the land of footprints-第33节

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ucation　and　welfare。　One　of　my　most　vivid　camp　recollections　is　that　of　M'ganga；　very　benign　and　didactic；　seated　on　a　chop　box　and　holding　forth　to　a　semicircle　of　totos　squatted　on　the　ground　before　him。　On　reaching　camp　totos　had　several　clearly　defined　duties：　they　must　pick　out　good　places　for　their　masters'　individual　camps；　they　must　procure　cooking　stones；　they　must　collect　kindling　wood　and　start　fires；　they　must　fill　the　sufurias　with　water　and　set　them　over　to　boil。　In　the　meantime；　their　masters　were　attending　to　the　pitching　of　the　bwana's　camp。　The　rest　of　the　time　the　toto　played　about　quite　happily；　and　did　light　odd　jobs；　or　watched　most　attentively　while　his　master　showed　him　small　details　of　a　safari…boy's　duty；　or　taught　him　simple　handicraft。　Our　boys　seemed　to　take　great　pains　with　their　totos　and　to　try　hard　to　teach　them。

Also　at　Meru　we　had　acquired　two　cocks　and　four　hens　of　the　ridiculously　small　native　breed。　These　rode　atop　the　loads：　their　feet　were　tied　to　the　cords　and　there　they　swayed　and　teetered　and　balanced　all　day　long；　apparently　quite　happy　and　interested。　At　each　new　camp　site　they　were　released　and　went　scratching　and　clucking　around　among　the　tents。　They　lent　our　temporary　quarters　quite　a　settled　air　of　domesticity。　We　named　the　cocks　Gaston　and　Alphonse　and　somehow　it　was　rather　fine；　in　the　blackness　before　dawn；　to　hear　these　little　birds　crowing　stout…heartedly　against　the　great　African　wilderness。　Neither　Gaston；　Alphonse　nor　any　of　their　harem　were　killed　and　eaten　by　their　owners；　but　seemed　rather　to　fulfil　the　function　of　household　pets。

Along　the　jungle　track　we　met　swarms　of　people　coming　in　to　the　post。　One　large　native　safari　composed　exclusively　of　women　were　transporting　loads　of　trade　goods　for　the　Indian　trader。　They　carried　their　burdens　on　their　backs　by　means　of　a　strap　passing　over　the　top　of　the　head；　our　own　〃tump　line〃　method。　The　labour　seemed　in　no　way　to　have　dashed　their　spirits；　for　they　grinned　at　us；　and　joked　merrily　with　our　boys。　Along　the　way；　every　once　in　a　while；　we　came　upon　people　squatted　down　behind　small　stocks　of　sugarcane；　yams；　bananas；　and　the　like。　With　these　our　boys　did　a　brisk　trade。　Little　paths　led　mysteriously　into　the　jungle。　Down　them　came　more　savages　to　greet　us。　Everybody　was　most　friendly　and　cheerful；　thanks　to　Horne's　personal　influence。　Two　years　before　this　same　lot　had　been　hostile。　From　every　hidden　village　came　the　headmen　or　chiefs。　They　all　wanted　to　shake　hands…the　ordinary　citizen　never　dreamed　of　aspiring　to　that　honour…and　they　all　spat　carefully　into　their　palms　before　they　did　so。　This　all　had　to　be　done　in　passing；　for　ordinary　village　headmen　it　was　beneath　Our　Dignity　to　draw　rein。　Once　only　we　broke　over　this　rule。　That　was　in　the　case　of　an　old　fellow　with　white　hair　who　managed　to　get　so　tangled　up　in　the　shrubbery　that　he　could　not　get　to　us。　He　was　so　frantic　with　disappointment　that　we　made　an　exception　and　waited。

About　three　miles　out；　we　lost　one　of　our　newly　acquired　totos。　Reason：　an　exasperated　parent　who　had　followed　from　Meru　for　the　purpose　of　reclaiming　his　runaway　offspring。　The　latter　was　dragged　off　howling。　Evidently　he；　like　some　of　his　civilized　cousins；　had　〃run　away　to　join　the　circus。〃　As　nearly　as　we　could　get　at　it；　the　rest　of　the　totos；　as　well　as　the　nine　additional　we　picked　up　before　we　quitted　the　jungle；　had　all　come　with　their　parents'　consent。　In　fact；　we　soon　discovered　that　we　could　buy　any　amount　of　good　sound　totos；　not　house　broke　however；　for　an　average　of　half　a　rupee　（16…1/2　cents）　apiece。

The　road　was　very　much　up　and　down　hill　over　the　numerous　ridges　that　star…fish　out　from　Mt。　Kenia。　We　would　climb　down　steep　trails　from　200　to　800　feet　（measured　by　aneroid）；　cross　an　excellent　mountain　stream　of　crystalline　dashing　water；　and　climb　out　again。　The　trails　of　course　had　no　notion　of　easy　grades。　It　was　very　hard　work；　especially　for　men　with　loads；　and　it　would　have　been　impossible　on　account　of　the　heat　were　it　not　for　the　numerous　streams。　On　the　slopes　and　in　the　bottoms　were　patches　of　magnificent　forest；　on　the　crests　was　the　jungle；　and　occasionally　an　outlook　over　extended　views。　The　birds　and　the　strange　tropical　big…leaved　trees　were　a　constant　delight…exotic　and　strange。　Billy　was　in　a　heaven　of　joy；　for　her　specialty　in　Africa　was　plants；　seeds　and　bulbs；　for　her　California　garden。　She　had　syces；　gunbearers　and　tent　boys　all　climbing；　shaking　branches；　and　generally　pawing　about。

This　idiosyncracy　of　Billy's　puzzled　our　boys　hugely。　At　first　they　tried　telling　her　that　everything　was　poisonous；　but　when　that　did　not　work；　they　resigned　themselves　to　their　fate。　In　fact；　some　of　the　most　enterprising　like　Memba　Sasa；　Kitaru；　and；　later；　Kongoni　used　of　their　own　accord　to　hunt　up　and　bring　in　seeds　and　blossoms。　They　did　not　in　the　least　understand　what　it　was　for；　and　it　used　to　puzzle　them　hugely　until　out　of　sheer　pity　for　their　uneasiness；　I　implied　that　the　Memsahib　collected　〃medicine。〃　That　was　rational；　so　the　wrinkled　brow　of　care　was　smoothed。　From　this　botanical　trait；　Billy　got　her　native　name　of　〃Beebee　Kooletta〃…〃The　Lady　Who　Says：　Go　Get　That。〃　For　in　Africa　every　white　man　has　a　name　by　which　he　is　known　among　the　native　people。　If　you　would　get　news　of　your　friends；　you　must　know　their　local　cognomens…their　own　white　man　names　will　not　do　at　all。　For　example；　I　was　called　either　Bwana　Machumwani　or　Bwana　N'goma。　The　former　means　merely　Master　Four…eyes；　referring　to　my　glasses。　The　precise　meaning　of　the　latter　is　a　matter　much　disputed　between　myself　and　Billy。　An　N'goma　is　a　native　dance；　consisting　of　drum　poundings；　chantings；　and　hoppings　around。　Therefore　I　translate　myself　（most　appropriately）　as　the　Master　who　Makes　Merry。　On　the　other　hand；　Billy；　with　true　feminine　indirectness；　insists　that　it　means　〃The　Master　who　Shouts　and　Howls。〃　I　leave　it　to　any　fairminded　reader。

About　the　middle　of　the　morning　we　met　a　Government　runner；　a　proud　youth；　young；　lithe；　with　many　ornaments　and　bangles；　his　red　skin　glistening；　the　long　blade　of　his　spear；　bound　around　with　a　red　strip　to　signify　his　office；　slanting　across　his　shoulder；　his　buffalo　hide　shield　slung　from　it　over　his　back；　the　letter　he　was　bearing　stuck　in　a　cleft　stick　and　carried　proudly　before　him　as　a　priest　carries　a　cross　to　the　heathen…in　the　pictures。　He　was　swinging　along　at　a　brisk　pace；　but　on　seeing　us　drew　up　and　gave　us　a　smart　military　salute。

At　one　point　where　the　path　went　level　and　straight　for　some　distance；　we　were　riding　in　an　absolute　solitude。　Suddenly　from　the　jungle　on　either　side　and　about　fifty　yards　ahead　of　us　leaped　a　dozen　women。　They　were　dressed　in　grass　skirts；　and　carried　long　narrow　wooden　shields　painted　white　and　brown。　These　they　clashed　together；　shrieked　shrilly；　and　charged　down　on　us　at　full　speed。　When　within　a　few　yards　of　our　horses　noses　they　came　to　a　sudden　halt；　once　more　clashed　their　shields；　shrieked；　turned　and　scuttled　away　as　fast　as　their　legs　could　carry　them。　At　a　hundred　yards　they　repeated　the　performance；　and　charged　back　at　us　again。　Thus　advancing　and　retreating；　shrieking　high；　hitting　the　wooden　shields　with　resounding　crash；　they　preceded　our　slow　advance　for　a　half　mile　or　so。　Then　at　some　signal　unperceived　by　us　they　vanished　abruptly　into　the　jungle。　Once　more　we　rode　forward　in　silence　and　in　solitude。　Why　they　did　it　I　could　not　say。

Of　this　tissue　were　our　days　made。　At　noon　our　boys　plucked　us　each　two　or　three　banana　leaves　which　they　spread　down　for　us　to　lie　on。　Then　we　dozed　through　the　hot　hours　in　great　comfort；　occasionally　waking　to　blue　sky　through　green　trees；　or　to　peer　idly　into　the　tangled　jungle。　At　two　o'clock　or　a　little　later　we　would　arouse　ourselves　reluctantly　and　move　on。　The　safari　we　had　dimly　heard　passing　us　an　hour　before。　In　this　country　of　the　direct　track　we　did　not　attempt　to　accompany　our　men。

The　end　of　the　day's　march　found　us　in　a　little　clearing　where　we　could　pitch　camp。　Generally　this　was　atop　a　ridge；　so　that　the　boys　had　some　distance　to　carry　water；　but　that　disadvantage　was　outweighed　by　the　cleared　space。　Sometimes　we　found　ourselves　hemmed　in　by　a　wall　of　jungle。　Again　we　enjoyed　a　broad　outlook。　One　such　in　especial　took　in　the　magnificent；　splintered；　snow…capped　peak　of　Kenia　on　the　right；　a　tremendous　gorge　and　rolling　forested　mountains　straight　ahead；　and　a　great　drop　to　a　plain　with　other　and　distant　mountains　to　the　left。　It　was　as　fine　a　panoramic　view　as　one　could　imagine。

Our　tents　pitched；　and　ourselves　washed　and　refreshed；　we　gave　audience　to　the　resident　chief；　who　had　probably　been　waiting。　With　this　potentate　we　conversed　affably；　after　the　usual　expectoratorial　ceremonies。　Billy；　being　a　mere　woman；　did　not　always　come　in　for　this；　but　nevertheless　she　maintained　what　she　called　her　〃quarantine　gloves；〃　and　kept　them　very　handy。　We　had　standing　orders　with　our　boys　for　basins　of　hot　water　to　be　waiting　always　behind　our　tents。　After　the　usual　polite　exchanges　we　informed　the　chief　of　our　needs…firewood；　perhaps；　milk；　a　sheep　or　the　like。　These　he　furnished。　When　we　left　we　made　him　a　present　of　a　few　beads；　a　knife；　a