Silence hung over the camp. It was past midnight and everyone in the small camp was asleep. Four pork-knockers made up this camp. They had banded together pooling their resources in order to make this trip to the backdam. When they found gold they would divide it equally. Each man took turn in cooking.The nights were cold and the camp invaded by vicious mosquitoes. There were plenty of snakes and the men had to employ safety measures so as not to be bitten by Labarias or Bush Masters. During some nights mysterious lights could be seen moving around in the jungle.

After a week they found little specks of gold. This served as enormous encouragement and they redoubled their efforts. It was back breaking work. They worked ten to twelve hours each day. At the end of the day they were all exhausted. The individual cooking for that day would leave a few hours early and begin preparing meals.
The miners were armed with basic equipment. Batels, pickaxes, crimnels (spades), axes and cutlasses. Each day they would go out and test gravel, each day the results were more encouraging. Their camp was far away from any large mining operation so they did not visit the shops or prostitutes.
From within the small camp came an assortment of rumbling sounds. It was as if an old failing generator was trying to outdo a labouring chain saw. No one would believe that the commotion erupting from the shelter was the sound of tired men snoring.
George pushed aside the flap of the tent and hustled outside. His bowels were acting up. He headed for a clump of bushes away from the camp. In the middle of his motion George looked up and found himself staring at a deer; meat. There was just one problem-he did not have a gun.
He sighed and looked longingly at the animal. Out of sheer frustration he pointed his index finger at the animal and pretended to shoot it.
“Bang!”
The animal jumped and looked sharply at him. He saw an odd flash in its eyes and the colour of the animal began to change. George forgot about bowel motion and ran back to the tent.
Next morning George fell sick. The others went out as usual. When they returned their friend was in a worse state than they had left him. What caused them alarm was the fact that he had started passing blood in his urine. They broke camp and headed for the nearest hospital.
George was examined by the doctor who could find nothing wrong with him. He kept getting worse. His family and friends feared that he would die soon. One night George got a very peculiar dream.
He was in the backdam prospecting. As he worked he noticed some kind of movement in the bush. He paused and looked keenly at the spot. Sure enough, from the thick vegetation came a young deer. What was fascinating about this was that it was the same animal he had seen that night and this time it was speaking to George.
“Why you want to kill me?”
George was lost for words.
“Yo eyes pass Kamina!”
Then it was gone.
George told his friends about his dream and about the night he first saw the deer.
They in turn contacted an elder of an indigenous tribe and asked for help.
“He frightened the spirit. That’s why he is dying.”
“How can we save him?”
“Take him back to the place he first met the deer. I’ll go with you.”
The next day the party set out for the backdam. George had to be carried most of the way. It took them three days to return to the location of their camp. The elder went into the jungle and returned with some herbs.
“Take a bath in the river then rub down with these herbs.”
George did so with the help of his friends. The herbs were pleasant smelling causing George to feel in a peaceful frame of mind. The sick man went off by himself and waited near the same spot where he had seen the deer. Night fell and the wait continued. Mosquitoes tormented him but he tried to stay focused. There was something he just had to do in order to survive.
Crack! Swish!
Something was moving around out there.
George prayed that it was not a hungry jaguar or he would become dinner. He did not have the strength to escape an attack.
From the thick bushes the deer emerged sniffing the air cautiously. It seemed to like what it smelt so it approached the invalid.
George forced himself to sit upright and looked into the same two eyes he had seen that night.
“Please forgive me for not respecting you. I am very sorry. I promise never to do anything like that again.”
The animal looked long and hard into his eyes then there was softness in its eyes.
Nodding it turned and melted into the jungle. George’s relief was immediate. It was as if he was breathing fresh oxygen and a tremendous weight had been lifted from his body. The happy father of three burst into tears of joy.
Back at the camp the news was received with relief.
“Let’s continue where we left off”.
George stared in disbelief at Stephen. They all turned to look at George and knew right away what his answer was.
“NO WAY!”
“No more bush for me.”

(By Neil Primus)