The Aeroplane Adventurers

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21326, 29 October 1932, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Aeroplane Adventurers

CHAPTER 111. After Rex rejoined Jock the " game " he had brought back was put on to cook in Maori fashion, a mode adopted by so many of the dark races. 1 he birds, feathers and all, coated with thick mud, are covered over with fire and embers, and allowed to bake. When sufficiently cooked the mud coat is removed; with it the feathers come away, leaving, the flesh clean and delicious. This attended to, " spots," the leopard, was skinned and th'e hide carefully pegged out to dry. " What shall we do with (he carcase—bury it?" " No," replied Jock. " Just drag it away a few hundred feet. The vultures will give burial service, and what they leave the jackals, who are ' night's undertakers,' will dispose of, even to the marrow in the bones." This was done. Soon one, then another, and another, vultures swooped down to the banquot provided, til) quite a number of these loathsome birds were hissing and fighting over the carcase. Suddenly the gorging vultures hopped nimbly away and stood around in a ghoulish, expectant circle, with red or cadaverous heads craned forward. A magnificent and glossy, bronzebacked intruder, an epaulette of sable feathers on each wing shoulder, fell on the carcase. This was a " king vulture," an instance of " noblesse oblige;" the first-comers stood watching while his.,jnajesty dined. Now came another intruder, with long, stilt-like legs and tremertdous and powerful beak—an adjutant bird. Arrogantly *he shouldered and stalked through the vulturine circle to become an uninvited and unwelcome guest at his majesty's feast Here Rex said he thought some of " Spots" should be reserved for the jackals. Shouting loudly, the lads rushed at the birds, causing them to flap heavily and grudgingly into the trees. The adjutant alone showed a disposition to dispute matters; however, a well-directed cracker changed his mind. Similar tactics, a source of much amusement to Jock and Rex, and of chagrin to the carrion birds, kept the vultures aloof till darkness fell. Just as the sun set the weird jackal rally, started by the leader of the pack, ululated mournfully across a brooding stillness. Unseen and stealthy rustlings became evident, hundreds of incandescently-blazing eyes pricked the swiftly-deepening gloom and flitted, ghostlike, among the bushes. The pcrunch of cracking bones and sibilant growls filled night's silence. Next morning there remained little or no trace of much-feared " Spots." The " undertakers" had thoroughly performed the burial rites. Fires were again lighted, as on the previous night, and Jock was to do " first watch." For a while both lads studied the mysterious coming and going of the night prowlers beyond the fire rone . . . so silent ... so stealthy Once a deeper _ silence pervaded the already deep silence—emptiness magically supervened. A deep, throaty cough explained the sudden hush. Sher (the tiger), the overlord of the jungle, was passing. A magnificent creature, the embodiment of graceful strength, standing statuesque a moment in the flickering flame-light, head arrogantly raised, eyes blazing, challenging, glowering—tail lashing his flanks, gleaming, great white fangs bared ominously. Then silently he passed on to his legitimate hunting. With the passing of Slier the jungle again came to life. Presently a sound of wild pigs materialised. Grunting, squealing, rooting, the piglets running here and there. A striped hyena rushed the furthest from its mother. It was almost seized. The father, a great boar with six-inch tusks, struck the attacker with tornadic fury, ripping his flank to the bono. With a crashing of undergrowth both faded into night. Jock awakened before five o'clock in the morning, when the first pinks and greys of dawn wcro tinging the heavens.

Thinking Rex might be the better of a short nap, he made the suggestion. " Why not have forty winks, old man, while I have a bath and prepare breakfast? Then we can do a prowl together. Don't think the langoors will show up so long as baby's mother remains, so the 'plane will be safe." "Right-oh!" replied Rex, always a sleepy head. Breakfast over, the pair set out on a voyage of discovery. The night's terrors were gone with daybreak. Still, neither could quite forget the appearance of Slier, and finally Rex voiced his doubts. " Hope Stripes has removed well and truly. Awkward to'meet, I guess.' " Yes," replied Jock. "By this he is, no doubt, denned miles away. In any case, he is in his prime, and we are not his meat. The sound of our approach would cause him to shift. Wild animals all hate the scent of man, and fear his presence." On their way a sparrow-hawk was seen trying to force a jungle chicken from the bush, where it had taken' Rex's sympathies were all with the chicken, but before he could fire at the hawk there was a turn in the tide of affairs. A black and red jungle cock (these birds are bravest of the brave), armed with needle-pointed spurs, flew at and spurred the would-be murderer. With a whistle of rage the hawk rose on wing, but before it had time to sfrike, both cock and chicken were lost in the tangle of bush. Presently a fiendish caterwauling attracted attention, causing Rex to exclaim excitedly: "Look! A lynx has become wound up in a vine stalk." " That is 110 vine stalk," Jock explained, " but a python, which has caught the lynx. Both are killers, so let us leave them to it and watch." It was a battle royal—the python for a meal, the lynx for life. The din was deafening as the lynx, spitting, shrieking,' tearing with razor claws that gashed deeply foiled true constriction. Finally the much-lacerated snake was compelled to lossen its coils; the badly-scared lynx dropped free and was gone, speeded by a shot from Rev. while Jock, at close range, almost blew the python's head off. The jungle was simply teeming with wild life. Beautiful antelope bucks, liveried m sable and white, would gaze intently at Jock and Rex, sniff the air arid catch the man scent, throw up graceful heads, bound six feet in the air, and flee away like streaks of flashing light. A devoted pair of sarass (giant storks standing five feet high) rose on wide wings with a loud and musical " cronk!" Magnificent birds of startling grace and beauty, plumaged in pale lavender and bearing heads of a glowing, dark ruby red. Anon, where the sun slanted bars of liquid gold through the trees, a concourse of peacocks, jewelled tails outspread as huge fans, danced and strutted conceitedly, as if quite well aware of their grandeur. The peahens, pretending to disdain the beautiful male birds, and of sober brown plumage, daintily picked and fed. A jay, resplendent in turquoise blirn eau de nil. and light green, screamed a raucous note. The peafowl, with heavily flapping wings, took to the trees. Tne very next instant a cruel, cunning face, bearing sharp, bright eyes, pointed ears anß snout, emerged from the bushes—Ravnard, who had just missed the bus. Hungrily and disappointedly lie gazed up at the peafowl. Ilis snarl showed him in a bad temper. A fat, bristly hedgehog waddled into sight near the fox, who, being in a rago, forgot caution and made a swift snap. There was an agonised yelp, and Ravnard was gone at top speed. A small, prickly ball uncurled cautiously and waddled from sight. Many wonderful experiences and sights were met with ere Jock and Rex returned to camp, so as to prepare against the dangers of the night. So greatly delighted were they with this beautiful and lonely spot, so far removed from the " madding crowd,' that it'was carefully charted against another visit. (To bo Continued.)