Blind Lion of the Congo

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER XVII

  THE DIARY

  Burt leaped away with a yell of pure terror as he woke. He was answeredby a deep growl that sent his hair on end with fright. The lion wasoutside and had smelled him!

  There was silence for a moment and then came a scratching at the logsbefore the entrance. This was succeeded by one angry roar and Burtconcluded that the fire outside was still burning. He pulled out hiswatch with trembling fingers. Three thirty! And the sun did not riseuntil after four!

  A low mutter of growls and a swift pad-pad of feet came to him as theangry and baffled lion ran around the hut. Burt's first spasm of wild,uncontrolled fear gave way to courage born of desperation. There was noplace for him to run to. If he did manage to get out he must get pastthe lion and face the pigmy village. His only hope was to fight off theblind beast until Critch should arrive.

  Burt got out his matches and lit all three of the jars of palm oilhurriedly. At the sound of his movements the growls outside increased infury. Then the soft footfalls ceased and the next instant the whole hutquivered as the paw of the great beast struck it.

  The thatch was very closely woven, however. Burt hesitated between usingthe axe or the oil and finally decided to reserve the former in case theoil failed to drive off the lion. Again and again the beast struck atthe side of the hut. The thatch shredded away with a rustle and the hutshook beneath the strain. Then a piece of the wall a foot square cameaway and into the opening swept a great yellow foot armed with immenseclaws.

  Burt did not hesitate. With a match ready lit he set fire to the oil inone of the jars. It sputtered, then broke into a burst of flame and theboy swiftly flung it at the great paw which was clawing frantically atthe side of the opening.

  A terrific roar responded, a roar such as the boy had never heard beforein all his life. It drove the blood from his cheeks and left himgripping the handle of his axe, but outside he could hear the lionrolling over and crashing among the long grass between the hut and thezareba, and he knew that he was the victor for the moment.

  Another danger caught his eye and he sprang forward. Whipping off hiscoat he hastily beat out the flames that were running up the side of thehut from the blazing oil, and scattered dust over the latter with hisfoot. That frail thatch was his only protection now!

  He still had two jars of oil. One he was resolved to keep in case he hadto use the little axe. At least he would have the advantage of sight.His hopes and courage rose somewhat as he listened to the blinded animalthrashing about in the grass. Then came silence outside.

  Burt waited but could hear nothing. "I hope he's run off!" muttered theboy to himself. He hardly dared hope for that, however, and his fearswere justified when he heard the swift pad-pad outside again. This timeit was faster and heavier. Burt remembered the lions he had seen runninglike great cats across the plain and his heart leaped as he pictured thelook of the animal outside.

  Now came a furious attack at the corner of the hut beside him. Sosudden and unexpected was it that Burt was caught napping. Before hecould strike a match or catch up the pot of oil he was horrified to seea double row of fangs crash through the thatch, followed by a greattawny head. Across the face extended a broad white scar as of an oldburn.

  With one strangled cry Burt lifted the keen little axe and brought itdown in the center of the white scar. He saw a tremendous paw thatripped across his breast and hurled him backward, heard a maddenedscream from the beast, and as he fainted his last memory was of therocking, reeling walls about him.

  He woke with the sting of cold water on his face and gasped. His firstthought was that the lion was over him, and he struck out blindly andsavagely.

  "Go slow, old man!" sounded the voice of Critch. Burt looked up and sawthe face of his chum. He sank back weakly, while Critch went on bathinghis face. "Take it easy, Burt. Don't try to talk yet. Want a drink?"

  Burt certainly did want a drink, and he half emptied the canteen ofwater at a draught, while Critch supported him. Then he struggled tohis feet.

  "Let's get out o' here," he murmured. A shudder swept over him as heglanced around. There were gaping holes in the thatch walls, and beforehim was a pool of blood, black against the dirt. The two boys reachedthe doorway and Burt sank down gratefully in the warm morning sunlight,leaning against the wall of the hut.

  "You must have had a fierce time," said Critch sympathetically. "Are youhurt?"

  Burt glanced down and shook his head. His shirt had been ripped topieces by that savage sweep of the lion's paw, but beyond one slightscratch he had escaped damage. He paled again at the narrowness of theescape. Then Critch thrust some roasted bananas into his hand, and thetwo boys made their breakfast together.

  "I feel a heap better now," smiled Burt weakly as he set down the emptycanteen at length. "Now we can talk."

  "What happened, anyhow?" inquired Critch eagerly. "When I got here fiveminutes ago you were lyin' on your back. I thought you was dead, sure,when I saw all that blood and the wrecked hut."

  Strengthened by his sleep and the food, Burt gradually regained hisself-control as he related the story of that terrible night to his chum.Critch listened with eager interest, then rose and dashed into the hut.An instant later he reappeared, frowning.

  "The axe is gone," he exclaimed excitedly. "Think you killed him?"

  "How do I know?" retorted Burt. "I hit him as hard as I could, and Iguess it landed between his eyes, but that's all I can tell."

  "You must ha' landed pretty hard, then," mused Critch, "judgin' from allthat blood. Anyhow, we can follow him up--"

  "Do it yourself," broke in Burt. "I know just about how Cap'n Mac feltnow. I wouldn't monkey with that lion again for a million dollars cash.No sir!"

  "Well, I will!" cried Critch excitedly. "I can get Mbopo--"

  "Oh, how did you come out?" interrupted Burt, with new interest. "Ijudged from the sounds that it worked all right."

  "Work!" laughed Critch. "I should say it did work! Why, I've got thewhole blamed tribe eatin' out o' my hand, Burt! Even Mbopo ain't quitesure whether he ought to kow-tow or kneel down when he speaks to me. Itwas easy!

  "After we left here I had a lot of trouble trying to make the otherfellows carry that _ankh_. They were scared to death of the thing.Before we got to the gate I fixed up the procession right. Mbopo wentfirst with the mummy. Then come the two brothers carryin' the _ankh_between 'em on the spear. I come last with the mummy-case.

  "The whole tribe was feasting and dancing and singing when we showed up.When Mbopo went through the gate and got into the firelight the bunchstopped all of a sudden. Then they saw the two boys with the _ankh_. Thetom-toms quit work and everybody went down on their noses. Before theyhad a chance to look up I fixed things right.

  "I had Mbopo stand on that pile of skins. The _ankh_ and mummy-case wereset down right in front of him. I stood alongside him and took oldTa-En-User, setting him on his feet natural-like. About half the crowdwas looking up by this time. They couldn't understand what was up tillI nodded to Mbopo and he began to speak.

  "Well, sir, he hadn't said more'n about ten words, pointing to the_ankh_ and the mummy, before them dwarfs let a howl out of 'em like theywere all struck by lightning."

  "Yes," broke in Burt, "I heard that. It sure sounded awful."

  "I reckon they _felt_ kind of awful," grinned Critch contentedly. "I wasscared stiff at first, honest. It seemed so blamed foolish, Burt, totrot out a mummy and a hunk of gold and set up as a god on the strengthof it! I soon got over being scared, though. I could be chief o' thattribe right now if I wanted to!

  "Mbopo went on explaining how you happened to be all dried up that way.The crowd turned several degrees whiter while he was talking. It made mefeel pretty mean for a minute to think o' them grown men an' womenknuckling down that way to me. Then I got another idea.

  "I set Ta down gentle and reached out for Mbopo's hand. It scared him,but he was game. I led him forward a step, then picked up the _ankh_ an'stood it on end. When I took Mbopo's ha
nd again his knees were shaking,but I grinned at him and placed his hand on the loop. When he found thatnothing happened he just swelled up, an' looked at me so grateful andplumb happy that I couldn't keep from laughing. The crowd stared, butwhen they saw Mbopo standing there proud and confident, they holleredout their kind o' cheer--two sharp little barks."

  "Heard that too," nodded Burt. "Whew, I'd like to have seen all that,Critch! But didn't you get any sleep at all?"

  "You bet I did!" was the reply. "Just as soon as I got things settledthat way Mbopo made another speech. Then I got him to understand that Iwanted some place to sleep. He had a fellow take me to an elegant bighut. There were lots of skins and stuff in there and I went to sleepright off. I was pretty near dead. I woke up at sunrise and got somebananas and water and came over here. That's all, I guess."

  "Well, when are you going to resurrect me?" asked Burt. "I'm not goingto hang around here, I can tell you."

  "You got to," replied his chum earnestly. "If you showed up now it'dspoil the whole thing, Burt! You can stay out here in the shade, can'tyou? The zareba hides you from the village, as long as you keep awayfrom the entrance."

  "All right." Burt struggled to his feet, himself again. "Let's have alook at that zareba, Critch."

  The two boys walked across the little open space and halted in front ofthe row of tusks. Strands of thorn-bush were interwoven among the tusks,which were planted closely in the ground, but the zareba was so low thatthe lion would have had no difficulty in leaping over it. It wasevidently intended more for show than for defence.

  "Those tusks don't look as if they were worth taking away," said Burtdisgustedly. "Look at how old they are, and all cracked up!"

  Indeed, the tusks seemed very ancient. Their surface was not the smooth,white surface of new ivory but was gray and rough and pitted with holesworn by the weather and insects.

  "They must have been here for a long time," agreed Critch. "But I don'tknow 'bout their not being worth taking off, Burt. You know when youruncle swapped Mvita for those old tusks o' his? They looked just likethese, and your uncle isn't buying old tusks for his health. Besides,Cap'n Mac was crazy about these. If they hadn't been worth while hewouldn't--"

  "That's so," exclaimed Burt more hopefully. "Prob'ly they're all righton the inside. We're liable to make some money out o' this trip yet."

  "You talk just's if we had it cinched!" laughed his chum. "Say, takesome thorns and pin your shirt together. I got to get back to thevillage now. I'm going to bring out some weapons and some more grub, butI want to make sure that everything's safe. I'll have to warn Mbopo notto come near here, too. I guess we can fix things up to resurrect you byto-night, anyhow."

  "You'd better," returned Burt, fastening his tattered shirt togetherafter Critch's suggestion. "I'm not going to stay here another night,that's straight. Why don't you get Mbopo out after Pongo with some ofthe men?"

  "Not yet," answered Critch thoughtfully. "I want to finish up yourbusiness first. That'll tie everything down tight. Then we can get busywith the lion. I believe we'll pull out of this yet, Burt!"

  "Sure we will," laughed Burt, his spirits fully restored by this time."I'm going to get some more sleep here in the shade. Better go easy withMbopo. If he gets a swelled head he might make trouble."

  "No chance of that," replied Critch, pausing at the gateway. "He's amighty good scout. Well, so long! Anything special you want?"

  "Oh, nothin but a two-inch steak, a couple o' books, and a letter fromback home," replied Burt. "So long!" And as his chum disappeared heflung himself down in the long grass under the hut wall, whose shadowwould protect him from the sun. He had come to care little for insectsby this time, and in any case he was too weary to think about them.

  When he next opened his eyes the sun was in the west and Critch wasshaking him vigorously. Burt sat up, yawning, to find his chum highlyexcited. Beside them lay a collection of axes, swords, knives andspears.

  "Wake up, you!" cried Critch. "I got pretty near everything you askedfor."

  "You got what?" said Burt sleepily, staring at his chum. Then heremembered his parting words and laughed as Critch displayed a thickantelope-steak, a couple of baked yams and the refilled canteen.

  "I got more than that," exclaimed Critch. "I found a kid playing withsomething a while ago. Come to find out, it was this," and he threw theremains of a little red leather book into Burt's lap. The latter, whohad already attacked the steak with the help of one of the knives,picked it up with interest.

  The little book drew a gasp of amazement from Burt when he opened it,for on the inside cover was inscribed, in small and neat writing,"McAllister Montenay, V. C. His Diary."

  "Is that straight?" asked Burt, looking up with flushed cheeks. Critchnodded.

  "You bet it is. Get finished with the eats, while I tell you. I saw akid trailin' that around in the dust, so I rescued it and took a look.You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw what it was!There's a whole lot of it that you can't make out, but enough's left todo business with.

  "Everything's lovely at the village. Some hunters brought in threewildebeest and an antelope this morning and the whole tribe's feastingup. That seems to be about all they do."

  Burt was not long in disposing of the provisions. After emptying thecanteen, he picked up the little tattered red book once more and openedit, Critch close beside him.