United States or Mauritius ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Jan then returned to the wagon, climbed noiselessly up, drew out his own blankets, and brought them to the fire. He then wrapped himself up, and lay down alongside of Swartboy, with the ourebi standing near, and in such a situation that he could still have his eyes upon it, even when lying.
He was awakened by a sudden jerking at his wrist, and hearing the antelope scream. But he had not quite opened his eyes, before he felt himself dragged violently over the ground. He thought at first it was Swartboy playing some trick upon him; but as he passed the fire, he saw by its light that it was a huge black animal that had seized the ourebi, and was dragging both him and it along.
From one of his wrists extended a stout thong, or rheim, which passed through among the bushes to the distance of several feet; and, fast to its other end, was the ourebi fawn, dead, and terribly mangled! Over the spot stood Swartboy with his burning tree, which blazed all the brighter that he had just been using it over the back of a ravenous hyena. The latter was not in sight.
The buck, on first perceiving the strange object, uttered a sharp whistle, and darted off with the swiftness of a bird for the "ourebi" is one of the swiftest of African antelopes. The doe followed, though not so fast, and soon fell into the rear.
To secure it from wandering, he had fastened a strong rheim around its neck, the other end of which he had looped tightly upon his own wrist. He lay for some time contemplating his beautiful pet. But sleep at length overcame him, and the image of the ourebi melted before his eyes. Beyond this Jan could tell little of what happened to him.
From one of his wrists extended a stout thong, or rheim, which passed through among the bushes to the distance of several feet; and, fast to its other end, was the ourebi fawn, dead, and terribly mangled! Over the spot stood Swartboy with his burning tree, which blazed all the brighter that he had just been using it over the back of a ravenous hyena. The latter was not in sight.
To secure it from wandering, he had fastened a strong rheim around its neck, the other end of which he had looped tightly upon his own wrist. He lay for some time contemplating his beautiful pet. But sleep at length overcame him, and the image of the ourebi melted before his eyes. Beyond this Jan could tell little of what happened to him.
He was awakened, however, by a shrill squeak, as of some animal in the agonies of death; and then there was a second squeak, that seemed to be suddenly interrupted by the stifling of the creature's utterance! In these cries Von Bloom, as well as the others who were now also awake recognised the bleat of the ourebi, for they had heard it several times during the afternoon.
It now fell to Jan's lot to explain all this mysterious business. He had been lying in the wagon along with the rest, but not like them asleep. No. He could not sleep a wink for thinking on his new pet, which, for want of room in the wagon, had been left below tied to one of the wheels. Jan had taken it into his head that he would like to have another look at the ourebi before going to sleep.
He could not have held out long against the strength of the hyena; but it was just at that moment that Swartboy came up with his fire-brand, and beat off the ravisher with a shower of blows. When they got back to the light of the fire they found that Jan was all right. But the poor ourebi it had been sadly mauled, and was now of no more value than a dead rat.
Word Of The Day