the land of footprints-第40章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e；　when　we　came　nearer；　the　〃blackberry　vines〃　proved　to　be　ten　or　twenty　feet　high。　This　was　a　district　of　which　Horne　had　warned　us。　The　natives　herein　were　reported　restless　and　semi…hostile；　and　in　fact　had　never　been　friendly。　They　probably　needed　the　demonstration　most　native　tribes　seem　to　require　before　they　are　content　to　settle　down　and　be　happy。　At　any　rate　safaris　were　not　permitted　in　their　district；　and　we　ourselves　were　allowed　to　go　through　merely　because　we　were　a　large　party；　did　not　intend　to　linger；　and　had　a　good　reputation　with　natives。

It　is　very　curious　how　abruptly；　in　Central　Africa；　one　passes　from　one　condition　to　another；　from　one　tribe　or　race　to　the　next。　Sometimes；　as　in　the　present　case；　it　is　the　traversing　of　a　deep　cation；　at　others　the　simple　crossing　of　a　tiny　brook　is　enough。　Moreover　the　line　of　demarcation　is　clearly　defined；　as　boundaries　elsewhere　are　never　defined　save　in　wartime。

Thus　we　smiled　our　good…bye　to　a　friendly　numerous　people；　descended　a　hill；　and　ascended　another　into　a　deserted　track。　After　a　half　mile　we　came　unexpectedly　on　to　two　men　carrying　each　a　load　of　reeds。　These　they　abandoned　and　fled　up　the　hillside　through　the　jungle；　in　spite　of　our　shouted　assurances。　A　moment　later　they　reappeared　at　some　distance　above　us；　each　with　a　spear　he　had　snatched　from　somewhere；　they　were　unarmed　when　we　first　caught　sight　of　them。　Examined　through　the　glasses　they　proved　to　be　sullen　looking　men；　copper　coloured；　but　broad　across　the　cheekbones；　broad　in　the　forehead；　more　decidedly　of　the　negro　type　than　our　late　hosts。

Aside　from　these　two　men　we　travelled　through　an　apparently　deserted　jungle。　I　suspect；　however；　that　we　were　probably　well　watched；　for　when　we　stopped　for　noon　we　heard　the　gunbearers　beyond　the　screen　of　leaves　talking　to　some　one。　On　learning　from　our　boys　that　these　were　some　of　the　shenzis；　we　told　them　to　bring　the　savages　in　for　a　shauri；　but　in　this　our　men　failed；　nor　could　they　themselves　get　nearer　than　fifty　yards　or　so　to　the　wild　people。　So　until　evening　our　impression　remained　that　of　two　distant　men；　and　the　indistinct　sound　of　voices　behind　a　leafy　screen。

We　made　camp　comparatively　early　in　a　wide　open　space　surrounded　by　low　forest。　Almost　immediately　then　the　savages　commenced　to　drift　in；　very　haughty　and　arrogant。　They　were　fully　armed。　Besides　the　spear　and　decorated　shield；　some　of　them　carried　the　curious　small　grass　spears。　These　are　used　to　stab　upward　from　below；　the　wielder　lying　flat　in　the　grass。　Some　of　these　men　were　fantastically　painted　with　a　groundwork　ochre；　on　which　had　been　drawn　intricate　wavy　designs　on　the　legs；　like　stockings；　and　varied　stripes　across　the　face。　One　particularly　ingenious　individual；　stark　naked；　had　outlined　a　roughly　entire　skeleton！　He　was　a　gruesome　object！　They　stalked　here　and　there　through　the　camp；　looking　at　our　men　and　their　activities　with　a　lofty　and　silent　contempt。

You　may　be　sure　we　had　our　arrangements；　though　they　did　not　appear　on　the　surface。　The　askaris；　or　native　soldiers；　were　posted　here　and　there　with　their　muskets；　the　gunbearers　also　kept　our　spare　weapons　by　them。　The　askaris　could　not　hit　a　barn；　but　they　could　make　a　noise。　The　gunbearers　were　fair　shots。

Of　course　the　chief　and　his　prime　minister　came　in。　They　were　evil…looking　savages。　To　them　we　paid　not　the　slightest　attention；　but　went　about　our　usual　business　as　though　they　did　not　exist。　At　the　end　of　an　hour　they　of　their　own　initiative　greeted　us。　We　did　not　hear　them。　Half　an　hour　later　they　disappeared；　to　return　after　an　interval；　followed　by　a　string　of　young　men　bearing　firewood。　Evidently　our　bearing　had　impressed　them；　as　we　had　intended。　We　then　unbent　far　enough　to　recognize　them；　carried　on　a　formal　conversation　for　a　few　moments；　gave　them　adequate　presents　and　dismissed　them。　Then　we　ordered　the　askaris　to　clear　camp　and　to　keep　it　clear。　No　women　had　appeared。　Even　the　gifts　of　firewood　had　been　carried　by　men；　a　most　unusual　proceeding。

As　soon　as　dark　fell　the　drums　began　roaring　in　the　forest　all　about　our　clearing；　and　the　chanting　to　rise。　We　instructed　our　men　to　shoot　first　and　inquire　afterward；　if　a　shenzi　so　much　as　showed　himself　in　the　clearing。　This　was　not　as　bad　as　it　sounded；　the　shenzi　stood　in　no　immediate　danger。　Then　we　turned　in　to　a　sleep　rather　light　and　broken　by　uncertainty。　I　do　not　think　we　were　in　any　immediate　danger　of　a　considered　attack；　for　these　people　were　not　openly　hostile；　but　there　was　always　a　chance　that　the　savages　might　by　their　drum　pounding　and　dancing　work　themselves　into　a　frenzy。　Then　we　might　have　to　do　a　little　rapid　shooting。　Not　for　one　instant　the　whole　night　long　did　those　misguided　savages　cease　their　howling　and　dancing。　At　any　rate　we　cost　them　a　night's　sleep。

Next　morning　we　took　up　our　march　through　the　deserted　tracks　once　more。　Not　a　sign　of　human　life　did　we　encounter。　About　ten　o'clock　we　climbed　down　a　tremendous　gash　of　a　box　canyon　with　precipitous　cliffs。　From　below　we　looked　back　to　see；　perched　high　against　the　skyline；　the　motionless　figures　of　many　savages　watching　us　from　the　crags。　So　we　had　had　company　after　all；　and　we　had　not　known　it。　This　canyon　proved　to　be　the　boundary　line。　With　the　same　abruptness　we　passed　again　into　friendly　country。

（d）　OUT　THE　OTHER　SIDE

We　left　the　jungle　finally　when　we　turned　on　a　long　angle　away　from　Kenia。　At　first　the　open　country　of　the　foothills　was　closely　cultivated　with　fields　of　rape　and　maize。　We　saw　some　of　the　people　breaking　new　soil　by　means　of　long　pointed　sticks。　The　plowmen　quite　simply　inserted　the　pointed　end　in　the　ground　and　pried。　It　was　very　slow　hard　work。　In　other　fields　the　grain　stood　high　and　good。　From　among　the　stalks；　as　from　a　miniature　jungle；　the　little　naked　totos　stared　out；　and　the　good…natured　women　smiled　at　us。　The　magnificent　peak　of　Kenia　had　now　shaken　itself　free　of　the　forests。　On　its　snow　the　sunrises　and　sunsets　kindled　their　fires。　The　flames　of　grass　fires；　too；　could　plainly　be　made　out；　incredible　distances　away；　and　at　daytime；　through　the　reek；　were　fascinating　suggestions　of　distant　rivers；　plains；　jungles；　and　hills。　You　see；　we　were　still　practically　on　the　wide　slope　of　Kenia's　base；　though　the　peak　was　many　days　away；　and　so　could　look　out　over　wide　country。

The　last　half　day　of　this　we　wandered　literally　in　a　rape　field。　The　stalks　were　quite　above　our　heads；　and　we　could　see　but　a　few　yards　in　any　direction。　In　addition　the　track　had　become　a　footpath　not　over　two　feet　wide。　We　could　occasionally　look　back　to　catch　glimpses　of　a　pack　or　so　bobbing　along　on　a　porter's　head。　From　our　own　path　hundreds　of　other　paths　branched；　we　were　continually　taking　the　wrong　fork　and　moving　back　to　set　the　safari　right　before　it　could　do　likewise。　This　we　did　by　drawing　a　deep　double　line　in　the　earth　across　the　wrong　trail。　Then　we　hustled　on　ahead　to　pioneer　the　way　a　little　farther；　our　difficulties　were　further　complicated　by　the　fact　that　we　had　sent　our　horses　back　to　Nairobi　for　fear　of　the　tsetse　fly；　so　we　could　not　see　out　above　the　corn。　All　we　knew　was　that　we　ought　to　go　down　hill。

At　the　ends　of　some　of　our　false　trails　we　came　upon　fascinating　little　settlements：　groups　of　houses　inside　brush　enclosures；　with　low　wooden　gateways　beneath　which　we　had　to　stoop　to　enter。　Within　were　groups　of　beehive　houses　with　small　naked　children　and　perhaps　an　old　woman　or　old　man　seated　cross…legged　under　a　sort　of　veranda。　From　them　we　obtained　new…and　confusing…　directions。

After　three　o'clock　we　came　finally　out　on　the　edge　of　a　cliff　fifty　or　sixty　feet　high；　below　which　lay　uncultivated　bottom　lands　like　a　great　meadow　and　a　little　meandering　stream。　We　descended　the　cliff；　and　camped　by　the　meandering　stream。

By　this　time　we　were　fairly　tired　from　long　walking　in　the　heat；　and　so　were　content　to　sit　down　under　our　tent…fly　before　our　little　table；　and　let　Mahomet　bring　us　sparklets　and　lime　juice。　Before　us　was　the　flat　of　a　meadow　below　the　cliffs　and　the　cliffs　themselves。　Just　below　the　rise　lay　a　single　patch　of　standing　rape　not　over　two　acres　in　extent；　the　only　sign　of　human　life。　It　was　as　though　thi