Swiss Family Robinson(fiscle part-3 of 2) - Johann David Wyss (desktop ebook reader .TXT) 📗

`When Suddenly

There Was A Rustling and Snorting close By,  And A Great Boar Broke

Through The Bushes,  Making for The Outskirts Of The Wood. Floss Gave

Chase Directly,  And The Boar Turned to Bay. Then Up Came Jack With

Coco,  And The Gallant Little Jackal Attacked the Monster In the Rear.

In Another Moment,  However,  He Was Sent Sprawling upon His Back,  And

This So Provoked his Master That He Fired a Hasty Ill-Directed shot.

The Brute'S Notice And Fury At Once Turned upon Jack,  Who Prudently

Took To His Heels,  While I Attempted to Check The Career Of The Boar By

A Shot,  Which,  However,  Only Slightly Wounded it.

 

`Jack Stumbled and Fell Over The Root Of A Tree,  Just As The Animal

Came Up With Him. "Help! Murder," Shouted he; And If The Other Dogs Had

Not Then Arrived,  And All Together Tackled the Boar,  I Fear It Would

Have Been A Case Of Murder Indeed! As It Was,  The Poor Fellow Got

Mauled and Trampled upon Dreadfully.

 

`As I Was Waiting for An Opportunity To Fire Without Any Risk Of

Hitting jack,  Pounce Rushed through The Air And Darted upon The Beast,

And Fritz Came Quickly Up And Shot It Dead With A Pistol.

 

`While We Were Helping jack Along,  And Passing a Place Where The Boar

Had Been Grubbing,  I Noticed some Such Curious Knotty Roots Or

Tubercles,  That I Brought Away Specimens. Are They Worth Anything,  Do

You Think? They Have A Strong Smell.'

 

`If I May Trust My Nose,' Said I,  `You Have Brought Something by No

Means To Be Despised. Yes,' I Continued,  Putting them To My Lips,

`These Are Very Fine Truffles! Taste Them,  Fritz.'

 

`Indeed they Are Excellent,' Said He,  `Very Different From The Tough,

Leathery Things I Remember In europe: These Are Tender And

Well-Flavoured.'

 

`Because They Are Fresh,' Said I. `You Have Before Tasted those Only

Which Have Been Brought From A Distance.

 

`They Are Found In different Parts Of Europe,  Buried at A Depth Of Ten

Or Twelve Inches In the Soil Of Oak Or Beech Woods. A Small Dog Is

Employed to Hunt For Them,  Who Perceives Their Musky Odour In a

Singularly Acute Way,  And At Once Scratches At The Spot Where They

Lie.'

 

`Have The Truffles No Leaves Or Stalks,' Inquired fritz,  `By Which They

Might Be Found Without The Help Of The Dog?'

Part 3 Chapter 8 Pg 124

 

`They Have Nothing of The Sort,' I Replied. `They Are Discovered

Simply By Scent,  And Are Considered to Belong To The Tribe Of Fungi.'

 

By This Time It Was Late: We Took Supper,  Made Up The Watch-Fire,  And

Withdrew To Our Yacht,  Where We Slept Peacefully.

 

Early Next Morning we Proceeded to Visit The Field Of Battle. The Wild

Boar,  Which I Had Not Before Seen,  Proved to Be Much Larger And More

Formidable In appearance Than I Had Imagined,  And Jack'S Escape Seemed

To Me Perfectly Marvellous.

 

The Boys Took It As A Matter Of Course That We Were To Cut Out Hams And

Flitches; And We Therefore Did So,  Though I Warned them That They Need

Not Expect Much Pleasure In eating bacon From A Tough Old African Boar

Like This. We Conveyed the Mighty Hams To The Beach,  Each On A Sledge

Of Plaited boughs And Twigs,  And Drawn By One Of The Dogs. The

Monstrous Head Travelled in the Same Way,  And We Collected a Large

Number Of Truffles Before Quitting the Forest.

 

As Soon As The Dogs Were Released,  They Rushed back To The Scene Of

Operations In the Wood,  Comprehending that They Were Now Free To Feast

On What Remained there.

 

There Was So Much To Be Done In consequence Of This Affair,  That

Fritz,  Who Had Hoped to Set Out On His Solitary Expedition That Day,

Deferred it Until The Next; And Was,  Therefore,  Fortunately With Us,

When Late In the Evening we Desisted from Our Labours,  And Having

Supped,  Were Preparing to Retire To Rest. All At Once A Deep Fearful

Sound Echoed through The Neighbouring woods. It Made Our Blood Curdle

In Our Veins. We Listened with Straining ears,  Hoping it Would Not Be

Repeated. With A Shudder We Heard The Dread Voice Roar Again,  Yet

Nearer To Us,  And An Answer Peal From The Distance.

 

`We Must Find Out Who Are The Performers In this Concert!' Exclaimed

Fritz,  Springing to His Feet,  And Snatching up His Rifle. `Make The

Fire Blaze,  Get On Board The Yacht,  And Have All The Guns In readiness.

I Am Off To Reconnoitre In the Canoe.'

 

We Mechanically Obeyed his Rapid Orders,  While The Bold Youth

Disappeared in the Darkness; And,  After Heaping fuel On The Fire,  We

Went On Board And Armed ourselves With Cutlasses,  Besides Loading all

The Guns,  Waiting in readiness Either To Land Again,  Or To Quit The

Coast.

 

We Presently Saw The Whole Pack Of Our Dogs,  As Well As Coco,  The

Jackal,  And The Little Ape,  Mercury (Who Had Been Tempted by The

Truffles To Stay With Them In the Woods),  Come Galloping at Full Speed

Up To The Fire.

 

Mercury Was Evidently Excessively Discomposed at Finding us Gone; He

Gnashed his Teeth,  And Chattered,  As Though In fear,  Looking

Hopelessly At The Water,  Through Which He Could Not Venture.

 

Part 3 Chapter 8 Pg 125

The Dogs Planted themselves By The Fire,  Gazing fixedly Landward,  With

Ears Erect,  And Occasionally Uttering a Barking challenge,  Or A

Suppressed howl.

 

Meantime,  The Horrid Roarings Approached nearer,  And I Concluded that A

Couple Of Leopards Or Panthers Had Been Attracted by The Scent Of The

Boar'S Carcase.

 

But Not Long After I Had Expressed this Opinion,  We Beheld A Large

Powerful Animal Spring from The Underwood And,  With A Bound And

Muttered roar,  Approach The Fire. In a Moment I Recognized the

Unmistakable Outlines Of The Form Of A Lion,  Though In size He Far

Surpassed any I Had Ever Seen Exhibited in europe.

 

The Dogs Slunk Behind The Fire,  And The Lion Seated himself Almost Like

A Cat On His Hind Legs,  Glaring alternately At Them,  And At The Great

Boar Hams Which Hung Near,  With Doubtless A Mixed feeling of Irritation

And Appetite,  Which Was Testified by The Restless Movement Of His Tail.

 

He Then Arose,  And Commenced walking up And Down With Slow And

Measured pace,  Occasionally Uttering short,  Angry Roars,  Quite Unlike

The Prolonged full Tones We Had Heard At First. At Times He Went To

Drink At The Brook,  Always Returning with Such Haste,  That I Fully

Expected to See Him Spring.

 

Gradually His Manner Became More And More Threatening; He Turned

Towards Us,  Crouched,  And With His Body At Full Stretch,  Waved his

Tail,  And Glared so Furiously,  That I Was In doubt Whether To Fire Or

Retreat,  When Through The Darkness Rang The Sharp Crack Of A Rifle.

 

`That Is Fritz!' Exclaimed everyone; While,  With A Fearful Roar,  The

Lion Sprang To His Feet,  Stood Stock Still,  Tottered,  Sank On His

Knees,  Rolled over,  And Lay Motionless On The Sand.

 

`We Are Saved!' I Cried. `That Was A Masterly Shot. The Lion Is Struck

To The Heart: He Will Never Stir Again. Stay On Board,  Boys. I Must

Join My Brave Fritz.'

 

In A Few Moments I Landed: The Dogs Met Me With Evident Tokens Of

Pleasure,  But Kept Whining uneasily,  And Looking towards The Deep

Darkness Of The Woods Whence The Lion Had Come.

 

This Behaviour Made Me Cautious; And,  Seeing nothing of Fritz,  I

Lingered by The Boat,  When Suddenly A Lioness Bounded from The Shadow

Of The Trees,  Into The Light Diffused by The Fire.

 

At Sight Of The Blazing faggots She Paused,  As Though Startled; Passed

With Uncertain Step Round The Outskirts Of The Illuminated circle; And

Uttered roarings,  Which Were Evidently Calls To Her Mate,  Whose Dead

Body She Presently Discovered.

 

Finding him Motionless,  Her Manner Betokened the Greatest Concern; She

Touched him With Her Forepaws,  Smelt Round Him,  And Licked his Bleeding

Wounds. Then Raising her Head,  She Gnashed her Teeth,  And Gave Forth

Part 3 Chapter 8 Pg 126

The Most Lamentable And Dreadful Sound I Ever Heard; A Mingled roar And

Howl,  Which Was Like The Expression Of Grief,  Rage,  And A Vow To Be

Revenged,  All In one.

 

Crack! Another Shot: The Creature'S Right Forepaw Was Lamed; And The

Dogs,  Seeing me Raise My Gun,  Suddenly Gathered courage,  And Ran

Forward Just As I Fired. My Shot Also Wounded the Lioness,  But Not

Mortally,  And The Most Terrific Combat Ensued.

 

It Was Impossible To Fire Again,  For Fear Of Wounding the Dogs. The

Scene Was Fearful Beyond Description. Black Night Surrounded us; The

Fitful Blaze Of The Fire Shed a Strange,  Unnatural Light On The

Prostrate Body Of The Huge Dead Lion,  And On The Wounded lioness,  Who

Fought Desperately Against The Attack Of The Four Gallant Dogs; While

The Cries,  Roars And Groans Of Anguish And Fury Uttered by All The

Animals Were Enough To Try The Stoutest Nerves.

 

Old Juno,  Staunch To The Last,  Was Foremost In the Fray. After A Time,

I Saw Her Change Her Plan Of Attack,  And Spring at The Throat Of The

Lioness; Who,  In an Instant,  Raised her Left Paw,  And At One Blow The

Cruel Claws Had Laid Open The Body Of The Dog,  And Destroyed the Life

Of The True And Faithful Companion Of So Many Years.

 

Just Then,  Fritz Appeared. The Lioness Was Much Weakened,  And We

Ventured to Go Near Enough To Fire With Safety To Ourselves; And

Finally I Dispatched her By Plunging a Hunting-Knife Deep In her

Breast.

 

Ernest And Jack Were Summoned from The Yacht To Witness The Completed

Victory; And I Regretted having left Them On Board,  When I Saw How

Greatly The Noise And Tumult Had Alarmed them,  Unable As They Were To

Ascertain What Was Going on.

 

They Hastened towards Us In great Agitation,  And Their Joy On Seeing us

Safe Was Only Equalled by The Grief They Felt On Learning of The Death

Of Juno.

 

The Night Was Now Far Advanced; The Fire Burnt Low; But We Piled on

More Wood,  And,  By The Renewed light,  Drew Poor Juno From Between The

Paws Of The Lioness; And,  By The Brookside,  Washed and Bound Up The

Torn Body,  Wrapping it Carefully In canvas,  And Carrying it With Us On

Board The Yacht,  That It Might Be Buried at Rockburg,  Whither,  On The

Following day,  It Was Our Purpose To Return.

 

Wearied and Sorrowful,  But Full Of Thankfulness For Our Personal

Safety,  We At Length Lay Down To Sleep,  Having brought All The Dogs On

Board.

 

Next Morning,  Before Quitting pearl Bay,