Bunduki and Dawn (A Bunduki Jungle Adventure Book 2) Read online

  ‘I was right,’ the girl stated, making a wry face as she halted and looked at the bodies. ‘Elidor and her men did kill the three who captured me.’ xxxi

  ‘It looks that way,’ Bunduki admitted. While they had been hiding on the kopje, he had heard his adoptive cousin’s story and the conclusions she had reached about her delivery into the High Priest’s hands. However, he decided that they would put off any further discussion about the power struggle that was apparently taking place between Dryaka and the Protectress of the Quagga God until a more suitable occasion.

  ‘Anyway, there’s nothing we can do for them. Do you want one of their swords?’

  ‘No,’ Dawn replied, glancing at the two impala haunches which she was still carrying so that they would not be stolen by the hyenas that were hovering on the edge of the clearing. ‘I’ve enough to carry.’

  Turning away from the bodies, the blond giant glanced at the three swords and two lances that lay nearby. He decided that neither type of weapon would serve Dawn well. Wielding the former would be entirely different from fencing with an epee or a saber, which was Dawn’s real reason for declining. While he did not doubt that eventually they could become competent in the use of the Mun-Gatahs’ swords, there might not be time for them to gain the necessary proficiency before it was needed. In which case, employing the modern knife fighting techniques they had been taught by her father—who had become an expert while serving with the Resistance—would be much more effective in an emergency.

  Nor would the nine-foot long lances offer any advantage. Designed for use while mounting and on open ground, their length made them more of a liability than an asset when a-foot and in woodland or, even worse, in jungle. However, Bunduki knew there was one Mun-Gatah weapon that might be of service to them. He only hoped that one of the trio had been carrying such a weapon.

  Followed by Dawn, who guessed what he had in mind, Bunduki went to the nearest of the dead animals. In addition to having torn at the flesh, the scavengers had also chewed upon the leather of the saddle. Fortunately, the spear that was suspended by two loops on its left side skirt had not been touched. Capable of cracking open even an elephant’s leg bone so as to get at the marrow, a hyena’s teeth and jaws would have splintered the male bamboo shaft with no difficulty.

  ‘This could come in handy for you,’ the blond giant remarked, spiking the butt of the m’kuki into the soil and drawing the spear free. About sixty inches in length, it had a rounded metal butt cap and, although slightly smaller and lighter than that of a lance, the diamond-section steel head tapered to just as an acute a point. Testing the weapon’s weight and balance, he went on, ‘I’d say it’s made for throwing. You’d better have it. If we don’t find Joar-Fane and At-Vee, we won’t have our bows.”

  ‘You’re right,’ Dawn agreed, taking her eyes from the hyenas and glancing at the spear with an expression of disgust, ‘How do I carry it, in my teeth?’

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ the blond giant answered. ‘It would stop you complaining, but I suppose that I might as well get used to th—’

  The words ended as Bunduki was compelled to leap aside and avoid the kick his adoptive cousin launched at him. Their eyes met as he alighted a few feet away. Suddenly each of them realized that they had not behaved in such a manner for several years, and how much they had missed what had always been an enjoyable aspect of their relationship. They found that it was still just as entertaining.

  ‘Come on, nugu,’ Dawn commanded, almost spitting out the Swahili word meaning “baboon”. ‘Fungua safari.’

  ‘N’dio, Tar-Sabor,’ Bunduki replied, mixing Swahili with Mangani, as he eased his left hand through the straps of the shield so that he could take hold of the spear’s shaft. Plucking free the m’kuki with his right fist, he continued, ‘Even you ought to be able to find Joar-Fane and At-Vee from here, But, if you need help—’

  Giving a toss of her head, Dawn stalked across the clearing. Bunduki walked behind her and took over the watching of the hyenas while she concentrated upon studying the ground.

  Finding the tracks that had been made by Elidor and her companions when bringing the bodies of their victims to the clearing, the girl started to follow them. A hyena in front of her stood as if meaning to dispute her right to pass. Letting out a snarling roar that was an excellent impersonation of an angry lion, Bunduki sprang forward. Before he reached it, the hyena spun around and scuttled rapidly away.

  ‘It’s nice to know you’re good for something,’ Dawn remarked and went on with her work.

  Although over three days had elapsed and there had been a fair amount of movement by various kinds of animals through the area, Dawn contrived to continue reading the signs without needing to ask for her adoptive cousin’s help. After a few minutes, they arrived at the spot where she had, almost literally, fallen into the Mun-Gatahs’ hands. Continuing, she experienced no especial difficulty in guiding the blond giant in the correct direction.

  ‘Stop!’ Bunduki said quietly, but with such vehemence that the girl obeyed instantly.

  Raising her eyes from the tracks which had been holding her full attention, Dawn found that she was leading the way into a patch of open ground. Confronting her, not ten yards away, was a small herd of gaur; on Earth, the Asiatic jungles’ equivalent of Africa’s Cape buffalo, or more particularly the smaller, reddish, so-called dwarf sub-species which roamed the Congo and other densely wooded regions.

  Raising its head, the huge herd bull looked at the human intruders as if it was contemplating launching an attack.

  Chapter Five – Tar Numa Kill!

  Despite the success that Bunduki had had when dealing with the hyena which had threatened his adoptive cousin in the other clearing, he did not attempt to frighten away the herd of gaur by charging at them. Such behavior when dealing with Bos (Bibos) Gaur us would have been as dangerous and foolhardy as it would have been in Africa to attack the enormous Syncerus Coffer Coffer of the plains or the forest-dwelling S. C. Nanus.

  Instead, the blond giant and Dawn Drummond-Clayton, who was equally aware of the danger, stood as still as if they had been turned to stone. Their complete lack of movement was all that saved them. At the end of three minutes, which seemed a great deal longer to the motionless pair of human beings, the herd bull gave a low snort. Turning, it walked across the clearing and into the trees followed by the rest of the gaur.

  ‘Why do they always look so much bigger when you come across them unexpectedly and at close range?’ Dawn inquired, after the gaur had gone from sight.

  ‘That’s because you’re a poor, defenseless woman,’ Bunduki explained, ready to take evasive action in the event of reprisals. ‘Now a big, brave—’

  ‘Male chauvinist pig,’ the girl finished for him and resumed her tracking before the blond giant could counter the charge.

  The gaur had obscured the tracks for some distance, but Dawn and Bunduki had their bearings and knew in which general direction to go. Having covered about half a mile and recognizing his surroundings, the blond giant assumed the role as guide. While he was confident that his adoptive cousin could lead them to their destination, he had the advantage of knowing where he had left Joar-Fane and At-Vee. Although Dawn pretended to believe they were lost, she was not in the least surprised when they came in sight of the man and girl they were seeking,

  Looking at the big tree in which he had planned to spend the night with Joar-Fane, Bunduki was relieved to see that she and At-Vee were on the platform which—after the fashion of chimpanzees, gorillas and Mangani—he had constructed on a sturdy fork of the branches.

  Coming to her feet as the blond giant and his adoptive cousin walked forward, the Telonga girl waved. Showing just as much pleasure, the burly hunter also waved and, using his spear for support, he levered himself erect. Catching hold of the vine that Bunduki had cut and left dangling to help her reach the platform, Joar-Fane began to climb down.

  ‘My, my!’ Dawn remarked, studying the other girl and then
turning her gaze towards blond giant, ‘Now I know why you took so long to come and rescue me.’

  There was good cause, if no justification, for the comment.

  Although only five foot three inches in height, Joar-Fane was an exceptionally curvaceous young woman. Nor did her skimpy attire, a brief halter of black and white colobus monkey’s hide and a short skirt made from not over many twisted strands of grass, do anything to conceal the fact. Since Bunduki had last seen her, she had plaited a band from jungle blossoms which held back her long, straight black hair to show off her brown skinned, beautiful Polynesian features.

  On the point of replying to his adoptive cousin’s remark, the blond giant saw something that drove all thought of it from his head. Even as Joar-Fane reached the ground and started to run forward, five shapes appeared from the nearby undergrowth. Covered in coarse brown hair, they had the short-necked, projecting faces of apes. However, while their broad shoulders and heavily muscled arms suggested that they travelled by brachiation, xxxii they ran in an upright posture on legs and feet better suited to bipedal movement at ground level. Far from puny, the largest of them would weigh around three hundred pounds, they lacked the massive bulk of gorillas and were much bigger than full-grown chimpanzees. Not that Bunduki imagined they were members of either species. The pieces of branches or tree roots they carried, some short and thick like clubs and others with a sharpened end to serve as rudimentary spears, supplied him with the clue to their identity.

  There was no doubt about it, the creatures were Mangani.

  To make matters worse, they appeared to be an all-male ‘bachelor’ group. There was sufficient sexual dimorphism xxxiii for the blond giant to be sure that no females were present. Nor in view of the similarity of sizes amongst the quintet, were they likely to be members of a single-family party. Which meant they were young bulls, driven out by their fathers and as yet unable to collect mates of their own. However, Bunduki did not think they were rushing towards Joar-Fane with that in mind. xxxiv They were after food and had similar omnivorous tastes to human beings—with a partiality for eating meat.

  Becoming aware of her peril, Joar-Fane let out a shriek. Instead of running in Bunduki and Dawn’s direction, she swung around with the intention of returning and climbing up the rope. Missing her footing in her haste, she tripped and sprawled to the ground.

  Some thirty yards away, the blond giant watched the leading Mangani raising his thick branch-club in both hands. Bunduki knew that, no matter how fast he ran, he could not reach the girl in time to prevent her attacker delivering what was likely to be a lethal blow.

  Regretfully, the blond giant accepted that there was only one way in which he could handle the situation. On the previous occasion when he had been compelled to confront Mangani, he had been able to use his knowledge of their ways and his training in unarmed combat to assert a physical superiority over them. There was no time for him to try and do so in the present circumstances.

  Yielding to the inevitable, Bunduki let go of the Mun-Gatah spear and shook the shield into its position of readiness. Even as he did so, he rocked back on his heels and swung his right arm to the rear. Forward it whipped, with the quick, almost effeminate-looking twist of the wrist that he had been taught by the melomhuki xxxv Kira-Kangano who had instructed him in the fighting arts of the Masai.

  The m’kuki left the blond giant’s hand. As it flew through the air, the stiffening ridges on either side of the blade caused it to spin like a bullet being driven along the rifling grooves of a firearm. Travelling in a low arc, so swiftly that it made a low whistling noise, the blade took the Mangani just below the right armpit. Such was its velocity that it passed through and spitted the man-ape to the tree’s trunk.

  As agony convulsed the stricken bull-Mangani, he flung aside the club instead of bringing it down on the defenseless girl. Giving a bubbling roar of mortal torment, he wrenched himself free. It was an involuntary gesture. Spinning around with hands closing ineffectually on the m’kuki’s shaft, he toppled lifeless to the ground.

  Much as Bunduki hated the necessity to kill, he knew that the affair was still far from over. At-Vee had flung his spear in a desperate and unavailing attempt to save Joar-Fane. Seeing that it missed, he grabbed hold of the vine to descend. His right ankle was still wrapped in the moss and leaves which the little girl had applied to sooth the pain of the bad sprain he had suffered. Hindered by his injury, he would not be of great assistance in dealing with the remaining Mangani.

  Snatching out his bowie knife, Bunduki went into action. The second and third biggest bulls turned towards him. Realizing that they could only obtain their meal by dealing with the big tar-mangani xxxvi they gave him their full attention. Spreading out, they rushed to meet him. The larger of the pair was moving fastest, as the established protocol of the group demanded, wielding a long and sharp tipped branch as a spear. However, keeping them under observation over the rim of his partially raised shield, the blond giant noticed that the other bull appeared to be finding something of greater interest than him.

  The something was Dawn!

  Like her adoptive cousin, the girl knew that they were faced with a fight which might have to be taken to the death. Seeing what he was doing, she did not hesitate to back him up. She had already dropped the impala’s two haunches and gathered up the Mun-Gatah spear. Despite having learned to throw a spear the same way as Bunduki, she had no intention of attempting to do so with an unfamiliar weapon and after so many years without indulging in regular practice. Instead, she grasped it in the fashion of a soldier carrying a rifle and bayonet at the ‘high port’.

  When Bunduki bounded forward, Dawn charged at his side!

  In his desperate desire to protect Joar-Fane, who was still sprawled face down on the ground, At-Vee was acting rashly. Strong as his arms undoubtedly were, they were not quite equal to the strain that he was putting upon them. Handicapped by his injured ankle, he could not use his legs as an aid to the grip of his fingers. So he found himself descending the vine somewhat more quickly than was his intention. Tightening his grasp, he bent his right leg and alighted on his left foot. He swayed, but thrust out his left hand to support himself against the trunk of the tree.

  Even as the hunter’s right hand began to draw the weapon he carried on a loop at the right side of his belt, he realized that he had made a reckless mistake by coming down in such a fashion. Although Joar-Fane’s treatment and the rest had done a lot of good, his sprained ankle was still not up to strenuous activity. Yet there was likely to be plenty of it in the very near future. Having killed the first of the ‘Hairy Men’, Bunduki was going for the second and Dawn clearly meant to tackle the third. That still left the last pair to contend with. At-Vee did not know if he could do it, but was determined to try. If necessary he meant to sell his life dearly rather than see harm befall the girl he planned to marry.

  Although the blond giant could guess what was diverting the third Mangani’s attention, he did not dare spare so much as a glance to make sure. With the second man-ape closing in so rapidly it was completely out of the question that he should look, or even to try to advise his adoptive cousin against her proposed line of action.

  Snarling savagely as he bounded along, the big bull grasped his rudimentary spear in both fists. With his knuckles pointing upwards, he swung the weapon above his head. However, instead of waiting until he arrived within stabbing range, he hurled it at the approaching tar-Mangani. The attack might lack the skill and precision shown by Bunduki when dealing with Joar-Fane’s would-be murderer, but it was not to be despised nor treated lightly. Propelled by all the power of those massive shoulders and arms, the sharp point of the branch would inflict terrible damage if it came into contact with flesh and bone.

  Watching the enormous creature as he was coming towards her, Dawn did not underrate her peril. Cumbersome as it looked, the thick, knobbly-ended piece of root was anything but harmless; particularly when it was being wielded by the kind of strength the
bull-Mangani clearly possessed. For all that, she continued her advance.

  Letting out an awesome bellow, the young man-ape prepared to deliver his favorite form of attack. He had no way of knowing that Dawn was a female. Nor would he have allowed consideration of her sex to dissuade him from his intention of killing her. To a Mangani, with the possible exception of a she of his own kind, every living creature outside of his immediate circle of acquaintances was an enemy and a potential source of meat. So, gauging the distance with his eyes, he whirled the club in the direction of the girl’s head.

  Like a flash, as his assailant’s weapon was rushing towards him, Bunduki interposed his shield. The branch-spear flew true, but its spike met a convex surface that was capable of stopping or deflecting anything short of a metal-jacketed bullet from a high powered, magnum caliber rifle. Feeling the impact, he sensed rather than saw the missile glance off. Then, keeping the shield held before him, he hurled himself onwards with all the propulsive force his immensely strong legs could supply.

  If the man-ape’s blow had landed, it would have crushed Dawn’s skull like the shell of an egg. However, the club had barely started to move when she swerved to her left. While approaching the Mangani, she had planned her strategy. So as to be ready to put it into effect, she had moved her hands until they were gripping the spear just below its head. Coming to a halt as soon as she was satisfied that her attacker could not hit her, she carried the spear upwards until it pointed above her shoulder and then she pivoted from the waist. Then she reversed direction and struck like the slaughter men in an old time Texas hide and tallow factory using a poleaxe on a longhorn steer. xxxvii

  Taken aback by the way his usually effective tactic of hurling the branch-spear had failed, the man-ape was given no chance to recover. The blond giant crashed into him with the driving force of a battering ram and, for all his weight, knocked him backwards. Even as the Mangani crashed to the ground, Bunduki leapt over him. On landing, the big blond threw a glance in his adoptive cousin’s direction. What he saw assured him that he need have no fears for her welfare.