CHAPTER XI.A MISSING COMPANION.[edit]
In continuing the survey the astronomers had to be on
their guard against the serpents that infested the region,
venomous mambas, ten to twelve feet long, whose bite would
have been fatal.
Four days after the passage of the rapid, the observers
found themselves in a wooded country. The trees, however,
were not so high as to interfere with their labours, and
at all points rose eminences which afforded excellent sites
for the posts and electric lamps. The district, lying considerably
lower than the rest of the plain, was moist and fertile.
Emery noticed thousands of Hottentot fig-trees, whose
sour fruit is much relished by the Bochjesmen. From the
ground arose a soft odour from the “kucumakranti,” a
yellow fruit two or three inches long, growing from bulbous
roots like the colchicum, and eagerly devoured by the
native children. Here, too, in this more watered country,
reappeared the fields of colocynths and borders of the mint
so successfully naturalized in England. Notwithstanding
its fertility, the country appeared little frequented by the
wandering tribes, and not a kraal or a camp-fire was to be
seen; yet water was abundant, forming some considerable
streams and lagoons.
The astronomers halted to await the caravan. The time
fixed by Mokoum had just expired, and if he had reckoned
well, he would join them to-day. The day, however, passed
on, and no Bochjesman appeared. Sir John conjectured
that the hunter had probably been obliged to ford farther
south than he had expected, since the river was unusually
swollen. Another day passed and the caravan had not
appeared. The Colonel became uneasy; he could not
go on, and the delay might affect the success of the
operations. Matthew Strux said that it had always been his
wish to accompany the caravan, and that if his advice
had been followed they would not have found themselves
in this predicament; but he would not admit that the
responsibility rested on the Russians. Colonel Everest
began to protest against these insinuations, but Sir John
interposed, saying that what was done could not be undone,
and that all the recriminations in the world would make no
difference.
It was then decided that if the caravan did not appear on
the following day, Emery and Zorn, under the guidance of
the Bochjesman, should start to ascertain the reason of the
delay. For the rest of the day the rivals kept apart, and
Sir John passed his time in beating the surrounding woods.
He failed in finding any game, but from a naturalist's point of
view he ought to have been satisfied, since he brought down
two fine specimens of African birds. One was a kind of
partridge, a francolin, thirteen inches long, with short legs,
dark grey back, red beak and claws, and elegant wings,
shaded with brown. The other bird, with a red throat and
white tail, was a species of falcon. The Bochjesman pioneer
cleverly took off the skins, in order that they should be
preserved entire.
The next day was half over, and the two young men
were just about to start on their search, when a distant bark
arrested them. Soon Mokoum, on his zebra, emerged at
full speed from the thicket of aloes on the left, and advanced
towards the camp.
“Welcome,” cried Sir John joyfully, “we had almost
given you up, and apart from you I should be inconsolable.
I am only successful when you are with me. We will
celebrate your return in a glass of usquebaugh.”
Mokoum made no answer, but anxiously scanned and
counted the Europeans. Colonel Everest perceived his
perplexity, and as he was dismounting, said,
“For whom are you looking, Mokoum?”
“For Mr. Palander,” replied the bushman.
“Is he not with you?” said the Colonel,
“Not now,” answered Mokoum. “I thought I should
find him with you. He is lost!”
At these words, Matthew Strux stepped forward.
“Lost!” he cried. “He was confided to your care.
You are responsible for his safety, and it is not. enough to
say he is lost.”
Mokoum's face flushed, and he answered impatiently,—
“Why should you expect me to take care of one who
can't take care of himself? Why blame me? If Mr. Palander
is lost, it is by his own folly. Twenty times I
have found him absorbed in his figures, and have brought
him back to the caravan. But the evening before last he
disappeared, and I have not seen him since. Perhaps if
you are so clever, you can spy him out with your telescope.”
The bushman would doubtless have become more irritable
still, if Sir John had not pacified him. Matthew
Strux had not been able to get in a word, but now turned
round unexpectedly to the Colonel, saying,—
“I shall not abandon my countryman. I suppose that
if Sir John Murray or Mr. Emery were lost, you would
suspend operations; and I don't see why you should do
less for a Russian than for an Englishman.”
“Mr. Strux,” cried the Colonel, folding his arms, and
fixing his eyes on his adversary, “do you wish to insult
me? Why should you suppose that we will not seek this
blundering calculator?”
“Sir!” said Strux.
“Yes, blundering,” repeated the Colonel. “And to return
to what you said, I maintain that any embarrassment to
the progress of the operations from this circumstance would
be due to the Russians alone.”
“Colonel,” cried Strux, with gleaming eyes, “your words
are hasty.”
“My words, on the contrary, are well weighed. Let it
be understood that operations are suspended until Mr. Palander
is found. Are you ready to start?”
“I was ready before you spoke a word,” answered Strux
sharply.
The caravan having now arrived, the disputants each
went to his waggon. On the way Sir John could not help
saying,—
“It is lucky that the stupid fellow has not carried off the
double register.”
“Just what I was thinking,” said the Colonel.
The Englishmen proceeded more strictly to interrogate
Mokoum. He told them that Palander had been missing
for two days, and had last been seen alongside of the caravan
about twelve miles from the encampment; that after
missing him, he at once set out to seek for him, but being
unsuccessful in all his search, had concluded that he must
have made his way to his companions.
Mokoum proposed that they should now explore the
woods to the north-east, adding that they must not lose an
hour if they wanted to find him alive, knowing that no one
could wander with impunity for two days in a country
infested like that with wild beasts. Where any one else
could find a subsistence, Palander, ever engrossed by his
figures, would inevitably die of starvation. At one o'clock,
guided by the hunter, they mounted and left the camp.
The grotesque attitudes of Strux, as he clung uneasily to
his steed, caused considerable diversion to his companions,
who, however, were polite enough to pass no remark.
Before leaving the camp, Mokoum asked the pioneer to
lend him his keen-scented dog. The sagacious animal,
after scenting a hat belonging to Palander, darted off in a
north-easterly direction, whilst his master urged him on by
a peculiar whistle. The little troop followed, and soon disappeared
in the underwood.
All the day the Colonel and his companions followed
the dog, who seemed instinctively to know what was required
of him. They shouted, they fired their guns, but
night came on when they had scoured the woods for five
miles round, and they were at length obliged to rest until
the following day. They spent the night in a grove, before
which the bushman had prudently kindled a wood fire.
Some wild howls were heard, by no means reassuring.
Hours passed in arguing about Palander, and discussing
plans for his assistance. The English showed as much
devotion as Strux could desire; and it was decided that all
work should be adjourned till the Russian was found, alive
or dead.
After a weary night the day dawned. The horses
were saddled, and the little troop again followed the dog.
Towards the north-east they arrived at a district almost
swampy in its character. The small water-courses increased
in number, but they were easily forded, care being taken to
avoid the crocodiles, of which Sir John, for the first time in
his life, now saw some specimens. The bushman would
not permit that time should be wasted in any attack upon
the reptiles, and restrained Sir John, who was always on the
qui-vive to discharge a ball. Whenever a crocodile, snapping
its prey with its formidable jaw, put its head out of
water, the horses set off at a gallop to escape.
The troop of riders went on over woods, plains, and
marshes, noting the most insignificant tokens: here a broken
bough; there a freshly-trodden tuft of grass; or farther
on some inexplicable mark; but no trace of Palander.
When they had advanced ten miles north of the last encampment,
and were about to turn south-east, the dog
suddenly gave signs of agitation. He barked, and in an
excited way wagged his tail. Sniffing the dry grass, he ran
on a few steps, and returned to the same spot.
“The dog scents something,” exclaimed the bushman.
“It seems,” said Sir John, “he is on a right track.
Listen to his yelping: he seems to be talking to himself.
He will be an invaluable creature if he scents out
Palander.”
Strux did not quite relish the way in which his countryman
was treated as a head of game; but the important
thing now was to find him, and they all waited to follow
the dog, as soon as he should be sure of the scent.
Very soon the animal, with a loud yelp, bounded over
the thicket and disappeared. The horses could not follow
through the dense forest, but were obliged to take a circuitous
path. The dog was certainly on the right track
now, the only question was whether Palander was alive or
dead.
In a few minutes the yelping ceased, and the bushman
and Sir John, who were in advance, were becoming uneasy,
when suddenly the barking began again outside the forest,
about half a mile away. The horses were spurred in that
direction, and soon reached the confines of the marsh. The
dog could distinctly be heard, but, on account of the lofty
reeds, could not be seen. The riders dismounted, and tied
their horses to a tree. With difficulty they made their way
through the reeds, and reached a large space covered with
water and aquatic plants. In the lowest part lay the
brown waters of a lagoon half a mile square. The dog
stopped at the muddy edge, and barked furiously.
“There he is!” cried Mokoum.
And sure enough, on a stump at the extremity of a sort
of peninsula, sat Nicholas Palander, pencil in hand, and a
note-book on his knees, wrapt in calculations. His friends
could not suppress a cry. About twenty paces off a number
of crocodiles, quite unknown to him, lay watching, and
evidently designing an attack.
“Make haste,” said Mokoum, in a low voice; “I don't
understand why these animals don't rush on him.”
“They are waiting till he is gamey,” said Sir John,
alluding to the idea common among the natives that these
reptiles never touch fresh meat.
The bushman and Sir John, telling their companions to
wait for them, passed round the lagoon, and reached the
narrow isthmus by which alone they could get near Palander.
They had not gone two hundred steps, when the crocodiles,
leaving the water, made straight towards their prey. Palander
saw nothing, but went on writing.
“Be quick and calm,” whispered Mokoum, “or all is
lost.”
Both, kneeling down, aimed at the nearest reptiles, and
fired. Two monsters rolled into the water with broken
backs, and the rest simultaneously disappeared beneath the
surface.
At the sound of the guns Palander raised his head. He
recognized his companions, and ran towards them waving
his note-book, and like the philosopher of old exclaiming
“Eureka!” he cried, “I have found it!”
“What have you found?” asked Sir John.
“An error in the last decimal of a logarithm of James
Wolston's.”
It was a fact. The worthy man had discovered the error,
and had secured a right to the prize offered by Wolston's
editor. For four days had the astronomer wandered in
solitude. Truly Ampère, with his unrivalled gift of abstraction,
could not have done better!