University of Virginia Library

57. CHAPTER LVII.

Fair dawned, over the hills of Martair, the jocund morning
of our hunt.

Every thing had been prepared for it overnight; and, when
we arrived at the house, a good breakfast was spread by
Shorty: and old Tonoi was bustling about like an innkeeper.
Several of his men, also, were in attendance, to accompany us
with calabashes of food; and, in case we met with any success,
to officiate as bearers of burdens, on our return.

Apprised, the evening previous, of the meditated sport,
the doctor had announced his willingness to take part
therein.

Now, subsequent events made us regard this expedition
as a shrewd device of the Yankee's. Once get us off on a
pleasure trip, and with what face could we afterward refuse to
work? Beside, he enjoyed all the credit of giving us a holy-day.
Nor did he omit assuring us, that, work or play, our
wages were all the while running on.

A dilapidated old musket of Tonoi's, was borrowed for the
doctor. It was exceedingly short and heavy, with a clumsy
lock, which required a strong finger to pull the trigger. On
trying the piece, by firing at a mark, Long Ghost was satisfied
that it could not fail of doing execution: the charge went one
way, and he the other.

Upon this, he endeavored to negotiate an exchange of muskets
with Shorty; but the Cockney was proof against his

blandishments; at last he intrusted his weapon to one of the
natives to carry for him.

Marshaling our forces, we started for the head of the valley;
near which, a path ascended to a range of high land, said to be
a favorite resort of the cattle.

Shortly after gaining the heights, a small herd, some way
off, was perceived entering a wood. We hurried on; and,
dividing our party, went in after them, at four different points;
each white man followed by several natives.

I soon found myself in a dense covert; and, after looking
round, was just emerging into a clear space, when I heard a
report, and a bullet knocked the bark from a tree near by.
The same instant, there was a trampling and crashing; and five
bullocks, nearly abreast, broke into view across the opening,
and plunged right toward the spot where myself and three of
the islanders were standing.

They were small, black, vicious-looking creatures; with
short, sharp horns, red nostrils, and eyes like coals of fire. On
they came—their dark woolly heads hanging down.

By this time, my island backers were roosting among the
trees. Glancing round, for an instant, to discover a retreat in
case of emergency, I raised my piece, when a voice cried out,
from the wood, “Right between the 'orns, Paul! right between
the 'orns!” Down went my barrel, in range with a
small white tuft on the forehead of the headmost one; and,
letting him have it, I darted to one side. As I turned again,
the five bullocks shot by like a blast, making the air eddy in
their wake.

The Yankee now burst into view, and saluted them in flank.
Whereupon, the fierce little bull with the tufted forehead,
flirted his long tail over his buttocks; kicked out, with his
hind feet, and shot forward a full length. It was nothing but
a graze; and, in an instant, they were out of sight, the thicket

into which they broke rocking overhead, and marking their
progress.

The action over, the heavy artillery came up, in the person
of the Long Doctor, with his blunderbuss.

“Where are they?” he cried, out of breath.

“A mile or two h'off, by this time,” replied the Cockney.
“Lord, Paul! you ought to've sent an 'ail stone into that little
black 'un.”

While excusing my want of skill, as well as I could, Zeke,
rushing forward, suddenly exclaimed, “Creation! what are
you 'bout there, Peter?”

Peter, incensed at our ill luck, and ignorantly imputing it to
the cowardice of our native auxiliaries, was bringing his piece
to bear upon his trembling squire—the musket carrier—now
descending a tree.

Pulling trigger, the bullet went high over his head; and, hopping
to the ground, bellowing like a calf, the fellow ran away
as fast as his heels could carry him. The rest followed us,
after this, with fear and trembling.

After forming our line of march anew, we went on for
several hours, without catching a glimpse of the game; the
reports of the muskets having been heard at a great distance.
At last, we mounted a craggy height, to obtain a wide view of
the country. From this place, we beheld three cattle, quietly
browsing in a green opening of a wood below; the trees shutting
them in all round.

A general reëxamination of the muskets now took place,
followed by a hasty lunch from the calabashes: we then
started. As we descended the mountain-side, the cattle were
in plain sight, until we entered the forest, when we lost sight
of them for a moment; but only to see them again, as we
crept close up to the spot where they grazed.

They were a bull, a cow, and a calf. The cow was lying

down in the shade, by the edge of the wood; the calf, sprawling
out before her in the grass, licking her lips; while old
Taurus himself stood close by, casting a paternal glance at this
domestic little scene, and conjugally elevating his nose in the
air.

“Now then,” said Zeke, in a whisper, “let's take the poor
creeturs, while they are huddled together. Crawl along, b'ys;
crawl along. Fire together, mind; and not 'till I say the
word.”

We crept up to the very edge of the open ground, and
knelt behind a clump of bushes; resting our leveled barrels
among the branches. The slight rustling was heard. Taurus
turned round, dropped his head to the ground, and sent forth
a low, sullen bellow; then snuffed the air. The cow rose on
her fore knees, pitched forward alarmedly, and stood upon
her legs; while the calf, with ears pricked, got right under
neath her. All three were now grouped, and, in an instant
would be off.

“I take the bull,” cried our leader; “fire!”

The calf fell like a clod; its dam uttered a cry, and thrust
her head into the thicket; but she turned, and came moaning
up to the lifeless calf, going round and round it, snuffing
fiercely with her bleeding nostrils. A crashing in the wood, and
a loud roar, announced the flying bull.

Soon, another shot was fired, and the cow fell. Leaving
some of the natives to look after the dead cattle, the rest of us
hurried on after the bull; his dreadful bellowings guiding us to
the spot where he lay. Wounded in the shoulder, in his fright
and agony he had bounded into the wood; but when we came
up to him, he had sunk to the earth in a green hollow, thrusting
his black muzzle into a pool of his own blood, and tossing
it over his hide in clots.

The Yankee brought his piece to a rest; and, the next instant,

the wild brute sprang into the air, and with his fore legs
crouching under him, fell dead.

Our island friends were now in high spirits; all courage and
alacrity. Old Tonoi thought nothing of taking poor Taurus
himself by the horns, and peering into his glazed eyes.

Our ship knives were at once in request; and, skinning the
cattle, we hung them high up by cords of bark from the
boughs of a tree. Withdrawing into a covert, we there waited
for the wild hogs; which, according to Zeke, would soon
make their appearance, lured by the smell of blood. Presently,
we heard them coming, in two or three different directions;
and, in a moment, they were tearing the offal to pieces.

As only one shot at these creatures could be relied on, we
intended firing simultaneously; but, somehow or other, the
doctor's piece went off by itself, and one of the hogs dropped.
The others then breaking into the thicket, the rest of us sprang
after them; resolved to have another shot at all hazards.

The Cockney darted among some bushes; and, a few
moments after, we heard the report of his musket, followed by
a quick cry. On running up, we saw our comrade doing
battle with a young devil of a boar, as black as night, whose
snout had been partly torn away. Firing when the game was
in full career, and coming directly toward him, Shorty had
been assailed by the enraged brute; it was now crunching
the breech of the musket, with which he had tried to club it;
Shorty holding fast to the barrel, and fingering his waist for a
knife. Being in advance of the others, I clapped my gun to
the boar's head, and so put an end to the contest.

Evening now coming on, we set to work loading our carriers.
The cattle were so small, that a stout native could walk
off with an entire quarter; brushing through thickets, and
descending rocks without an apparent effort: though, to tell the
truth, no white man present could have done the thing with

any ease. As for the wild hogs, none of the islanders could
be induced to carry Shorty's; some invincible superstition
being connected with its black color. We were, therefore,
obliged to leave it. The other, a spotted one, being slung by
green thongs to a pole, was marched off with by two young
natives.

With our bearers of burdens ahead, we then commenced
our return down the valley. Half-way home, darkness over-took
us in the woods; and torches became necessary. We
stopped, and made them of dry palm branches; and then,
sending two lads on in advance, for the purpose of gathering
fuel to feed the flambeaux, we continued our journey.

It was a wild sight. The torches, waved aloft, flashed
through the forest; and, where the ground admitted, the
islanders went along on a brisk trot, notwithstanding they
bent forward under their loads. Their naked backs were
stained with blood; and occasionally, running by each other,
they raised wild cries, which startled the hillsides.