the land of footprints-第42章

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s　nose　just　out　of　water；　or　heard　the　snorting　blow　of　a　hippopotamus　coming　up　for　air。　Then　the　thicket　forced　us　inland　again。　We　stepped　very　slowly；　very　alertly；　our　ears　cocked　for　the　faintest　sound；　our　eyes　roving。　Generally；　of　course；　the　creatures　of　the　jungle　saw　us　first。　We　became　aware　of　them　by　a　crash　or　a　rustling　or　a　scamper。　Then　we　stood　stock　listening　with　all　our　ears　for　some　sound　distinguishing　to　the　species。　Thus　I　came　to　recognize　the　queer　barking　note　of　the　bushbuck；　for　example；　and　to　realize　how　profane　and　vulgar　that　and　the　beautiful　creature；　the　impalla；　can　be　when　he　forgets　himself。　As　for　the　rhinoceros；　he　does　not　care　how　much　noise　he　makes；　nor　how　badly　he　scares　you。

Personally；　I　liked　very　well　to　circle　out　in　the　more　open　country　until　about　three　o'clock；　then　to　enter　the　river　jungle　and　work　my　way　slowly　back　toward　camp。　At　that　time　of　day　the　shadows　were　lengthening；　the　birds　and　animals　were　beginning　to　stir　about。　In　the　cooling　nether　world　of　shadow　we　slipped　silently　from　thicket　to　thicket；　from　tree　to　tree；　and　the　jungle　people　fled　from　us；　or　withdrew；　or　gazed　curiously；　or　cursed　us　as　their　dispositions　varied。

While　thus　returning　one　evening　I　saw　my　first　colobus。　He　was　swinging　rapidly　from　one　tree　to　another；　his　long　black　and　white　fur　shining　against　the　sun。　I　wanted　him　very　much；　and　promptly　let　drive　at　him　with　the　405　Winchester。　I　always　carried　this　heavier　weapon　in　the　dense　jungle。　Of　course　I　missed　him；　but　the　roar　of　the　shot　so　surprised　him　that　he　came　to　a　stand。　Memba　Sasa　passed　me　the　Springfield；　and　I　managed　to　get　him　in　the　head。　At　the　shot　another　flashed　into　view；　high　up　in　the　top　of　a　tree。　Again　I　aimed　and　fired。　The　beast　let　go　and　fell　like　a　plummet。　〃Good　shot；〃　said　I　to　myself。　Fifty　feet　down　the　colobus　seized　a　limb　and　went　skipping　away　through　the　branches　as　lively　as　ever。　In　a　moment　he　stopped　to　look　back；　and　by　good　luck　I　landed　him　through　the　body。　When　we　retrieved　him　we　found　that　the　first　shot　had　not　hit　him　at　all！

At　the　time　I　thought　he　must　have　been　frightened　into　falling；　but　many　subsequent　experiences　showed　me　that　this　sheer　let…go…all…holds　drop　is　characteristic　of　the　colobus　and　his　mode　of　progression。　He　rarely；　as　far　as　my　observation　goes；　leaps　out　and　across　as　do　the　ordinary　monkeys；　but　prefers　to　progress　by　a　series　of　slanting　ascents　followed　by　breath…taking　straight　drops　to　lower　levels。　When　closely　pressed　from　beneath；　he　will　go　as　high　as　he　can；　and　will　then　conceal　himself　in　the　thick　leaves。

B。　and　I　procured　our　desired　number　of　colobus　by　taking　advantage　of　this　habit…as　soon　as　we　had　learned　it。　Shooting　the　beasts　with　our　rifles　we　soon　found　to　be　not　only　very　difficult；　but　also　destructive　of　the　skins。　On　the　other　hand；　a　man　could　not；　save　by　sheer　good　fortune；　rely　on　stalking　near　enough　to　use　a　shotgun。　Therefore　we　evolved　a　method　productive　of　the　maximum　noise；　row；　barked　shins；　thorn　wounds；　tumbles；　bruises…and　colobus！　It　was　very　simple。　We　took　about　twenty　boys　into　the　jungle　with　us；　and　as　soon　as　we　caught　sight　of　a　colobus　we　chased　him　madly。　That　was　all　there　was　to　it。

And　yet　this　method；　simple　apparently　to　the　point　of　imbecility；　had　considerable　logic　back　of　it　after　all；　for　after　a　time　somebody　managed　to　get　underneath　that　colobus　when　he　was　at　the　top　of　a　tree。　Then　the　beast　would　hide。

Consider　then　a　tumbling　riotous　mob　careering　through　the　jungle　as　fast　as　the　jungle　would　let　it；　slipping；　stumbling；　falling　flat；　getting　tangled　hopelessly；　disentangling　with　profane　remarks；　falling　behind　and　catching　up　again；　everybody　yelling　and　shrieking。　Ahead　of　us　we　caught　glimpses　of　the　sleek　bounding　black　and　white　creature；　running　up　the　long　slanting　limbs；　and　dropping　like　a　plummet　into　the　lower　branches　of　the　next　tree。　We　white　men　never　could　keep　up　with　the　best　of　our　men　at　this　sort　of　work；　although　in　the　open　country　I　could　hold　them　well　enough。　We　could　see　them　dashing　through　the　thick　cover　at　a　great　rate　of　speed　far　ahead　of　us。　After　an　interval　came　a　great　shout　in　chorus。　By　this　we　knew　that　the　quarry　had　been　definitely　brought　to　a　stand。　Arriving　at　the　spot　we　craned　our　heads　backward；　and　proceeded　to　get　a　crick　in　the　neck　trying　to　make　out　invisible　colobus　in　the　very　tops　of　the　trees　above　us。　For　gaudily　marked　beasts　the　colobus　were　extraordinarily　difficult　to　see。　This　was　in　no　sense　owing　to　any　far…fetched　application　of　protective　colouration；　but　to　the　remarkable　skill　the　animals　possessed　in　concealing　themselves　behind　apparently　the　scantiest　and　most　inadequate　cover。　Fortunately　for　us　our　boys'　ability　to　see　them　was　equally　remarkable。　Indeed；　the　most　difficult　part　of　their　task　was　to　point　the　game　out　to　us。　We　squinted；　and　changed　position；　and　tried　hard　to　follow　directions　eagerly　proffered　by　a　dozen　of　the　men。　Finally　one　of　us　would；　by　the　aid　of　six　power…glasses；　make　out；　or　guess　at　a　small　tuft　of　white　or　black　hair　showing　beyond　the　concealment　of　a　bunch　of　leaves。　We　would　unlimber　the　shotgun　and　send　a　charge　of　BB　into　that　bunch。　Then　down　would　plump　the　game；　to　the　huge　and　vociferous　delight　of　all　the　boys。　Or；　as　occasionally　happened；　the　shot　was　followed　merely　by　a　shower　of　leaves　and　a　chorus　of　expostulations　indicating　that　we　had　mistaken　the　place；　and　had　fired　into　empty　air。

In　this　manner　we　gathered　the　twelve　we　required　between　us。　At　noon　we　sat　under　the　bank；　with　the　tangled　roots　of　trees　above　us；　and　the　smooth　oily　river　slipping　by。　You　may　be　sure　we　always　selected　a　spot　protected　by　very　shoal　water；　for　the　crocodiles　were　numerous。　I　always　shot　these　loathsome　creatures　whenever　I　got　a　chance；　whenever　the　sound　of　a　shot　would　not　alarm　more　valuable　game。　Generally　they　were　to　be　seen　in　midstream；　just　the　tip　of　their　snouts　above　water；　and　extraordinarily　like　anything　but　crocodiles。　Often　it　took　several　close　scrutinies　through　the　glass　to　determine　the　brutes。　This　required　rather　nice　shooting。　More　rarely　we　managed　to　see　them　on　the　banks；　or　only　half　submerged。　In　this　position；　too；　they　were　all　but　undistinguishable　as　living　creatures。　I　think　this　is　perhaps　because　of　their　complete　immobility。　The　creatures　of　the　woods；　standing　quite　still；　are　difficult　enough　to　see；　but　I　have　a　notion　that　the　eye；　unknown　to　itself；　catches　the　sum　total　of　little　flexings　of　the　muscles；　movements　of　the　skin；　winkings；　even　the　play　of　wind　and　light　in　the　hair　of　the　coat；　all　of　which；　while　impossible　of　analysis；　together　relieve　the　appearance　of　dead　inertia。　The　vitality　of　a　creature　like　the　crocodile；　however；　seems　to　have　withdrawn　into　the　inner　recesses　of　its　being。　It　lies　like　a　log　of　wood；　and　for　a　log　of　wood　it　is　mistaken。

Nevertheless　the　crocodile　has　stored　in　it　somewhere　a　fearful　vitality。　The　swiftness　of　its　movements　when　seizing　prey　is　most　astonishing；　a　swirl　of　water；　the　sweep　of　a　powerful　tail；　and　the　unfortunate　victim　has　disappeared。　For　this　reason　it　is　especially　dangerous　to　approach　the　actual　edge　of　any　of　the　great　rivers；　unless　the　water　is　so　shallow　that　the　crocodile　could　not　possibly　approach　under　cover；　as　is　its　cheerful　habit。　We　had　considerable　difficulty　in　impressing　this　elementary　truth　on　our　hill…bred　totos　until　one　day；　hearing　wild　shrieks　from　the　direction　of　the　river；　I　rushed　down　to　find　the　lot　huddled　together　in　the　very　middle　of　a　sand　spit　that…reached　well　out　into　the　stream。　Inquiry　developed　that　while　paddling　in　the　shallows　they　had　been　surprised　by　the　sudden　appearance　of　an　ugly　snout　and　well　drenched　by　the　sweep　of　an　eager　tail。　The　stroke　fortunately　missed。　We　stilled　the　tumult；　sat　down　quietly　to　wait；　and　at　the　end　of　ten　minutes　had　the　satisfaction　of　abating　that　croc。

Generally　we　killed　the　brutes　where　we　found　them　and　allowed　them　to　drift　away　with　the　current。　Occasionally　however　we　wanted　a　piece　of　hide；　and　then　tried　to　retrieve　them。　One　such　occasion　showed　very　vivi