the land of footprints-第41节

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g　the　Yatta　Plains；　and　in　the　thickets　of　the　Tsavo；　the　rhinoceroses　generally　ran　nose　down　in　a　position　of　attack　and　were　much　inclined　to　let　their　angry　passions　master　them　at　the　sight　of　man。　Thus　we　never　had　our　safari　scattered　by　rhinoceroses　in　the　former　district；　while　in　the　latter　the　boys　were　up　trees　six　times　in　the　course　of　one　morning！　Carl　Akeley；　with　a　moving　picture　machine；　could　not　tease　a　charge　out　of　a　rhino　in　a　dozen　tries；　while　Dugmore；　in　a　different　part　of　the　country；　was　so　chivied　about　that　he　finally　left　the　district　to　avoid　killing　any　more　of　the　brutes　in　self…defence！

The　fact　of　the　matter　is　that　the　rhinoceros　is　neither　animated　by　the　implacable　man…destroying　passion　ascribed　to　him　by　the　amateur　hunter；　nor　is　he　so　purposeless　and　haphazard　in　his　rushes　as　some　would　have　us　believe。　On　being　disturbed　his　instinct　is　to　get　away。　He　generally　tries　to　get　away　in　the　direction　of　the　disturbance；　or　upwind；　as　the　case　may　be。　If　he　catches　sight　of　the　cause　of　disturbance　he　is　apt　to　try　to　trample　and　gore　it；　whatever　it　is。　As　his　sight　is　short；　he　will　sometimes　so　inflict　punishment　on　unoffending　bushes。　In　doing　this　he　is　probably　not　animated　by　a　consuming　destructive　blind　rage；　but　by　a　naturally　pugnacious　desire　to　eliminate　sources　of　annoyance。　Missing　a　definite　object；　he　thunders　right　through　and　disappears　without　trying　again　to　discover　what　has　aroused　him。

This　first　rush　is　not　a　charge　in　the　sense　that　it　is　an　attack　on　a　definite　object。　It　may　not；　and　probably　will　not；　amount　to　a　charge　at　all；　for　the　beast　will　blunder　through　without　ever　defining　more　clearly　the　object　of　his　blind　dash。　That　dash　is　likely；　however；　at　any　moment；　to　turn　into　a　definite　charge　should　the　rhinoceros　happen　to　catch　sight　of　his　disturber。　Whether　the　impelling　motive　would　then　be　a　mistaken　notion　that　on　the　part　of　the　beast　he　was　so　close　he　had　to　fight；　or　just　plain　malice；　would　not　matter。　At　such　times　the　intended　victim　is　not　interested　in　the　rhino's　mental　processes。

Owing　to　his　size；　his　powerful　armament；　and　his　incredible　quickness　the　rhinoceros　is　a　dangerous　animal　at　all　times；　to　be　treated　with　respect　and　due　caution。　This　is　proved　by　the　number　of　white　men；　out　of　a　sparse　population；　that　are　annually　tossed　and　killed　by　the　brutes；　and　by　the　promptness　with　which　the　natives　take　to　trees…thorn　trees　at　that！…when　the　cry　of　faru！　is　raised。　As　he　comes　rushing　in　your　direction；　head　down　and　long　weapon　pointed；　tail　rigidly　erect；　ears　up；　the　earth　trembling　with　his　tread　and　the　air　with　his　snorts；　you　suddenly　feel　very　small　and　ineffective。

If　you　keep　cool；　however；　it　is　probable　that　the　encounter　will　result　only　in　a　lot　of　mental　perturbation　for　the　rhino　and　a　bit　of　excitement　for　yourself。　If　there　is　any　cover　you　should　duck　down　behind　it　and　move　rapidly　but　quietly　to　one　side　or　another　of　the　line　of　advance。　If　there　is　no　cover；　you　should　crouch　low　and　hold　still。　The　chances　are　he　will　pass　to　one　side　or　the　other　of　you；　and　go　snorting　away　into　the　distance。　Keep　your　eye　on　him　very　closely。　If　he　swerves　definitely　in　your　direction；　AND　DROPS　HIS　HEAD　A　LITTLE　LOWER；　it　would　be　just　as　well　to　open　fire。　Provided　the　beast　was　still　far　enough　away　to　give　me　〃sea…room；〃　I　used　to　put　a　small　bullet　in　the　flesh　of　the　outer　part　of　the　shoulder。　The　wound　thus　inflicted　was　not　at　all　serious；　but　the　shock　of　the　bullet　usually　turned　the　beast。　This　was　generally　in　the　direction　of　the　wounded　shoulder；　which　would　indicate　that　the　brute　turned　toward　the　apparent　source　of　the　attack；　probably　for　the　purpose　of　getting　even。　At　any　rate；　the　shot　turned　the　rush　to　one　side；　and　the　rhinoceros；　as　usual；　went　right　on　through。　If；　however；　he　seemed　to　mean　business；　or　was　too　close　for　comfort；　the　point　to　aim　for　was　the　neck　just　above　the　lowered　horn。

In　my　own　experience　I　came　to　establish　a　〃dead　line〃　about　twenty　yards　from　myself。　That　seemed　to　be　as　near　as　I　cared　to　let　the　brutes　come。　Up　to　that　point　I　let　them　alone　on　the　chance　that　they　might　swerve　or　change　their　minds；　as　they　often　did。　But　inside　of　twenty　yards；　whether　the　rhinoceros　meant　to　charge　me；　or　was　merely　running　blindly　by；　did　not　particularly　matter。　Even　in　the　latter　case　he　might　happen　to　catch　sight　of　me　and　change　his　mind。　Thus；　looking　over　my　notebook　records；　I　find　that　I　was　〃charged〃　forty　odd　times…that　is　to　say；　the　rhinoceros　rushed　in　my　general　direction。　Of　this　lot　I　can　be　sure　of　but　three；　and　possibly　four；　that　certainly　meant　mischief。　Six　more　came　so　directly　at　us；　and　continued　so　to　come；　that　in　spite　of　ourselves　we　were　compelled　to　kill　them。　The　rest　were　successfully　dodged。

As　I　have　heard　old　hunters　of　many　times　my　experience；　affirm　that　only　in　a　few　instances　have　they　themselves　been　charged　indubitably　and　with　malice　aforethought；　it　might　be　well　to　detail　my　reasons　for　believing　myself　definitely　and　not　blindly　attacked。

The　first　instance　was　that　when　B。　killed　his　second　trophy　rhinoceros。　The　beast's　companion　refused　to　leave　the　dead　body　for　a　long　time；　but　finally　withdrew。　On　our　approaching；　however；　and　after　we　had　been　some　moments　occupied　with　the　trophy；　it　returned　and　charged　viciously。　It　was　finally　killed　at　fifteen　yards。

The　second　instance　was　of　a　rhinoceros　that　got　up　from　the　grass　sixty　yards　away；　and　came　headlong　in　my　direction。　At　the　moment　I　was　standing　on　the　edge　of　a　narrow　eroded　ravine；　ten　feet　deep；　with　perpendicular　sides。　The　rhinoceros　came　on　bravely　to　the　edge　of　this　ravine…and　stopped。　Then　he　gave　an　exhibition　of　unmitigated　bad　temper　most　amusing　to　contemplate…from　my　safe　position。　He　snorted；　and　stamped；　and　pawed　the　earth；　and　tramped　up　and　down　at　a　great　rate。　I　sat　on　the　opposite　bank　and　laughed　at　him。　This　did　not　please　him　a　bit；　but　after　many　short　rushes　to　the　edge　of　the　ravine；　he　gave　it　up　and　departed　slowly；　his　tail　very　erect　and　rigid。　》From　the　persistency　with　which　he　tried　to　get　at　me；　I　cannot　but　think　he　intended　something　of　the　sort　from　the　first。

The　third　instance　was　much　more　aggravating。　In　company　with　Memba　Sasa　and　Fundi　I　left　camp　early　one　morning　to　get　a　waterbuck。　Four　or　five　hundred　yards　out；　however；　we　came　on　fresh　buffalo　signs；　not　an　hour　old。　To　one　who　knew　anything　of　buffaloes'　habits　this　seemed　like　an　excellent　chance；　for　at　this　time　of　the　morning　they　should　be　feeding　not　far　away　preparatory　to　seeking　cover　for　the　day。　Therefore　we　immediately　took　up　the　trail。

It　led　us　over　hills；　through　valleys；　high　grass；　burned　country；　brush；　thin　scrub；　and　small　woodland　alternately。　Unfortunately　we　had　happened　on　these　buffalo　just　as　they　were　about　changing　district；　and　they　were　therefore　travelling　steadily。　At　times　the　trail　was　easy　to　follow　and　at　other　times　we　had　to　cast　about　very　diligently　to　find　traces　of　the　direction　even　such　huge　animals　had　taken。　It　was　interesting　work；　however；　and　we　drew　on　steadily；　keeping　a　sharp　lookout　ahead　in　case　the　buffalo　had　come　to　a　halt　in　some　shady　thicket　out　of　the　sun。　As　the　latter　ascended　the　heavens　and　the　scorching　heat　increased；　our　confidence　in　nearing　our　quarry　ascended　likewise；　for　we　knew　that　buffaloes　do　not　like　great　heat。　Nevertheless　this　band　continued　straight　on　its　way。　I　think　now　they　must　have　got　scent　of　our　camp；　and　had　therefore　decided　to　move　to　one　of　the　alternate　and　widely　separated　feeding　grounds　every　herd　keeps　in　its　habitat。　Only　at　noon；　and　after　six　hours　of　steady　trailing；　covering　perhaps　a　dozen　miles；　did　we　catch　them　up。

》From　the　start　we　had　been　bothered　with　rhinoceroses。　Five　times　did　we　encounter　them；　standing　almost　squarely　on　the　line　of　the　spoor　we　were　following。　Then　we　had　to　make　a　wide　quiet　circle　to　leeward　in　order　to　avoid　disturbing　them；　and　were　forced　to　a　very　minute　search　in　order　to　pick　up　the　buffalo　tracks　again　on　the　other　side。　This　was　at　once　an　anxiety　and　a　delay；　and　we　did　not　love　those　rhino。

Finally；　at　the　very　edge　of　the　Yatta　Plains　we　overtook　the　herd；　resting　for　noon　in　a　scattered　thicket。　Leaving　Fundi；　I；　with　Memba　Sasa；　stalked　down　to　them。　We　crawled　and　crept　by　inches　flat　to　the　ground；　which　was　so　hot　that　it　fairly　burned　the　hand。　The　sun　beat　down　on　us　fiercely；　and　the　air　was　close　and　heavy　even　among　the　scanty　grass　tufts　in　which　we　were　trying　to　get　cover。　It　was　very　hard　work　indeed；　but　after　a　half　hour　of　it　we　gained　a　thin　bush　not　over　thirty　yards　from　a　half　dozen　dark　and　indeterminate　bodies　dozing　in　the　very　centre　of　a　brush　patch。　Cautiously　I　wiped　the　sweat　from　my　eyes　and　raised　my　glasses。　It　was　slow　work　and　patient　work；　picking　out　and　examining　each　individual　beast　from　the　mass。　Finally　the　job　was　done。　I　let　fall　my　glasses。

〃Monumookee　y'otey…all　cows；〃　I　whispered　to　Memba　Sasa。

We　backed　out　of　there　inch　by　inch；　with　intention　of　circling　a　short　distance　to　the　leeward；　and　then　trying　the　herd　again　lower　down。　But　so