the land of footprints-第50章

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ly　by　the　scruff　of　the　neck；　haled　him　to　camp；　and　dumped　him　down　on　Billy。　Billy　constructed　him　a　beautiful　belt　by　sacrificing　part　of　a　kodak　strap　（mine）；　and　tied　him　to　a　chop　box　filled　with　dry　grass。　Thenceforth　this　became　Funny　Face's　castle；　at　home　and　on　the　march。

Within　a　few　hours　his　confidence　in　life　was　restored。　He　accepted　small　articles　of　food　from　our　hands；　eyeing　us　intently；　retired　and　examined　them。　As　they　all　proved　desirable；　he　rapidly　came　to　the　conclusion　that　these　new　large　strange　monkeys；　while　not　so　beautiful　and　agile　as　his　own　people；　were　nevertheless　a　good　sort　after　all。　Therefore　he　took　us　into　his　confidence。　By　next　day　he　was　quite　tame；　would　submit　to　being　picked　up　without　struggling；　and　had　ceased　trying　to　take　an　end　off　our　various　fingers。　In　fact　when　the　finger　was　presented；　he　would　seize　it　in　both　small　black　hands；　convey　it　to　his　mouth；　give　it　several　mild　and　gentle　love…chews；　and　then；　clasping　it　with　all　four　hands；　would　draw　himself　up　like　a　little　athlete　and　seat　himself　upright　on　the　outspread　palm。　Thence　he　would　survey　the　world；　wrinkling　up　his　tiny　brow。

This　chastened　and　scholarly　attitude　of　mind　lasted　for　four　or　five　days。　Then　Funny　Face　concluded　that　he　understood　all　about　it；　had　settled　satisfactorily　to　himself　all　the　problems　of　the　world　and　his　relations　to　it；　and　had　arrived　at　a　good　working　basis　for　life。　Therefore　these　questions　ceased　to　occupy　him。　He　dismissed　them　from　his　mind　completely；　and　gave　himself　over　to　light…hearted　frivolity。

His　disposition　was　flighty　but　full　of　elusive　charm。　You　deprecated　his　lack　of　serious　purpose　in　life；　disapproved　heartily　of　his　irresponsibility；　but　you　fell　to　his　engaging　qualities。　He　was　a　typical　example　of　the　lovable　good…for…naught。　Nothing　retained　his　attention　for　two　consecutive　minutes。　If　he　seized　a　nut　and　started　for　his　chop　box　with　it；　the　chances　were　he　would　drop　it　and　forget　all　about　it　in　the　interest　excited　by　a　crawling　ant　or　the　colour　of　a　flower。　His　elfish　face　was　always　alight　with　the　play　of　emotions　and　of　flashing　changing　interests。　He　was　greatly　given　to　starting　off　on　very　important　errands；　which　he　forgot　before　he　arrived。

In　this　he　contrasted　strangely　with　his　friend　Darwin。　Darwin　was　another　monkey　of　the　same　species；　caught　about　a　week　later。　Darwin's　face　was　sober　and　pondering；　and　his　methods　direct　and　effective。　No　side　excursions　into　the　brilliant　though　evanescent　fields　of　fancy　diverted　him　from　his　ends。　These　were；　generally；　to　get　the　most　and　best　food　and　the　warmest　corner　for　sleep。　When　he　had　acquired　a　nut；　a　kernel　of　corn；　or　a　piece　of　fruit；　he　sat　him　down　and　examined　it　thoroughly　and　conscientiously　and　then；　conscientiously　and　thoroughly；　he　devoured　it。　No　extraneous　interest　could　distract　his　attention；　not　for　a　moment。　That　he　had　sounded　the　seriousness　of　life　is　proved　by　the　fact　that　he　had　observed　and　understood　the　flighty　character　of　Funny　Face。　When　Funny　Face　acquired　a　titbit；　Darwin　took　up　a　hump…backed　position　near　at　hand；　his　bright　little　eyes　fixed　on　his　friend's　activities。　Funny　Face　would　nibble　relishingly　at　his　prune　for　a　moment　or　so；　then　an　altogether　astonishing　butterfly　would　flitter　by　just　overhead。　Funny　Face；　lost　in　ecstasy　would　gaze　skyward　after　the　departing　marvel。　This　was　Darwin's　opportunity。　In　two　hops　he　was　at　Funny　Face's　side。　With　great　deliberation；　but　most　businesslike　directness；　Darwin　disengaged　Funny　Face's　unresisting　fingers　from　the　prune；　seized　it；　and　retired。　Funny　Face　never　knew　it；　his　soul　was　far　away　after　the　blazoned　wonder；　and　when　it　returned；　it　was　not　to　prunes　at　all。　They　were　forgotten；　and　his　wandering　eye　focussed　back　to　a　bright　button　in　the　grass。　Thus　by　strict　attention　to　business　did　Darwin　prosper。

Darwin's　attitude　was　always　serious；　and　his　expression　grave。　When　he　condescended　to　romp　with　Funny　Face　one　could　see　that　it　was　not　for　the　mere　joy　of　sport；　but　for　the　purposes　of　relaxation。　If　offered　a　gift　he　always　examined　it　seriously　before　finally　accepting　it；　turning　it　over　and　over　in　his　hands；　and　considering　it　with　wrinkled　brow。　If　you　offered　anything　to　Funny　Face；　no　matter　what；　he　dashed　up；　seized　it　on　the　fly；　departed　at　speed　uttering　grateful　low　chatterings；　probably　dropped　and　forgot　it　in　the　excitement　of　something　new　before　he　had　even　looked　to　see　what　it　was。

〃These　people；〃　said　Darwin　to　himself；　〃on　the　whole；　and　as　an　average；　seem　to　give　me　appropriate　and　pleasing　gifts。　To　be　sure；　it　is　always　well　to　see　that　they　don't　try　to　bunco　me　with　olive　stones　or　such　worthless　trash；　but　still　I　believe　they　are　worth　cultivating　and　standing　in　with。〃

〃〃It　strikes　me；〃　observed　Funny　Face　to　himself；　〃that　my　adorable　Memsahib　and　my　beloved　bwana　have　been　very　kind　to　me　to…day；　though　I　don't　remember　precisely　how。　But　I　certainly　do　love　them！〃

We　cut　good　sized　holes　on　each　of　the　four　sides　of　their　chop　box　to　afford　them　ventilation　on　the　march。　The　box　was　always　carried　on　one　of　the　safari　boy's　heads：　and　Funny　Face　and　Darwin　gazed　forth　with　great　interest。　It　was　very　amusing　to　see　the　big　negro　striding　jauntily　along　under　his　light　burden；　the　large　brown　winking　eyes　glued　to　two　of　the　apertures。　When　we　arrived　in　camp　and　threw　the　box　cover　open；　they　hopped　forth；　shook　themselves；　examined　their　immediate　surroundings　and　proceeded　to　take　a　little　exercise。　When　anything　alarmed　them；　such　as　the　shadow　of　a　passing　hawk；　they　skittered　madly　up　the　nearest　thing　in　sight…tent　pole；　tree；　or　human　form…　and　scolded　indignantly　or　chittered　in　a　low　tone　according　to　the　degree　of　their　terror。　When　Funny　Face　was　very　young；　indeed；　the　grass　near　camp　caught　fire。　After　the　excitement　was　over　we　found　him　completely　buried　in　the　straw　of　his　box；　crouched；　and　whimpering　like　a　child。　As　he　could　hardly；　at　his　tender　age；　have　had　any　previous　experience　with　fire；　this　instinctive　fear　was　to　me　very　interesting。

The　monkeys　had　only　one　genuine　enemy。　That　was　an　innocent　plush　lion　named　Little　Simba。　It　had　been　given　us　in　joke　before　we　left　California；　we　had　tucked　it　into　an　odd　corner　of　our　trunk；　had　discovered　it　there；　carried　it　on　safari　out　of　sheer　idleness；　and　lo！　it　had　become　an　important　member　of　the　expedition。　Every　morning　Mahomet　or　Yusuf　packed　it…or　rather　him…carefully　away　in　the　tin　box。　Promptly　at　the　end　of　the　day's　march　Little　Simba　was　haled　forth　and　set　in　a　place　of　honour　in　the　centre　of　the　table；　and　reigned　there…or　sometimes　in　a　little　grass　jungle　constructed　by　his　faithful　servitors…until　the　march　was　again　resumed。　His　job　in　life　was　to　look　after　our　hunting　luck。　When　he　failed　to　get　us　what　we　wanted；　he　was　punished；　when　he　procured　us　what　we　desired　he　was　rewarded　by　having　his　tail　sewed　on　afresh；　or　by　being　presented　with　new　black　thread　whiskers；　or　even　a　tiny　blanket　of　Mericani　against　the　cold。　This　last　was　an　especial　favour　for　finally　getting　us　the　greater　kudu。　Naturally　as　we　did　all　this　in　the　spirit　of　an　idle　joke　our　rewards　and　punishments　were　rather　desultory。　To　our　surprise；　however；　we　soon　found　that　our　boys　took　Little　Simba　quite　seriously。　He　was　a　fetish；　a　little　god；　a　power　of　good　or　bad　luck。　We　did　not　appreciate　this　point　until　one　evening；　after　a　rather　disappointing　day；　Mahomet　came　to　us　bearing　Little　Simba　in　his　hand。

〃Bwana；〃　said　he　respectfully；　〃is　it　enough　that　I　shut　Simba　in　the　tin　box；　or　do　you　wish　to　flog　him？〃

On　one　very　disgraceful　occasion；　when　everything　went　wrong；　we　plucked　Little　Simba　from　his　high　throne　and　with　him　made　a　beautiful　drop…kick　out　into　the　tall　grass。　There；　in　a　loud　tone　of　voice；　we　sternly　bade　him　lie　until　the　morrow。　The　camp　was　bung…eyed。　It　is　not　given　to　every　people　to　treat　its　gods　in　such　fashion：　indeed；　in　very　deed；　great　is　the　white　man！　To　be　fair；　having　published　Little　Simba's　disgrace；　we　should　publish　also　Little　Simba's　triumph：　to　tell　how；　at　the　end　of　a　certain　very　lucky　three　m