the land of footprints-第58章

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　and　slept　with　their　horses。

Just　outside　the　courtyard　of　the　stables　a　little　barred　window　had　been　cut　through。　Near　this　were　congregated　a　number　of　Kikuyu　savages　wrapped　in　their　blankets；　receiving　each　in　turn　a　portion　of　cracked　corn　from　a　dusty　white　man　behind　the　bars。　They　were　a　solemn；　unsmiling；　strange　type　of　savage；　and　they　performed　all　the　manual　work　within　the　enclosure；　squatting　on　their　heels　and　pulling　methodically　but　slowly　at　the　weeds；　digging　with　their　pangas；　carrying　loads：　to　and　fro；　or　solemnly　pushing　a　lawn　mower；　blankets　wrapped　shamelessly　about　their　necks。　They　were　harried　about　by　a　red…faced　beefy　English　gardener　with　a　marvellous　vocabulary　of　several　native　languages　and　a　short　hippo…hide　whip。　He　talked　himself　absolutely　purple　in　the　face　without；　as　far　as　my　observation　went；　penetrating　an　inch　below　the　surface。　The　Kikuyus　went　right　on　doing　what　they　were　already　doing　in　exactly　the　same　manner。　Probably　the　purple　Englishman　was　satisfied　with　that；　but　I　am　sure　apoplexy　of　either　the　heat　or　thundering　variety　has　him　by　now。

Before　the　store　building　squatted　another　group　of　savages。　Perhaps　in　time　one　of　the　lot　expected　to　buy　something；　or　possibly　they　just　sat。　Nobody　but　a　storekeeper　would　ever　have　time　to　find　out。　Such　is　the　native　way。　The　storekeeper　in　this　case　was　named　John。　Besides　being　storekeeper；　he　had　charge　of　the　issuing　of　all　the　house　supplies；　and　those　for　the　white　men's　mess；　he　must　do　all　the　worrying　about　the　upper　class　natives；　he　must　occasionally　kill　a　buck　for　the　meat　supply；　and　he　must　be　prepared　to　take　out　any　stray　tenderfeet　that　happen　along　during　McMillan's　absence；　and　persuade　them　that　they　are　mighty　hunters。　His　domain　was　a　fascinating　place；　for　it　contained　everything　from　pianola　parts　to　patent　washstands。　The　next　best　equipped　place　of　the　kind　I　know　of　is　the　property　room　of　a　moving　picture　company。

We　went　to　mail　a　letter；　and　found　the　postmaster　to　be　a　gentle…voiced；　polite　little　Hindu；　who　greeted　us　smilingly；　and　attempted　to　conceal　a　work　of　art。　We　insisted；　whereupon　he　deprecatingly　drew　forth　a　copy　of　a　newspaper　cartoon　having　to　do　with　Colonel　Roosevelt's　visit。　It　was　copied　with　mathematical　exactness；　and　highly　coloured　in　a　manner　to　throw　into　profound　melancholy　the　chauffeur　of　a　coloured　supplement　press。　We　admired　and　praised；　whereupon；　still　shyly；　he　produced　more；　and　yet　again　more　copies　of　the　same　cartoon。　When　we　left；　he　was　reseating　himself　to　the　painstaking　valueless　labour　with　which　he　filled　his　days。　Three　times　a　week　such　mail　as　Juja　gets　comes　in　via　native　runner。　We　saw　the　latter；　a　splendid　figure；　almost　naked；　loping　easily；　his　little　bundle　held　before　him。

Down　past　the　office　and　dispensary　we　strolled；　by　the　comfortable；　airy；　white　man's　clubhouse。　The　headman　of　the　native　population　passed　us　with　a　dignified　salute；　a　fine　upstanding　deep…chested　man；　with　a　lofty　air　of　fierce　pride。　He　and　his　handful　of　soldiers　alone　of　the　natives；　except　the　Somalis　and　syces；　dwelt　within　the　compound　in　a　group　of　huts　near　the　gate。　There　when　off　duty　they　might　be　seen　polishing　their　arms；　or　chatting　with　their　women。　The　latter　were　ladies　of　leisure；　with　wonderful　chignons；　much　jewelery；　and　patterned　Mericani　wrapped　gracefully　about　their　pretty　figures。

By　the　time　we　had　seen　all　these　things　it　was　noon。　We　ate　lunch。　The　various　members　of　the　party　decided　to　do　various　things。　I　elected　to　go　out　with　McMillan　while　he　killed　a　wildebeeste；　and　I　am　very　glad　I　did。　It　was　a　most　astonishing　performance。

You　must　imagine　us　driving　out　the　gate　in　a　buckboard　behind　four　small　but　lively　white　Abyssinian　mules。　In　the　front　seat　were　Michael；　the　Hottentot　driver；　and　McMillan's　Somali　gunbearer。　In　the　rear　seat　were　McMillan　and　myself；　while　a　small　black　syce　perched　precariously　behind。　Our　rifles　rested　in　a　sling　before　us。　So　we　jogged　out　on　the　road　to　Long　Juju；　examining　with　a　critical　eye　the　herds　of　game　to　right　and　left　of　us。　The　latter　examined　us；　apparently；　with　an　eye　as　critical。　Finally；　in　a　herd　of　zebra；　we　espied　a　lone　wildebeeste。

The　wildebeeste　is　the　Jekyll　and　Hyde　of　the　animal　kingdom。　His　usual　and　familiar　habit　is　that　of　a　heavy；　sluggish　animal；　like　our　vanished　bison。　He　stands　solid　and　inert；　his　head　down；　he　plods　slowly　forward　in　single　file；　his　horns　swinging；　each　foot　planted　deliberately。　In　short；　he　is　the　personification　of　dignity；　solid　respectability；　gravity　of　demeanour。　But　then　all　of　a　sudden；　at　any　small　interruption；　he　becomes　the　giddiest　of　created　beings。　Up　goes　his　head　and　tail；　he　buck　jumps；　cavorts；　gambols；　kicks　up　his　heels；　bounds　stiff…legged；　and　generally　performs　like　an　irresponsible　infant。　To　see　a　whole　herd　at　once　of　these　grave　and　reverend　seigneurs　suddenly　blow　up　into　such　light…headed　capers　goes　far　to　destroy　one's　faith　in　the　stability　of　institutions。

Also　the　wildebeeste　is　not　misnamed。　He　is　a　conservative；　and　he　sees　no　particular　reason　for　allowing　his　curiosity　to　interfere　with　his　preconceived　beliefs。　The　latter　are　distrustful。　Therefore　he　and　his　females　and　his　young…I　should　say　small…depart　when　one　is　yet　far　away。　I　say　small；　because　I　do　not　believe　that　any　wildebeeste　is　ever　young。　They　do　not　resemble　calves；　but　are　exact　replicas　of　the　big　ones；　just　as　Niobe's　daughters　are　in　nothing　childlike；　but　merely　smaller　women。

When　we　caught　sight　of　this　lone　wildebeeste　among　the　zebra；　I　naturally　expected　that　we　would　pull　up　the　buckboard；　descend；　and　approach　to　within　some　sort　of　long　range。　Then　we　would　open　fire。　Barring　luck；　the　wildebeeste　would　thereupon　depart　〃wilder　and　beestier　than　ever；〃　as　John　McCutcheon　has　it。　Not　at　all！　Michael；　the　Hottentot；　turned　the　buckboard　off　the　road；　headed　toward　the　distant　quarry；　and　charged　at　full　speed！　Over　stones　we　went　that　sent　us　feet　into　the　air；　down　and　out　of　shallow　gullies　that　seemed　as　though　they　would　jerk　the　pole　from　the　vehicle　with　a　grand　rattlety…bang；　every　one　hanging　on　for　his　life。　I　was　entirely　occupied　with　the　state　of　my　spinal　column　and　the　retention　of　my　teeth；　but　McMillan　must　have　been　keeping　his　eye　on　the　game。　One　peculiarity　of　the　wildebeeste　is　that　he　cannot　see　behind　him；　and　another　is　that　he　is　curious。　It　would　not　require　a　very　large　bump　of　curiosity；　however；　to　cause　any　animal　to　wonder　what　all　the　row　was　about。　There　could　be　no　doubt　that　this　animal　would　sooner　or　later　stop　for　an　instant　to　look　for　the　purpose　of　seeing　what　was　up　in　jungleland；　and　just　before　doing　so　he　would；　for　a　few　steps；　slow　down　from　a　gallop　to　a　trot。　McMillan　was　watching　for　this　symptom。

〃Now！〃　he　yelled；　when　he　saw　it。

Instantly　Michael　threw　his　weight　into　the　right　rein　and　against　the　brake。　We　swerved　so　violently　to　the　right　and　stopped　so　suddenly　that　I　nearly　landed　on　the　broad　prairies。　The　manoeuvre　fetched　us　up　broadside。　The　small　black　syce…and　heaven　knows　how　HE　had　managed　to　hang　on…darted　to　the　heads　of　the　leading　mules。　At　the　same　moment　the　wildebeeste　turned；　and　stopped；　but　even　before　he　had　swung　his　head；　McMillan　had　fired。　It　was　extraordinarily　good；　quick　work；　the　way　he　picked　up　the　long　range　from　the　spurts　of　dust　where　the　bullets　hit。　At　the　third　or　fourth　shots　he　landed　one。　Immediately　the　beast　was　off　again　at　a　tearing　run　pursued　by　a　rapid　fusillade　from　the　remaining　shots。　Then　with　a　violent　jerk　and　a　wild　yell　we　were　off　again。

This　time；　since　the　animal　was　wounded；　he　made　for　rougher　country。　And　everywhere　that　wildebeeste　went　we　too　were　sure　to　go。　We　hit　or　shaved　boulders　that　ought　to　have　smashed　a　wheel；　we　tore　through　thick　brush　regardless。　Twice　we　charged　unhesitatingly　over　apparent　precipices。　I　do　not　know　the　name　of　the　manufacturer　of　the　buckboard。　If　I　did；　I　should　certainly　recommend　it　here。　Twice　more　we　swerved　to　our　broadside　and　cut　loose　the　port　batteries。　Once　more　McMillan　hit。　Then；　on　the　fourth　〃run；〃　we　gained　perceptibly。　The　beast　was　we