child of storm-第13章

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asked；　with　a　return　of　cheerfulness；　accepting　the　castigation　in　good
part；　for　he　was　not　one　who　bore　malice。　　〃Oh；　I　am　glad　to　hear　it；
for　now　I　shall　live　to　make　those　cowards　who　fired　the　reeds　sorry
that　they　are　not　dead；　also　to　finish　off　that　wild　beast；　for　I　hit
him；　Macumazahn；　I　hit　him。〃

〃I　don't　know　whether　you　hit　him；　I　know　he　hit　you；〃　I　replied；　as　I
shoved　him　off　the　rock　and　ran　towards　the　tilted　tree　where　I　had　last
seen　Scowl。

Here　I　beheld　another　strange　sight。　　Scowl　was　still　seated　in　the
eagle's　nest　that　he　shared　with　two　nearly　fledged　young　birds；　one　of
which；　having　been　injured；　was　uttering　piteous　cries。　　Nor　did　it　cry
in　vain；　for　its　parents；　which　were　of　that　great　variety　of　kite　that
the　Boers　call　〃lammefange〃；　or　lamb…lifters；　had　just　arrived　to　its
assistance；　and　were　giving　their　new　nestling；　Scowl；　the　best　doing
that　man　ever　received　at　the　beak　and　claws　of　feathered　kind。　　Seen
through　those　rushing　smoke　wreaths；　the　combat　looked　perfectly
titanic；　also　it　was　one　of　the　noisiest　to　which　I　ever　listened；　for　I
don't　know　which　shrieked　the　more　loudly；　the　infuriated　eagles　or
their　victim。

Seeing　how　things　stood；　I　burst　into　a　roar　of　laughter；　and　just　then
Scowl　grabbed　the　leg　of　the　male　bird；　that　was　planted　in　his　breast
while　it　removed　tufts　of　his　wool　with　its　hooked　beak；　and　leapt
boldly　from　the　nest；　which　had　become　too　hot　to　hold　him。　　The　eagle's
outspread　wings　broke　his　fall；　for　they　acted　as　a　parachute；　and　so
did　Umbezi；　upon　whom　he　chanced　to　land。　　Springing　from　the　prostrate
shape　of　the　chief；　who　now　had　a　bruise　in　front　to　match　that　behind；
Scowl；　covered　with　pecks　and　scratches；　ran　like　a　lamp…lighter；
leaving　me　to　collect　my　second　gun；　which　he　had　dropped　at　the　bottom
of　the　tree；　but　fortunately　without　injuring　it。　　The　Kafirs　gave　him
another　name　after　that　encounter；　which　meant
〃He…who…fights…birds…and…gets…the…worst…of…it。〃

Well；　we　escaped　from　the　line　of　the　smoke；　a　dishevelled　trioindeed；
Umbezi　had　nothing　left　on　him　except　his　head　ringand　shouted　for　the
others；　if　perchance　they　had　not　been　trodden　to　death　in　the　rush。　
The　first　to　arrive　was　Saduko；　who　looked　quite　calm　and　untroubled；
but　stared　at　us　in　astonishment；　and　asked　coolly　what　we　had　been
doing　to　get　in　such　a　state。　　I　replied　in　appropriate　language；　and
asked　in　turn　how　he　had　managed　to　remain　so　nicely　dressed。

He　did　not　answer；　but　I　believe　the　truth　was　that　he　had　crept　into　a
large　ant…bear's　holesmall　blame　to　him；　to　be　frank。　　Then　the
remainder　of　our　party　turned　up　one　by　one；　some　of　them　looking　very
blown；　as　though　they　had　run　a　long　way。　　None　were　missing；　except
those　who　had　fired　the　reeds；　and　they　thought　it　well　to　keep　clear
for　a　good　many　hours。　　I　believe　that　afterwards　they　regretted　not
having　taken　a　longer　leave　of　absence；　but　when　they　finally　did　arrive
I　was　in　no　condition　to　note　what　passed　between　them　and　their
outraged　chief。

Being　collected；　the　question　arose　what　we　should　do。　　Of　course；　I
wished　to　return　to　camp　and　get　out　of　this　ill…omened　place　as　soon　as
possible。　　But　I　had　reckoned　without　the　vanity　of　Umbezi。　　Umbezi
stretched　over　the　edge　of　a　sharp　rock；　whither　he　had　been　hoisted　by
the　nose　of　a　buffalo；　and　imagining　himself　to　be　mortally　wounded；　was
one　thing；　but　Umbezi　in　a　borrowed　moocha；　although；　because　of　his
bruises；　he　supported　his　person　with　one　hand　in　front　and　with　the
other　behind；　knowing　his　injuries　to　be　purely　superficial；　was　quite
another。

〃I　am　a　hunter；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　named　'Eater…up…of…Elephants'；〃　and　he
rolled　his　eyes；　looking　about　for　someone　to　contradict　him；　which
nobody　did。　　Indeed；　his　〃praiser；〃　a　thin；　tired…looking　person；　whose
voice　was　worn　out　with　his　previous　exertions；　repeated　in　a　feeble
way：

〃Yes；　Black　One；　'Eater…up…of…Elephants'　is　your　name；
'Lifted…up…by…Buffalo'　is　your　name。〃

〃Be　silent；　idiot；〃　roared　Umbezi。　　〃As　I　said；　I　am　a　hunter；　I　have
wounded　the　wild　beast　that　subsequently　dared　to　assault　me。　　＇As　a
matter　of　fact；　it　was　I；　Allan　Quatermain；　who　had　wounded　it。＇　　I
would　make　it　bite　the　dust；　for　it　cannot　be　far　away。　　Let　us　follow
it。〃

He　glared　round　him；　whereon　his　obsequious　people；　or　one　of　them；
echoed：

〃Yes；　by　all　means　let　us　follow　it；　'Eater…up…of…Elephants。'　
Macumazahn；　the　clever　white　man；　will　show　us　how；　for　where　is　the
buffalo　that　he　fears！〃

Of　course；　after　this　there　was　nothing　else　to　be　done；　so；　having
summoned　the　scratched　Scowl；　who　seemed　to　have　no　heart　in　the
business；　we　started　on　the　spoor　of　the　herd；　which　was　as　easy　to
track　as　a　wagon　road。

〃Never　mind；　Baas；〃　said　Scowl；　〃they　are　two　hours'　march　off　by　now。〃

〃I　hope　so；〃　I　answered；　but；　as　it　happened；　luck　was　against　me；　for
before　we　had　covered　half　a　mile　some　over…zealous　fellow　struck　a
blood　spoor。

I　marched　on　that　spoor　for　twenty　minutes　or　so；　till　we　came　to　a
patch　of　bush　that　sloped　downwards　to　a　river…bed。　　Right　to　this　river
I　followed　it；　till　I　reached　the　edge　of　a　big　pool　that　was　still　full
of　water；　although　the　river　itself　had　gone　dry。　　Here　I　stood　looking
at　the　spoor　and　consulting　with　Saduko　as　to　whether　the　beast　could
have　swum　the　pool；　for　the　tracks　that　went　to　its　very　verge　had
become　confused　and　uncertain。　　Suddenly　our　doubts　were　ended；　since
out　of　a　patch　of　dense　bush　which　we　had　passedfor　it　had　played　the
common　trick　of　doubling　back　on　its　own　spoorappeared　the　buffalo；　a
huge　bull；　that　halted　on　three　legs；　my　bullet　having　broken　one　of　its
thighs。　　As　to　its　identity　there　was　no　doubt；　since　on；　or　rather
from；　its　right　horn；　which　was　cleft　apart　at　the　top；　hung　the　remains
of　Umbezi's　moocha。

〃Oh；　beware；　Inkoosi；〃　cried　Saduko　in　a　frightened　voice。　　_〃It　is　the
buffalo　with　the　cleft　horn！_〃

I　heard　him；　I　saw。　　All　the　scene　in　the　hut　of　Zikali　rose　before
methe　old　dwarf；　his　words；　everything。　　I　lifted　my　rifle　and　fired
at　the　charging　beast；　but　knew　that　the　bullet　glanced　from　its　skull。　
I　threw　down　the　gunfor　the　buffalo　was　right　on　meand　tried　to　jump
aside。

Almost　I　did　so；　but　that　cleft　horn；　to　which　hung　the　remains　of
Umbezi's　moocha；　scooped　me　up　and　hurled　me　off　the　river　bank
backwards　and　sideways　into　the　deep　pool　below。　　As　I　departed　thither
I　saw　Saduko　spring　forward　and　heard　a　shot　fired　that　caused　the　bull
to　collapse　for　a　moment。　　Then　with　a　slow；　sliding　motion　it　followed
me　into　the　pool。

Now　we　were　together；　and　there　was　no　room　for　both；　so　after　a　certain
amount　of　dodging　I　went　under；　as　the　lighter　dog　always　does　in　a
fight。　　That　buffalo　seemed　to　do　everything　to　me　which　a　buffalo　could
do　under　the　circumstances。　　It　tried　to　horn　me；　and　partially
succeeded；　although　I　ducked　at　each　swoop。　　Then　it　struck　me　with　its
nose　and　drove　me　to　the　bottom　of　the　pool；　although　I　got　hold　of　its
lip　and　twisted　it。　　Then　it　calmly　knelt　on　me　and　sank　me　deeper　and
deeper　into　the　mud。　　I　remember　kicking　it　in　the　stomach。　　After　this
I　remember　no　more；　except　a　kind　of　wild　dream　in　which　I　rehearsed　all
the　scene　in　the　dwarf's　hut；　and　his　request　that　when　I　met　the
buffalo　with　the　cleft　horn　in　the　pool　of　a　dried　river；　I　should
remember　that　he　was　nothing　but　a　〃poor　old　Kafir　cheat。〃

After　this　I　saw　my　mother　bending　over　a　little　child　in　my　bed　in　the
old　house　in　Oxfordshire　where　I　was　born；　and　thenblackness！


I　came　to　myself　again　and　saw；　instead　of　my　mother；　the　stately　figure
of　Saduko　bending　over　me　upon　one　side；　and　on　the　other　that　of　Scowl；
the　half…bred　Hottentot；　who　was　weeping；　for　his　hot　tears　fell　upon　my
face。

〃He　is　gone；〃　said　poor　Scowl；　〃that　bewitched　beast　with　the　split　horn
has　killed　him。　　He　is　gone　who　was　the　best　white　man　in　all　South
Africa；　whom　I　loved　better　than　my　father　and　all　my　relatives。〃

〃That　you　might　easily　do；　Bastard；〃　answered　Saduko；　〃seeing　that　you
do　not　know　who　they　are。　　But　he　is　not　gone；　for　the　'Opener…of…Roads'
said　th