the land of footprints-第13节

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an　bucks；　a　perpetual　delight　to　watch　either　standing　or　running。　These　beasts　are　extraordinarily　agile；　and　have　a　habit　of　breaking　their　ordinary　fast　run　by　unexpectedly　leaping　high　in　the　air。　At　a　distance　they　give　somewhat　the　effect　of　dolphins　at　sea；　only　their　leaps　are　higher　and　more　nearly　perpendicular。　Once　or　twice　I　have　even　seen　one　jump　over　the　back　of　another。　On　another　occasion　we　saw　a　herd　of　twenty…five　or　thirty　cross　a　road　of　which；　evidently；　they　were　a　little　suspicious。　We　could　not　find　a　single　hoof　mark　in　the　dust！　Generally　these　beasts　frequent　thin　brush　country；　but　I　have　three　or　four　times　seen　them　quite　out　in　the　open　flat　plains；　feeding　with　the　hartebeeste　and　zebra。　They　are　about　the　size　of　our　ordinary　deer；　are　delicately　fashioned；　and　can　utter　the　most　incongruously　grotesque　of　noises　by　way　of　calls　or　ordinary　conversation。

The　lack　of　curiosity；　or　the　lack　of　gallantry；　of　the　impalla　bucks　was；　in　my　experience；　quite　characteristic。　They　were　almost　always　the　farthest　in　the　background　and　the　first　away　when　danger　threatened。　The　ladies　could　look　out　for　themselves。　They　had　no　horns　to　save；　and　what　do　the　fool　women　mean　by　showing　so　little　sense；　anyway！　They　deserve　what　they　get！　It　used　to　amuse　me　a　lot　to　observe　the　utter　abandonment　of　all　responsibility　by　these　handsome　gentlemen。　When　it　came　time　to　depart；　they　departed。　Hang　the　girls！　They　trailed　along　after　as　fast　as　they　could。

The　waterbuck…a　fine　large　beast　about　the　size　of　our　caribou；　a　well…conditioned　buck　resembling　in　form　and　attitude　the　finest　of　Landseer's　stags…on　the　other　hand；　had　a　little　more　sense　of　responsibility；　when　he　had　anything　to　do　with　the　sex　at　all。　He　was　hardly　what　you　might　call　a　strictly　domestic　character。　I　have　hunted　through　a　country　for　several　days　at　a　time　without　seeing　a　single　mature　buck　of　this　species；　although　there　were　plenty　of　does；　in　herds　of　ten　to　fifty；　with　a　few　infants　among　them　just　sprouting　horns。　Then　finally；　in　some　small　grassy　valley；　I　would　come　on　the　Men's　Club。　There　they　were；　ten；　twenty；　three　dozen　of　them；　having　the　finest　kind　of　an　untramelled　masculine　time　all　by　themselves。　Generally；　however；　I　will　say　for　them；　they　took　care　of　their　own　peoples。　There　would　quite　likely　be　one　big　old　fellow；　his　harem　of　varying　numbers；　and　the　younger　subordinate　bucks　all　together　in　a　happy　family。　When　some　one　of　the　lot　announced　that　something　was　about；　and　they　had　all　lined　up　to　stare　in　the　suspected　direction；　the　big　buck　was　there　in　the　foreground　of　inquiry。　When　finally　they　made　me　out；　it　was　generally　the　big　buck　who　gave　the　signal。　He　went　first；　to　be　sure；　but　his　going　first　was　evidently　an　act　of　leadership；　and　not　merely　a　disgraceful　desire　to　get　away　before　the　rest　did。

But　the　waterbuck　had　to　yield　in　turn　to　the　plains　gazelles；　especially　to　the　Thompson's　gazelle；　familiarly…and　affectionately…known　as　the　〃Tommy。〃　He　is　a　quaint　little　chap；　standing　only　a　foot　and　a　half　tall　at　the　shoulder；　fawn　colour　on　top；　white　beneath；　with　a　black；　horizontal　stripe　on　his　side；　like　a　chipmunk；　most　lightly　and　gracefully　built。　When　he　was　first　made；　somebody　told　him　that　unless　he　did　something　characteristic；　like　waggling　his　little　tail；　he　was　likely　to　be　mistaken　by　the　undiscriminating　for　his　bigger　cousin；　the　Grant's　gazelle。　He　has　waggled　his　tail　ever　since；　and　so　is　almost　never　mistaken　for　a　Grant's　gazelle；　even　by　the　undiscriminating。　Evidently　his　religion　is　Mohammedan；　for　he　always　has　a　great　many　wives。　He　takes　good　care　of　them；　however。　When　danger　appears；　even　when　danger　threatens；　he　is　the　last　to　leave　the　field。　Here　and　there　he　dashes　frantically；　seeing　that　the　women　and　children　get　off。　And　when　the　herd　tops　the　hill；　Tommy's　little　horns　bring　up　the　rear　of　the　procession。　I　like　Tommy。　He　is　a　cheerful；　gallant；　quaint　little　person；　with　the　air　of　being　quite　satisfied　with　his　own　solution　of　this　complicated　world。

Among　the　low　brush　at　the　edge　of　the　river　jungle　dwelt　also　the　dik…dik；　the　tiniest　miniature　of　a　deer　you　could　possibly　imagine。　His　legs　are　lead　pencil　size；　he　stands　only　about　nine　inches　tall；　he　weighs　from　five　to　ten　pounds；　and　yet　he　is　a　perfect　little　antelope；　horns　and　all。　I　used　to　see　him　singly　or　in　pairs　standing　quite　motionless　and　all　but　invisible　in　the　shade　of　bushes；　or　leaping　suddenly　to　his　feet　and　scurrying　away　like　mad　through　the　dry　grass。　His　personal　opinion　of　me　was　generally　expressed　in　a　loud　clear　whistle。　But　then　nobody　in　this　strange　country　talks　the　language　you　would　naturally　expect　him　to　talk！　Zebra　bark；　hyenas　laugh；　impallas　grunt；　ostriches　boom　like　drums；　leopards　utter　a　plaintive　sigh；　hornbills　cry　like　a　stage　child；　bushbucks　sound　like　a　cross　between　a　dog　and　a　squawky　toy…and　so　on。　There　is　only　one　safe　rule　of　the　novice　in　Africa：　NEVER　BELIEVE　A　WORD　THE　JUNGLE　AND　VELDT　PEOPLE　TELL　YOU。

These　two…the　impalla　and　the　waterbuck…were　the　principal　buck　we　would　see　close　to　the　river。　Occasionally；　however；　we　came　on　a　few　oryx；　down　for　a　drink；　beautiful　big　antelope；　with　white　and　black　faces；　roached　manes；　and　straight；　nearly　parallel；　rapier　horns　upward　of　three　feet　long。　A　herd　of　these　creatures；　the　light　gleaming　on　their　weapons；　held　all　at　the　same　slant；　was　like　a　regiment　of　bayonets　in　the　sun。　And　there　were　also　the　rhinoceroses　to　be　carefully　espied　and　avoided。　They　lay　obliterated　beneath　the　shade　of　bushes；　and　arose　with　a　mighty　blow…off　of　steam。　Whereupon　we　withdrew　silently；　for　we　wanted　to　shoot　no　more　rhinos；　unless　we　had　to。

Beneath　all　these　obvious　and　startling　things；　a　thousand　other　interesting　matters　were　afoot。　In　the　mass　and　texture　of　the　jungle　grew　many　strange　trees　and　shrubs。　One　most　scrubby；　fat　and　leafless　tree；　looking　as　though　it　were　just　about　to　give　up　a　discouraged　existence；　surprised　us　by　putting　forth；　apparently　directly　from　its　bloated　wood；　the　most　wonderful　red　blossoms。　Another　otherwise　self…respecting　tree　hung　itself　all　over　with　plump　bologna　sausages　about　two　feet　long　and　five　inches　thick。　A　curious　vine　hung　like　a　rope；　with　Turk's…head　knots　about　a　foot　apart　on　its　whole　length；　like　the　hand…over…hand　ropes　of　gymnasiums。　Other　ropes　were　studded　all　over　with　thick　blunt　bosses；　resembling　much　the　outbreak　on　one　sort　of　Arts…and…Crafts　door：　the　sort　intended　to　repel　Mail…clad　Hosts。

The　monkeys　undoubtedly　used　such　obvious　highways　through　the　trees。　These　little　people　were　very　common。　As　we　walked　along；　they　withdrew　before　us。　We　could　make　out　their　figures　galloping　hastily　across　the　open　places；　mounting　bushes　and　stubs　to　take　a　satisfying　backward　look；　clambering　to　treetops；　and　launching　themselves　across　the　abysses　between　limbs。　If　we　went　slowly；　they　retired　in　silence。　If　we　hurried　at　all；　they　protested　in　direct　ratio　to　the　speed　of　our　advance。　And　when　later　the　whole　safari；　loads　on　heads；　marched　inconsiderately　through　their　jungle！　We　happened　to　be　hunting　on　a　parallel　course　a　half　mile　away；　and　we　could　trace　accurately　the　progress　of　our　men　by　the　outraged　shrieks；　chatterings；　appeals　to　high　heaven　for　at　least　elemental　justice　to　the　monkey　people。

Often；　too；　we　would　come　on　concourses　of　the　big　baboons。　They　certainly　carried　on　weighty　affairs　of　their　own　according　to　a　fixed　polity。　I　never　got　well　enough　acquainted　with　them　to　master　the　details　of　their　government；　but　it　was　indubitably　built　on　patriarchal　lines。　When　we　succeeded　in　approaching　without　being　discovered；　we　would　frequently　find　the　old　men　baboons　squatting　on　their　heels　in　a　perfect　circle；　evidently　discussing　matters　of　weight　and　portent。　Seen　from　a　distance；　their　group　so　much　resembled　the　council　circles　of　native　warriors　that　sometimes；　in　a　native　country；　we　made　that　mistake。　Outside　this　solemn　council；　the　women；　young　men　and　children　went　about　their　daily　business；　whatever　that　was。　Up　convenient　low　trees　or　bushes　roosted　sentinels。

We　never　remained　long　undiscovered。　One　of　the　sentinels　barked　sharply。　At　once　the　whole　lot　loped　away；　speedily　but　with　a　curious　effect　of　deliberation。　The　men　folks　held　their　tails　in　a　proud　high　sideways　arch；　the　curious　youngsters　clambered　up　bushes　to　take　a　hasty　look；　the　babies　clung　desperately　with　all　four　feet　to　the　thick　fur　on　their　mothers'　backs；　the　mothers　galloped　along　imperturbably　unheeding　of　infantile　troubles　aloft。　The　side　hill　was　bewildering　with　the　big　bobbing　black　forms。

In　this　lower　country　the　weather　was　hot；　and　the　sun　very　strong。　The　heated　air　was　full　of　the　sounds　of　insects；　some　of　them　comfortable；　like　the　buzzing　of　bees；　some　of　them　strange　and　unusual　to　us。　One　cicada　had　a　sustained　note；　in　quality　about　like　that　of　our　own　August…day's　friend；　but　in　quantity　and　duration　as　the　roar　of　a　train　to　the　gentle　hum　of　a　good　motor　car。　Like　all　cicada　noises　it　did　not　usurp　the　sound　world；　but　constituted　itself　an　underlying　basis；　so　to　speak。　And　when　it　st