the land of footprints-第46节

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nds　or　so；　then　off　rushes　the　wild　stampede　in　another　direction；　only　again　to　come　to　a　listening　halt　of　breathless　stillness。　So　the　hunter；　unable　to　see　anything；　and　feeling　very　small；　huddles　with　his　gunbearers　in　a　compact　group；　listening　to　the　wild　surging　short　rushes；　now　this　way；　now　that；　hoping　that　the　stampede　may　not　run　over　him。　If　by　chance　it　does；　he　has　his　two　shots　and　the　possibility　of　hugging　a　tree　while　the　rush　divides　around　him。　The　latter　is　the　most　likely；　a　single　buffalo　is　hard　enough　to　stop　with　two　shots；　let　alone　a　herd。　And　yet；　sometimes；　the　mere　flash　and　noise　will　suffice　to　turn　them；　provided　they　are　not　actually　trying　to　attack；　but　only　rushing　indefinitely　about。　Probably　a　man　can　experience　few　more　thrilling　moments　than　he　will　enjoy　standing　in　one　of　the　small　leafy　rooms　of　an　African　jungle　while　several　hundred　tons　of　buffalo　crash　back　and　forth　all　around　him。

In　the　best　of　circumstances　it　is　only　rarely　that　having　identified　his　big　bull；　the　hunter　can　deliver　a　knockdown　blow。　The　beast　is　extraordinarily　vital；　and　in　addition　it　is　exceedingly　difficult　to　get　a　fair；　open　shot。　Then　from　the　danger　of　being　trampled　down　by　the　blind　and　senseless　stampede　of　the　herd　he　passes　to　the　more　defined　peril　from　an　angered　and　cunning　single　animal。　The　majority　of　fatalities　in　hunting　buffaloes　happen　while　following　wounded　beasts。　A　flank　charge　at　close　range　may　catch　the　most　experienced　man；　and　even　when　clearly　seen；　it　is　difficult　to　stop。　The　buffalo's　wide　bosses　are　a　helmet　to　his　brain；　and　the　body　shot　is　always　chancy。　The　beast　tosses　his　victim；　or　tramples　him；　or　pushes　him　against　a　tree　to　crush　him　like　a　fly。

He　who　would　get　his　trophy；　however；　is　not　always…perhaps　is　not　generally…forced　into　the　thicket　to　get　it。　When　not　much　disturbed；　buffaloes　are　in　the　habit　of　grazing　out　into　the　open　just　before　dark；　and　of　returning　to　their　thicket　cover　only　well　after　sunrise。　If　the　hunter　can　arrange　to　meet　his　herd　at　such　a　time；　he　stands　a　very　good　chance　of　getting　a　clear　shot。　The　job　then　requires　merely　ordinary　caution　and　manoeuvring；　and　the　only　danger；　outside　the　ever…present　one　from　the　wounded　beast；　is　that　the　herd　may　charge　over　him　deliberately。　Therefore　it　is　well　to　keep　out　of　sight。

The　difficulty　generally　is　to　locate　your　beasts。　They　wander　all　night；　and　must　be　blundered　upon　in　the　early　morning　before　they　have　drifted　back　into　the　thickets。　Sometimes；　by　sending　skilled　trackers　in　several　directions；　they　can　be　traced　to　where　they　have　entered　cover。　A　messenger　then　brings　the　white　man　to　the　place；　and　every　one　tries　to　guess　at　what　spot　the　buffaloes　are　likely　to　emerge　for　their　evening　stroll。　It　is　remarkably　easy　to　make　a　wrong　guess；　and　the　remaining　daylight　is　rarely　sufficient　to　repair　a　mistake。　And　also；　in　the　case　of　a　herd　ranging　a　wide　country　with　much　tall　grass　and　several　drinking　holes；　it　is　rather　difficult；　without　very　good　luck；　to　locate　them　on　any　given　night　or　morning。　A　few　herds；　a　very　few；　may　have　fixed　habits；　and　so　prove　easy　hunting。

These　difficulties；　while　in　no　way　formidable；　are　real　enough　in　their　small　way；　but　they　are　immensely　increased　when　the　herds　have　been　often　disturbed。　Disturbance　need　not　necessarily　mean　shooting。　In　countries　unvisited　by　white　men　often　the　pastoral　natives　will　so　annoy　the　buffalo　by　shoutings　and　other　means；　whenever　they　appear　near　the　tame　cattle；　that　the　huge　beasts　will　come　practically　nocturnal。　In　that　case　only　the　rankest　luck　will　avail　to　get　a　man　a　chance　in　the　open。　The　herds　cling　to　cover　until　after　sundown　and　just　at　dusk；　and　they　return　again　very　soon　after　the　first　streaks　of　dawn。　If　the　hunter　just　happens　to　be　at　the　exact　spot；　he　may　get　a　twilight　shot　when　the　glimmering　ivory　of　his　front　sight　is　barely　visible。　Otherwise　he　must　go　into　the　thicket。

As　an　illustration　of　the　first　condition　might　be　instanced　an　afternoon　on　the　Tana。　The　weather　was　very　hot。　We　had　sent　three　lots　of　men　out　in　different　directions；　each　under　the　leadership　of　one　of　the　gunbearers；　to　scout；　while　we　took　it　easy　in　the　shade　of　our　banda；　or　grass　shelter；　on　the　bank　of　the　river。　About　one　o'clock　a　messenger　came　into　camp　reporting　that　the　men　under　Mavrouki　had　traced　a　herd　to　its　lying…down　place。　We　took　our　heavy　guns　and　started。

The　way　led　through　thin　scrub　up　the　long　slope　of　a　hill　that　broke　on　the　other　side　into　undulating　grass　ridges　that　ended　in　a　range　of　hills。　These　were　about　four　or　five　miles　distant；　and　thinly　wooded　on　sides　and　lower　slopes　with　what　resembled　a　small　live…oak　growth。　Among　these　trees；　our　guide　told　us；　the　buffalo　had　first　been　sighted。

The　sun　was　very　hot；　and　all　the　animals　were　still。　We　saw　impalla　in　the　scrub；　and　many　giraffes　and　bucks　on　the　plains。　After　an　hour　and　a　half's　walk　we　entered　the　parklike　groves　at　the　foot　of　the　hills；　and　our　guide　began　to　proceed　more　cautiously。　He　moved　forward　a　few　feet；　peered　about；　retraced　his　steps。　Suddenly　his　face　broke　into　a　broad　grin。　Following　his　indication　we　looked　up；　and　there　in　a　tree　almost　above　us　roosted　one　of　our　boys　sound　asleep！　We　whistled　at　him。　Thereupon　he　awoke；　tried　to　look　very　alert；　and　pointed　in　the　direction　we　should　go。　After　an　interval　we　picked　up　another　sentinel；　and　another；　and　another　until；　passed　on　thus　from　one　to　the　next；　we　traced　the　movements　of　the　herd。　Finally　we　came　upon　Mavrouki　and　Simba　under　a　bush。　From　them；　in　whispers；　we　learned　that　the　buffalo　were　karibu　sana…very　near；　that　they　had　fed　this　far；　and　were　now　lying　in　the　long　grass　just　ahead。　Leaving　the　men；　we　now　continued　our　forward　movement　on　hands　and　knees；　in　single　file。　It　was　very　hot　work；　for　the　sun　beat　square　down　on　us；　and　the　tall　grass　kept　off　every　breath　of　air。　Every　few　moments　we　rested；　lying　on　our　faces。　Occasionally；　when　the　grass　shortened；　or　the　slant　of　ground　tended　to　expose　us；　we　lay　quite　flat　and　hitched　forward　an　inch　at　a　time　by　the　strength　of　our　toes。　This　was　very　severe　work　indeed；　and　we　were　drenched　in　perspiration。　In　fact；　as　I　had　been　feeling　quite　ill　all　day；　it　became　rather　doubtful　whether　I　could　stand　the　pace。

However　after　a　while　we　managed　to　drop　down　into　an　eroded　deep　little　ravine。　Here　the　air　was　like　that　of　a　furnace；　but　at　least　we　could　walk　upright　for　a　few　rods。　This　we　did；　with　the　most　extraordinary　precautions　against　even　the　breaking　of　a　twig　or　the　rolling　of　a　pebble。　Then　we　clambered　to　the　top　of　the　bank；　wormed　our　way　forward　another　fifty　feet　to　the　shelter　of　a　tiny　bush；　and　stretched　out　to　recuperate。　We　lay　there　some　time；　sheltered　from　the　sun。　Then　ahead　of　us　suddenly　rumbled　a　deep　bellow。　We　were　fairly　upon　the　herd！

Cautiously　F。；　who　was　nearest　the　centre　of　the　bush；　raised　himself　alongside　the　stem　to　look。　He　could　see　where　the　beasts　were　lying；　not　fifty　yards　away；　but　he　could　make　out　nothing　but　the　fact　of　great　black　bodies　taking　their　ease　in　the　grass　under　the　shade　of　trees。　So　much　he　reported　to　us；　then　rose　again　to　keep　watch。

Thus　we　waited　the　rest　of　the　afternoon。　The　sun　dipped　at　last　toward　the　west；　a　faint　irregular　breeze　wandered　down　from　the　hills；　certain　birds　awoke　and　uttered　their　clear　calls；　an　unsuspected　kongoni　stepped　from　the　shade　of　a　tree　over　the　way　and　began　to　crop　the　grass；　the　shadows　were　lengthening　through　the　trees。　Then　ahead　of　us　an　uneasiness　ran　through　the　herd。　We　in　the　grass　could　hear　the　mutterings　and　grumblings　of　many　great　animals。　Suddenly　F。　snapped　his　fingers；　stooped　low　and　darted　forward。　We　scrambled　to　our　feet　and　followed。

Across　a　short　open　space　we　ran；　bent　double　to　the　shelter　of　a　big　ant　hill。　Peering　over　the　top　of　this　we　found　ourselves　within　sixty　yards　of　a　long　compact　column　of　the　great　black　beasts；　moving　forward　orderly　to　the　left；　the　points　of　the　cow's　horns；　curved　up　and　in；　tossing　slowly　as　the　animals　walked。　On　the　flank　of　the　herd　was　a　big　gray　bull。

It　had　been　agreed　that　B。　was　to　have　the　shot。　Therefore　he　opened　fire　with　his　405　Winchester；　a　weapon　altogether　too　light　for　this　sort　of　work。　At　the　shot　the　herd　dashed　forward　to　an　open　grass　meadow　a　few　rods　away；　wheeled　and　faced　back　in　a　compact　mass；　their　noses　thrust　up　and　out　in　their　typical　fashion；　trying　with　all　their　senses　to　locate　the　cause　of　the　disturbance。

Taking　advantage　both　of　the　scattered　cover；　and　the　half　light　of　the　shadows　we　slipped　forward　as　rapidly　and　as　unobtrusively　as　we　could　to　the　edge　of　the　grass　meadow。　Here　we　came　to　a　stand　eighty　yards　from　the　buffaloes。　They　stood　compactly　like　a　herd　of　cattle；　staring；　tossing　their　heads；　moving　slightly；　their　wild　eyes　searching　for　us。　I　saw　several　good　bulls；　but　always　they　moved　where　it　was　impossible　to　shoot　without　danger　of　getting　the　wrong　beast。　Finally　my　chance　came；　I　planted　a　pair　of　Holland　bullets　in　the　shoulder　of　one　of　them。

The　herd　broke　away　to　the　right；　sweeping　past　us