_ CHAPTER SIX. HOW TO HANDLE A WHIP
Sir James turned back with the doctor, and soon after the boys were intently examining the drove of nearly fifty beautiful, sleek, well-bred oxen in their kraal, where they were in charge of their drivers, one a big, bluff, manly-looking fellow, well bronzed by the sun, and with Englishman stamped upon every feature, forming a striking contrast to his companion, a flat-nosed, half-bred Hottentot, who grinned at them stupidly.
"We just want another look round, my lad," said the doctor.
"All right, sir," said the big driver, endorsing his appearance by his speech; and taking the lead, he showed the little party and expatiated upon the qualities of the leading and pole oxen, upon how sleek and well they looked, and gave to each its name, while the Hottentot driver, who confined himself to Dutch, helped to call up bullock after bullock, all of which answered sluggishly to their names.
Then the boys were made acquainted with the novelties, to them, of dissel-boom, trek-tow, and yokes.
"But I say," cried Mark, "you don't call that a whip, do you?" And he pointed to one that might have been used in Brobdingnag.
"Yes, sir; that's the whip," said the Englishman, laughing. "You see, one wants a long one to touch up an ox who may be the leader twelve bullocks' lengths away from where you are sitting on the box."
"Let's try," said Mark.
The man smiled as he took down and handed the gigantic thong.
"Mind what you are doing, sir," he said. "A waggon whip is rather an awkward thing, until you are used to it; but when you are you know it is a nice, neat, handy little tool. You see, it's a two-handed weapon."
"That's plain enough," said Dean, laughing. "Let's have a try after you, Mark."
"Yes," said his cousin, giving the whip a wave round, its heavy lash whistling through the air.
"Here, stop!" cried Sir James angrily. "What do you think you are doing? Salmon fishing? It's a good thing, doctor, that there's no hook at the end."
"Oh, I'm very sorry, father," said the boy, colouring.
"Very sorry, indeed! Why, you nearly cut my ear off. Here, doctor, we had better go."
"No, no, don't go, father. I won't try any more;" and Mark hastily handed the great whip back to the driver.
"Here, but I want to try," said Dean.
"Well, you are not going to try now," said his uncle, half irritably. "You will have plenty of chances, both of you, when you have got a field to yourselves. You will be scaring the bullocks."
"All right, sir," said the big fellow, replacing the whip by the great tilted waggon. "I'll teach you how to handle it when we get out on the veldt. Like me to show you, perhaps, now?"
"No, no," said Sir James; "not while we are here."
"It's quite safe, sir," said the man good-humouredly. "I could give a flip to any one of the bullocks you like to point out without the thong coming near anybody."
"Oh, let him, please, father."
"Very well," said Sir James, rather grumpily. "Shall we stand farther off?"
"Oh, no, sir," replied the man.
"Let's pick out that one with the white nose," whispered Dean. "I don't believe he can hit it;" and he pointed to one fat beast that was standing almost alone blinking its eyes and ruminating over its cud.
"Yes; hit that one," said Mark.
The man seemed to give the long whip an easy wave in the air, and the point of the lash alighted on the bullock's smooth neck, making the animal start and toss its head; and then in response to a command which sounded like _Barrk_, it slowly sidled close up to the nearest of its fellows, and then went on chewing the cud again.
"Ay, ay, Jacob!" shouted the driver, and he uttered a few words in a patois that was probably a composition of Dutch and Hottentot, which made the little yellow flat-nosed driver come shambling up, grinning, to take the big whip pitched to him and go off to a distance of some five-and-twenty yards, where, after uttering a few incomprehensible cries which had the effect of making such of the bullocks as were crouching in the sand rise slowly to their feet and sidle up together, the strange looking driver gave the whip a wave or two where he stood, and began to crack it, at every _whish_ producing what sounded like a series of rifle shots, watching the English driver the while until he was told to desist.
"Bravo!" cried Mark, and Dean clapped his hands.
"I say, can you crack a whip like that?" cried Dean.
"Oh, yes, sir. Teach you too, if you like."
"Well, I do like," said the boy; "but when uncle isn't here."
When the interiors of the two great tilted waggons that were close at hand had been examined with some curiosity, as they were to be storehouses and dwelling-places combined, the little party went off in another direction, Mark eagerly enquiring what was to be their destination now.
"Oh, I was going to show you the little cobs the doctor has bought-- ponies, I suppose I ought to call them."
"What, has he got them already?" cried Mark.
"Oh, yes; it has been very short work," said the doctor. "The officer who has charge of the little garrison here introduced me to a dealer, and I think we have been very fortunate to meet a gentleman who was well acquainted with the ways of the settlers here, for he has given me some very good hints, and in addition promised to have a guide found who was hanging about the camp and is now waiting here after being up the country with a hunting party who left for Beira about a fortnight ago. He is one of the Illakas, Sir James," continued the doctor, "and it seems that he has been expelled from his tribe for being friendly to the English."
"Quite a savage, then," said Sir James.
"Oh, yes; I suppose he is a pure-blooded black, and knows the country well. Let me see, we must turn down in this direction, I think. Yes-- pass that corrugated iron shed-like house--to be sure, that's it--and there's the man the ponies belong to."
He nodded in the direction of a little keen-looking man who appeared rather mushroom-like, thanks to the well-worn, broad-leafed felt hat he wore. He was leaning over a rough enclosure in which four ponies were browsing, and keenly watching the approaching party as he smoked.
As soon as he realised that they were coming in his direction he took his pipe from his mouth, tapped the ashes out upon a post, took off his hat and stuck the short pipe in the band.
"Come to have a look at the ponies, gentlemen?" he said.
"Yes," said Sir James; "I want my son and nephew to have a look at them and try them."
"I see," said the man, scanning the boys attentively. "My man isn't here. Like them saddled and bridled?"
Sir James looked at the two boys, as the man continued, "Can the young gentlemen ride?"
He glanced at the doctor as he spoke.
"Yes," said the latter quietly; "after our fashion in England. Well broken horses. But they can't ride wild beasts."
"Well, no, captain; nobody expects that; but I shall have to keep you waiting a bit while I have my man found, and send him to borrow a saddle and bridle. I have only got two, and one of the officers from up at the barracks and his friend have got them for the day. I have plenty of halters, and I can clap a rug on one of the ponies. What do you say to that, young gentlemen?"
"I'd rather have one without the rug," said Mark, "if they are quiet."
"Quiet as lambs, sir, as long as you don't play any larks with them."
"Oh, we shan't play any tricks," said Mark.
"That's right, sir. Out here we like to treat a pony well. They are scarce, and worth their money. I am afraid, sir," continued the man, turning to the doctor, "that I did not charge enough for them."
"But you don't want to draw back from your bargain?" said the doctor sternly. "I paid you the price you asked."
"Yes, sir. The captain up yonder brought you to me as English friends, and him and his officers are good customers to me. No, I am not going to ask more. Only I will go as far as this: if you bring them back to me sound and in a fair condition I will take them again at the price. Here, one of you," he shouted to a group of idlers who had sauntered up to the fence of the enclosure, "go to the house and ask the missis to give you a couple of halters and a horse rug. My chap, Browne, has gone to meet the officers."
One of the men sauntered off quietly, leaving the party of strangers to walk across the kraal, the boys keenly examining the little browsing animals.
"Well, doctor," said Sir James, "I must say I admire your choice. They are beautiful little creatures, and I hope that they have no vice."
"Vice! Not they, sir," said their late owner, as the ponies upon being approached lifted their heads to stare at the visitors for a few moments and then go on browsing at the low-growing bushes that formed their feed. "This don't look like vice, does it, sir?" said the man, thrusting his hand into his pocket and drawing it out full of maize.
One of the ponies raised its head, stretched out its neck in the direction of the extended hand, and trotted up.
"These mealies are rather a hard bite for them, sir, but this lot are very fond of a taste, and I let them have one now and then; but of course you will always have a few sacks handy.--Now, young gentlemen, try this one," and he poured some of the golden grain into Mark's hand. "You too, sir," he continued, and he brought out some more to trickle into Dean's.
There was no doubt so far in the tameness of the two ponies, which fed quietly enough from the boys' hands and submitted to being handled, patted and held by their thick forelocks or manes.
By this time the dealer's messenger had returned with a couple of halters.
"Missis can't find a horse rug," said the man surlily.
"Never mind; we can do without, I daresay. But just be on the lookout, and if you see my Browne send him to me. Now then, gentlemen, like to try barebacked?"
"Yes," said Mark; and as soon as a halter had been thrown over one of the ponies' heads the dealer handed the end to him.
"Oh, come," he said, "not the first time you have been on a pony;" for Mark held up one leg, which the man took in his hand and gave him a hoist; and the boy making a spring at the same time dropped on the pony's glossy back, but like vaulting ambition overleaped himself and rolled over on the other side, startling the pony into making off. But the dealer made a snatch at the halter, just in time, and it stopped short, snorting.
"Hurt, my boy?" cried Sir James, anxiously.
"No, father; only vexed," said the boy, dusting the sand from his flannels. "Now then," he continued, to the dealer, "you hoisted me too hard."
"Going to have another try?"
"Why, of course," cried the boy angrily. "Think I was frightened by a thing like that?"
"You'll do; you'll do," said the dealer, with a little chuckle. "Now then; it was half my fault, and half yours."
The next moment Mark was in his seat, holding his mount with a tight hand as it began to paw up the sand, eager to start.
"Wait for me," cried Dean, for the dealer was clapping the halter on another of the ponies, whose back Dean reached without mishap; and then as if thoroughly accustomed to run together, the attractive looking little pair moved off at an easy canter, closely followed by the other two, and going soon after at a quiet hand gallop twice round the large kraal, and stopping short close up to the dealer at the end of their career.
The boys jumped down, and the two unmounted ponies waited patiently while the halters were shifted and the performance repeated.
"Well, gentlemen, are you satisfied?" said the man, patting the ponies' necks as he spoke.
"Yes, quite," said Sir James. "What do you say, doctor?"
"I should say more than satisfied, only I am afraid that they won't be up to our weight."
"Don't you make any mistake, sir. These little fellows can do more than you expect--that is, if you treat them well. You won't ride them till they founder, I'll be bound. Just you take care that they have enough, and you will find that they will do all you want. You would like me to keep them till you start, I suppose?"
"Certainly," said the doctor; and soon after the little party returned to their inn, the boys talking eagerly about their new acquaintance.
"But I say, father," said Mark, "why, what a party we are going to be-- five men, our four selves, four ponies, and all those oxen. Let's see; that's all, isn't it?"
"No," said Sir. James; "you forget the guide."
"Black, isn't he, uncle?"
"Yes; I suppose he's a regular Kaffir, a sort of Zulu. What did the captain say he was, doctor?"
"An Illaka, he called him, I believe, something of the same sort of black, as the Matabeles. But you have forgotten two more."
"Two more, sir?" said Dean. "No, we have counted them all."
"What about the two black forelopers?"
"Why, what are they?" cried Mark.
"The two blacks who go in front of the foremost bullocks."
"Oh," said Mark. "I say, we are beginning to grow."
"Yes," said Sir James; "we are getting to be a pretty good hunting party. What with ourselves, men and cattle, we shall have a good many mouths to feed."
"But you don't want to go back, father?"
"I did, thoroughly," replied Sir James, "when we were down at that dreadful port."
"But not now, uncle," cried Dean.
"Certainly not, my boy. I am as eager to go forward as you boys, and I believe the doctor too. I think we are going to have a most delightful trip. But I say, this doesn't look to me a very good specimen of the health of the country;" and he nodded his head in the direction of a very tall, extremely thin, bilious-looking individual who passed them, and whom they saw make his way right up to the dealer's house.
"Talk about moustachios," cried Mark. "Why, they look like those of a china figure in a tea-shop. I wonder what he calls himself."
"And this one too," said Dean, for they met a fine-looking, well built black with well-cut features, nose almost aquiline, and a haughty look of disdain in his frowning eyes, as, spear over shoulder, he stalked by the English party, not even deigning to turn to glance back.
"I should think he's a chief," said Mark; "a sort of king in his way."
"Doesn't cost him much a year for his clothes," said Dean, laughing, for the big fellow's costume was the simplest of the simple.
"Ah, not much," said Sir James, looking after the man; "one of Nature's noblemen, who looks as if he had never done a stroke of work in his life. I wonder whether he would ever dare to make use of that spear."
"I don't think there's any doubt about it, sir," said the doctor, "if he were offended; and if we meet men like that we shall have to be friends, for that's an ugly looking weapon that he carries over his shoulder with such a jaunty air."
"What are you thinking about, doctor?"
"I was thinking about the full-blooded black that the captain yonder promised to get us for our guide, and I was wondering whether that was likely to be he."
The doctor's words made the rest turn to gaze after the fine-looking, lithe and active black, who stalked on, haughty of mien, without even seeming to give a thought to the English intruders upon his soil. _