the land of footprints-第35节

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s　to　peer　into　our　own　faces　to　see　how　we　liked　it。

With　a　sudden　crescendo　the　music　stopped。　Involuntarily　we　broke　into　handclapping。　The　old　boy　looked　a　bit　startled　at　this；　but　we　explained　to　him；　and　he　seemed　very　pleased。　We　then　accepted　formally　the　heap　of　presents；　by　touching　them…and　in　turn　passed　over　a　blanket；　a　box　of　matches；　and　two　needles；　together　with　beads　for　the　beebees。　Then　F。；　on　an　inspiration；　produced　his　flashlight。　This　made　a　tremendous　sensation。　The　women　tittered　and　giggled　and　blinked　as　its　beams　were　thrown　directly　into　their　eyes；　the　chief's　sons　grinned　and　guffawed；　the　chief　himself　laughed　like　a　pleased　schoolboy；　and　seemed　never　to　weary　of　the　sudden　shutting　on　and　off　of　the　switch。　But　the　trusty　Spartan　warriors；　standing　still　in　their　formation　behind　their　planted　spears；　were　not　to　be　shaken。　They　glared　straight　in　front　of　them；　even　when　we　held　the　light　within　a　few　inches　of　their　eyes；　and　not　a　muscle　quivered！

〃It　is　wonderful！　wonderful！〃　the　old　man　repeated。　〃Many　Government　men　have　come　here；　but　none　have　had　anything　like　that！　The　bwanas　must　be　very　great　sultans！〃

After　the　departure　of　our　friends；　we　went　rather　grandly　to　bed。　We　always　did　after　any　one　had　called　us　sultans。

But　our　prize　chief　was　an　individual　named　M'booley。*　Our　camp　here　also　was　on　a　fine　cleared　hilltop　between　two　streams。　After　we　had　traded　for　a　while　with　very　friendly　and　prosperous　people　M'booley　came　in。　He　was　young；　tall；　straight；　with　a　beautiful　smooth　lithe　form；　and　his　face　was　hawklike　and　cleverly　intelligent。　He　carried　himself　with　the　greatest　dignity　and　simplicity；　meeting　us　on　an　easy　plane　of　familiarity。　I　do　not　know　how　I　can　better　describe　his　manner　toward　us　than　to　compare　it　to　the　manner　the　member　of　an　exclusive　golf　club　would　use　to　one　who　is　a　stranger；　but　evidently　a　guest。　He　took　our　quality　for　granted；　and　supposed　we　must　do　the　same　by　him；　neither　acting　as　though　he　considered　us　〃great　white　men；〃　nor　yet　standing　aloof　and　too　respectful。　And　as　the　distinguishing　feature　of　all；　he　was　absolutely　without　personal　ornament。

*Pronounce　each　o　separately。


Pause　for　a　moment　to　consider　what　a　real　advance　in　esthetic　taste　that　one　little　fact　stands　for。　All　M'booley's　attendants　were　the　giddiest　and　gaudiest　savages　we　had　yet　seen；　with　more　colobus　fur；　sleighbells；　polished　metal；　ostrich　plumes；　and　red　paint　than　would　have　fitted　out　any　two　other　royal　courts　of　the　jungle。　The　women　too　were　wealthy　and　opulent　without　limit。　It　takes　considerable　perception　among　our　civilized　people　to　realize　that　severe　simplicity　amid　ultra　magnificence　makes　the　most　effective　distinguishing　of　an　individual。　If　you　do　not　believe　it；　drop　in　at　the　next　ball　to　which　you　are　invited。　M'booley　had　fathomed　this；　and　what　was　more　he　had　the　strength　of　mind　to　act　on　it。　Any　savage　loves　finery　for　its　own　sake。　His　hair　was　cut　short；　and　shaved　away　at　the　edges　to　leave　what　looked　like　an　ordinary　close…fitting　skull　cap。　He　wore　one　pair　of　plain　armlets　on　his　left　upper　arm　and　small　simple　ear…rings。　His　robe　was　black。　He　had　no　trace　of　either　oil　or　paint；　nor　did　he　even　carry　a　spear。

He　greeted　us　with　good…humoured　ease；　and　inquired　conversationally　if　we　wanted　anything。　We　suggested　wood　and　milk；　whereupon　still　smiling；　he　uttered　a　few　casual　words　in　his　own　language　to　no　one　in　particular。　There　was　no　earthly　doubt　that　he　was　chief。　Three　of　the　most　gorgeous　and　haughty　warriors　ran　out　of　camp。　Shortly　long　files　of　women　came　in　bringing　loads　of　firewood；　and　others　carrying　bananas；　yams；　sugarcane　and　a　sheep。　Truly　M'booley　did　things　on　a　princely　scale。　We　thanked　him。　He　accepted　the　thanks　with　a　casual　smile；　waved　his　hand　and　went　on　to　talk　of　something　else。　In　due　order　our　M'ganga　brought　up　one　of　our　best　trade　blankets；　to　which　we　added　a　half　dozen　boxes　of　matches　and　a　razor。

Now　into　camp　filed　a　small　procession：　four　women；　four　children；　and　two　young　men。　These　advanced　to　where　M'booley　was　standing　smoking　with　great　satisfaction　one　of　B's　tailor…made　cigarettes。　M'booley　advanced　ten　feet　to　meet　them；　and　brought　them　up　to　introduce　them　one　by　one　in　the　most　formal　fashion。　These　were　of　course　his　family；　and　we　had　to　confess　that　they　〃saw〃　N'Zahgi's　outfit　of　ornaments　and　〃raised〃　him　beyond　the　ceiling。　We　gave　them　each　in　turn　the　handshake　of　ceremony；　first　with　the　palms　as　we　do　it；　and　then　each　grasping　the　other's　upright　thumb。　The　〃little　chiefs〃　were　proud；　aristocratic　little　fellows；　holding　themselves　very　straight　and　solemn。　I　think　one　would　have　known　them　for　royalty　anywhere。

It　was　quite　a　social　occasion。　None　of　our　guests　was　in　the　least　ill　at　ease；　in　fact；　the　young　ladies　were　quite　coy　and　flirtatious。　We　had　a　great　many　jokes。　Each　of　the　little　ladies　received　a　handful　of　prevailing　beads。　M'booley　smiled　benignly　at　these　delightful　femininities。　After　a　time　he　led　us　to　the　edge　of　the　hill　and　showed　us　his　houses　across　the　cation；　perched　on　a　flat　about　halfway　up　the　wall。　They　were　of　the　usual　grass…thatched　construction；　but　rather　larger　and　neater　than　most。　Examining　them　through　the　glasses　we　saw　that　a　little　stream　had　been　diverted　to　flow　through　the　front　yard。　M'booley　waved　his　hand　abroad　and　gave　us　to　understand　that　he　considered　the　outlook　worth　looking　at。　It　was；　but　an　appreciation　of　that　fact　is　foreign　to　the　average　native。　Next　morning；　when　we　rode　by　very　early；　we　found　the　little　flat　most　attractively　cleared　and　arranged。　M'booley　was　out　to　shake　us　by　the　hand　in　farewell；　shivering　in　the　cold　of　dawn。　The　flirtatious　and　spoiled　little　beauties　were　not　in　evidence。

One　day　after　two　very　deep　canyons　we　emerged　from　the　forest　jungle　into　an　up　and　down　country　of　high　jungle　bush…brush。　》From　the　top　of　a　ridge　it　looked　a　good　deal　like　a　northern　cut…over　pine　country　grown　up　very　heavily　to　blackberry　vines；　although；　of　course；　when　we　came　nearer；　the　〃blackberry　vines〃　proved　to　be　ten　or　twenty　feet　high。　This　was　a　district　of　which　Horne　had　warned　us。　The　natives　herein　were　reported　restless　and　semi…hostile；　and　in　fact　had　never　been　friendly。　They　probably　needed　the　demonstration　most　native　tribes　seem　to　require　before　they　are　content　to　settle　down　and　be　happy。　At　any　rate　safaris　were　not　permitted　in　their　district；　and　we　ourselves　were　allowed　to　go　through　merely　because　we　were　a　large　party；　did　not　intend　to　linger；　and　had　a　good　reputation　with　natives。

It　is　very　curious　how　abruptly；　in　Central　Africa；　one　passes　from　one　condition　to　another；　from　one　tribe　or　race　to　the　next。　Sometimes；　as　in　the　present　case；　it　is　the　traversing　of　a　deep　cation；　at　others　the　simple　crossing　of　a　tiny　brook　is　enough。　Moreover　the　line　of　demarcation　is　clearly　defined；　as　boundaries　elsewhere　are　never　defined　save　in　wartime。

Thus　we　smiled　our　good…bye　to　a　friendly　numerous　people；　descended　a　hill；　and　ascended　another　into　a　deserted　track。　After　a　half　mile　we　came　unexpectedly　on　to　two　men　carrying　each　a　load　of　reeds。　These　they　abandoned　and　fled　up　the　hillside　through　the　jungle；　in　spite　of　our　shouted　assurances。　A　moment　later　they　reappeared　at　some　distance　above　us；　each　with　a　spear　he　had　snatched　from　somewhere；　they　were　unarmed　when　we　first　caught　sight　of　them。　Examined　through　the　glasses　they　proved　to　be　sullen　looking　men；　copper　coloured；　but　broad　across　the　cheekbones；　broad　in　the　forehead；　more　decidedly　of　the　negro　type　than　our　late　hosts。

Aside　from　these　two　men　we　travelled　through　an　apparently　deserted　jungle。　I　suspect；　however；　that　we　were　probably　well　watched；　for　when　we　stopped　for　noon　we　heard　the　gunbearers　beyond　the　screen　of　leaves　talking　to　some　one。　On　learning　from　our　boys　that　these　were　some　of　the　shenzis；　we　told　them　to　bring　the　savages　in　for　a　shauri；　but　in　this　our　men　failed；　nor　could　they　themselves　get　nearer　than　fifty　yards　or　so　to　the　wild　people。　So　until　evening　our　impression　remained　that　of　two　distant　men；　and　the　indistinct　sound　of　voices　behind　a　leafy　screen。

We　made　camp　comparatively　early　in　a　wide　open　space　surrounded　by　low　forest。　Almost　immediately　then　the　savages　commenced　to　drift　in；　very　haughty　and　arrogant。　They　were　fully　armed。　Besides　the　spear　and　decorated　shield；　some　of　them　carried　the　curious　small　grass　spears。　These　are　used　to　stab　upward　from　below；　the　wielder　lying　flat　in　the　grass。　Some　of　these　men　were　fantastically　painted　with　a　groundwork　ochre；　on　which　had　been　drawn　intricate　wavy　designs　on　the　legs；　like　stockings；　and　varied　stripes　across　the　face。　One　particularly　ingenious　individual；　stark　naked；　had　outlined　a　roughly　entire　skeleton！　He　was　a　gruesome　object！　They　stalked　here　and　there　through　the　camp；　looking　at　our　men　and　their　activities　with　a　lofty　and　silent　contempt。

You　may　be　sure　we　had　our　arrangements；　though　they　did　not　appear　on　the　surface。　The　askaris；　or　native　soldiers；　were　posted　here　and　there　with　their　muskets；　the　gunbearers　also　kept　our　s