Nearer, step by step, they crawled with bated breath, and crowds of anxious thoughts running through their heads, lest the slightest error or alarm might be made by some awkward companion, every now and then lifting their heads up to note the progress they made, or the position of the massive and fierce brutes whom they intended to attack.
Kalulu, more experienced than any other, had found his task much lighter than either Simba or Moto, least of all the Arab boys, his lithe, sinewy form had penetrated through the grass with the ease of the young antelope, from which he derived his name, and had found it no difficulty whatever to stalk the buffaloes; so that, long before his companions had gained their several positions, he had ventured as near a buffalo bull as prudence would suggest, and one of his arrows was already resting on the string which his practised hand would surely send home into the animal’s flanks on the first sound of the signal.
In a few minutes, Simba having kindly waited for his friends, Kalulu heard the whistle, and as he stood up he took a second’s survey of the field. Moto was far to the right of Simba, Simba was next to Kalulu, Abdullah was a few yards behind him, on his left, with his gun pointed at the same animal he had chosen. Selim was the furthest on the left, about thirty or forty yards from a young bull buffalo. This was taken in at one glance, and probably Simba and Moto had taken the same precaution. The next second Kalulu’s bow twanged. Selim’s rifle and the muskets of Simba and Moto were heard together, and there was confusion and momentary dismay among the animals, as they heard the startling reports of the fire-arms. The lord of the little herd, in whose side Kalulu’s arrow was buried up to the feathers, had already lowered his head, and was preparing for a charge, when Abdullah’s gun rang out sharp and loud, close behind, it seemed to Kalulu, who instinctively bent his head, and the formidable bull reeled under the stroke of the bullet, which was flattened in the centre of his head but only for a moment; for, after uttering a frightful bellow, he lowered his head again, and came down, tearing the earth, towards the active young chief.
Pooh! the brute might as well have charged upon smoke, as upon the young Mtuta; for a single bound took him to one side, clear out of danger, and as the buffalo passed by, exposing his flanks, Kalulu drew his bow until it was almost double, and sent a barbed arrow clean through his heart, which rolled him over and over in the agonies of death. Thus Kalulu won the first prize.
Simba and Moto had been engaged with the same animal, which two bullets well aimed soon settled for ever. Selim, on the other hand, had broken a leg, just at the shoulder, of the buffalo to which he was opposed, and with his second barrel had sent a shot through the body, which so sickened the young bull, that he could do no more than roar painfully, and vomit blood, sure signs of his fast-approaching doom. Before he could reload his gun, the buffalo staggered, fell on his knees, and rolled over, still and dead.
Little Niani had in the meantime been skulking behind a tree, watching with a critical eye the battle, and now as he saw it terminated he advanced from his place of security, and gave a shout of triumph, and made as much noise, as though he, single-handed, had laid the three buffaloes low; but, for the good deed that he had so lately done, nobody cared to dispute his assumption, and all laughed merrily as they saw him dance on the body of Kalulu’s bull. Not for long, however, for human stomachs were calling for food, and spear-blade, and knife were therefore set industriously to work to carve out the finest pieces of beef. Simba and Moto each carved out a hind-leg of rosy, juicy beef, at the sight of which the saliva ran out of their mouths like water, and Niani, as he saw the rich chunks which Kalulu, with the aid of Abdullah, extracted from his game, almost drowned himself with swallowing his saliva.
When each was loaded down with beef, the party returned to the forest again, straight towards the east, for its gloomiest recesses, where they might remain in security, while they cooked and ate, should any enemies have heard the reports of their guns.
In about an hour they reached a secure place, a similar clump of jungle almost to that wherein they had slept so cosily the night before. A fire was soon made with the aid of their muskets, by Simba and Moto, while the boys, under the direction and example of Kalulu, employed themselves in preparing slender rods, pointed, with which they pierced small pieces of beef, to plant around the fire for a speedy broil. In their great hurry to allay their gnawing hunger, too, they threw several thin slices into the hottest part of the fire, which no sooner were warmed than they were extracted again and eaten with a relish and satisfaction which the poor stomachs alone could have properly described had they the same power of speech as they had of digestion.
While they were thus eating, a glance at the fire showed a regular palisade of slender sticks, on which numberless pieces of meat were impaled, and Simba and Moto having thus satisfactorily arranged the cooking of the rations, began to make other preparations for the same purpose on a more extensive scale, while Abdullah and Niani were detailed to procure wood, and keep up a regular scorching fire, as the march was to be resumed after noon. The men selected four sticks with prongs, which they planted at each corner and outside the beefy-palisade, and laying two slender poles lengthwise, with their ends resting in the forks of the upright sticks, and over these poles they laid shorter sticks crosswise, and apart from each other, which structure, when completed, had somewhat the appearance of a gridiron. On this platform were laid long strings of meat, and the object of their preparations was soon explained to Selim, who in this knowledge perceived where he had been at fault, when he escaped from Ferodia on the march to Katalambula’s village.
It was really wonderful how much these heroes of ours managed to eat. The palisade on which the kabobs were roasting, and hissing, and spluttering, was rapidly disappearing before the voracious attacks of the gourmands. Some hand was constantly stretched out to take and uproot the defences round the fire, and fingers were incessantly employed in extracting from the sticks the juicy and luscious pieces, and one mouth or another was continually opened to receive, while the jaws of all were perpetually grinding meat with their lips emitting a chorus of “auch,” “auch,” “tlap,” “tlap.” Though there has been an omission to mention that, over the body of each buffalo, before its throat was cut, the blessing of God was invoked, it must not be taken for granted that such pious sons of Islam as Selim and Abdullah were, could have done such a deed without going through the grateful ceremony which the Küran has enjoined on all true believers. And in the feeling of plenitude which was at last felt, they found their reward. My young readers who have never experienced the pangs of hunger and thirst will have perhaps some difficulty in comprehending the fierceness of appetite and voracity which these children of nature exhibited.