From Under A Mango Tree by Alan Fagan

Author:Alan Fagan [Fagan, Alan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quickfox Publishing
Published: 2021-10-09T20:00:00+00:00

31.

‘Hey, don’t be stupid! That thing will bite you in half. Sit.’

Spike and a brown hyena stood their ground like two prize fighters squaring up to each other. The hyena, head lowered, yellow eyes alert, only just visible on the periphery of the firelight, scanned the campsite for the smallest opportunity. Spike guarded his patch, hackles erect, fighting his instinct to attack but, as instructed, did not approach. I sat in my camel chair under a large acacia tree, picking the remnants of Humpy’s stew from my teeth as I watched the two animals sizing each other up.

I knew neither one would cross the line – for the hyena, the campsite was too crowded. They are not shy and, when attracted by a fire, it is commonplace for them to investigate. Usually, they’d circle on the perimeter of the light, where amber and dark begin to blend, hoping to pick up scraps. Spike’s presence presented a setback which, generally, would be ignored, but Spike’s challenge was a threat, and the hyena knew he must face it.

‘Nkosi, the fire is burning low but we cannot do anything until these two have finished their business,’ Humpy said. He picked up a stick and started drawing in the sand.

‘Yes I know,’ I answered. I was more interested in Humpy’s doodling than in my dog’s show of machismo. I called Spike and gripped his collar.

‘Because he growls at us, he thinks he can beat anything,’ Humpy said, and threw two logs onto the fire.

Tiny flames quickly started licking at them and soon a thin spiral of smoke rose. He continued doodling. The hyena retreated into the darkness as the camp lit up and Spike, thinking it was an act of cowardice, tugged on his restraint and growled more fiercely.

‘Ja, that’s true,’ I said. But you know any creature, man or animal, only becomes an accomplished fighter after he loses a fight.’

‘I agree, but not with a hyena and anyway he is already a good fighter,’ he said, finishing his sand drawing of something resembling a cow.

After a few minutes, the pair of yellow eyes reappeared at the edge of the firelight and Spike, now clearly agitated, charged forward in a cloud of dust, growling threateningly, his front legs were stiff and the back ones slightly bent ready to spring. The hyena backed off. He wouldn’t fight Spike on his turf, he would lure him further into the night and fight him on hyena terms. I knew another few metres into the darkness and Spike would be in trouble.

‘Okay, that’s enough for one night. Come here,’ I shouted, knowing my command was stern and he would accept his challenge was over. He reversed one slow step at a time until he reached my chair, bumping into my right leg. A soft growl warned the enemy not to follow. An honourable retreat was often appreciated by both animals, and so a physical encounter seldom followed such an action.

Humpy got up and chased the hyena from the camp, firing a shot from his .

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