the land of footprints-第37节

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The　birds　proved　to　be　white　egrets。　Now　at　home　I　am　strongly　against　the　killing　of　these　creatures；　and　have　so　expressed　myself　on　many　occasions。　But；　looking　from　the　beautiful　white　plumage　of　these　villainous　mauraders；　to　the　wrinkled　countenance　of　the　grateful　weary　old　savage；　I　could　not　fan　a　spark　of　regret。　And　from　the　straight　line　of　their　retreating　flight　I　like　to　think　that　the　rest　of　the　flock　never　came　back；　but　took　their　toll　from　the　wider　fields　of　the　plateau　above。

Next　day　we　reentered　the　game…haunted　wilderness；　nor　did　we　see　any　more　native　villages　until　many　weeks　later　we　came　into　the　country　of　the　Wakamba。



XIX。　THE　TANA　RIVER

Our　first　sight　of　the　Tana　River　was　from　the　top　of　a　bluff。　It　flowed　below　us　a　hundred　feet；　bending　at　a　sharp　elbow　against　the　cliff　on　which　we　stood。　Out　of　the　jungle　it　crept　sluggishly　and　into　the　jungle　it　crept　again；　brown；　slow；　viscid；　suggestive　of　the　fevers　and　the　lurking　beasts　by　which；　indeed；　it　was　haunted。　From　our　elevation　we　could　follow　its　course　by　the　jungle　that　grew　along　its　banks。　At　first　this　was　intermittent；　leaving　thin　or　even　open　spaces　at　intervals；　but　lower　down　it　extended　away　unbroken　and　very　tall。　The　trees　were　many　of　them　beginning　to　come　into　flower。

Either　side　of　the　jungle　were　rolling　hills。　Those　to　the　left　made　up　to　the　tremendous　slopes　of　Kenia。　Those　to　the　right　ended　finally　in　a　low　broken　range　many　miles　away　called　the　Ithanga　Hills。　The　country　gave　one　the　impression　of　being　clothed　with　small　trees；　although　here　and　there　this　growth　gave　space　to　wide　grassy　plains。　Later　we　discovered　that　the　forest　was　more　apparent　than　real。　The　small　trees；　even　where　continuous；　were　sparse　enough　to　permit　free　walking　in　all　directions；　and　open　enough　to　allow　clear　sight　for　a　hundred　yards　or　so。　Furthermore；　the　shallow　wide　valleys　between　the　hills　were　almost　invariably　treeless　and　grown　to　very　high　thick　grass。

Thus　the　course　of　the　Tana　possessed　advantages　to　such　as　we。　By　following　in　general　the　course　of　the　stream　we　were　always　certain　of　wood　and　water。　The　river　itself　was　full　of　fish…not　to　speak　of　hundreds　of　crocodiles　and　hippopotamuses。　The　thick　river　jungle　gave　cover　to　such　animals　as　the　bushbuck；　leopard；　the　beautiful　colobus；　some　of　the　tiny　antelope；　waterbuck；　buffalo　and　rhinoceros。　Among　the　thorn　and　acacia　trees　of　the　hillsides　one　was　certain　of　impalla；　eland；　diks…diks；　and　giraffes。　In　the　grass　bottoms　were　lions；　rhinoceroses；　a　half　dozen　varieties　of　buck；　and　thousands　and　thousands　of　game　birds　such　as　guinea　fowl　and　grouse。　On　the　plains　fed　zebra；　hartebeeste；　wart…hog；　ostriches；　and　several　species　of　the　smaller　antelope。　As　a　sportsman's　paradise　this　region　would　be　hard　to　beat。

We　were　now　afoot。　The　dreaded　tsetse　fly　abounded　here；　and　we　had　sent　our　horses　in　via　Fort　Hall。　F。　had　accompanied　them；　and　hoped　to　rejoin　us　in　a　few　days　or　weeks　with　tougher　and　less　valuable　mules。　Pending　his　return　we　moved　on　leisurely；　camping　long　at　one　spot；　marching　short　days；　searching　the　country　far　and　near　for　the　special　trophies　of　which　we　stood　in　need。

It　was　great　fun。　Generally　we　hunted　each　in　his　own　direction　and　according　to　his　own　ideas。　The　jungle　along　the　river；　while　not　the　most　prolific　in　trophies；　was　by　all　odds　the　most　interesting。　It　was　very　dense；　very　hot；　and　very　shady。　Often　a　thorn　thicket　would　fling　itself　from　the　hills　right　across　to　the　water's　edge；　absolutely　and　hopelessly　impenetrable　save　by　way　of　the　rhinoceros　tracks。　Along　these　then　we　would　slip；　bent　double；　very　quietly　and　gingerly；　keeping　a　sharp　lookout　for　the　rightful　owners　of　the　trail。　Again　we　would　wander　among　lofty　trees　through　the　tops　of　which　the　sun　flickered　on　festooned　serpentlike　vines。　Every　once　in　a　while　we　managed　a　glimpse　of　the　sullen　oily　river　through　the　dense　leaf　screen　on　its　banks。　The　water　looked　thick　as　syrup；　of　a　deadly　menacing　green。　Sometimes　we　saw　a　loathsome　crocodile　lying　with　his　nose　just　out　of　water；　or　heard　the　snorting　blow　of　a　hippopotamus　coming　up　for　air。　Then　the　thicket　forced　us　inland　again。　We　stepped　very　slowly；　very　alertly；　our　ears　cocked　for　the　faintest　sound；　our　eyes　roving。　Generally；　of　course；　the　creatures　of　the　jungle　saw　us　first。　We　became　aware　of　them　by　a　crash　or　a　rustling　or　a　scamper。　Then　we　stood　stock　listening　with　all　our　ears　for　some　sound　distinguishing　to　the　species。　Thus　I　came　to　recognize　the　queer　barking　note　of　the　bushbuck；　for　example；　and　to　realize　how　profane　and　vulgar　that　and　the　beautiful　creature；　the　impalla；　can　be　when　he　forgets　himself。　As　for　the　rhinoceros；　he　does　not　care　how　much　noise　he　makes；　nor　how　badly　he　scares　you。

Personally；　I　liked　very　well　to　circle　out　in　the　more　open　country　until　about　three　o'clock；　then　to　enter　the　river　jungle　and　work　my　way　slowly　back　toward　camp。　At　that　time　of　day　the　shadows　were　lengthening；　the　birds　and　animals　were　beginning　to　stir　about。　In　the　cooling　nether　world　of　shadow　we　slipped　silently　from　thicket　to　thicket；　from　tree　to　tree；　and　the　jungle　people　fled　from　us；　or　withdrew；　or　gazed　curiously；　or　cursed　us　as　their　dispositions　varied。

While　thus　returning　one　evening　I　saw　my　first　colobus。　He　was　swinging　rapidly　from　one　tree　to　another；　his　long　black　and　white　fur　shining　against　the　sun。　I　wanted　him　very　much；　and　promptly　let　drive　at　him　with　the　405　Winchester。　I　always　carried　this　heavier　weapon　in　the　dense　jungle。　Of　course　I　missed　him；　but　the　roar　of　the　shot　so　surprised　him　that　he　came　to　a　stand。　Memba　Sasa　passed　me　the　Springfield；　and　I　managed　to　get　him　in　the　head。　At　the　shot　another　flashed　into　view；　high　up　in　the　top　of　a　tree。　Again　I　aimed　and　fired。　The　beast　let　go　and　fell　like　a　plummet。　〃Good　shot；〃　said　I　to　myself。　Fifty　feet　down　the　colobus　seized　a　limb　and　went　skipping　away　through　the　branches　as　lively　as　ever。　In　a　moment　he　stopped　to　look　back；　and　by　good　luck　I　landed　him　through　the　body。　When　we　retrieved　him　we　found　that　the　first　shot　had　not　hit　him　at　all！

At　the　time　I　thought　he　must　have　been　frightened　into　falling；　but　many　subsequent　experiences　showed　me　that　this　sheer　let…go…all…holds　drop　is　characteristic　of　the　colobus　and　his　mode　of　progression。　He　rarely；　as　far　as　my　observation　goes；　leaps　out　and　across　as　do　the　ordinary　monkeys；　but　prefers　to　progress　by　a　series　of　slanting　ascents　followed　by　breath…taking　straight　drops　to　lower　levels。　When　closely　pressed　from　beneath；　he　will　go　as　high　as　he　can；　and　will　then　conceal　himself　in　the　thick　leaves。

B。　and　I　procured　our　desired　number　of　colobus　by　taking　advantage　of　this　habit…as　soon　as　we　had　learned　it。　Shooting　the　beasts　with　our　rifles　we　soon　found　to　be　not　only　very　difficult；　but　also　destructive　of　the　skins。　On　the　other　hand；　a　man　could　not；　save　by　sheer　good　fortune；　rely　on　stalking　near　enough　to　use　a　shotgun。　Therefore　we　evolved　a　method　productive　of　the　maximum　noise；　row；　barked　shins；　thorn　wounds；　tumbles；　bruises…and　colobus！　It　was　very　simple。　We　took　about　twenty　boys　into　the　jungle　with　us；　and　as　soon　as　we　caught　sight　of　a　colobus　we　chased　him　madly。　That　was　all　there　was　to　it。

And　yet　this　method；　simple　apparently　to　the　point　of　imbecility；　had　considerable　logic　back　of　it　after　all；　for　after　a　time　somebody　managed　to　get　underneath　that　colobus　when　he　was　at　the　top　of　a　tree。　Then　the　beast　would　hide。

Consider　then　a　tumbling　riotous　mob　careering　through　the　jungle　as　fast　as　the　jungle　would　let　it；　slipping；　stumbling；　falling　flat；　getting　tangled　hopelessly；　disentangling　with　profane　remarks；　falling　behind　and　catching　up　again；　everybody　yelling　and　shrieking。　Ahead　of　us　we　caught　glimpses　of　the　sleek　bounding　black　and　white　creature；　running　up　the　long　slanting　limbs；　and　dropping　like　a　plummet　into　the　lower　branches　of　the　next　tree。　We　white　men　never　could　keep　up　with　the　best　of　our　men　at　this　sort　of　work；　although　in　the　open　country　I　could　hold　them　well　enough。　We　could　see　them　dashing　through　the　thick　cover　at　a　great　rate　of　speed　far　ahead　of　us。　After　an　interval　came　a　great　shout　in　chorus。　By　this　we　knew　that　the　quarry　had　been　definitely　brought　to　a　stand。　Arriving　at　the　spot　we　craned　our　heads　backward；　and　proceeded　to　get　a　crick　in　the　neck　trying　to　make　out　invisible　colobus　in　the　very　tops　of　the　trees　above　us。　For　gaudily　marked　beasts　the　colobus　were　extraordinarily　difficult　to　see。　This　was　in　no　sense　owing　to　any　far…fetched　application　of　protective　colouration；　but　to　the　remarkable　skill　the　animals　possessed　in　concealing　themselves　behind　apparently　the　scantiest　and　most　inadequate　cover。　Fortunately　for　us　our　boys'　ability　to　see　them　was　equally　remarkable。　Indeed；　the　most　difficult　part　of　their　task　was　to　point　the　game　out　to　us。　We　squinted；　and　changed　position；　and　tried　hard　to　follow　directions　eagerly　proffered　by　a　dozen　of　the　men。　Finally　one　of　us　would；　by　the　aid　of　six　power…glasses；　make　out；　or　guess　at　a　small　tuft　of　white　or　black