by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER VIII.
THE FATE OF THE HERD.
But they did stray.
When day broke, and the travellers looked around them, not a head of theoxen or cattle was to be seen. Yes, there was one, and one only--themilch-cow. Totty, after milking her on the previous night, had left hertied to a bush where she still remained. All the rest were gone, and thesheep and goats as well.
Whither had they strayed?
The horses were mounted, and search was made. The sheep and goats werefound among some bushes not far off; but it soon appeared that the otheranimals had gone clean away.
Their spoor was traced for a mile or two. It led back on the very trackthey had come; and no doubt any longer existed that they had returned tothe kraal.
To overtake them before reaching that point, would be difficult, if atall possible. Their tracks showed that they had gone off early in thenight, and had travelled at a rapid rate--so that by this time they hadmost likely arrived at their old home.
This was a sad discovery. To have followed them on the thirsting andhungry horses would have been a useless work; yet without the yoke-oxenhow was the wagon to be taken forward to the spring?
It appeared to be a sad dilemma they were in; but after a shortconsultation the thoughtful Hans suggested a solution of it.
"Can we not attach the horses to the wagon?" inquired he. "The fivecould surely draw it on to the spring?"
"What! and leave the cattle behind?" said Hendrik. "If we do not goafter them, they will be all lost, and then----"
"We could go for them afterwards," replied Hans; "but it is not betterfirst to push forward to the spring; and, after resting the horses awhile, return then for the oxen? They will have reached the kraal bythis time. There they will be sure of water anyhow, and that will keepthem alive till we get there."
The course suggested by Hans seemed feasible enough. At all events, itwas the best plan they could pursue; so they at once set about puttingit in execution. The horses were attached to the wagon in the best waythey could think of. Fortunately some old horse-harness formed part ofthe contents of the vehicle, and these were brought out and fitted on,as well as could be done.
Two horses were made fast to the disselboom as "wheelers;" two others tothe trektow cut to the proper length; and the fifth horse was placed infront as a leader.
When all was ready, Swartboy again mounted the voor-kist, gathered uphis reins, cracked his whip, and set his team in motion. To the delightof every one, the huge heavy-laden wagon moved off as freely as if afull team had been inspanned.
Von Bloom, Hendrik, and Hans, cheered as it passed them; and setting themilch-cow and the flock of sheep and goats in motion, moved brisklyafter. Little Jan and Trueey still rode in the wagon; but the others nowtravelled afoot, partly because they had the flock to drive, and partlythat they might not increase the load upon the horses.
They all suffered greatly from thirst, but they would have sufferedstill more had it not been for that valuable creature that trotted alongbehind the wagon--the cow--"old Graaf," as she was called. She hadyielded several pints of milk, both the night before and that morning;and this well-timed supply had given considerable relief to thetravellers.
The horses behaved beautifully. Notwithstanding that their harness wasboth incomplete and ill-fitted, they pulled the wagon along after themas if not a strap or buckle had been wanting. They appeared to know thattheir kind master was in a dilemma, and were determined to draw him outof it. Perhaps, too, they smelt the spring-water before them. At allevents, before they had been many hours in harness, they were drawingthe wagon through a pretty little valley covered with green,meadow-looking sward; and in five minutes more were standing halted neara cool crystal spring.
In a short time all had drunk heartily, and were refreshed. The horseswere turned out upon the grass, and the other animals browsed over themeadow. A good fire was made near the spring, and a quarter of muttoncooked--upon which the travellers dined--and then all sat waiting forthe horses to fill themselves.
The field-cornet, seated upon one of the wagon-chests, smoked his greatpipe. He could have been contented, but for one thing--the absence ofhis cattle.
He had arrived at a beautiful pasture-ground--a sort of oaesis in thewild plains, where there were wood, water, and grass,--everything thatthe heart of a "vee-boer" could desire. It did not appear to be a largetract, but enough to have sustained many hundred head of cattle--enoughfor a very fine "stock farm." It would have answered his purposeadmirably; and had he succeeded in bringing on his oxen and cattle, hewould at that moment have felt happy enough. But without them whatavailed the fine pasturage? What could he do there without them to stockit? They were his wealth--at least, he had hoped in time that theirincrease would become wealth. They were all of excellent breeds; and,with the exception of his twelve yoke-oxen, and one or two long-hornedBechuana bulls, all the others were fine young cows calculated soon toproduce a large herd.
Of course his anxiety about these animals rendered it impossible for himto enjoy a moment's peace of mind, until he should start back in searchof them. He had only taken out his pipe to pass the time, while thehorses were gathering a bite of grass. As soon as their strength shouldbe recruited a little, it was his design to take three of the strongestof them, and with Hendrik and Swartboy, ride back to the old kraal.
As soon, therefore, as the horses were ready for the road again, theywere caught and saddled up; and Von Bloom, Hendrik, and Swartboy,mounted and set out, while Hans remained in charge of the camp.
They rode at a brisk rate, determined to travel all night, and, ifpossible, reach the kraal before morning. At the last point on the routewhere there was grass, they off-saddled, and allowed their horses torest and refresh themselves. They had brought with them some slices ofthe roast mutton, and this time they had not forgotten to fill theirgourd-canteens with water--so that they should not again suffer fromthirst. After an hour's halt they continued their journey.
It was quite night when they arrived at the spot where the oxen haddeserted them; but a clear moon was in the sky, and they were able tofollow back the wheel-tracks of the wagon, that were quite conspicuousunder the moonlight. Now and then to be satisfied, Von Bloom requestedSwartboy to examine the spoor, and see whether the cattle had still keptthe back-track. To answer this gave no great trouble to the Bushman. Hewould drop from his horse, and bending over the ground, would reply inan instant. In every case the answer was in the affirmative. The animalshad certainly gone back to their old home.
Von Bloom believed they would be sure to find them there, but shouldthey find them _alive_? That was the question that rendered him anxious.
The creatures could obtain water by the spring, but food--where? Not abite would they find anywhere, and would not hunger have destroyed themall before this?
Day was breaking when they came in sight of the old homestead. Itpresented a very odd appearance. Not one of the three would haverecognised it. After the invasion of the locusts it showed a veryaltered look, but now there was something else that added to thesingularity of its appearance. A row of strange objects seemed to beplaced upon the roof ridge, and along the walls of the kraals. What werethese strange objects, for they certainly did not belong to thebuildings? This question was put by Von Bloom, partly to himself, butloud enough for the others to hear him.
"_Da vogels_!" (the vultures), replied Swartboy.
Sure enough, it was a string of vultures that appeared along the walls.
The sight of these filthy birds was more than ominous. It filled VonBloom with apprehension. What could they be doing there? There must becarrion near?
The party rode forward. The day was now up, and the vultures had grownbusy. They flapped their shadowy wings, rose from the walls, andalighted at different points around the house.
"Surely there must be carrion," muttered Von Bloom.
There was carrion, and plenty of it. As the horsemen drew near thevultures rose into the air, and a score
of half-devoured carcasses couldbe seen upon the ground. The long curving horns that appeared besideeach carcass, rendered it easy to tell to what sort of animals theybelonged. In the torn and mutilated fragments, Von Bloom recognised theremains of his lost herd!
Not one was left alive. There could be seen the remains of all of them,both cows and oxen, lying near the enclosures and on the adjacentplain--each where it had fallen.
But how had they fallen? That was the mystery.
Surely they could not have perished of hunger, and so suddenly? Theycould not have died of thirst, for there was the spring bubbling upjust beside where they lay? The vultures had not killed them! What then?
Von Bloom did not ask many questions. He was not left long in doubt. Ashe and his companions rode over the ground, the mystery was explained.The tracks of lions, hyenas, and jackals, made everything clear enough.A large troop of these animals had been upon the ground. The scarcity ofgame, caused by the migration of the locusts, had no doubt rendered themmore than usually ravenous, and in consequence the cattle became theirprey.
Where were they now? The morning light, and the sight of the houseperhaps, had driven them off. But their spoor was quite fresh. They werenear at hand, and would be certain to return again upon the followingnight.
Von Bloom felt a strong desire to be revenged upon the hideous brutes;and, under other circumstances, would have remained to get a shot atthem. But just then that would have been both imprudent and unprofitablework. It would be as much as their horses could accomplish, to get backto camp that night; so, without even entering the old house, theywatered their animals, refilled their calabashes at the spring, and withheavy hearts once more rode away from the kraal.
