Shouting out to Hendricks, who was at some distance, attending to the waggon, he leaped on to one of the rafts, making signs to the nearest Kaffir, to whom he could not otherwise communicate his wishes, to come off with him.
Fortunately Hendricks heard his voice, and rushing down, sprang on to the raft. In the meantime Percy had a hard matter to keep up. The stream was carrying him and Lionel farther and farther down; and as they got away from the noise made by the cattle, he well knew that the risk of being seized by another crocodile was greatly increased.
Still, though he might easily have gained the shore by himself, nothing would induce him to quit his young charge.
“Hold up, Lionel,” he cried. “Kick about with your feet, and shout as loud as you can. Those brutes of crocodiles won’t hurt us while they’ve got the horse to eat. Hurrah! we are seen from the shore; your father and Crawford are on it. They are stopping to pick up Denis, they’ll be up to us soon. Now stop and tread water, it will give me a rest. It won’t matter if we are floated a little lower down. Shout and shriek as loud as you like.”
All this Percy said at the top of his voice, for he did not feel quite as confident as he tried to make Lionel suppose, that another crocodile would not make its appearance. Still his hopes of escape rose as he saw the raft urged on by poles and paddles approaching. He kept looking round him, however, to watch whether one of the dreaded monsters was rising to the surface, not that, should it approach, he would be able to do much to make his escape. Lionel all the time showed not the slightest fear. He did exactly as he was told. Had his skill as a swimmer equalled that of Percy, he would rather have trusted to his own powers, than have hindered his companion from reaching the shore. The raft was still some way off, although they could distinguish the features of their friends. When, as they were treading water, holding each other’s hands, Lionel, casting a glance down the stream, exclaimed, “O Percy, can that brute be coming this way?” Percy looked in the same direction, and there sure enough he saw the head of a huge crocodile, with its snout directed towards them.
“We won’t stop here to be gobbled up, at all events,” cried Percy. “Put your hand as before on my back, and we’ll swim towards the raft. We may be in time to get on to it before the creature reaches us.”
Though he said this, he felt very faint hopes of success; still, like a brave fellow, he kept up, shouting and splashing as much as he could without stopping on his way. Once he glanced over his shoulder. The dreaded monster came swimming on. In another minute, before they could possibly reach the raft, it would be up to them, though Hendricks and his companions were exerting their utmost strength to urge it on. Just then a man was seen running along the bank. He stopped, and raised a rifle to his shoulder. Percy fancied he could hear the bullet whistle through the air, and the thud as it struck the crocodile’s head. The monster sank from sight. Denis and Crawford raised a loud cheer, and in a few seconds they were hauling Percy and Lionel, both almost exhausted, on to the raft.
“Bravo! Percy, you did it well,” cried Denis; “and Lionel showed himself to be a brave little chap, or he would not have enabled you to save him as you have done.”
Hendricks was less demonstrative, but equally grateful to Percy, although he had no time just then to show his feelings. Placing the two boys on the centre of the raft, he, with the rest who had come on it, had to exert themselves to pull back to the shore, where they found Umgolo waiting to receive them.
“You saved the boys’ lives, my friend,” said Hendricks, addressing him and taking his hand. “You have rendered me many services; this is not the least of them.”