the land of footprints-第3章

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ed　chaos　heaved　and　fell。　The　eye　sought　rest　at　the　bounds　usual　to　its　accustomed　world…and　went　on。　There　was　no　roundness　to　the　earth；　no　grateful　curve　to　drop　this　great　fierce　country　beyond　a　healing　horizon　out　of　sight。　The　immensity　of　primal　space　was　in　it；　and　the　simplicity　of　primal　things…rough；　unfinished；　full　of　mystery。　There　was　no　colour。　The　scene　was　done　in　slate　gray；　darkening　to　the　opaque　where　a　tiny　distant　rain　squall　started；　lightening　in　the　nearer　shadows　to　reveal　half…guessed　peaks；　brightening　unexpectedly　into　broad　short　bands　of　misty　gray　light　slanting　from　the　gray　heavens　above　to　the　sombre　tortured　immensity　beneath。　It　was　such　a　thing　as　Gustave　Dore　might　have　imaged　to　serve　as　an　abiding　place　for　the　fierce　chaotic　spirit　of　the　African　wilderness。

I　sat　there　for　some　time　hugging　my　knees；　waiting　for　the　men　to　come。　The　tremendous　landscape　seemed　to　have　been　willed　to　immobility。　The　rain　squalls　forty　miles　or　more　away　did　not　appear　to　shift　their　shadows；　the　rare　slanting　bands　of　light　from　the　clouds　were　as　constant　as　though　they　were　falling　through　cathedral　windows。　But　nearer　at　hand　other　things　were　forward。　The　birds；　thousands　of　them；　were　doing　their　best　to　cheer　things　up。　The　roucoulements　of　doves　rose　from　the　bushes　down　the　face　of　the　cliffs；　the　bell　bird　uttered　his　clear　ringing　note；　the　chime　bird　gave　his　celebrated　imitation　of　a　really　gentlemanly　sixty…horse　power　touring　car　hinting　you　out　of　the　way　with　the　mellowness　of　a　chimed　horn；　the　bottle　bird　poured　gallons　of　guggling　essence　of　happiness　from　his　silver　jug。　From　the　direction　of　camp；　evidently　jumped　by　the　boys；　a　steinbuck　loped　gracefully；　pausing　every　few　minutes　to　look　back；　his　dainty　legs　tense；　his　sensitive　ears　pointed　toward　the　direction　of　disturbance。

And　now；　along　the　face　of　the　cliff；　I　make　out　the　flashing　of　much　movement；　half　glimpsed　through　the　bushes。　Soon　a　fine　old…man　baboon；　his　tail　arched　after　the　dandified　fashion　of　the　baboon　aristocracy　stepped　out；　looked　around；　and　bounded　forward。　Other　old　men　followed　him；　and　then　the　young　men；　and　a　miscellaneous　lot　of　half…grown　youngsters。　The　ladies　brought　up　the　rear；　with　the　babies。　These　rode　their　mothers'　backs；　clinging　desperately　while　they　leaped　along；　for　all　the　world　like　the　pathetic　monkey　〃jockeys〃　one　sees　strapped　to　the　backs　of　big　dogs　in　circuses。　When　they　had　approached　to　within　fifty　yards；　remarked　〃hullo！〃　to　them。　Instantly　they　all　stopped。　Those　in　front　stood　up　on　their　hind　legs；　those　behind　clambered　to　points　of　vantage　on　rocks　and　the　tops　of　small　bushes：　They　all　took　a　good　long　look　at　me。　Then　they　told　me　what　they　thought　about　me　personally；　the　fact　of　my　being　there；　and　the　rude　way　I　had　startled　them。　Their　remarks　were　neither　complimentary　nor　refined。　The　old　men；　in　especial；　got　quite　profane；　and　screamed　excited　billingsgate。　Finally　they　all　stopped　at　once；　dropped　on　all　fours；　and　loped　away；　their　ridiculous　long　tails　curved　in　a　half　arc。　Then　for　the　first　time　I　noticed　that；　under　cover　of　the　insults；　the　women　and　children　had　silently　retired。　Once　more　I　was　left　to　the　familiar　gentle　bird　calls；　and　the　vast　silence　of　the　wilderness　beyond。

The　second　picture；　also；　was　a　view　from　a　height；　but　of　a　totally　different　character。　It　was　also；　perhaps；　more　typical　of　a　greater　part　of　East　Equatorial　Africa。　Four　of　us　were　hunting　lions　with　natives…both　wild　and　tame…and　a　scratch　pack　of　dogs。　More　of　that　later。　We　had　rummaged　around　all　the　morning　without　any　results；　and　now　at　noon　had　climbed　to　the　top　of　a　butte　to　eat　lunch　and　look　abroad。

Our　butte　ran　up　a　gentle　but　accelerating　slope　to　a　peak　of　big　rounded　rocks　and　slabs　sticking　out　boldly　from　the　soil　of　the　hill。　We　made　ourselves　comfortable　each　after　his　fashion。　The　gunbearers　leaned　against　rocks　and　rolled　cigarettes。　The　savages　squatted　on　their　heels；　planting　their　spears　ceremonially　in　front　of　them。　One　of　my　friends　lay　on　his　back；　resting　a　huge　telescope　over　his　crossed　feet。　With　this　he　purposed　seeing　any　lion　that　moved　within　ten　miles。　None　of　the　rest　of　us　could　ever　make　out　anything　through　the　fearsome　weapon。　Therefore；　relieved　from　responsibility　by　the　presence　of　this　Dreadnaught　of　a　'scope；　we　loafed　and　looked　about　us。　This　is　what　we　saw：

Mountains　at　our　backs；　of　course…at　some　distance；　then　plains　in　long　low　swells　like　the　easy　rise　and　fall　of　a　tropical　sea；　wave　after　wave；　and　over　the　edge　of　the　world　beyond　a　distant　horizon。　Here　and　there　on　this　plain；　single　hills　lay　becalmed；　like　ships　at　sea；　some　peaked；　some　cliffed　like　buttes；　some　long　and　low　like　the　hulls　of　battleships。　The　brown　plain　flowed　up　to　wash　their　bases；　liquid　as　the　sea　itself；　its　tides　rising　in　the　coves　of　the　hills；　and　ebbing　in　the　valleys　between。　Near　at　hand；　in　the　middle　distance；　far　away；　these　fleets　of　the　plain　sailed；　until　at　last　hull…down　over　the　horizon　their　topmasts　disappeared。　Above　them　sailed　too　the　phantom　fleet　of　the　clouds；　shot　with　light；　shining　like　silver；　airy　as　racing　yachts；　yet　casting　here　and　there　exaggerated　shadows　below。

The　sky　in　Africa　is　always　very　wide；　greater　than　any　other　skies。　Between　horizon　and　horizon　is　more　space　than　any　other　world　contains。　It　is　as　though　the　cup　of　heaven　had　been　pressed　a　little　flatter；　so　that　while　the　boundaries　have　widened；　the　zenith；　with　its　flaming　sun；　has　come　nearer。　And　yet　that　is　not　a　constant　quantity　either。　I　have　seen　one　edge　of　the　sky　raised　straight　up　a　few　million　miles；　as　though　some　one　had　stuck　poles　under　its　corners；　so　that　the　western　heaven　did　not　curve　cup…wise　over　to　the　horizon　at　all　as　it　did　everywhere　else；　but　rather　formed　the　proscenium　of　a　gigantic　stage。　On　this　stage　they　had　piled　great　heaps　of　saffron　yellow　clouds；　and　struck　shafts　of　yellow　light；　and　filled　the　spaces　with　the　lurid　portent　of　a　storm…while　the　twenty　thousand　foot　mountains　below；　crouched　whipped　and　insignificant　to　the　earth。

We　sat　atop　our　butte　for　an　hour　while　H。　looked　through　his　'scope。　After　the　soft　silent　immensity　of　the　earth；　running　away　to　infinity；　with　its　low　waves；　and　its　scattered　fleet　of　hills；　it　was　with　difficulty　that　we　brought　our　gaze　back　to　details　and　to　things　near　at　hand。　Directly　below　us　we　could　make　out　many　different…hued　specks。　Looking　closely；　we　could　see　that　those　specks　were　game　animals。　They　fed　here　and　there　in　bands　of　from　ten　to　two　hundred；　with　valleys　and　hills　between。　Within　the　radius　of　the　eye　they　moved；　nowhere　crowded　in　big　herds；　but　everywhere　present。　A　band　of　zebras　grazed　the　side　of　one　of　the　earth　waves；　a　group　of　gazelles　walked　on　the　skyline；　a　herd　of　kongoni　rested　in　the　hollow　between。　On　the　next　rise　was　a　similar　grouping；　across　the　valley　a　new　variation。　As　far　as　the　eye　could　strain　its　powers　it　could　make　out　more　and　ever　more　beasts。　I　took　up　my　field　glasses；　and　brought　them　all　to　within　a　sixth　of　the　distance。　After　amusing　myself　for　some　time　in　watching　them；　I　swept　the　glasses　farther　on。　Still　the　same　animals　grazing　on　the　hills　and　in　the　hollows。　I　continued　to　look；　and　to　look　again；　until　even　the　powerful　prismatic　glasses　failed　to　show　things　big　enough　to　distinguish。　At　the　limit　of　extreme　vision　I　could　still　make　out　game；　and　yet　more　game。　And　as　I　took　my　glasses　from　my　eyes；　and　realized　how　small　a　portion　of　this　great　land…sea　I　had　been　able　to　examine；　as　I　looked　away　to　the　ship…hills　hull…down　over　the　horizon；　and　realized　that　over　all　that　extent　fed　the　Game；　the　ever…new　wonder　of　Africa　for　the　hundredth　time　filled　my　mind…the　teeming　fecundity　of　her　bosom。

〃Look　here；〃　said　H。　without　removing　his　eye　from　the　'scope；　〃just　beyond　the　edge　of　that　shadow　to　the　left　of　the　bushes　in　the　donga…I've　been　watching　them　ten　minutes；　and　I　can't　make　'em　out　yet。　They're　either　hyenas　acting　mighty　queer；　or　else　two　lionesses。〃

We　snatched　our　glasses　and　concentrated　on　that　important　detail。

To　catch　the　third　experi