Dead Man's Land Part 41

"No, no, no," replied Mark, "We--want--to--know--where--you--got--them."

The little fellow laughed, stooped quickly, and took off the slender little anklets, holding now the four ornaments as if for the boy's acceptance.

"No, no, I tell you," cried Mark impetuously. "We don't want to rob you;" and leaning forward he touched the slender pieces of gold with his finger and then the ribbon-like band that was half hidden amongst the little fellow's crisp curls.

"Where--where did you get them?" cried Mark.

The pigmy wrinkled up his forehead, with a disappointed look, raised his hands to his head, looking at the boy reproachfully the while, hesitated, and then s.n.a.t.c.hed off the band, held all five ornaments together and thrust them towards Mark, with his face overcast and frowning the while.

"Oh, I do wish I could talk to you," cried Mark. "Here, Mak, can't you say something?"

The tall black shook his head and half turned away.

"He doesn't understand either," said Dean. "Try dumb motions, Mark."

"All right," cried Mark, seizing the set of rings, small and large, and they jingled musically together, while the pigmy with a gloomy look picked up his ostrich feather, which had fallen to the ground, thrust it into his hair, and turned frowningly away.

"No, no; hold hard," cried Mark merrily, and he prisoned the little fellow by the arm and twisted him round, making him look up in angry wonderment, and his eyes flashed resentment as Mark s.n.a.t.c.hed the ostrich feather from out of his hair and stuck the quill end into one of the b.u.t.tonholes of his flannel Norfolk jacket.

The little dark face before him was lined with creases, and the flas.h.i.+ng eyes nearly closed, while as he stood unresistingly Mark replaced the band of gold--for gold it was--about his head, and then taking the ostrich feather from his breast he thrust the quill beneath the band so that it hung over on one side with quite a c.o.c.k.

"There, he looks splendid now," cried Mark, "only don't look so fierce.

Now then--right arm;" and seizing it the boy held it up, thrust one bangle over it and ran it up the pigmy's plump little arm right above the elbow, till it was arrested by the tightened biceps.

He served the left arm in the same way, and then sinking on one knee he caught the st.u.r.dy little leg by the ankle, and holding one bangle out before him thrust it over the little fellow's foot. The next minute the ornamentation was completed by the thrusting on of the second anklet, and then Mark sprang up, while the rest looked on, some amused, the little blacks with their eyes full of wonderment and as if not comprehending this scene.

"Now," cried Mark, "let's have another try;" and touching the gold rings one after the other, he said slowly, "Where--find?"

The little chief looked at him questioningly, then at the rest of the white visitors, and turned to his followers, who looked at him blankly, all but the doctor's patient, who, seated in his basket--as Dean afterwards said, as if he were for sale--whispered faintly a couple of words.

"Can't you understand?" said Mark, and he touched the gold band again and began a very effective pantomime, running here and there, peeping under the bushes, peering in between the trees, looking up, then down, in all directions, dropped upon one knee, to begin scratching up the sandy earth, which he took up in handfuls and turned over in his hands, and then shaking his head sadly he turned to the little black again, crying, "Can't find any; can't find any. The gold--the gold!"

The little party of pigmies stared at him blankly, and then at each other.

"Well done," said the doctor. "Try again. Capital!"

"No, no," said Mark. "They will think I have gone mad."

"Yes," said Dean, grinning.

"Bah! That settles it; I won't," cried Mark. "Oh, I wish I knew what that little chap said!" For the doctor's patient whispered something again, with the result that his little chief bounded towards Mark, touched his gold ornaments again, and then s.n.a.t.c.hed his spear from a companion who had been holding it, and touched the two ferrules that were beneath the blade and at the end. These with almost lightning-like movements he touched with index finger, following up the act by touching the fillet and bangles, and then looking enquiringly in Mark's eyes he uttered one word.

"Yes," cried Mark, at a venture. "Where do you get it?"

The little fellow's face lit up now with a smile, and drawing himself up he raised his spear and stood pointing right into the wood.

"I think he understands now," said the doctor. "Look; what does he mean by that?"

For the little fellow in a series of gazelle-like leaps bounded to first one and then the other waggon, and came running back with his eyes flas.h.i.+ng, to stand pointing as before right into the depths of the forest. This done, he made a mark in the sandy earth with the b.u.t.t of his spear, and then walking backwards he drew a line as straight as he could for about fifty yards, keeping parallel with the edge of the forest, and ending by curving his line round till he reached the first trees.

"What does he mean by that?" said Mark, as the little fellow came running back.

"I think I know," said Dean.

"So do I," cried Mark. "Here, Mak, what does this mean?"

The black faced slowly to them from where he had been leaning against the tree watching as if amused, and raising his spear he walked importantly to the waggons, touching first one and then the other with his spear before turning and pointing right into the forest, and ending by drawing a similar line to that made by the little visitor.

"Well, that's plain enough," said Mark excitedly. "I make it that the pigmy means that if we want to find the gold we must walk right round the other side of the forest; but Mak means that this is the way to find the big stones."

"Big--stones--kopje," cried Mak, nodding his head sharply, and after pointing again with his spear he slowly described a semi-circle upon the earth.

"Yes, I think you are right," said Sir James. "At any rate, doctor, we may as well try."

"Certainly, sir," said the doctor, laughing. "But it's rather a queer way of learning our route. I agree with Mark, though, that both Mark and the pigmy mean the city, only the little fellow tries to tell us that we shall find the gold there, while Mak means the big stones."

"Big stones!" cried Mak sharply, as he caught the words. "Boss--find-- big--stones;" and he waved his spear again after pointing towards the forest and then describing the route they must follow in the air.

Mak watched the doctor eagerly, then turned to the little chief, said a word or two, and the little fellow pa.s.sed on what was evidently an order to his followers, who began to move off, when a thought struck Mark and he caught the little chief by the arm and led him towards the second waggon.

"Here, Dean," he cried, "jump in and get those two new spare knives out of the fore chest. Look sharp. I'm afraid to leave go. This fellow's all of a quiver with fright, and I am afraid he will bolt."

"All right," was the reply, and leaving Mark and his prisoner waiting, the boy sprang up into the waggon, and came back with a couple of strongly made, buckhorn-handled, four-bladed pocket knives, one of which Mark slipped into his pocket, retaining the other in his hand.

"You take my place," he said, "and hold tight. Don't let him go."

Then turning to the little black he began to open slowly first one and then another of the highly polished blades, which glittered in the sun, while without attempting to resist, the little fellow stared at him wildly, and it was easy to read his emotions in his twitching face.

"Now, you see this?" said Mark, as holding out the knife close to their prisoner he snapped back first one and then two more of the s.h.i.+ning blades, which went back into the haft with sharp snaps. Then taking a step to the nearest bush, with one sharp cut he took off a good-sized bough, returning to where the pigmy was watching him, tr.i.m.m.i.n.g the piece of wood as he walked, and leaving the twigs besprinkling the ground.

"There," said Mark, as he closed the remaining blade, after wiping it carefully where it was moistened with sap, "I didn't want to rob you of your gold rings, and you have been a very good little fellow, so that's for you."

As he finished speaking he thrust the closed knife into the little chiefs hand, and then walked back with him to where the weak-looking little patient sat watching all that had gone on with wide open eyes.

"Now," cried Mark, patting him on the back; "make haste and get well. I don't suppose I shall ever see you again. Be a good boy, and don't go near lions. There's a knife for you too. So toddle."

"What nonsense!" cried Dean. "Poor little chap! Doesn't he wish he could!"

The little fellow's eyes twinkled as he took the knife which Mark held out to him and then good-naturedly opened all the blades and closed them again so that the receiver might fully understand the management of the wonderful instrument he had never seen before.

"Now, Mak, start them off, and I hope we shall never see them again,"

continued the boy, "for somehow or other I quite like that little fellow. He's been so patient all through his suffering, and never hardly winced, when the doctor must have hurt him no end. I don't mean like him as one would another boy, but as one would a good dog that had been hurt and which we had nursed back again to getting all right--that is, I mean," continued the boy confusedly--"Oh, bother! Here, I don't quite know what I do mean. Ah, there they go. I say, Dean, did you ever see such a rum little chap in your life, with his gold ornaments and ostrich feather? Shouldn't you like to take him back with us to the manor?"

"Yes--no--I don't know," said Dean. "Here, come on. They have all gone now, and there's Dan waving his hand for us to come to breakfast."

"That's right," said Mark thoughtfully. "We understand; you needn't shout. I say, Dean, we might as well have brought the old gong out of the hall. It would have done for dinner-bell if we had hung it outside the waggon, and been splendid to have scared the lions away."