the land of footprints-第48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！


n　times　a　day　the　throat…stopping；　abrupt　crash　and　smash　to　right　or　left　brings　him　up　all　standing；　his　heart　racing；　the　blood　pounding　through　his　veins。　It　is　jumpy　work；　and　is　very　hard　on　the　temper。　In　the　natural　reaction　from　being　startled　into　fits　one　snaps　back　to　profanity。　The　cumulative　effects　of　the　epithets　hurled　after　a　departing　and　inconsiderately　hasty　rhinoceros　may　have　done　something　toward　ruining　the　temper　of　the　species。　It　does　not　matter　whether　or　not　the　individual　beast　proves　dangerous；　he　is　inevitably　most　startling。　I　have　come　in　at　night　with　my　eyes　fairly　aching　from　spying　for　rhinos　during　a　day's　journey　through　high　grass。

And；　as　a　friend　remarked；　rhinos　are　such　a　mussy　death。　One　poor　chap；　killed　while　we　were　away　on　our　first　trip；　could　not　be　moved　from　the　spot　where　he　had　been　trampled。　A　few　shovelfuls　of　earth　over　the　remains　was　all　the　rhinoceros　had　left　possible。

Fortunately；　in　the　thick　stuff　especially；　it　is　often　possible　to　avoid　the　chance　rhinoceros　through　the　warning　given　by　the　rhinoceros　birds。　These　are　birds　about　the　size　of　a　robin　that　accompany　the　beast　everywhere。　They　sit　in　a　row　along　his　back　occupying　themselves　with　ticks　and　a　good　place　to　roost。　Always　they　are　peaceful　and　quiet　until　a　human　being　approaches。　Then　they　flutter　a　few　feet　into　the　air　uttering　a　peculiar　rapid　chattering。　Writers　with　more　sentiment　than　sense　of　proportion　assure　us　that　this　warns　the　rhinoceros　of　approaching　danger！　On　the　contrary；　I　always　looked　at　it　the　other　way。　The　rhinoceros　birds　thereby　warned　ME　of　danger；　and　I　was　duly　thankful。

The　safari　boys　stand　quite　justly　in　a　holy　awe　of　the　rhino。　The　safari　is　strung　out　over　a　mile　or　two　of　country；　as　a　usual　thing；　and　a　downwind　rhino　is　sure　to　pierce　some　part　of　the　line　in　his　rush。　Then　down　go　the　loads　with　a　smash；　and　up　the　nearest　trees　swarm　the　boys。　Usually　their　refuges　are　thorn　trees；　armed；　even　on　the　main　trunk；　with　long　sharp　spikes。　There　is　no　difficulty　in　going　up；　but　the　gingerly　coming　down；　after　all　the　excitement　has　died；　is　a　matter　of　deliberation　and　of　voices　uplifted　in　woe。　Cuninghame　tells　of　an　inadequate　slender　and　springy；　but　solitary；　sapling　into　which　swarmed　half　his　safari　on　the　advent　of　a　rambunctious　rhino。　The　tree　swayed　and　bent　and　cracked　alarmingly；　threatening　to　dump　the　whole　lot　on　the　ground。　At　each　crack　the　boys　yelled。　This　attracted　the　rhinoceros；　which　immediately　charged　the　tree　full　tilt。　He　hit　square；　the　tree　shivered　and　creaked；　the　boys　wound　their　arms　and　legs　around　the　slender　support　and　howled　frantically。　Again　and　again　rhinoceros　drew　back　to　repeat　his　butting　of　that　tree。　By　the　time　Cuninghame　reached　the　spot；　the　tree；　with　its　despairing　burden　of　black　birds；　was　clinging　to　the　soil　by　its　last　remaining　roots。

In　the　Nairobi　Club　I　met　a　gentleman　with　one　arm　gone　at　the　shoulder。　He　told　his　story　in　a　slightly　bored　and　drawling　voice；　picking　his　words　very　carefully；　and　evidently　most　occupied　with　neither　understating　nor　overstating　the　case。　It　seems　he　had　been　out；　and　had　killed　some　sort　of　a　buck。　While　his　men　were　occupied　with　this；　he　strolled　on　alone　to　see　what　he　could　find。　He　found　a　rhinoceros；　that　charged　viciously；　and　into　which　he　emptied　his　gun。

〃When　I　came　to；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　just　coming　on　dusk；　and　the　lions　were　beginning　to　grunt。　My　arm　was　completely　crushed；　and　I　was　badly　bruised　and　knocked　about。　As　near　as　I　could　remember　I　was　fully　ten　miles　from　camp。　A　circle　of　carrion　birds　stood　all　about　me　not　more　than　ten　feet　away；　and　a　great　many　others　were　flapping　over　me　and　fighting　in　the　air。　These　last　were　so　close　that　I　could　feel　the　wind　from　their　wings。　It　was　rawther　gruesome。〃　He　paused　and　thought　a　a　moment；　as　though　weighing　his　words。　〃In　fact；〃　he　added　with　an　air　of　final　conviction；　〃it　was　QUITE　gruesome！〃

The　most　calm　and　imperturbable　rhinoceros　I　ever　saw　was　one　that　made　us　a　call　on　the　Thika　River。　It　was　just　noon；　and　our　boys　were　making　camp　after　a　morning's　march。　The　usual　racket　was　on；　and　the　usual　varied　movement　of　rather　confused　industry。　Suddenly　silence　fell。　We　came　out　of　the　tent　to　see　the　safari　gazing　spellbound　in　one　direction。　There　was　a　rhinoceros　wandering　peaceably　over　the　little　knoll　back　of　camp；　and　headed　exactly　in　our　direction。　While　we　watched；　he　strolled　through　the　edge　of　camp；　descended　the　steep　bank　to　the　river's　edge；　drank；　climbed　the　bank；　strolled　through　camp　again　and　departed　over　the　hill。　To　us　he　paid　not　the　slightest　attention。　It　seems　impossible　to　believe　that　he　neither　scented　nor　saw　any　evidences　of　human　life　in　all　that　populated　flat；　especially　when　one　considers　how　often　these　beasts　will　SEEM　to　become　aware　of　man's　presence　by　telepathy。*　Perhaps　he　was　the　one　exception　to　the　whole　race；　and　was　a　good…natured　rhino。

*Opposing　theories　are　those　of　〃instinct；〃　and　of　slight　causes；　such　a　grasshoppers　leaping　before　the　hunter's　feet；　not　noticed　by　the　man　approaching。


The　babies　are　astonishing　and　amusing　creatures；　with　blunt　noses　on　which　the　horns　are　just　beginning　to　form；　and　with　even　fewer　manners　than　their　parents。　The　mere　fact　of　an　800…pound　baby　does　not　cease　to　be　curious。　They　are　truculent　little　creatures；　and　sometimes　rather　hard　to　avoid　when　they　get　on　the　warpath。　Generally；　as　far　as　my　observation　goes；　the　mother　gives　birth　to　but　one　at　a　time。　There　may　be　occasional　twin　births；　but　I　happen　never　to　have　met　so　interesting　a　family。

Rhinoceroses　are　still　very　numerous…too　numerous。　I　have　seen　as　many　as　fourteen　in　two　hours；　and　probably　could　have　found　as　many　more　if　I　had　been　searching　for　them。　There　is　no　doubt；　however；　that　this　species　must　be　the　first　to　disappear　of　the　larger　African　animals。　His　great　size　combined　with　his　'orrid　'abits　mark　him　for　early　destruction。　No　such　dangerous　lunatic　can　be　allowed　at　large　in　a　settled　country；　nor　in　a　country　where　men　are　travelling　constantly。　The　species　will　probably　be　preserved　in　appropriate　restricted　areas。　It　would　be　a　great　pity　to　have　so　perfect　an　example　of　the　Prehistoric　Pinhead　wiped　out　completely。　Elsewhere　he　will　diminish；　and　finally　disappear。

For　one　thing；　and　for　one　thing　only；　is　the　traveller　indebted　to　the　rhinoceros。　The　beast　is　lazy；　large；　and　has　an　excellent　eye　for　easy　ways　through。　For　this　reason；　as　regards　the　question　of　good　roads；　he　combines　the　excellent　qualities　of　Public　Sentiment；　the　Steam　Roller；　and　the　Expert　Engineer。　Through　thorn　thickets　impenetrable　to　anything　less　armoured　than　a　Dreadnaught　like　himself　he　clears　excellent　paths。　Down　and　out　of　eroded　ravines　with　perpendicular　sides　he　makes　excellent　wide　trails；　tramped　hard；　on　easy　grades；　often　with　zigzags　to　ease　the　slant。　In　some　of　the　high　country　where　the　torrential　rains　wash　hundreds　of　such　gullies　across　the　line　of　march　it　is　hardly　an　exaggeration　to　say　that　travel　would　be　practically　impossible　without　the　rhino　trails　wherewith　to　cross。　Sometimes　the　perpendicular　banks　will　extend　for　miles　without　offering　any　natural　break　down　to　the　stream…bed。　Since　this　is　so　I　respectfully　submit　to　Government　the　following　proposal：

（a）　That　a　limited　number　of　these　beasts　shall　be　licensed　as　Trail　Rhinos；　and　that　all　the　rest　shall　be　killed　from　the　settled　and　regularly　travelled　districts。

（b）　That　these　Trail　Rhinos　shall　be　suitably　hobbled　by　short　steel　chains。

（c）　That　each　Trail　Rhino　shall　carry　painted　conspicuously　on　his　side　his　serial　number。

（d）　That　as　a　further　precaution　for　public　safety　each　Trail　Rhino　shall　carry　firmly　attached　to　his　tail　a　suitable　red　warning　flag。　Thus　the　well…known　habit　of　the　rhinoceros　of　elevating　his　tail　rigidly　when　about　to　charge；　or　when　in　the

act　of　charging；　will　fly　the　flag　as　a　warning　to　travellers。

（e）　That　an　official　shall　be　appointed　to　be　known　as　the　Inspector　of　Rhinos　whose　duty　it　shall　be　to　examine　the　hobbles；　numbers　and　flags　of　all　Trail　Rhinos；　and　to　keep　the　same