Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-07-16
South African Adventure.

days of an African summer that 1 left my
farm to ascend the Draakensburg Noun
tains, tor the purpose of finding, if posi-
BILE, an eland, a species of antelope, to re-
penish my larder for the coming Christ
mas. was at the time living alone in
glen formed by two spurs OF the noun
tain, with but few neghbors, and no town
within fifty miles, but as my Kafirs had
become sufficiently civilized to understand
that Chrlstmas-time meant unlimited eat
ing, wished, by providing game, to save
an OK. | had only five or six miles to 60,
and was well mounted, so did not hurry,
but, leading my horse up the steep pass,
reached the place where L intended to
sleep just as the sun was setting.
The scene around, though quite different
from our ideas of what it should be in
December, was very beautiful. There
was no snow no leafess trees with their
delicate tracery set off by the glistening
hoar- frost, nor dark green frs bending un-
der their white load but still there was
enough to keep me standing, forgetful of
6rewood, and all had to do for my con.
duct during the night.
| | was on a narrow ledge of rock, separ-
ated from the network of hills beyond by
deep perpendicular gorge, at the bottom
of which, so far down that | could hardly
! distinguish it, ran little burn. The set
ting sun gave the peaks that rich purple
hue seldom seen away from heather; and
on the other side, as far as the eye could
reach, lay the thorn-covered fats and hills
of Natal.
Under the rock was large cave, where
had determined to sleep. 1t had in
olden times been regular resort of the
Bushmen, but few came near it now; in
deed, | had not known they came at all,
but on going in, | found some calabashes,
and the ashes of newly made fire, which
could have been only lett by them. There
were other marks on the walls, though ev-
identity of great antiquity rude sketches
and drawings of horses, cattle, bows and
arrows, and even Of Bushman riding, 1t
is most curious that race so low down in
the scale of humanity that their language
only contains few words made up of un-
pronounceable clicks, and who, with the
exception of the use of fire, in their mode
of life differ but little from the ape,
should have learned to do this. 1t may
be that it is remnant of an old sign
language, or the last relic of some former
civilization. 1t was full moon, and af-
ter admiring the wondelfu full lights and
shadows thrown by it on the broken
ground, | turned in and slept till near
daylight.
As soon as l could see, | started to
hunt Much to my annoyance at the
time, though l had afterwards cause to be
thankful that my horse was spared such a
gallop as riding down an eland entails, l
could find nothing, and could tell by the
spoors that no herd had been about for
some days. 1t was nearly noon before
became convinced of this and, tempted by
the shade of line of tree-ferns edging a
little brook whose bubble sounded refresh
ingly amid the great heat, [ took my
c saddle off, knee ,haltered Prince, and lay
down. OF course [ soon dozed off, bu,
became awake again in about a couple OF
hours say became awake because it
was not the natural rousing up Of per.
son who has been asleep, but sudden re.
turn to consciousness, without any move
ment, and with all my wits about me-
e and that inward feeling which perhaps
some of my readers may have experienced
of something being wrong, and tension Of
J. all the powers of hearing to discover what
n it is. | had not long to wait: whiz came
= a tiny arrow, striking the stone on which
! my head had been resting, and where my
% cap still was. 1t did not require muet
. thinking to know that Bushman's hanC
held the bow it had come from, nor to de
termine that the safest thing to do was te
> roll quietly into the bed of the littl,
l. brook below me. Luckily, this woult
afford good shelter, and 1 could almos
: reach the edge with my hand.
3 The tremendous violence with which
a these streams come down from the hill
during the heavy thunder-storms, wears
J., deep passage even in the hardest ground
e nd though there was only about an incl
= of water, and it was not yard broad, tn
- banks were to the full four feet high. Leav
ing my cap where it was, rolled over a.
, quietly as l could; but just as l was dis
e appearing, another arrow came and strucl
's me in the thigh, the only part not yet il
J. safety. 1t took all my self control tc
Of continue my movements as before l stoo
crouching at the bottom. Why" tn
G. reader may exclaim. L" the pain of such
:" tiny arrow could not be very great" No
!. neither is the bite of snake in itself, ye
"a of the two the latter is the least to b
,f dreaded. 1t was of course poisoned wit
'. that deadly skill for which the Who'll
" tribe is famous; and as I stood below,
H. knew had little chance of seeing anothe
W sunrise.
y However, with that self-help that me-
c. who lead a solitary life acquire, DIRE,
is my hunting knife, ripped up the trousers
of and with a steady hand, cut out the arrow
head, not sparing myself. 1 then took m
flask, and poured powder into the wound
and gently striking a match, set fire to ii
That done, took off my belt, and usin
Of my full force, strapped it a little above
Id as tight as it would 60.
80 do not think that in doing all this ha
is any bope of saving my life; there wa
,e only q sort of feeling that was doing m
,e duty. The pain was not very great, an
q my chief thought was for vengeance O
n. the malignant creature that l looked upo
,e as my murderer. rightly imagined tha
e. he was not aware of his success. N
as doubt, he thought he had missed me, an
D. that was still lying asleep; in proof o
ty which, soon heard the whiz of anothe
is arrow striking above. Moving down abou
yard to where the overhangins fern