana mile in wi
dth. They sighted it just before sunset; and, knowing thenight would be moonless and pitch dark, it was determined to bring-to atthe islet, and remain by it till morning. So the raft's head was setfor it, without much change of course, as they had been already bearingnearly straight down upon it. When near, they saw it was selvedged withtall reeds, of the kind called palmit, which, standing in the water,formed a belt all round it, interrupted only at the upper end, where anopen list led into the firm dry land. It was a sort of natural canal,no doubt due to the water being there too deep for the palmits to getroot. It was just wide enough to admit the raft; and without furtherado this was run into it, and "docked."

  By this it was too dark for them to make out what lay beyond theimmediate proximity of their moorings, though the staging-plank was runout, and some landed to ramble about a bit. When morning came, it wasseen that the islet had an area of some eight or ten acres, allgrass-covered; and, strange to say, the grass all withered, though but afoot or two above the level of the river's water. Its brown colourstrikingly contrasted with the vivid green of the palmits forming itsperiphery; and suggested a gorgeous picture-frame, from which the workof the artist had been removed, leaving nought behind but the roughbacking of boards. Neither tree nor bush grew upon it; their absenceindicating that it was subject to annual submergence in the season ofrain.

  To all this, however, the rafters scarce gave a thought. Nor would theyhave bestowed a second glance on it, but for what they saw on the wateroutside; this, an array of zeekoes, in such numbers that the surface wasliterally flecked with them! They were all around the islet, and overthe river, far as the verge of vision--certainly hundreds of them. Thespectacle recalled the vast assemblage of elephants encountered higherup; only that the great band of pachyderms were but visitors to theplace where they had been seen, while these of the water seemed eitherto be permanent residents around the islet, or made it a sort ofrendezvous.

  Here, then, was a grand opportunity for the Vee-Boers to complete thescheme already in progress; in short, almost a certainty of making theirfortunes. Nor did they hesitate about the steps that should be taken toprofit by it. Instead, it was at once resolved to remain upon theislet, till the ultimate moment when the rainy season might be expectedto commence, or the last zeekoe in that quarter be killed.

  With like promptness did they enter upon execution. Ere the setting ofanother sun, the three waggon-tilts were again seen serving as tents,set up in the centre and highest part of the islet--with twohartebeest-houses, constructed of the palmit reeds beside them--whilethe naked-bodied burden-bearers streamed to and fro between raft andcamp-ground, as the links of an endless chain.

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  Note 1. Zeekoe (Anglice, "sea-cow") is the name by which thehippopotamus is known to the Dutch colonists of South Africa. It isjust as inappropriate as that of "river-horse" (hippopotamus).

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

  TO SEA AND HOME.

  Let the reader imagine a month to have elapsed since our migrantgraziers--for the time turned hippopotamus hunters--pitched their campon the river islet. They are still in occupation of it; and proof thatthey have chased the zeekoes to some purpose is seen all around. Undera capacious shed, some hundreds of the animals' teeth lie in heaps, ashorns in a tannery, and beside them many bunches of _jamboks_,manufactured from the hides; while piles of _Zeekoe-speck_ [Note 1] andbladders of fat rendered into lard, are heaped up everywhere. Duringall the month they have had a busy time of it; the young hunters killinghippopotami, while the Hottentots and Caffres did the skinning,whip-making, curing, and "trying out."

  Tempted by a chase so profitable in results, and still yielding, theyhad lingered till the last moment it might be safe. Perhaps too long,was the apprehensive thought of Jan Van Dorn, as one morning he waked upto behold the sky overcast with inky clouds, at the same time hearingthe rumble of distant thunder. It was the very morning they had fixedupon for breaking up camp, and moving everything on board the raft. Butas yet nothing had been stirred; waggon-tilts, hartebeest-houses,sheds--with all the paraphernalia--standing or piled up as ever.

  Neither was hand laid upon them that day, nor on the five daysfollowing. For before breakfast could be eaten, the far-off thunder hadcome near, and was no longer heard in low muttering, but loudreverberation; peal succeeding peal, as if all heaven's artillery hadopened fire over their heads. Lightning flashed and forked athwart theclouded firmament, from which fell rain, not in drops, but sheets--avery swill of it.

  Five days, and part of a sixth, did the downpour continue withoutintermission, save in the nights. But these being dark as Erebus,nothing could be done in the way of transferring effects to the raft;while during daylight so thick and blinding was the rain, that to keepunder shelter was the only thing thought of.

  On the morning of the seventh day, the sky cleared again, and there wasa suspension of the storm. But Jan Van Dorn and Smutz knew it would beonly temporary; since now, sure enough, the dreadful periodical rainshad set in. So much the more reason for hastening departure from thatperilous spot.

  As yet, however, their only fear was the fatal malarious fever, likelyto ensue. But ere twenty minutes more had passed, they were made awareof another danger hitherto unthought of. Preliminary to moving their_impedimenta_ on board the raft, the three baases had gone down toinspect it, with a view to the storage of the cargo, now so muchaugmented. Never was visit of inspection shorter, or more perfunctory,nor one with more abrupt ending. In fact they could not get upon theraft at all, as the inner end of the plank, that had rested on dry land,was now several yards out in the water--bobbing up and down like afloat-stick. There was no obscurity about the cause. The river hadrisen several feet; and, as they stood regarding it, they could see itwas still on the rise. In another hour or two--possibly less--the wholeislet would be under water.

  Whatever the reason for haste before, it was now more than doubled.And, needless to say, all possible haste was made; a scene of activityfollowing, with hurrying to and fro. Down came the waggon covers--canvass, bamboos and all--to be rushed on board the raft, and theredropped without waiting to set them up again; goods and chattels, allthe old effects with the new, getting transferred from camp to craft inlike expeditious manner.

  Everything was on board by noon; and, as luckily no rain fell during therest of that day, they had all stowed snug before night, and were readyto resume navigation; their last spell of it on that bottom ofkoker-booms--so hoped they, and believed.

  By earliest dawn of the next day the raft was cast loose from moorings,and rowed out into the river clear of the islet. Then went it floatingdown, though with deck nearer the water-line than ever before. Butthis, instead of troubling those on board, only gave them gratification;as might be gathered from the words of Jan Van Dorn, spoken after theyhad got well under way. Seated beside his two associates on sheaves ofjamboks, all three pipe in mouth, and eyes bent on the heaps of ivory,zeekoe-speck, and lard, the head baas thus unburdened himself:--

  "After all, brothers, it's not likely to turn out so bad for us. Lookat these!" with a nod towards the varied spoils. "If we can only getthem safe into the Durban market, they'll sell for enough to make goodall our losses. Ay," he added, with a knowing wink, and a circularflourish of his meerschaum, "with a trifle of profit besides; sufficientto give us all a fresh start, and a good one, once we've treked back tothe Transvaal."

  "Ya--ya!" was the laconic response of Blom and Rynwald; after which thethree sate smoking on in silence; only now and then interchanging gruntsof congratulation, as their eyes rested on the valuable commoditiesheaped up around them.

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  It is pleasant having to record, that their hopeful anticipations wererealised, and to the letter. On the third day after putting off fromthe islet, the raft was tossing about in tidal water, where the river'scurrent met the inflowing s
urge of the sea. And here again thekoker-booms behaved splendidly, bearing them well up and safe throughthe conflict of waters--at length to lie cabled to a staunchion on thewharf of the little seaport they had heard of, and which proved to be inexistence.

  Nor did fortune forsake them there. Instead, favoured them in theirfinding a vessel at anchor in the port--a coast-trader bound down forNatal. Overjoyed was her skipper to take them on board; so manypassengers, who could well pay the passage-money, to say nothing of thelarge amount of freight, giving him a full cargo. It was just as ifthey had chartered his vessel beforehand, and he had been awaiting them.

  In fine, the wanderers by land and water got safe back to their point ofdeparture in the Transvaal, richer than they had ever been before. Nordid they leave it again, having no longer cause for expatriation. Forsoon after their return, ensued that strife usually called the"Transvaal Rebellion," but by the Transvaalians themselves, the "War ofIndependence."

  How they won it at Laing's Nek, and the Spitz-kop, is well-known; andamong those who took part in that fierce, sanguinary fight, none borethem more gallantly, or did greater execution with their long guns, thanthe young Vee-Boers, whose travels and adventures are herein recorded.

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  Note 1. The thick layer of fat immediately under the skin of thehippopotamus is esteemed a delicacy by the Boers, who call it, whensalted and cured, Zeekoe-speck, or bacon. The jelly made from the feetis also much prized, while the best kind of whips (jamboks) are those ofhippopotamus hide. As is well-known, the teeth furnish an ivory of thefinest quality.

  The End.