My first movement was to arouse my companions, but recollecting how tired they must be, I determined before doing so to enquire a little further into the cause, as it might be some celestial phenomenon which in a moment would disappear, though to me it had the same appearance as a large fire would have in England. For this purpose I quickly mounted higher up the hill, and scaling a rocky projection turned and gazed back.
Heavens! what a sight met my view—grandly beautiful, but how awful! Some distance off the whole plain before me was covered by a vast sheet of fire, which leaped and lapped with its forked tongues as it rushed onward. The entire distance appeared in flames—as if the end of the world had come.
With the speed of consternation I dashed back to my companions, and shouted in their ears, “Up, up! for heaven’s sake; be quick! The bush is on fire, and the flames are coming in our direction.”
The words acted like magic; both were instantly on their feet, and following me to my previous post of inspection.
No sooner had Umatula discovered the direction of the fire, which each moment was increasing in rapidity, than shouldering the skins, he bade us follow him; for we laid right in the fierce element’s track, and did it reach us it would be certain death.
“We must get to yonder rock,” he said, pointing to one some distance off, “on the top of it we may perhaps be safe.”
With as much speed as we could muster we instantly followed the swift Kaffir, and with hands and legs torn by the strong thorns of the cacti bushes succeeded in reaching the summit of the rock where, throwing ourselves down, breathless with our haste, we contemplated the spreading conflagration.
If it was grand before, it was terribly so now, for it covered the whole plain and was rushing up the hillside, the flames curling into the air like things of life, leaping from bush to bush, springing up in spiral columns to the skies, and destroying all signs of vegetation in its path.
As it reached the hill and bush, roars and howls of terror suddenly arose from all the affrighted dwellers in its shades. The most fierce as the weakest fled before this pitiless, unconquerable enemy, which seemed to leap and laugh rejoicing in the pursuit. Then with an awful howl the bush disgorged its inmates. Antelopes, tigers, jackals, hyaenas, elephants, and even here and there a large snake, came rushing forth in one confused herd—no longer thinking of preying on each other, though the gembok fled shoulder to shoulder with the lion—all being possessed with but one idea in that terrible moment, to escape from the frightful enemy behind them.
