the land of footprints-第59章

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atteries。　Once　more　McMillan　hit。　Then；　on　the　fourth　〃run；〃　we　gained　perceptibly。　The　beast　was　weakening。　When　he　came　to　a　stumbling　halt　we　were　not　over　a　hundred　yards　from　him；　and　McMillan　easily　brought　him　down。　We　had　chased　him　four　or　five　miles；　and　McMillan　had　fired　nineteen　shots；　of　which　two　had　hit。　The　rifle　practice　throughout　had　been　remarkably　good；　and　a　treat　to　watch。　Personally；　besides　the　fun　of　attending　the　show；　I　got　a　mighty　good　afternoon's　exercise。

We　loaded　the　game　aboard　and　jogged　slowly　back　to　the　house；　for　the　mules　were　pretty　tired。　We　found　a　neighbour；　Mr。　Heatley　of　Kamiti　Ranch　who　had　〃dropped　down〃　twelve　miles　to　see　us。　On　account　of　a　theft　McMillan　now　had　all　the　Somalis　assembled　for　interrogation　on　the　side　verandas。　The　interrogation　did　not　amount　to　much；　but　while　it　was　going　on　the　Sudanese　headman　and　his　askaris　were　quietly　searching　the　boys'　quarters。　After　a　time　they　appeared。　The　suspected　men　had　concealed　nothing；　but　the　searchers　brought　with　them　three　of　McMillan's　shirts　which　they　had　found　among　the　effects　of　another；　and　entirely　unsuspected；　boy　named　Abadie。

〃How　is　this；　Abadie？〃　demanded　McMillan　sternly。

Abadie　hesitated。　Then　he　evidently　reflected　that　there　is　slight　use　in　having　a　deity　unless　one　makes　use　of　him。

〃Bwana；〃　said　he　with　an　engaging　air　of　belief　and　candour；　〃God　must　have　put　them　there！〃

That　evening　we　planned　a　〃general　day〃　for　the　morrow。　We　took　boys　and　buckboards　and　saddle…horses；　beaters；　shotguns；　rifles；　and　revolvers；　and　we　sallied　forth　for　a　grand　and　joyous　time。　The　day　from　a　sporting　standpoint　was　entirely　successful；　the　bag　consisting　of　two　waterbuck；　a　zebra；　a　big　wart…hog；　six　hares；　and　six　grouse。　Personally　I　was　a　little　hazy　and　uncertain。　By　evening　the　fever　had　me；　and　though　I　stayed　at　Juja　for　six　days　longer；　it　was　as　a　patient　to　McMillan's　unfailing　kindness　rather　than　as　a　participant　in　the　life　of　the　farm。



XXVIII。　A　RESIDENCE　AT　JUJA

A　short　time　later；　at　about　middle　of　the　rainy　season；　McMillan　left　for　a　little　fishing　off　Catalina　Island。　The　latter　is　some　fourteen　thousand　miles　of　travel　from　Juja。　Before　leaving　on　this　flying　trip；　McMillan　made　us　a　gorgeous　offer。

〃If；〃　said　he；　〃you　want　to　go　it　alone；　you　can　go　out　and　use　Juja　as　long　as　you　please。〃

This　offer；　or；　rather；　a　portion　of　it；　you　may　be　sure；　we　accepted　promptly。　McMillan　wanted　in　addition　to　leave　us　his　servants；　but　to　this　we　would　not　agree。　Memba　Sasa　and　Mahomet　were；　of　course；　members　of　our　permanent　staff。　In　addition　to　them　we　picked　up　another　house　boy；　named　Leyeye。　He　was　a　Masai。　These　proud　and　aristocratic　savages　rarely　condescend　to　take　service　of　any　sort　except　as　herders；　but　when　they　do　they　prove　to　be　unusually　efficient　and　intelligent。　We　had　also　a　Somali　cook；　and　six　ordinary　bearers　to　do　general　labour。　This　small　safari　we　started　off　afoot　for　Juja。　The　whole　lot　cost　us　about　what　we　would　pay　one　Chinaman　on　the　Pacific　Coast。

Next　day　we　ourselves　drove　out　in　the　mule　buckboard。　The　rains　were　on；　and　the　road　was　very　muddy。　After　the　vital　tropical　fashion　the　grass　was　springing　tall　in　the　natural　meadows　and　on　the　plains　and　the　brief…lived　white　lilies　and　an　abundance　of　ground　flowers　washed　the　slopes　with　colour。　Beneath　the　grass　covering；　the　entire　surface　of　the　ground　was　an　inch　or　so　deep　in　water。　This　was　always　most　surprising；　for；　apparently；　the　whole　country　should　have　been　high　and　dry。　Certainly　its　level　was　that　of　a　plateau　rather　than　a　bottom　land；　so　that　one　seemed　always　to　be　travelling　at　an　elevation。　Nevertheless　walking　or　riding　we　were　continually　splashing；　and　the　only　dry　going　outside　the　occasional　rare　〃islands〃　of　the　slight　undulations　we　found　near　the　very　edge　of　the　bluffs　above　the　rivers。　There　the　drainage　seemed　sufficient　to　carry　off　the　excess。　Elsewhere　the　hardpan　or　bedrock　must　have　been　exceptionally　level　and　near　the　top　of　the　ground。

Nothing　nor　nobody　seemed　to　mind　this　much。　The　game　splashed　around　merrily；　cropping　at　the　tall　grass；　the　natives　slopped　indifferently；　and　we　ourselves　soon　became　so　accustomed　to　two　or　three　inches　of　water　and　wet　feet　that　after　the　first　two　days　we　never　gave　those　phenomena　a　thought。

The　world　above　at　this　season　of　the　year　was　magnificent。　The　African　heavens　are　always　widely　spacious；　but　now　they　seemed　to　have　blown　even　vaster　than　usual。　In　the　sweep　of　the　vision　four　or　five　heavy　black　rainstorms　would　be　trailing　their　skirts　across　an　infinitely　remote　prospect；　between　them　white　piled　scud　clouds　and　cumuli　sailed　like　ships；　and　from　them　reflected　so　brilliant　a　sunlight　and　behind　all　showed　so　dazzling　a　blue　sky　that　the　general　impression　was　of　a　fine　day。　The　rainstorms'　gray　veils　slanted；　tremendous　patches　of　shadow　lay　becalmed　on　the　plains；　bright　sunshine　poured　abundantly　its　warmth　and　yellow　light。

So　brilliant　with　both　direct　and　reflected　light　and　the　values　of　contrast　were　the　heavens；　that　when　one　happened　to　stand　within　one　of　the　great　shadows　it　became　extraordinarily　difficult　to　make　out　game　on　the　plains。　The　pupils　contracted　to　the　brilliancy　overhead。　Often　too；　near　sunset；　the　atmosphere　would　become　suffused　with　a　lurid　saffron　light　that　made　everything　unreal　and　ghastly。　At　such　times　the　game　seemed　puzzled　by　the　unusual　aspect　of　things。　The　zebra　especially　would　bark　and　stamp　and　stand　their　ground；　and　even　come　nearer　out　of　sheer　curiosity。　I　have　thus　been　within　fifty　yards　of　them；　right　out　in　the　open。　At　such　times　it　was　as　though　the　sky；　instead　of　rounding　over　in　the　usual　shape；　had　been　thrust　up　at　the　western　horizon　to　the　same　incredible　height　as　the　zenith。　In　the　space　thus　created　were　piled　great　clouds　through　which　slanted　broad　bands　of　yellow　light　on　a　diminished　world。

It　rained　with　great　suddenness　on　our　devoted　heads；　and　with　a　curious　effect　of　metamorphoslng　the　entire　universe。　One　moment　all　was　clear　and　smiling；　with　the　trifling　exception　of　distant　rain　squalls　that　amounted　to　nothing　in　the　general　scheme。　Then　the　horizon　turned　black；　and　with　incredible　swiftness　the　dark　clouds　materialized　out　of　nothing；　rolled　high　to　the　zenith　like　a　wave；　blotted　out　every　last　vestige　of　brightness。　A　heavy　oppressive　still　darkness　breathed　over　the　earth。　Then　through　the　silence　came　a　faraway　soft　drumming　sound；　barely　to　be　heard。　As　we　bent　our　ears　to　catch　this　it　grew　louder　and　louder；　approaching　at　breakneck　speed　like　a　troop　of　horses。　It　became　a　roar　fairly　terrifying　in　its　mercilessly　continued　crescendo。　At　last　the　deluge　of　rain　burst　actually　as　a　relief。

And　what　a　deluge！　Facing　it　we　found　difficulty　in　breathing。　In　six　seconds　every　stitch　we　wore　was　soaked　through；　and　only　the　notebook；　tobacco；　and　matches　bestowed　craftily　in　the　crown　of　the　cork　helmet　escaped。　The　visible　world　was　dark　and　contracted。　It　seemed　that　nothing　but　rain　could　anywhere　exist；　as　though　this　storm　must　fill　all　space　to　the　horizon　and　beyond。　Then　it　swept　on　and　we　found　ourselves　steaming　in　bright　sunlight。　The　dry　flat　prairie　（if　this　was　the　first　shower　for　some　time）　had　suddenly　become　a　lake　from　the　surface　of　which　projected　bushes　and　clumps　of　grass。　Every　game　trail　had　become　the　water　course　of　a　swiftly　running　brook。

But　most　pleasant　were　the　evenings　at　Juja；　when；　safe　indoors；　we　sat　and　listened　to　the　charge　of　the　storm's　wild　horsemen；　and　the　thunder　of　its　drumming　on　the　tin　roof。　The　onslaughts　were　as　fierce　and　abrupt　as　those　of　Cossacks；　and　swept　by　as　suddenly。　The　roar　died　away　in　the　distance；　and　we　could　then　hear　the　steady　musical　dripping　of　waters。

Pleasant　it　was　also　to　walk　out　from　Juja　in　almost　any　direction。　The　compound；　and　the　buildings　and　trees　within　it；　soon　dwindled　in　the　distances　of　the　great　flat　plain。　Herds　of　game　were　always　in　sight；　grazing；　lying　down；　staring　in　our　direction。　The　animals　were　incredibly　numerous。　Some　days　they　were　fairly　tame；　and　others　exceedingly　wild；　without　any　r