Fearless Master of the Jungle (A Bunduki Jungle Adventure (23 page)

In spite of the Wurkas having made the
suggestion, there were a few important reasons why it could not be
carried out in a completely straightforward manner. From what the
quartet had said, it was obvious that their participation could
place their lives in jeopardy. So far, Tik-Felum was not aware of
their visit to Jey-Mat. If he should learn of what he would regard
as their betrayal, it would go hard for them.

Having no desire to endanger
the four, who he believed would make powerful allies and competent
leaders to replace the regime which was currently in control
at Wurka, the blond
giant had made his arrangements accordingly. Telling the others his
plans, making sure that they were not overheard by anybody else, he
had seen they were well received by the visitors. Appreciating that
he was acting for the best, although they had hoped to play a more
active part, Joar-Fane and At-Vee had raised no objections to being
relegated to a minor, if important, role.

Returning to the tree-house,
while the
‘talking drum’ was informing Tik-Felum that they would be
setting off before sundown, the Earth couple had selected the
equipment they intended to take along. Leaving the eight arrows
with Bear Four-Blade Razorhead tips on the bow-quivers, they had
placed a selection of more specialized heads which they had
believed might be useful in the capacious back-quivers. In addition
to the archery gear, they would be taking their knives,
Bunduki’s
m
’
kuki
and shield and the
boleadoras.
Apart from a blanket apiece, that was all they had
felt would be needed. Knowing the advisability of impressing their
travelling companions with their prowess as hunters, they had
decided against carrying any food and intended to use their hunting
skills to keep them provided.

Although Dawn and Bunduki had
set out accompanied by Joar-Fane and At-Vee, leaving
Tav-Han
’s
family to take care of the tree-house in their absence, they had
not stayed for long in each other’s company. About a mile
downstream from the lake’s confluence with the river, having made
certain that they were not being followed and observed, the two
young couples had separated. Joar-Fane and At-Vee were to continue
riding and leading the quaggas, which had been taught to tolerate
them, while the other two went on by another means of
transport.

Having apparently set off for
their home town shortly after the meeting with the blond giant had
ended, the four Wurkas had travelled only as far as a pre-arranged
rendezvous before—making sure that nobody else was in the
vicinity—pulling into the shore. When Dawn and Bunduki had arrived,
the Earth couple had transferred with their arms and blankets to
the boats and resumed the
journey in that fashion. This had enabled them to
travel faster than would have been possible if they had stayed
mounted.

Moving on until nightfall, the party
had settled on a pleasant site and made a comfortable camp. They
had eaten well. In addition to the supplies carried by the Wurkas,
fresh meat had been provided by the Earth couple. Dawn had felled a
water chevrotain from the boat as it grazed on the bank. Then,
after they had landed at sundown, Bunduki had sent an arrow into
one of a flock of sandhill cranes which were flying
overhead.

Before going to sleep, the girl
and her husband had heard enough about conditions in Wurka to have
become even more convinced that a change of policy and leadership
was essential. As was invariably the habit of any faction holding
similar views on gaining power, Tik-Felum and his coterie had set
up effective curbs against individual liberty which suppressed all
opposition. Using the most flimsy excuses to justify them, they
invaded the privacy of any person they suspected of
harboring views
contrary to their own and imposed fines or punishments against
which there was no appeal. Not only were children encouraged to
lose all regard for their parents, they were being conditioned to
report any action or behavior that might be considered undesirable
by the Senior Elder and his men.

Everything they had learned was
a further warning to the Earth couple that they were going into
danger. Not that they had let the thought deter them. They accepted
that such would in all probability frequently be the case when they
had accepted the
‘Supplier’s’ suggestion that they remained upon
Zillikian.

Propelled by such highly
competent oarsmen as the four Wurkas had proved to be and with the
current to help, Dawn and Bunduki had been transported more than
fifty miles the following day. The day after that had seen a
similar distance added to the total. Throughout all that time,
having kept a
very
careful watch, they had seen no other human beings. Nor,
despite news of the Earth couple’s departure having been dispatched
by the Jey-Mat’s ‘talking drum’—but not information of how they
would be travelling—had they expected to. They had felt certain
that Tik-Felum would not be expecting them to be moving so swiftly.
And, even if he had anticipated an early arrival, any attempts at
preventing them from reaching his village were unlikely to be made
at any great distance from it. Nor had there been any great danger
of being observed from another source which might have innocently
betrayed them. Although the Senior Elder’s summons had been relayed
by the Rol-Mat’s ‘talking drum’, their village lay some distance
along a tributary of the river.

Shortly before nightfall on the
second day, Dawn and Bunduki had separated from their companions.
With the state of affairs that prevailed in their village, the four
Wurkas had kept their intention of visiting Jey-Mat a secret from
Tik-Felum
’s
coterie. It was essential to their future well-being that their
association with the Earth couple was not discovered.

Leaving the boat shortly before
sundown, the girl and her husband had moved a short way on foot.
They had intended to go further, but had stopped to establish
friendly relations with a herd of forest elephants which had come
to drink and spend the night on the banks of the river. Sleeping in
safety, with the pachyderms forming an excellent and efficient
guard around them, they had set off again at daybreak.

Covering the last five miles in
good time, the Earth couple had found the Wurkas
’ village to be similar in
general appearance and lay-out to Jey-Mat. It was situated on top
of the long escarpment that separated the jungle proper from the
ten miles wide strip of swampland which, their companions had
informed them, continued to the edge of the ‘Lake With Only One
Shore’. Paths were cut in the face of the sheer wall, so as to give
access to the citizens’ boats moored on the banks of the
river.

The next most obvious difference
between Wurka and Jey-Mat became apparent as soon as Dawn and
Bunduki were admitted through the main gates. Unlike the Jey-Mat
gates, where everybody was cheerful and friendly, the population
were quiet, subdued, unsmiling and, for all that they were clearly
interested in the newcomers, they made no attempt to approach and
establish amiable relations.

As the Earth couple had reached the
village much earlier than anticipated, they had been able to see
that their arrival created not a little consternation on the part
of Tik-Felum and his coterie. In fact, the five with whom Dawn and
Bunduki had had most to do withdrew to their respective homes and
took no part in the far from warm reception given by the Senior
Elder.

The meeting had not been
prolonged. Pretending to know no more than he had been told by
the
‘talking
drums’, Bunduki had sought further details of why Tik-Felum had
required his assistance. He had been told that, while the villagers
could deal with the usual type of crocodiles in the vicinity, over
the past six months or so they had been plagued by two which were
much larger, more powerful and had developed a taste for human
flesh. This had caused them to take up residence close to the
village and in locations which had previously been exceptionally
productive fishing grounds. Nor had the attempts made by the
population succeeded in removing the menace, but had cost several
men their lives.

Agreeing that the situation could not
be allowed to continue, Bunduki made no mention of certain other
knowledge that he had received. According to the four men who had
brought Dawn and him down the river, Tik-Felum had used the
predators as a means of removing potential objectors to his rule.
In fact, Hak-Bart— leader of the quartet—had narrowly avoided such
a fate.

Much as Bunduki disliked
killing animals, except for food or in
defense of life, he had accepted that
the crocodiles must be removed. One problem had not arisen,
although he had been prepared to cope with it. When he had
requested a guide, Tik-Felum had not offered the services of any
member of his coterie. Instead, either because he was suspicious of
the quartet’s recent absence or because he knew that none of his
adherents would go, the Senior Elder had assigned Hak-Bart to the
task.

Wanting to impress the local
population with his capability and right to the rank of
Dapan-Dankara,
the blond giant had announced his intention of
starting the mission immediately. It was also his unspoken aim to
bring about a successful conclusion as swiftly as possible and,
from the information he had been given during the journey down the
river, he was confident he could do so. Bringing to bear all of the
knowledge imparted by the male members of his adoptive family on
Earth and his personal experience of dealing with the
Crocodilia
while the Chief
Warden of the Ambagasali Wild Life Reserve, he had been able to
formulate his strategy.

Justifying
Bunduki
’s
faith in him, although puzzled as to why he had been asked to do
so, Hak-Bart had carried out the instructions Bunduki had given
before they had parted company. What was more, on reaching the
first of the locations, the blond giant had found it to be exactly
as the Wurka had described it.

In the fashion of its kind, the
predator had established itself in a large pool attached to one of
the myriad waterways—which formed a maze and protection against
human invaders—that comprised the swamplands. On the banks had been
fresh tracks and a tail mark of a width which demonstrated, even
without an actual sight of the reptile, that it was a creature of
exceptional size.

As Bunduki had hoped, starting
out so early in the day had brought them to the vicinity of their
quarry before the heat of the sun caused it to leave the water and
bask on the bank. However, if an ambush was to succeed, there was
one precaution which had to be taken. After the fashion of its
kind, the predator had formed a symbiotic relationship with a
member of another species. By a mutually advantageous arrangement,
an Egyptian plover lived close to the pool and, in return for food
and protection, acted as a very efficient sentry. From all
accounts, it had been the bird which was responsible for the Wurka
hunters
’
failure to stalk and kill its provider.

Leaving Dawn and Hak-Bart at a
safe distance, the
blond giant had used all his considerable skill to approach
the pool without disturbing the bird. Having attained his position,
being unable to move closer than thirty yards because of a complete
lack of cover beyond that point, he was preparing to start his
task.

Satisfied with his aim, Bunduki
made his loose. Relieved of restraint, the bow
’s limbs began to assume their
normal position and, in doing so, propelled the arrow forward.
Having found the three dead pike-characins,
^lxiv
provided during the night by Hak-Bart
as the blond giant had instructed, the Egyptian plover was pecking
out the eyes of the largest. Although the bird heard the twang of
the bow’s string, the blunt-headed arrow was flying too swiftly for
any hope of evasive action. There was a thud and a puff of flying
feathers and the threat of an alarm being given by the plover was
removed.

Watching what happened from a
distance, Dawn and Hak-Bart moved forward. While they exhibited
stealth, each realized that the major threat to a premature
disclosure of their presence no longer existed. By the time they
joined him, Bunduki was nocking a second shaft, this time with a
Razorhead point, to his bow
’s string. However, as yet, there was no sign of
the quarry upon which he intended to use it.

‘
Do
you think it’s in the lagoon?’ Dawn breathed, studying the
glass-like surface of the dark amber water.

‘
I
hope so,’ the blond giant replied, equally quietly.
‘Because I hate talking to myself.’

Having delivered his comment, the
blond giant performed an impersonation of the kind of roar by which
a male crocodile announced its claim to a territory. It was so
close to the genuine sound that Hak-Bart stared in surprise and
open admiration. However, several seconds went by and nothing
happened.

‘
Huh!’
Dawn sniffed. What you need here is the woman’s touch.’

With that, the girl demonstrated an
equal facility for mimicry; but her grunting call was that of a
female crocodile in the throes of the mating urge. Once again, the
Wurka would not have known it was emitted from a human throat if he
had not seen it for himself.