Crouching in the concealment of a clump of bushes at a point which allowed him to draw and hold the recurved Fred Bear Super Kodiak bow at its anchor point, Bunduki made very sure of his aim. As his target—which could have a very great effect upon the success of the mission that had brought him to the Wurka-Telonga village—was only nine inches in height, about a third of that wide and some thirty yards away, he knew that he was going to require all his skill if he hoped to make a hit.
Even before the blond giant had visited Jey-Mat and arranged to have a request for further information passed over the ‘talking drums’, he had been suspicious of the summons sent by the Wurka’s Senior Elder. It was either a trap, or a way of testing his newly attained status of Fearless Master Of The Jungle. He had also been aware that the way in which Tik-Felum’s message had been worded did not leave him any other choice but to signal that he would accept. Although no Telonga hunter had gained sufficient merit to be given the title of Dapan-Dankara for several generations, tradition decreed that any man who did achieve it must be willing to travel anywhere within the nations territory should his services be needed.
On learning the details, Bunduki had spoken with the four men from Wurka, who had not yet taken their departure due to the effects of the wedding-night’s festivities. What they had told him suggested that Tik-Felum was making a test of his eligibility to be the Dapan-Dankara. Which, as his wife, At-Vee the Hunter, Joar-Fane, Tav-Han and the Wurka villagers, had all agreed was probably a trap. It was, the unanimous consensus of opinion had assumed, unlikely that the Senior Elder would want Bunduki to succeed in establishing his right to the title. However, they had all conceded that he could not refuse without a considerable loss of face.
As the blond giant had anticipated that he would be faced with such a situation, he had already been considering how best to deal with it. However, when he had begun to mention his intentions, he found that one aspect was not in his hands. Dawn Gunn had stated, in tones that warned she would brook no argument, her intention of accompanying him. Even if he had meant to leave her behind, he would have known that doing so would not be tolerated.
Another aspect of Bunduki’s plans had been the subject of revision. It had been his intention that he, Dawn, At-Vee and Joar-Fane—whom his instincts had warned would also refuse to be left behind—would make the journey on their quaggas and banar-gatahs. Having conferred with one another in soft tones, the four Wurkas had offered an alternative means of transport. They had said that they would put themselves and their boat at the blond giant’s disposal. Appreciating the advantages of travelling in such a fashion, he had accepted the invitation.
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.
There!’ Hak-Bart hissed, only just managing to suppress his excitement and hold his voice to a tension-charged whisper. He pointed to the water.
Just as keen-eyed, the Earth couple had also seen the small ripple disturbing the center of the lagoon. They knew that it was caused by the predator making use of physical adaptations for its specialized way of life. Set high upon the snout on top of the skull, its nostrils and eyes allowed it to breathe and see with little else of its body being exposed. So, although it had risen to investigate the sounds, they alone broke the surface of the water.
Using its tail in such slow sideways undulations that there was barely a motion on the surface, the predator advanced at a snail’s pace across the lagoon. Measuring the distance between them with his eye, Bunduki began to take the draw on his bow. He wanted his quarry closer before he loosed the shaft, so as to make even more certain of attaining a hit. On either side of him, his wife and Hav-Bart watched with bated breath as if they had been turned to stone.
Catching his wife’s eye, the blond giant gave a brief inclination of his head. Knowing what was wanted, she repeated her impersonation of a lovelorn lady crocodile in search of male company.
The nostrils and eyes sank beneath the surface!
‘Damn it!’ Hav-Bart ejaculated, fortunately sotto voce, watching a couple of air bubbles rising after all other signs of the creature had gone.
‘Don’t move!’ Dawn hissed, duplicating her husband’s thoughts and acting, without needing prompting, as he would have wished.
Freezing again into a state of complete immobility, Hav-Bart continued to stare at the surface of the lagoon. After almost thirty seconds had gone by, he was given a further example of just how well the Earth couple understood the mentality and behavior patterns of their prey.
Showing no more disturbance than the bubbles had in making their appearance, the nostrils of the predator broke through the glassy surface. There was barely as much as a suggestion of a ripple to betray its arrival. An instant later, almost eighteen inches behind the nose, the small protuberance of its eyes came into view. They were followed in the same effortless fashion by the whole of the head.
‘So that’s it!’ Dawn ejaculated, in a voice so low that the words barely reached the men’s ears, taking notice of the way in which there was no sign of the fourth tooth of the saurian’s lower jaw. It’s an alligator, not a crocodile!’
Equally aware of the most easily observable difference between species Alligator and the Crocodilia, Bunduki matched his wife’s identification. Like her, he now realized that they were not dealing with the almost entirely harmless-to-mankind dwarf crocodiles lxv or ‘false’ gavials lxvi which had been the only types of saurians they had seen in the neighborhood of the village. Furthermore, he shared her understanding of the predator’s behavior. For all its size, which he estimated at over ten foot from nose to tail, the Mississippi alligator was puzzled and cautious. It had heard sounds resembling, but somewhat different to, those of its kind. So it was displaying care while investigating.
Watching the alligator coming slowly nearer, Bunduki completed his draw and aligned the arrow so that it would make its point of impact about twenty-four inches behind the knobs of the protruding eyes. However, he did not relax his hold on the string. Close to sixty yards still separated them and, while confident that he could make a kill at that distance, he preferred to do so from nearer to the bank. In that way, there was a better chance of retrieving the body and avoiding any suggestions that he had failed to carry out his mission.
So gradually that time seemed to be standing still, the alligator continued its wary advance towards the shore. Its head was still exposed and the outline of its massive body was discernible below the surface.
Fifty yards,
Forty!
Dawn was clenching her hands until the knuckles showed white. On the other side of the blond giant, Hav-Bart felt as if his lungs would burst. Yet he dare not suck in a breath for fear that the sound would disturb his companion’s concentration, or frighten the alligator.
‘Dapan-Dankara!’ yelled a voice from not too far away, accompanying the words by banging a stick of some kind against the trunk of a tree.
Instantly, the alligator lost all of its lethargic air. Upending its body, so that the massive tail rose and descended on the erstwhile still surface of the lagoon with a terrific slapping sound that could have been heard for a quarter of a mile, it began to do a half-roll as a prelude to making a power dive for safety.
Swiftly as the saurian was moving, Bunduki’s response had been even more rapid.
Although seething with rage at the speaker, who he suspected had created the commotion deliberately, the blond giant released the arrow as soon as the sound reached his ears. There was a solid whunk!’ which told him that he had scored a hit. Further confirmation was supplied, by the sight of the four-bladed point protruding some six inches from the underside of the alligator’s chest, before it disappeared beneath the now roily surface of the lagoon. It appeared briefly a couple of seconds later, curving upwards in a jump that seemed more suitable to a sailfish feeling a fisherman’s hook than such an ungainly creature. Going down, there was a momentary flash of white from its belly as it rolled over. Although the blond giant knew that it was dead, it did not reappear and he doubted whether recovering the body would be possible.
‘That was Han-Ateep’s voice!’ Hav-Bart growled furiously.
‘There were two of them at least,’ Dawn went on, anger showing plainly on her beautiful face. ‘I saw them running away, but not quickly enough to do anything about it.’
‘Don’t worry, darling,’ Bunduki replied, thinking how— in view of his wife’s skill as an archer—the men responsible for the disturbance could count themselves lucky that she had not been holding her bow ready for use. We’ll attend to them later. Let’s go back to the village and tell the people they can start to use this lagoon again.’