CHAPTER XV.. How the Serpent Was Captured--Hospitable

HOW THE SERPENT WAS CAPTURED--HOSPITABLE RECEPTION--MYSTERY OF A DONKEY.

"Hold on," I said; "that will blow his head all to pieces; we want to save his skin with as little injury as possible."

"Well, how are you going to do it?" queried Jack.

"Lasso him and strangle him," I answered; "if necessary, we can put a rifle-ball through his head--that won't damage it much--but I'd rather save him whole and untouched."

Our after-rider and fore-looper had accompanied us, and I immediately called to them. They fastened their horses to a tree, and I shouted to the fore-looper to bring the coil of rope that hung at his saddle-bow.

I told him to make a noose at the end of the rope, and try to throw it over the snake's head. He was disinclined to go very near the serpent, but I gave the assurance that we would see that no injury came to him, as we stood ready with our guns. "We'll kill the fellow anyway," I said, "on general principles. We'll shoot him all to pieces rather than let him get away, and if he makes a spring at you we'll attend to him."

The fore-looper got the rope ready, and while he was doing so the after-rider, by my directions, cut a stick about ten feet long. I tied a piece of rag on the end of the stick, to attract the attention of the snake when the stick was held up. At the same time a similar stick, with prongs about two feet in length, was prepared, and the noose of the rope was fastened to it by tying it with a bit of twine against the stick at the fork, and also at the ends of the prongs. When all was ready the fore-looper held up the stick with the rag, just out of reach of the snake as he darted his head. It attracted his attention, and he made a dive for it, and then a second dive. As he made the second attempt to reach it, the stick with the noose of rope was held up, so that he darted his head directly through it.

I was holding on to the rope, and the instant that he fell into the trap I pulled away with all my energy. The rope tightened around the creature's neck, and we had him secure. We all lent a hand at pulling him, and it was hard pulling, you may be sure. He tightened his coils around the tree and refused to let go; I was not at all sorry that he did so, as this enabled us to get a firm grip around his neck. Not content with the one cord for strangling him, we put another about him, and drew that just as tightly as we had drawn the first. In a little, while his strength relaxed, his coils loosened, and he came to the ground.

Here a new danger awaited us. He thrashed around at a lively rate, and it was necessary for us to be very vigilant to avoid being hit by his tail, which struck tremendous blows. In fact, Jack was knocked down by one of them, but he was up with the quickness of lightning and out of the way of the snake's coil. Now and then he would hit against a tree, tighten a fold or two about it, and that, of course, would set us to pulling again. While he was thus clinging to a tree we bent his head around another tree, and then the after-rider pushed a knife into his throat and started a furious stream of blood.

"I think that will settle him," said Jack; "he'll bleed to death in a little while, and then you'll have his skin safe and sound, with the exception of the little hole at the neck."

"It will take all day for him to become quiet," I replied; "I have seen this sort of animal before, and he has a wonderful hold upon life. He won't be through squirming until sundown."

Knowing that he could not possibly loosen the cords about his neck, and that his death was only a question of time, we sent the fore-looper back to camp to bring some of the Kafirs to watch the place, and, when the snake was sufficiently quiet, to remove his skin. One of our men was an adept at such work, and I particularly cautioned the fore-looper to put the matter in his hands. Then we rode on to our destination.

We were received in front of the kraal by the manager, whom I have already mentioned, and also by numerous Kafirs and dogs. The manager disappeared to announce our arrival, and we dismounted and gave our horses in charge of the Kafirs. Presently the manager returned, and invited us inside to the tent where I was received at my first visit.

The ladies were ready for us, and greeted us most cordially. They were clad after the manner of civilization, their dresses being of the tailor-made pattern, and of good, though not expensive, material. The garments were evidently made for use rather than show, and had been kept for just such occasions as this. Their clothing made a sharp contrast with ours, but I do not think any of us bothered his head about that. We chatted on general topics, told about our hunting-experiences since we last met, and then Jack gave a picturesque account of our interview with the snake, to which Harry and I made occasional additions. Altogether I do not think the story lost anything in the telling; neither did the size of the snake. Miss Boland said she hoped that kind of game was not abundant in Africa--she had a decided antipathy to snakes, whether large or small; and Mrs. Roberts promptly acknowledged the same feeling.

We were still on the serpentine subject when Mrs. Roberts left the tent for a moment, and came back with the announcement that luncheon was on the table. We followed her lead into another and larger tent, which served as the banqueting-hall. It was more sumptuous than the lunching-place at our camp, as it was a real tent, while ours was a temporary affair, improvised out of a wagon-cover.

The luncheon began with cups of cold consommé, and I at once understood that they had a cook in their establishment far superior to ours. Then we had cutlets of African pheasant, fricassee of gemsbok, quail on toast--and real toast it was, too--and a salad made of the same plant as that which Jack used for his. A well-made omelet was one of the items of the feast, and we found afterward that they had sent twenty miles to a native village to obtain the eggs. They served claret and champagne. We had the laugh on them about the champagne, as we had given ice in ours; but it was not so much of a laugh after all, as they had cooled their champagne very fairly by wrapping the bottle in a towel and hanging it in a shady place where the air had free circulation. This is a trick well known in Africa and other warm countries for cooling water or other liquids. In most tropical lands they have porous jars which allow just enough of the water to pass through to keep the surface moist, and the evaporation of this water cools the contents of the jar.

We had green pease, and two or three other vegetables grown in far-off Europe or America, and brought thence in cans. The crowning glory of the feast was a plum-pudding--one of the most delicious that I ever ate. We accused one of the ladies of its construction, but, after indulging in a little badinage concerning it, they admitted that it was one of the products of the canning industry, and they were in no way responsible for it, except for having brought it along.

Well, by the time the luncheon was over we had very materially increased our acquaintance with the fair amazons. We mentioned in the most casual way the game we had seen while coming from our camp to theirs, and suggested with equal carelessness that we thought we would go in pursuit of some of it on the next day. At the mention of the giraffes, and the account of our experiences with them, Miss Boland said she had not yet hunted one of those animals, and hoped she would have an opportunity before long.

Mrs. Roberts made a similar remark, and before we had talked much longer it was agreed that we would make up a hunting-party for the next day. Before we separated it was arranged that we would meet on the following morning, at a point about midway between the two camps, to go in pursuit of the giraffes, in case they should be found near the locality where we saw them.

"I don't know," said Miss Boland, "that I can succeed in bringing down a giraffe, but I will try."

Mrs. Roberts expressed the same doubt and also the same determination, and then we dropped the subject.

Another surprise awaited us at the end of the luncheon, when the coffee was served, and a box of cigars was produced! There is not one African hunter of the male species in a hundred that carries a supply of cigars when going up-country on a hunting-expedition; and that two ladies should be thus equipped was certainly unexpected. The thought arose in our minds as to whether our fair hostesses were themselves devoted to the weed; they allayed our suspicions by telling us that they were not smokers, either of cigars or cigarettes, but had brought along a box of cigars under the impression that they would be useful when entertaining visitors. "I am told," said Mrs. Roberts, "that 'the cigars which a woman buys' are proverbial for their badness. I wish you would tell us frankly whether these are good or not. I bought them of a shopkeeper at Walvisch Bay, and he assured me they were the best in the market."

We all declared that the cigars were excellent, whereupon Miss Boland remarked:

"I suppose you mean they're excellent for South Africa?"

"Well," said Jack, "to be frank with you, they are not the very best cigars in the world, but they are really of very good quality. The shopkeeper undoubtedly told you the truth when he said they were the best in the market--that is, the market of Walvisch Bay. None of the ports of South Africa could produce anything better, with the possible exception of Cape Town, which is accustomed to more luxury than any other place. Set your minds at rest, ladies; any visitor to your camp who smokes a cigar will consider these of a superior quality. He is pretty sure to have been without one for a long time, and therefore will not draw comparisons between these and the choicest Havana weed that ever was made."

Soon after lighting our cigars we left the tent and strolled about the premises. To begin with, the tents were the perfection of neatness in their interior arrangements, and our hostesses were evidently good housekeepers. The little odds and ends about the place had been arranged in the most tasteful fashion, and they were evidently deriving a good deal of comfort from their wandering home. The kraal where the oxen and horses were made secure at night was strong and substantial, and the cleanliness of the interior showed a great deal of energy on the part of somebody.

Mrs. Roberts told us that their manager was a very intelligent fellow, and came from one of the Boer settlements in the Orange Free State. When they started out with him his ideas of neatness and order were very vague; but he was a good-natured chap, and they had succeeded in instilling him with their enthusiasm on that subject. "It is a case of eternal vigilance," she added, "and it is necessary for us to go over the regulations with him pretty nearly every day in order to hold him up to his duties. He has been up-country several times before, and consequently we cannot instruct him much upon his general work. He has managed so well," she continued, "that we have lost only two oxen and not a single horse since we started."

I replied that they certainly ought to be proud of such a manager, as they had been more fortunate than we.

Just as I made this remark we came around to where two donkeys were tethered. As soon as the animals caught sight of the ladies they strained at their tethers and held up their heads to be patted.

"Those are evidently your riding-animals," Harry remarked.

"Yes, we ride them sometimes," said Miss Boland, "though not as often as we do our horses. We bought the donkeys partly in the belief that they would be useful, and partly as a lark. We have had lots of fun with them, as they are the first animals of their kind ever seen in this part of South Africa. The natives have looked at them in wonder, and have queried whether the creatures are horses, dogs, or lions. In one village we came to the whole population engaged in a fierce discussion on the subject. One of the wise men said the donkeys were a new kind of dogs which the foreigners had brought along. Another said they were not dogs, but horses, and he called attention to the creatures' hoofs. Just then one of the donkeys brayed, and the crowd jumped back in astonishment and terror, crying, 'It's a lion! It's a lion!'"