the land of footprints-第22节

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ing　forward　again　only　when　we　became　convinced　that　they　too　had　gone　on。　Except　for　the　first　half　hour；　we　were　never　more　than　twenty　or　thirty　yards　from　the　nearest　lion；　and　often　much　closer。　Three　or　four　times　I　saw　slowly　gliding　yellow　bodies　just　ahead　of　me；　but　in　the　circumstances　it　would　have　been　sheer　stark　lunacy　to　have　fired。　Probably　six　or　eight　times…I　did　not　count…we　were　commanded　to　stop；　and　we　did　stop。

It　was　very　exciting　work；　but　the　men　never　faltered。　Of　course　I　went　first；　in　case　one　of　the　beasts　had　the　toothache　or　otherwise　did　not　play　up　to　our　calculations　on　good　nature。　One　or　the　other　of　the　gunbearers　was　always　just　behind　me。　Only　once　was　any　comment　made。　Kongoni　looked　very　closely　into　my　face。

〃There　are　very　many　lions；〃　he　remarked　doubtfully。

〃Very　many　lions；〃　I　agreed；　as　though　assenting　to　a　mere　statement　of　fact。

Although　I　am　convinced　there　was　no　real　danger；　as　long　as　we　stuck　to　our　plan　of　campaign；　nevertheless　it　was　quite　interesting　to　be　for　so　long　a　period　so　near　these　great　brutes。　They　led　us　for　a　mile　or　so　along　the　course　of　the　stream；　sometimes　on　one　side；　sometimes　on　the　other。　Several　times　they　emerged　into　better　cover；　and　even　into　the　open；　but　always　ducked　back　into　the　thick　again　before　we　ourselves　had　followed　their　trail　to　the　clear。

At　noon　we　were　halted　by　the　usual　growl　just　as　we　had　reached　the　edge　of　the　river。　So　we　sat　down　on　the　banks　and　had　lunch。

Finally　our　chance　came。　The　trail　led　us；　for　the　dozenth　time；　from　the　high　grass　into　the　thicket　along　the　river。　We　ducked　our　heads　to　enter。　Memba　Sasa；　next　my　shoulder；　snapped　his　fingers　violently。　Following　the　direction　of　the　brown　arm　that　shot　over　my　shoulder；　I　strained　my　eyes　into　the　dimness　of　the　thicket。　At　first　I　could　see　nothing　at　all；　but　at　length　a　slight　motion　drew　my　eye。　Then　I　made　out　the　silhouette　of　a　lion's　head；　facing　us　steadily。　One　of　the　rear　guard　had　again　turned　to　halt　us；　but　this　time　where　he　and　his　surroundings　could　be　seen。

Luckily　I　always　use　a　Sheard　gold　bead　sight；　and　even　in　the　dimness　of　the　tree…shaded　thicket　it　showed　up　well。　The　beast　was　only　forty　yards　away；　so　I　fired　at　his　head。　He　rolled　over　without　a　sound。

We　took　the　usual　great　precautions　in　determining　the　genuineness　of　his　demise；　then　carried　him　into　the　open。　Strangely　enough　the　bullet　had　gone　so　cleanly　into　his　left　eye　that　it　had　not　even　broken　the　edge　of　the　eyelid；　so　that　when　skinned　he　did　not　show　a　mark。　He　was　a　very　decent　maned　lion；　three　feet　four　inches　at　the　shoulder；　and　nine　feet　long　as　he　lay。　We　found　that　he　had　indeed　been　the　rear　guard；　and　that　the　rest；　on　the　other　side　of　the　thicket；　had　made　off　at　the　shot。　So　in　spite　of　the　APPARENT　danger　of　the　situation；　our　calculations　had　worked　out　perfectly。　Also　we　had　enjoyed　a　half　day's　sport　of　an　intensity　quite　impossible　to　be　extracted　from　any　other　method　of　following　the　lion。

In　trying　to　guess　how　any　particular　lions　may　act；　however；　you　will　find　yourself　often　at　fault。　The　lion　is　a　very　intelligent　and　crafty　beast；　and　addicted　to　tricks。　If　you　follow　a　lion　to　a　small　hill；　it　is　well　to　go　around　that　hill　on　the　side　opposite　to　that　taken　by　your　quarry。　You　are　quite　likely　to　meet　him　for　he　is　clever　enough　thus　to　try　to　get　in　your　rear。　He　will　lie　until　you　have　actually　passed　him　before　breaking　off。　He　will　circle　ahead；　then　back　to　confuse　his　trail。　And　when　you　catch　sight　of　him　in　the　distance；　you　would　never　suspect　that　he　knew　of　your　presence　at　all。　He　saunters　slowly；　apparently　aimlessly；　along　pausing　often；　evidently　too　bored　to　take　any　interest　in　life。　You　wait　quite　breathlessly　for　him　to　pass　behind　cover。　Then　you　are　going　to　make　a　very　rapid　advance；　and　catch　his　leisurely　retreat。　But　the　moment　old　Leo　does　pass　behind　the　cover；　his　appearance　of　idle　stroller　vanishes。　In　a　dozen　bounds　he　is　gone。

That　is　what　makes　lion　hunting　delightful。　There　are　some　regions；　very　near　settlements；　where　it　is　perhaps　justifiable　to　poison　these　beasts。　If　you　are　a　true　sportsman　you　will　confine　your　hound…hunting　to　those　districts。　Elsewhere；　as　far　as　playing　fair　with　a　noble　beast　is　concerned；　you　may　as　well　toss　a　coin　to　see　which　you　shall　take…your　pack　or　a　strychnine　bottle。



XIII。　ON　THE　MANAGING　OF　A　SAFARI

We　made　our　way　slowly　down　the　river。　As　the　elevation　dropped；　the　temperature　rose。　It　was　very　hot　indeed　during　the　day；　and　in　the　evening　the　air　was　tepid　and　caressing；　and　musical　with　the　hum　of　insects。　We　sat　about　quite　comfortably　in　our　pajamas；　and　took　our　fifteen　grains　of　quinine　per　week　against　the　fever。

The　character　of　the　jungle　along　the　river　changed　imperceptibly；　the　dhum　palms　crowding　out　the　other　trees；　until；　at　our　last　camp；　were　nothing　but　palms。　The　wind　in　them　sounded　variously　like　the　patter　or　the　gathering　onrush　of　rain。　On　either　side　the　country　remained　unchanged；　however。　The　volcanic　hills　rolled　away　to　the　distant　ranges。　Everywhere　grew　sparsely　the　low　thornbrush；　opening　sometimes　into　clear　plains；　closing　sometimes　into　dense　thickets。　One　morning　we　awoke　to　find　that　many　supposedly　sober…minded　trees　had　burst　into　blossom　fairly　over　night。　They　were　red；　and　yellow　and　white　that　before　were　green；　a　truly　gorgeous　sight。

Then　we　turned　sharp　to　the　right　and　began　to　ascend　a　little　tributary　brook　coming　down　the　wide　flats　from　a　cleft　in　the　hills。　This　was　prettily　named　the　Isiola；　and；　after　the　first　mile　or　so；　was　not　big　enough　to　afford　the　luxury　of　a　jungle　of　its　own。　Its　banks　were　generally　grassy　and　steep；　its　thickets　few；　and　its　little　trees　isolated　in　parklike　spaces。　To　either　side　of　it；　and　almost　at　its　level；　stretched　plains；　but　plains　grown　with　scattered　brush　and　shrubs　so　that　at　a　mile　or　two　one's　vista　was　closed。　But　for　all　its　scant　ten　feet　of　width　the　Isiola　stood　upon　its　dignity　as　a　stream。　We　discovered　that　when　we　tried　to　cross。　The　men　floundered　waist…deep　on　uncertain　bottom；　the　syces　received　much　unsympathetic　comment　for　their　handling　of　the　animals；　and　we　had　to　get　Billy　over　by　a　melodramatic　〃bridge　of　life〃　with　B。；　F。；　myself；　and　Memba　Sasa　in　the　title　roles。

Then　we　pitched　camp　in　the　open　on　the　other　side；　sent　the　horses　back　from　the　stream　until　after　dark；　in　fear　of　the　deadly　tsetse　fly；　and　prepared　to　enjoy　a　good　exploration　of　the　neighbourhood。　Whereupon　M'ganga　rose　up　to　his　gaunt　and　terrific　height　of　authority；　stretched　forth　his　bony　arm　at　right　angles；　and　uttered　between　eight　and　nine　thousand　commands　in　a　high　dynamic　monotone　without　a　single　pause　for　breath。　These；　supplemented　by　about　as　many　more；　resulted　in　（a）　a　bridge　across　the　stream；　and　（b）　a　banda。

A　banda　is　a　delightful　African　institution。　It　springs　from　nothing　in　about　two　hours；　but　it　takes　twenty　boys　with　a　vitriolic　M'ganga　back　of　them　to　bring　it　about。　Some　of　them　carry　huge　backloads　of　grass；　or　papyrus；　or　cat…tail　rushes；　as　the　case　may　be；　others　lug　in　poles　of　various　lengths　from　where　their　comrades　are　cutting　them　by　means　of　their　panga。　A　panga；　parenthetically；　is　the　safari　man's　substitute　for　axe；　shovel；　pick；　knife；　sickle；　lawn…mower；　hammer；　gatling　gun；　world's　library　of　classics；　higher　mathematics；　grand　opera；　and　toothpicks。　It　looks　rather　like　a　machete　with　a　very　broad　end　and　a　slight　curved　back。　A　good　man　can　do　extraordinary　things　with　it。　Indeed；　at　this　moment；　two　boys　are　with　this　apparently　clumsy　implement　delicately　peeling　some　of　the　small　thorn　trees；　from　the　bared　trunks　of　which　they　are　stripping　long　bands　of　tough　inner　bark。

With　these　three　raw　materials…poles；　withes；　and　grass…M'ganga　and　his　men　set　to　work。　They　planted　their　corner　and　end　poles；　they　laid　their　rafters；　they　completed　their　framework；　binding　all　with　the　tough　withes；　then　deftly　they　thatched　it　with　the　grass。　Almost　before　we　had　settled　our　own　affairs；　M'ganga　was　standing　before　us　smiling。　Gone　now　was　his　mien　of　high　indignation　and　swirling　energy。

〃Banda　naquisha；〃　he　informed　us。

And　we　moved　in　our　table　and　our　canvas　chairs；　hung　up　our　water　bottles；　Billy　got　out　her　fancy　work。　Nothing　could　be　pleasanter　nor　more　appropriate　to　the　climate　than　this　wide　low　arbour；　open　at　either　end　to　the　breezes；　thatched　so　thickly　that　the　fierce　sun　could　nowhere　strike　through。

The　men　had　now　settled　down　to　a　knowledge　of　what　we　were　like；　and　things　were　going　smoothly。　At　first　the　African　porter　will　try　it　on　to　see　just　how　easy　you　are　likely　to　prove。　If　he　makes　up　his　mind　that　you　really　are　easy；　then　you　are　in　for　infinite　petty　annoyance；　and　possibly　open　mutiny。　Therefore；　for　a　little　while；　it　is　necessary　to　be　extremely　vigilant；　to　insist　on　minute　performance　in　all　circumstances　where　later　you　might　condone　an　omission。　For　the　same　reason　punishment　must　be　more　frequent　and　more　severe　at　the　outset。　It　is　all　a　matter　of　watching　the　temper　of　the　men。　If　they　are　cheerful　and　willing；　you　are　not　nearly　as　p