the land of footprints-第14章

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Thus　commanded；　the　boisterous　fun；　the　croon　of　intimate　talk；　the　gently　rising　and　falling　tide　of　melody　fell　to　complete　silence。　Only　remained　the　crackling　of　the　fire　and　the　innumerable　voices　of　the　tropical　night。



VIII。　THE　RIVER　JUNGLE

We　camped　along　this　river　for　several　weeks；　poking　indefinitely　and　happily　around　the　country　in　all　directions　to　see　what　we　could　see。　Generally　we　went　together；　for　neither　B。　nor　myself　had　been　tried　out　as　yet　on　dangerous　game…those　easy　rhinos　hardly　counted…and　I　think　we　both　preferred　to　feel　that　we　had　backing　until　we　knew　what　our　nerves　were　going　to　do　with　us。　Nevertheless；　occasionally；　I　would　take　Memba　Sasa　and　go　out　for　a　little　purposeless　stroll　a　few　miles　up　or　down　river。　Sometimes　we　skirted　the　jungle；　sometimes　we　held　as　near　as　possible　to　the　river's　bank；　sometimes　we　cut　loose　and　rambled　through　the　dry；　crackling　scrub　over　the　low　volcanic　hills　of　the　arid　country　outside。

Nothing　can　equal　the　intense　interest　of　the　most　ordinary　walk　in　Africa。　It　is　the　only　country　I　know　of　where　a　man　is　thoroughly　and　continuously　alive。　Often　when　riding　horseback　with　the　dogs　in　my　California　home　I　have　watched　them　in　envy　of　the　keen；　alert　interest　they　took　in　every　stone；　stick；　and　bush；　in　every　sight；　sound；　and　smell。　With　equal　frequency　I　have　expressed　that　envy；　but　as　something　unattainable　to　a　human　being's　more　phlegmatic　make…up。　In　Africa　one　actually　rises　to　continuous　alertness。　There　are　dozy　moments…except　you　curl　up　in　a　safe　place　for　the　PURPOSE　of　dozing；　again　just　like　the　dog！　Every　bush；　every　hollow；　every　high　tuft　of　grass；　every　deep　shadow　must　be　scrutinized　for　danger。　It　will　not　do　to　pass　carelessly　any　possible　lurking　place。　At　the　same　time　the　sense　of　hearing　must　be　on　guard；　so　that　no　break　of　twig　or　crash　of　bough　can　go　unremarked。　Rhinoceroses　conceal　themselves　most　cannily；　and　have　a　deceitful　habit　of　leaping　from　a　nap　into　their　swiftest　stride。　Cobras　and　puff　adders　are　scarce；　to　be　sure；　but　very　deadly。　Lions　will　generally　give　way；　if　not　shot　at　or　too　closely　pressed；　nevertheless　there　is　always　the　chance　of　cubs　or　too　close　a　surprise。　Buffalo　lurk　daytimes　in　the　deep　thickets；　but　occasionally　a　rogue　bull　lives　where　your　trail　will　lead。　These　things　do　not　happen　often；　but　in　the　long　run　they　surely　do　happen；　and　once　is　quite　enough　provided　the　beast　gets　in。

At　first　this　continual　alertness　and　tension　is　rather　exhausting；　but　after　a　very　short　time　it　becomes　second　nature。　A　sudden　rustle　the　other　side　a　bush　no　longer　brings　you　up　all　standing　with　your　heart　in　your　throat；　but　you　are　aware　of　it；　and　you　are　facing　the　possible　danger　almost　before　your　slower　brain　has　issued　any　orders　to　that　effect。

In　rereading　the　above；　I　am　afraid　that　I　am　conveying　the　idea　that　one　here　walks　under　the　shadow　of　continual　uneasiness。　This　is　not　in　the　least　so。　One　enjoys　the　sun；　and　the　birds　and　the　little　things。　He　cultivates　the　great　leisure　of　mind　that　shall　fill　the　breadth　of　his　outlook　abroad　over　a　newly　wonderful　world。　But　underneath　it　all　is　the　alertness；　the　responsiveness　to　quick　reflexes　of　judgment　and　action；　the　intimate　correlations　to　immediate　environment　which　must　characterize　the　instincts　of　the　higher　animals。　And　it　is　good　to　live　these　things。

Along　the　edge　of　that　river　jungle　were　many　strange　and　beautiful　affairs。　I　could　slip　along　among　the　high　clumps　of　the　thicker　bushes　in　such　a　manner　as　to　be　continually　coming　around　unexpected　bends。　Of　such　maneouvres　are　surprises　made。　The　graceful　red　impalla　were　here　very　abundant。　I　would　come　on　them；　their　heads　up；　their　great　ears　flung　forward；　their　noses　twitching　in　inquiry　of　something　they　suspected　but　could　not　fully　sense。　When　slightly　alarmed　or　suspicious　the　does　always　stood　compactly　in　a　herd；　while　the　bucks　remained　discreetly　in　the　background；　their　beautiful；　branching；　widespread　horns　showing　over　the　backs　of　their　harems。　The　impalla　is；　in　my　opinion；　one　of　the　most　beautiful　and　graceful　of　the　African　bucks；　a　perpetual　delight　to　watch　either　standing　or　running。　These　beasts　are　extraordinarily　agile；　and　have　a　habit　of　breaking　their　ordinary　fast　run　by　unexpectedly　leaping　high　in　the　air。　At　a　distance　they　give　somewhat　the　effect　of　dolphins　at　sea；　only　their　leaps　are　higher　and　more　nearly　perpendicular。　Once　or　twice　I　have　even　seen　one　jump　over　the　back　of　another。　On　another　occasion　we　saw　a　herd　of　twenty…five　or　thirty　cross　a　road　of　which；　evidently；　they　were　a　little　suspicious。　We　could　not　find　a　single　hoof　mark　in　the　dust！　Generally　these　beasts　frequent　thin　brush　country；　but　I　have　three　or　four　times　seen　them　quite　out　in　the　open　flat　plains；　feeding　with　the　hartebeeste　and　zebra。　They　are　about　the　size　of　our　ordinary　deer；　are　delicately　fashioned；　and　can　utter　the　most　incongruously　grotesque　of　noises　by　way　of　calls　or　ordinary　conversation。

The　lack　of　curiosity；　or　the　lack　of　gallantry；　of　the　impalla　bucks　was；　in　my　experience；　quite　characteristic。　They　were　almost　always　the　farthest　in　the　background　and　the　first　away　when　danger　threatened。　The　ladies　could　look　out　for　themselves。　They　had　no　horns　to　save；　and　what　do　the　fool　women　mean　by　showing　so　little　sense；　anyway！　They　deserve　what　they　get！　It　used　to　amuse　me　a　lot　to　observe　the　utter　abandonment　of　all　responsibility　by　these　handsome　gentlemen。　When　it　came　time　to　depart；　they　departed。　Hang　the　girls！　They　trailed　along　after　as　fast　as　they　could。

The　waterbuck…a　fine　large　beast　about　the　size　of　our　caribou；　a　well…conditioned　buck　resembling　in　form　and　attitude　the　finest　of　Landseer's　stags…on　the　other　hand；　had　a　little　more　sense　of　responsibility；　when　he　had　anything　to　do　with　the　sex　at　all。　He　was　hardly　what　you　might　call　a　strictly　domestic　character。　I　have　hunted　through　a　country　for　several　days　at　a　time　without　seeing　a　single　mature　buck　of　this　species；　although　there　were　plenty　of　does；　in　herds　of　ten　to　fifty；　with　a　few　infants　among　them　just　sprouting　horns。　Then　finally；　in　some　small　grassy　valley；　I　would　come　on　the　Men's　Club。　There　they　were；　ten；　twenty；　three　dozen　of　them；　having　the　finest　kind　of　an　untramelled　masculine　time　all　by　themselves。　Generally；　however；　I　will　say　for　them；　they　took　care　of　their　own　peoples。　There　would　quite　likely　be　one　big　old　fellow；　his　harem　of　varying　numbers；　and　the　younger　subordinate　bucks　all　together　in　a　happy　family。　When　some　one　of　the　lot　announced　that　something　was　about；　and　they　had　all　lined　up　to　stare　in　the　suspected　direction；　the　big　buck　was　there　in　the　foreground　of　inquiry。　When　finally　they　made　me　out；　it　was　generally　the　big　buck　who　gave　the　signal。　He　went　first；　to　be　sure；　but　his　going　first　was　evidently　an　act　of　leadership；　and　not　merely　a　disgraceful　desire　to　get　away　before　the　rest　did。

But　the　waterbuck　had　to　yield　in　turn　to　the　plains　gazelles；　especially　to　the　Thompson's　gazelle；　familiarly…and　affectionately…known　as　the　〃Tommy。〃　He　is　a　quaint　little　chap；　standing　only　a　foot　and　a　half　tall　at　the　shoulder；　fawn　colour　on　top；　white　beneath；　with　a　black；　horizontal　stripe　on　his　side；　like　a　chipmunk；　most　lightly　and　gracefully　built。　When　he　was　first　made；　somebody　told　him　that　unless　he　did　something　characteristic；　like　waggling　his　little　tail；　he　was　likely　to　be　mistaken　by　the　undiscriminating　for　his　bigger　cousin；　the　Grant's　gazelle。　He　has　waggled　his　tail　ever　since；　and　so　is　almost　never　mistaken　for　a　Grant's　gazelle；　even　by　the　undiscriminating。　Evidently　his　religion　is　Mohammedan；　for　he　always　has　a　great　many　wives。　He　takes　good　care　of　them；　however。　When　danger　appears；　even　when　danger　threatens；　he　is　the　last　to　leave　the　field。　Here　and　there　he　dashes　frantically；　seeing　that　the　women　and　children　get　off。　And　when　the　herd　tops　the　hill；　Tommy's　little　horns　bring　up　the　rear　of　the　procession。　I　like　Tommy。　He　is　a　cheerful；　gallant；　quaint　little　person；　with　the　air　of　being　quite　satisfied　with　his　own　solution　of　this