CHAPTER XXX.

CHAPTER XXX.

_The wild ass;—difficulty in breaking it;—the heath-fowl’s nest._

We were scarcely up one morning, and had got to work in putting

the last hand to our winding stair-case, when we heard at a distance

two strange peculiar kind of voices, that resembled the howlings

of wild beasts, mixed with hissings and sounds of some creature

at its last gasp, which I was at a loss to explain, and I was

not without uneasiness; our dogs too pricked up their ears, and

seemed to whet their teeth for a sanguinary combat with a dangerous

enemy.

From their looks we judged it prudent to put ourselves in a state

of defence; we loaded our guns and pistols, placed them together

within our castle in the tree, and prepared to repel vigourously

any hostile attack from that quarter. The howlings having ceased

an instant, I descended from our citadel, well armed, and put

on our two faithful guardians their spiked collars and side-guards:

I assembled our cattle about the tree to have them in sight,

and I reascended to look around for the enemy’s approach. Jack

wished they might be lions—I should like, said he, to have a

near view of the king of beasts, and should not be in the least

afraid of him, for lions are deemed generous!

I do not advise you, answered I, to trust the report, though

you may not fear a lion when elevated as you are forty feet above

them: but these are not lions; their roarings are more lengthened,

majestic, and fill all other animals that hear them with fear

and trembling; I do not observe this effect amongst ours.

_Fritz._—I rather surmise they are a troop of jackals, disposed

to avenge the death of their comrades.

_Ernest._—It is not the jackal’s cry: I am more inclined to fear

they are hyenas, whose howling must, one would think, be as frightful

as their looks.

_Francis._—Now I think they are savages come to eat their prisoners

on our island; I wish we could save them, and get a good _Man

Friday_ as Robinson Crusoe did.

Whatever it is, children, let us not yield to fear or imagination;

we are in safety here . . .

At this very instant the howlings were renewed and quite close

to us. Fritz got as near the spot as he could, listened attentively

and with eager looks, then threw down his gun and burst into

a loud laughter, exclaiming: Father, it is our ass—the deserter

comes back to us, chanting the hymn of return: listen! do you

not hear his melodious brayings in all the varieties of the gamut?—We

lent an ear; our doubts ceased, and we felt somewhat mortified

at our premature alarms and preparations of defence against such

an ignoble foe.

I on my part, however, was soon reconciled to the offence against

our pride, since it also insured our safety: and a fresh roar,

in sounds unquestionable, raised loud peals of laughter among

us; and then followed the usual train of jests and mutual banter

at the alarm we had one and all betrayed. Shortly after, we had

the satisfaction of seeing among the trees our old friend Grizzle,

moving towards us leisurely, and stopping now and then to browse;

but to our great joy we perceived in his train one of the same

species of very superior beauty, and when it was nearer I knew

it to be a fine onagra[18] or wild ass, which I conceived a strong

desire to possess, though at the same time aware of the extreme

difficulty there would be in taming and rendering him subject

to the use of man. Some writers who have described it under the

name of the _Œigitai_, (or long-eared horse,) given it by the

Tartars, affirm that the taming it has been ever found absolutely

impracticable; but my mind furnished an idea on the subject which

I was resolved to act on, if I got possession of the handsome

creature. Without delay I descended the ladder with Fritz, desiring

his brothers to keep still; and I consulted my privy-counsellor

on the means of surprising and taking the stranger captive. I

got ready, as soon as possible, a long cord with a running knot,

one end of which I tied fast to the root of a tree; the noose

was kept open with a little stick slightly fixed in the opening

so as to fall of itself on the cord being thrown round the neck

of the animal, whose efforts to escape would draw the knot closer.

I also prepared a piece of bamboo about two feet long, which

I split at the bottom, and tied fast at top, to serve as nippers.

Fritz attentively examined my contrivance, without seeing the use

of it. Prompted by the impatience of youth, he took the ball-sling

and proposed aiming at the wild ass with it, which he said was

the shortest way of proceeding. I declined adopting this Patagonian

method, fearing the attempt might fail, and the beautiful creature

avail itself of its natural velocity to evade us beyond recovery:

I therefore told him my project of catching it in the noose,

which I gave him to manage, as being nimbler and more expert

than myself. The two asses drew nearer and nearer to us. Fritz,

holding in his hand the open noose, moved softly on from behind

the tree where we were concealed, and advanced as far as the

length of the rope allowed him: the onagra was extremely startled

on perceiving a human figure; it sprung some paces backward,

then stopped as if to examine the unknown form; but as Fritz

now remained quite still, the animal resumed its composure and

continued to browse. Soon after he approached the old ass, hoping

that the confidence that would be shown by it, would raise a

similar feeling in the stranger: he held out a handful of oats

mixed with salt; our ass instantly ran up to take its favourite

food, and greedily devoured it; this was quickly perceived by

the other. It drew near, raised its head, breathed strongly and

came up so close, that Fritz, seizing the opportunity, succeeded

in throwing the rope round its neck; but the motion and stroke

so affrighted the beast that it instantly sprang off; it was

soon checked by the cord, which in compressing the neck almost

stopped its breath: it could go no further, and after many exhausting

efforts, it sunk panting for breath upon the ground. I hastened

to loosen the cord and prevent its being strangled. I then quickly

threw our ass’s halter over its head; I fixed the nose in my

split cane, which I secured at the bottom with packthread. Thus

I succeeded in subduing the first alarm of this wild animal,

as farriers shoe a horse for the first time. I wholly removed

the noose that seemed to bring the creature into a dangerous

situation; I fastened the halter with two long ropes to two roots

near us, on the right and left, and let the animal recover itself,

noticing its actions, and devising the best way to tame it in

the completest manner.

The rest of my family had by this time come down from the tree

and beheld the fine creature with admiration, its graceful shape

and well-turned limbs, which placed it so much above the ass,

and nearly raised it to the noble structure of the horse! In

a few moments the onagra got up again, struck furiously with

its foot, and seemed resolved to free itself from all bonds:

but the pain of its nose, which was grasped and violently squeezed

in the bamboo, forced it to lie down again. My eldest son and

I now gently undid the cords, and half led, half dragged it between

two roots closely connected, to which we fastened it afresh so

as to give the least scope for motion, and thus, render its escape

impracticable, whilst it enabled us to approach securely and

examine the valuable capture we had made. We also guarded against

master Grizzle playing truant again, and tied him fast with a

new halter, confining its fore legs with a rope. I then fastened

it and the wild ass side by side, and put before both plenty

of good provender to solace their impatience of captivity.

We had now the additional occupation of training the onagra for

our service or our pleasure as might turn out to be most practicable:

my boys exulted in the idea of riding it, and we repeatedly

congratulated each other on the good fortune which had thus resulted

from the flight of our ass. Yet I did not conceal that we should have

many difficulties to encounter in taming it, though it seemed

very young and not even to have reached its full growth. But

I was inclined to think proper means had not been hitherto adopted,

and that the hunters, almost as savage as the animals themselves,

had not employed sufficient art and patience, being probably

unconscious of the advantages of either. I therefore determined

to resort to all possible measures: I let the nippers remain

on its nose, which appeared to distress him greatly, though we

could plainly perceive their good effect in subduing the creature,

for without them no one could have ventured to approach him;

I took them off however at times when I gave it food, to render

eating easier, and I began, as with the buffalo, by placing a bundle

of sail-cloth on its back to inure it to carry. When accustomed

to the load, I strove to render the beast still by degrees more

docile, by hunger and thirst; and I observed with pleasure that

when it had fasted a little and I supplied it with food, its

look and actions were less wild. I also compelled the animal

to keep erect on its four legs, by drawing the cords closer that

fastened it to the roots, in order to subdue gradually by fatigue

its natural ferocity. The children came in turns to play with

it and scratch its ears gently, which were remarkably tender;

and it was on these I resolved to make my last trial if all other

endeavours failed. For a long time we despaired of success; the

onagra made furious starts and leaps when any of us went near

it, kicked with its hind feet, and even attempted to bite those

who touched it. This obliged me to have recourse to a muzzle,

which I managed with rushes, and put on when it was not feeding.

To avoid being struck by its hind feet, I partially confined

them by fastening them to the fore feet with cords, which however

I left moderately loose, that we might not encroach too much upon

the motion necessary for its health. It was at length familiarized

to this discipline, and was no longer in a rage when we approached,

but grew less impatient daily, and bore to be handled and stroked.

At last we ventured to free it by degrees from its restraints

and to ride it as we had done with the buffalo, still keeping

the fore feet tied; but notwithstanding this precaution and every

preceding means, it proved as fierce and unruly as ever for the

moment. The monkey, who was first put on its back, held on pretty

well by clinging to its mane, from which it was suspended as

often as the onagra furiously reared and plunged; it was therefore

for the present impracticable for either of my sons to get upon

it. The perverse beast baffled all our efforts, and the perilous

task of breaking it was still to be persevered in with terror

and apprehension. In the stable it seemed tolerably quiet and

gentle; but the moment it was in any degree unshackled, it became

wholly ferocious and unmanageable.

I was at length reduced to my last expedient, but not without

much regret, as I resolved, if it did not answer, to restore

the animal to full liberty. I tried to mount the onagra, and

just as in the act of rearing up violently to prevent me, I seized

with my teeth one of the long ears of the enraged creature, and

bit it till it bled; instantly it stood almost erect on its hind

feet, motionless, and as stiff as a stake; it soon lowered itself

by degrees, while I still held its ear between my teeth. Fritz

seized the moment and sprung on its back; Jack, with the help

of his mother, did the same, holding by his brother, who, on

his part, clung to the girth. When both assured me they were

firmly seated, I let go the ear: the onagra made a few springs

less violent than the former, and checked by the cords on its

feet, it gradually submitted, began to trot up and down more

quietly, and ultimately grew so tractable that riding it became

one of our chief pleasures. My lads were soon expert horsemen;

and their horse, though rather long-eared, was very handsome

and well broken in. Thus patience on our parts conquered a serious

difficulty, and gained for us a proud advantage.

In the name of goodness, said my wife to me one evening, after one of

our first essays, where did you learn this strange notion of biting

the animal’s ear? I learned it, replied I, from a horse-breaker

whom I fell in with by chance: he had lived long in America and

carried on the skin-trade with the savages, to whom he took in

exchange various European goods. He employed in these journeys,

half-tamed horses of the southern provinces of that country,

which are caught in snares or with nooses. They are at first

unruly and resist burthens, but as soon as the hunter bites one

of their ears they become mild and submissive; and they become

so docile, that any thing may be done with them. The journey

is continued through forests and over heaths to the dwellings

of the savages; skins are given in barter for the goods brought

them, with which the horses are re-loaded. They set out again

on their return, and are directed by the compass and stars to

the European settlements, where they profitably dispose of their

skins and horses.—Till now I thought this singular mode of taming

a wild beast fabulous, but the young onagra convinces me of the

truth of the accounts I heard. In a few weeks the onagra was

so effectually tamed, that we all could mount it without fear:

I still however kept his two fore legs confined together with

the cord, to moderate the extreme swiftness of its running. In

the room of a bit, I contrived a curb, and with this and a good

bite applied, as wanted, to the ear, it went to right or left

at the will of the rider. Now and then I mounted it myself, and

not without an emotion of pride at my success in subduing an

animal that had been considered by travellers and naturalists

as absolutely beyond the power of man to tame. But how superior

was my gratification in seeing Fritz spring at any time on the

creature’s back and do what he pleased with it, drive along our

avenue like lightning, in depicting to my fond imagination that

even on a desert unknown island, I could qualify my dear children

to re-enter society and become in such respects its ornament!

in beholding their physical strength and native graces unfold

themselves, and these keeping pace with the improvement of their

intelligence and their judgement; and in anticipating that, buried

as they were in a distant retreat, far from the tumult of the

world, and all that excites the passions, their sentiments would

be formed in exact conformity to the paternal feelings of my

heart! I had not lost hope that we should one day return to Europe

in some vessel chance might throw on our coast, or even with

the aid of our pinnace; but I felt at the same time, and my wife

still more, that we should not leave the island without a lively

regret, and I determined to pursue my arrangements as if we were

to close existence on a spot where all around us prospered.

During the training of our horse, which we named _Light-foot_,

a triple brood of our hens had given us a crowd of little feathered

beings; forty of these, at least, were chirping and hopping about

us, to the great satisfaction of my wife, whose zealous care

of them sometimes made me smile. Most women’s hearts are so imbued

with maternal love as to excite in them a fondness for whatever

bears a similitude to infancy. Thus, my admirable partner, far

from complaining of the trouble such a number of young chickens

gave her, took delight in it, and was constantly admiring them;

yet her care and admiration did not prevent her appropriating

a part of them to the table, and sending the remainder in small

colonies to feed and breed in the desert, where we could find

them as they were wanted for our use.

Here, she said, are animals of real utility in a family, far

beyond your monkeys, jackals, and eagles, that do nothing but

eat, and are unfit to be eaten. The buffalo was not found fault

with, because it brought her the provisions, nor the onagra,

on which she liked to see her sons gallop. From the time we had

trained it to this, the rough-paced buffalo that shook us to

pieces was no longer used for riding, but kept entirely for drawing.

This increase of our poultry reminded us of the necessity of

an undertaking we had long thought of, and was not in prudence

to be deferred any longer; this was the building between the

roots of our great tree, covered sheds for all our bipeds and

quadrupeds. The rainy season, which is the winter of these countries,

was drawing near, and to avoid losing most of our stock it was

requisite to shelter it.

We began by forming a kind of roof above the arched roots of

our tree, and employed bamboo canes for the purpose; the longest

and strongest supported the roofing in the place of columns,

the smaller more closely united and composed the roof itself.

I filled up the interstices with moss and clay, and I spread

over the whole a thick coat of tar. By these means I formed a

compact and solid covering, capable of bearing pressure. I then

made a railing round it, which gave the appearance of a pretty

balcony, under which, between the roots, were various stalls

sheltered from rain and sun, that could be easily shut and separated

from each other by means of planks nailed upon the roots; part

of them were calculated to serve as a stable and yard, part as

an eating-room, a store-room, &c., and as a hay-loft to keep

our hay and provisions dry in.

This work was soon completed; but afterwards it was necessary

to fill these places with stores of every kind for our supply

throughout the wet season. In this task we engaged diligently,

and went daily here and there with our cart to collect every

thing useful, and that might give us employment whilst the weather

confined us to the house.

One evening on our return from digging up potatoes, as our cart

loaded with bags, drawn by the buffalo, ass and cow, was gently

rolling along, seeing still a vacant place in the vehicle, I

advised my wife to go home with the two youngest boys whilst

I went round by the wood of oaks with Ernest and Fritz to gather

as many sweet acorns as we could find room for. We had still

some empty sacks. Ernest was accompanied by his monkey, who seldom

left him; and Fritz, horseman like, was on his dear onagra, which

he had appropriated to himself, inasmuch as he had helped to

take and tame it, and indeed because he knew how to manage it

better than his brothers. Ernest was too lazy, and preferred

walking at ease with the monkey on his shoulder, and the more

so because it spared him the trouble of gathering fruit. Jack

was too giddy to be trusted alone on the horse, though he often

got up behind his brother, and Francis still too little to attempt

mounting it. Notwithstanding the onagra was so well broken in

for riding, it continued to be very mettlesome and restive in

the shafts, to which we could not inure it; but occasionally

it submitted to our putting a loaded sack or two on its back;

but we could seldom prevail even in this, without Fritz being

seated in front; he would then take them to the house, and thus

was rendered of some general use.

When we reached the oaks Lightfoot was tied to a bush, and we

set actively to work to gather the acorns that had dropped from

the trees. While all were busily employed, the monkey quitted

its master’s shoulder and skipped unperceived into an adjoining

bush. It had been there some time when we heard on that side

the loud cries of birds and flapping of wings, and this assured

us a sharp conflict was going on betwixt master Knips and the

inhabitants of the bushes. I dispatched Ernest to reconnoitre.

He went stoutly towards the place, and in an instant we heard

him exclaim, Come quickly, father! a fine heath-fowl’s nest full

of eggs; Mr. Knips, as usual, wished to make a meal of them;

the hen and he are fighting for it: come quick, Fritz, and take

her; I am holding greedy-chops as well as I can.

Fritz ran up directly, and in a few moments brought out alive

the male and female heath-fowl, both very beautiful; the cock

finely collar’d, similar to one he had killed on a former occasion,

not without much regret on my part. I was rejoiced at this discovery,

and helped my son to prevent their escape by tying their wings

and feet, and holding them while he returned to the bush for

the eggs. And now Ernest came forward driving the monkey before

him, and carrying his hat with the utmost care: he had stuck

his girdle full of narrow sharp-pointed leaves, in shape like

a knife-blade, which reminded me of the production named sword-grass;

but I did not pay much attention, as I was too busily engaged

in our egg-hunt, and considered his decoration as childishness.

On coming up to me he uncovered his hat, and gave it to me in

a transport of joy, crying out, Here, dear father, here are some

heath-fowl’s eggs; I found them in a nest so well concealed under

these long leaves that I should not have observed them had not

the hen, in defending herself against the monkey, scattered them

about. I am going to take them home, they will please my mother;

and these leaves will so amuse Francis, they are like swords,

and will be the very thing he will like for a play-thing. I applauded

Ernest’s attention to both, and I encouraged him and Fritz to

be thus ever considerate for the absent, so as to prove they

could never be forgotten. The kindnesses conferred on those who

are separated from us have in themselves more merit, and are

more valued, than those which are personally received. It was

now time to think of moving homeward: my two sons filled the

bags with acorns and put them on Lightfoot; Fritz mounted, Ernest

carried the eggs, I took charge of the hen, and we proceeded

to Falcon’s Stream followed by our train-waggon. Our good cattle

were in such complete subjection that it was only necessary to

speak to them. I remarked Ernest often applying his ear to the

hat which held the eggs, as if he thought the little ones were

near coming forth; I listened also, and observed some shells

already broken and the young protruding: we were overjoyed at

our good luck, and Fritz could not refrain from trotting on briskly

to bear the tidings to his dear mother: but he went rather faster

than he intended on setting out: he had taken a handful of the

pointed leaves with him, which he whisked before the ears and

eyes of the onagra, till the animal was frightened, lost all

restraint, and darted forward with him like a shot, hurrying

away bags and rider at such a rate that we soon lost sight of

them. Anxious for his safety, we followed as fast as possible,

though out of sight of him all the way; but on our arrival at

Falcon’s Stream we had the satisfaction of finding him there

in perfect safety. His mother, indeed, had been somewhat alarmed

in seeing him dash in like a thunderbolt, but firmly seated betwixt

the bags on master Lightfoot, who well deserved his name on this

occasion, and who stopped short with wonderful precision at his

stable door. Our first care was to examine the eggs: the female

bird was too frightened and wild to sit upon them: fortunately

we had a hen that was hatching; her eggs were immediately removed,

and the new ones put in their place: the female heath-fowl was

put into the parrot’s cage, and hung up in the room to accustom

it to our society. In less than three days all the chickens were

hatched, they kept close to their foster-mother, and ate greedily

a mixture of sweet acorns bruised in milk, such as we gave our

tame poultry: as they grew up I plucked out the large feathers

of their wings, lest they should naturally take flight; but they

and their real parent gradually became so domesticated, that

they daily accompanied our feathered stock in search of food,

and regularly came back at night to the roost I had prepared

for them, and in which this little new colony of feathered beings

seemed to delight.