But When Amidst The Solemn
Stillness Of The Woods, The Singing Of Joyous Birds Falls Upon The
Ear, It Is Certain That Water Is Close At Hand.
Our men in hunting came on an immense herd of buffaloes, quietly
resting in the long dry grass, and began to blaze away furiously at
the astonished animals.
In the wild excitement of the hunt, which
heretofore had been conducted with spears, some forgot to load with
ball, and, firing away vigorously with powder only, wondered for the
moment that the buffaloes did not fall. The slayer of the young
elephant, having buried his four bullets in as many buffaloes, fired
three charges of No. 1 shot he had for killing guinea-fowl. The
quaint remarks and merriment after these little adventures seemed to
the listener like the pleasant prattle of children. Mbia and
Mantlanyane, however, killed one buffalo each; both the beasts were
in prime condition; the meat was like really excellent beef, with a
smack of venison. A troop of hungry, howling hyenas also thought the
savour tempting, as they hung round the camp at night, anxious to
partake of the feast. They are, fortunately, arrant cowards, and
never attack either men or beasts except they can catch them asleep,
sick, or at some other disadvantage. With a bright fire at our feet
their presence excites no uneasiness. A piece of meat hung on a
tree, high enough to make him jump to reach it, and a short spear,
with its handle firmly planted in the ground beneath, are used as a
device to induce the hyena to commit suicide by impalement.
The honey-guide is an extraordinary bird; how is it that every member
of its family has learned that all men, white or black, are fond of
honey? The instant the little fellow gets a glimpse of a man, he
hastens to greet him with the hearty invitation to come, as Mbia
translated it, to a bees' hive, and take some honey. He flies on in
the proper direction, perches on a tree, and looks back to see if you
are following; then on to another and another, until he guides you to
the spot. If you do not accept his first invitation he follows you
with pressing importunities, quite as anxious to lure the stranger to
the bees' hive as other birds are to draw him away from their own
nest. Except while on the march, our men were sure to accept the
invitation, and manifested the same by a peculiar responsive whistle,
meaning, as they said, "All right, go ahead; we are coming." The
bird never deceived them, but always guided them to a hive of bees,
though some had but little honey in store. Has this peculiar habit
of the honey-guide its origin, as the attachment of dogs, in
friendship for man, or in love for the sweet pickings of the plunder
left on the ground? Self-interest aiding in preservation from danger
seems to be the rule in most cases, as, for instance, in the bird
that guards the buffalo and rhinoceros.
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