CHAPTER LII

Taming of Antelopes—Sugar Press—Combat with a Hyena—A Flying Courier—The Wild Horse and the Elephant

The drawbridge suffered the fate of all new inventions, admiration evaporates so quickly! and at the end of several days, if any one climbed the stakes, it was that he might have the pleasure of seeing the antelopes and gazelles bounding over the plain of Falcon’s Nest.

“Behold,” said one, “how graceful and light those animals are! they scarcely touch the earth. What a pity we cannot tame them; or, at least, approach them without scattering the whole flock, as the wind does the dust!”

“To take them,” said Ernest, “you will have to adopt the plan resorted to by the Georgians in capturing buffaloes.”

“Tut, tut,” said Jack, “cannot you find an example nearer home than Georgia?”

“For the world of thought,” replied the professor, gravely, “there is no limitation; and it would be as well to become acquainted with the Georgian method before rejecting Georgia as being too distant.”

“Well, then, doctor, give us a lesson.”

The professor, who willingly forgot the sarcasms and pleasantries that were showered upon him, whenever he availed himself of an opportunity to display his scientific knowledge, now began to explain this former remark.

“In the savannas of North America, in some places beds of marl are found which contain salt, of which the animals are very fond: the buffaloes especially flock in great numbers to this luxury which Nature has provided for them. The natives of the country lie in ambush for them there, and numbers fall victims to their avidity. In the absence of salt marl,” continued the professor, “we can, if we wish, prepare artificially a substitute for it, where the graceful antelopes will fall into the snare. We can, for that purpose, mix together the porcelain clay and some salt.”

“Adopted! adopted!” responded all the little boys unanimously. “Long live philosopher Ernest, first professor of the academy of Falsenheim, doctor, librarian, manager of the museum, naturalist and so forth!”

To plan an excursion and ask my permission was the work of an instant, and my harebrained youngsters promised themselves so much pleasure that I had not the disposition to deny them.

“Oh do, do, papa!” was the general cry; “an excursion is much more fun than constructing bridges.”

“I will make some pemmican,” said Fritz; “we have bear’s meat enough left for it.”

“And I,” said Jack, with a mysterious air, “I will take two pigeons with me. I have got an idea in my head.”

“And I,” added little Francis, “will take care of the coursers; and if Fritz will take my advice, he will take the cajack along—it will sail so nicely on the lake; and perhaps we can capture some of the black swans. Oh, how beautiful a pair of those swans would look in the basin of Falcon’s Nest!”

The weather was calm and serene, and everything promised a pleasant excursion to the adventurers.

The making of pemmican was commenced immediately, under the inspection of Fritz. The meat was pounded and crushed, until, after two days of hard work, it was reduced to half its former size. I tasted the meat of which Fritz boasted so much, and I did not think it bad.

Baskets, sacks, and all utensils necessary for the excursion were collected together; even our old sledge was brought down, and it was mounted on cannon-wheels, and loaded with all that the young adventurers intended to carry with them. The cajack, arms, provision for the mouth and for war—nothing was forgotten; anything that came into their heads they piled on, and a caravan in the desert could not have made more preparation.

The morning of departure arrived. Every one was awake before day; and Jack, without saying a word to anybody, climbed up into the dove-cot, and took out several pairs of pigeons.

“How is this?” said I, as I saw the youngster placing his pigeons in a basket. “It appears that you gentlemen take precautions to provide a variety for yourselves. I am only afraid that those old pigeons will be pretty tough eating.”

The fellow looked at me knowingly for a moment, but did not answer. When they were about to set off, I saw him conversing mysteriously with Ernest; but I could discover nothing, and I contented myself with waiting a surprise of some kind, as I knew they intended one.

At last they were ready to set out. My wife enjoined my sons to be prudent; we embraced them, and they soon disappeared in a cloud of dust, with the coursers and the sledge. Ernest alone remained with his mother and me, and we employed ourselves in constructing a sugar-cane press, which my wife had much need of. The machine, which was composed of three cylinders, placed upright, differed very little from the ordinary presses, with the exception that it was arranged so as to be moved by animals.

Meanwhile our young adventurers were pursuing their course toward the savanna. I will relate their adventures here as they were recounted to us on the return of the party.

They had passed over the tract of land that separated Family Bridge from the country which we had called Waldegg, or the Hermitage, and where they intended to pass the day, when, on approaching the farmhouse, they heard cries like that of a person in distress. It was a sort of wild, maniacal laugh; and the animals stopped in terror; the dogs barked and howled fearfully; and the ostrich, more frightened than the others, fled in the direction of the Lake of Swans with such rapidity that all the efforts of its master could not check it. The bull and the onagra trembled so violently that Fritz and his brother were obliged to dismount.

Francis seized his gun, put two pistols in his belt, called Folb and Braun, and calmly walked on in the direction of the strange laugh. He had not gone more than thirty paces when he perceived, through the bushes, an enormous hyena, who, after having killed one of our sheep, was devouring it; while ever and anon that strange laugh of joy would echo from its blood-stained lips. The presence of the little hunter did not disturb the monster in his horrid repast. While rolling his flaming eyes, he tore the poor sheep in pieces. But Francis wanted neither courage nor presence of mind: he placed himself behind a tree, and taking good aim, he discharged both barrels of his gun, and was so fortunate as to break both the fore-legs and pierce the breast of the hyena. The dogs then rushed on; their terror changed into rage. The most terrible combat now ensued between them and the furious monster; growls and cries resounded through the air, and the blood flowed in torrents.

Fritz, who had succeeded in attaching the onagra and the bull to a tree, now ran up at the sound of the double explosion and the noise of the dogs. They would have fired again and terminated the combat, but the dogs were so close to the hyena that they were afraid of hitting them, so that they were obliged to await the issue of the combat. Folb took the hyena by the throat, and Braun by the muzzle, and there they held him until he dropped down dead. My sons uttered a cry of joy; and calling off the dogs, dressed the wounds they had received by rubbing them with hydromel and bears’ grease, which they had brought with them to eat.

When my sons had established their tent, etc., at Waldegg, they set off with the sledge to bring the hyena thither. The following day was entirely devoted to skinning the animal and preparing the hide. While they were thus employed, we were calmly conversing under the vault of the grotto.

“I wonder where my brothers are,” said Ernest. “I think we shall very soon have news from them.”

“What put that idea into your head?” said his mother.

“Oh! I dreamed it,” said Ernest.

“Bah! A great confidence your dreams will induce!” replied my wife.

While we were thus talking, a bird, whose genus we could not discover on account of the obscurity, fluttered in at the open door of the dove-cot.

“Shut it, shut it!” cried Ernest; “to-morrow morning we will inspect our new guest. Who knows! perhaps it is a courier from New Holland, and bears despatches under its wing from Sydney, Port Jackson and so forth.”

“Why, how is it your thoughts run on despatches and news this evening, Ernest?”

“Ah, it is nothing,” answered he, with indifference; “only the arrival of that pigeon recalled to my mind something I have been reading to-day, concerning the correspondence the ancient Greeks and Romans carried on by means of carrier-pigeons.”

The next morning, Ernest rose before me, and paid a visit to the dove-cot; I said nothing; and after breakfast I saw him coming in, holding in his hand a piece of paper, folded and sealed like a government letter, which he presented to me on bended knees, saying as he did so, “Noble and gracious lord of these lands, I beg you to excuse the postmaster of Felsenheim for the delay that the despatches from Sydney and New Holland have experienced; the packet was retarded, and did not arrive till very late last evening.”

His mother and I burst into a laugh at this ridiculous speech.

“Well,” replied I, continuing the jest, “what are our subjects in Sydney and New Holland engaged in? Will the secretary open and read the despatches?”

At these words, Ernest broke the seal of the paper, and, elevating his voice, commenced—

“The Governor-General of New Holland, to the Governor of Felsenheim, Falcon’s Nest, Waldegg, the Field of the Sugar-Canes, and the surrounding country.

“GREETING,

“Noble and faithful ally! We learn with displeasure that three men, whom we suppose to be part of your colony, are making inroads into our savannas, and doing much damage to the animals of the province; we have also learned that frightful hyenas have broken through the limits of our quarter, and killed many of the domestic animals of our colonists. We therefore beg you, on one part, to call back your starving huntsmen; on the other, to provide measures to purge the country of the hyenas and other ferocious beasts that infest it. Especially I pray God, my Lord Governor, that He will keep you under His holy protection.

“Done under our hand and seal at Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, the twelfth day of the eighth month of the thirty-fourth year of the colony. “PHILIP PHILLIPSON, Governor.”

Ernest stopped in laughter at the effect the letter produced on us. I felt that there was some mystery, and I was anxious to get at the bottom of it. Ernest enjoyed my evident embarrassment, and, jumping up and down as children do, he let fall a new paper from his pocket. I caught it up, and was going to read it, when he laid his hand on my arm, saying—

“Those also are despatches; they came from Waldegg, and, although less pompous than General Phillipson’s, perhaps they are more truthful. Listen, then, to a letter from Waldegg—”

“Oh, do explain to us,” said I, “this prolonged enigma. Did your brothers leave a letter before they went? Is the news of the hyena true? Did they act so rashly as to attack the animal?”

“Here is a letter from Fritz,” replied Ernest; “my pigeon brought it to me last night.”

He opened the paper and read the following words—

“DEAR PARENTS, and you, my good ERNEST,—I will inform you of our arrival at Waldegg; we there found a hyena, who had devoured several of our sheep. Francis alone has all the honour of having killed the monster, and he deserves much praise for his intrepidity: we have passed the whole day in preparing the skin, which is very fine, and will be very useful. The pemmican is the most detestable stuff I ever tasted. Adieu! we embrace you tenderly in spirit. “FRITZ.”

“A true hunter’s letter,” cried I. “But this hyena, how could it have found its way into our domains? Has the palisade been overturned?”

“We shall probably receive another letter this evening,” said Ernest, “and that will give us further details of the expedition.”

After dinner a new pigeon was seen to enter the dove-cot. Ernest, who had not remained quiet one moment during the day, immediately shut the door of the dove-cot, removed from the wing of the aërial messenger the despatch he had brought, and delivered it to us; it read as follows—

“The night has been fine—the weather beautiful—excursion in cajack on lake—capture of some black swans—several new animals—apparition and sudden flight of an aquatic beast, entirely unknown to us—to-morrow at Prospect Hill.

“Be of good cheer; “Your sons, “FRITZ, JACK, and FRANCIS.”

“It is almost a telegraphic despatch,” said I, laughing; “it could not be more concise. Our huntsmen would rather fire a gun than write a sentence; nevertheless, their letter tranquillizes me; but I really hope that the hyena which they killed is the only one in the country.”

We received other letters at intervals; but they were so concise that I will continue here the narration the boys made on their return.

Delivered from the terrible neighbourhood of the hyena, they had undertaken to explore the marsh around the Lake of Swans. Fritz embarked in the cajack, and his brothers followed, as near as possible to him, along the shore. The black swans afforded a fine chase to our young huntsmen. A loop of wire fastened to a long bamboo was the means they employed; but they captured only three young swans, the old ones being too strong, and defending themselves with their powerful wings.

After the swans came a bird of a new kind, which, by his majestic walk and noble appearance, seemed the king of birds. The boys threw the wire loop over his head, and, drawing him to the shore, fastened his feet and wings, and laid him alongside the swans.

While they were occupied in examining their magnificent prey, which Ernest afterward pronounced to be the “heron royal,” an extraordinary animal rushed out from the weeds, and passing close to their sides, struck them with terror. It was an animal about the size of a young foal, of a form like that of the rhinoceros, only it had not the horn on the nose which that animal has; the upper lip was very prominent, and the whole body of a very dark brown colour. My three huntsmen were not very distinguished naturalists, and the best name they could find for the beast was the Tapir or Anta of South America,

Fritz began to pursue it in his cajack; but the tapir swam away so rapidly that he was soon obliged to desist. During this time Jack and Francis had set out for the hut, carrying with them the black swans and the beautiful heron royal. In their way thither they encountered a flock of cranes, which hovered around their heads, uttering piercing cries. A great number were soon brought down, not by firearms, but by the bows which the boys carried. These were provided with long, triangular-pointed arrows.

Fritz, on rejoining his brothers, felt a little piqued when he perceived, from their trophies, the fine chase that they had made; and, on the other hand, his unsuccessful pursuit of the tapir made him a little ashamed. He wished to retrieve his honour and repair the damage which his reputation as a good hunter had sustained; so, calling the dogs to him, and accompanied by his eagle, he directed his course toward the wood of guavas. He had not been there more than a quarter of an hour before his dogs started a flock of the most beautiful birds Fritz had ever seen. He cast off his eagle, and while it was pursuing one, a second fell down from fright into his hands. He also captured a third, which had become entangled in a shrub. This last was a magnificent one. Its tail was more than two feet in length, and two of the feathers were longer than the others, and glowed with the most beautiful shades of gold, green, and brown, terminated at the end by a spot of black, exactly like velvet. Ernest recognized it afterward as being the Bird of Paradise, the manu cordiata, which is the most elegant in form and plumage of all the birds of New Holland.

Our huntsmen, after all their exertions, had acquired a most ferocious appetite; and although their repast was frugal, yet they did it ample justice. The cold meat of the peccary, guavas, cinnamon apples, and potatoes cooked in the ashes, were all devoured with thankfulness. The pemmican alone was disdained, and declared unworthy of its reputation.

And now another despatch arrived, which filled me with anxiety. It contained the following words—

“The palisade of the defile which leads to the savanna is destroyed; the sugar-canes have been all trampled down, and we have discovered large footprints, like those of the elephant, in the sand. There are also the prints of the hoofs of wild horses. Come quickly to our aid, dear parents; there is much to do for the safety of the colony. Lose not an instant, we beg of you.”

I leave it to the reader to imagine the inquietude into which this letter threw me. I saddled the onagra without losing a moment, and, leaving Ernest and his mother to follow me on the next day, I set off for the defile. There was a distance of six leagues between my sons and me; but I accomplished it in three hours.

My children were surprised to see me arrive so promptly, and they received me with transports of joy. The idea I had entertained of the devastation was but faint in comparison with the reality. The sugar-canes were irretrievably lost: they had been trampled down, and the leaves torn off, by some animal that I was sure must have been an elephant. All our trouble in erecting the palisade had been wasted; the stakes had been all torn up, the trees near by deprived of their bark, the bamboos had been treated no better than the sugar-canes, and every young shrub I had planted had been torn up. I examined attentively the footprints in the sand, and was convinced that the larger ones were those of the elephant, and the smaller ones those of a hippopotamus; but I could discover no traces of the hyena. I surrounded our tent with dry branches, and amassed an abundant provision of combustibles, so that we might keep off any beasts by fires at night.

Ernest and his mother arrived after dinner, bringing with them the waggon, the cow, the ass, and all necessary utensils for our encampment, which was likely to last a good while.

We immediately began the construction of a solid fortification across the defile, one that would effectually keep out all intruders. I will spare my readers the details of this tiresome work, which occupied us constantly for more than a month. My good Elizabeth shared in our toils, and inspired her sons with ardour and perseverance. Sometimes we would relax from our labours; Fritz would make excursions in his cajack, and the other boys would wander off, and always bring us home something useful.