The Mission; or Scenes in AfricaMarryat, Frederick
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The Mission; or Scenes in Africa
Marryat, Frederick
Adventure stories; Africa -- Fiction
They had two horses, and Omrah could ride behind one of them, when he
was tired; they had guns and ammunition; and although they were fully
aware of the dangers to which they would be exposed, they thought
lightly of them after what they had suffered. They now mounted their
horses, and proceeded at a slow pace towards the westward, for the poor
animals were still very weak. At sunset they had travelled about ten
miles, and looked out for a spot to pass the night. Wood to light fires
they had none, but they hoped, if their horses were not taken away by
the lions, to reach a branch of the river by the following evening.
There was now no want of water, as they repeatedly passed by small
pools, which, for a day or two at least, would not be evaporated by the
heat of the sun. But they knew that by that time, if no more rain fell,
they would have again to undergo the former terrible privations, and
therefore resolved upon continuing their course towards the river, as
their safest plan, now that they had lost the caravan.
As they were seated on a rising ground which they had chosen for their
night's rest, and occasionally firing off their rifles to drive away the
lions, which were heard prowling about, all of a sudden Omrah cried out,
and pointed to the northward; our travellers turned and perceived a
rocket ascending the firmament, and at last breaking out into a group of
brilliant stars.
"It is the caravan," exclaimed the Major; "Swinton has remembered that I
put some rockets into my waggon."
"We must have passed it," said Alexander, springing on his feet. "God
be praised for all his mercies."
"Amen," replied the Major devoutly.
Omrah ran after the horses, which were feeding close to them, for their
instinctive fear of the lions made them keep as close as possible to
their masters. They were soon mounted, with Omrah behind the Major, and
set off at all the speed that they could obtain from the animals. After
an interval another rocket was seen, and by its light they discovered
that they were not a mile from the waggons. The horses appeared to be
sensible of this, and went off at a quicker pace; and in a few minutes
they had rushed in among the cattle, and Alexander and the Major were
received into the arms of Swinton, and surrounded by the Hottentots, who
were loud in their congratulations at their return.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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