the land of footprints-第57节

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〃Champagne；〃　breathes　the　American　in　awestricken　tones。

〃Exactly；　dear　boy；　an　absolute　necessity。　After　a　touch　of　sun　there's　nothing　picks　you　up　better　than　a　mouthful　of　fizz。　It's　used　as　a　medicine；　not　a　drink；　you　understand。〃

The　American　reflects　again　that　this　is　the　other　fellow's　game；　and　that　the　other　fellow　has　been　playing　it　for　some　time；　and　that　he　ought　to　know。　But　he　cannot　yet　see　why　the　one　hundred　and　fifty　men。　Again　the　Englishman　explains。　There　is　the　Headman　to　run　the　show。　Correct：　we　need　him。　Then　there　are　four　askaris。　What　are　they？　Native　soldiers。　No；　you　won't　be　fighting　anything；　but　they　keep　the　men　going；　and　act　as　sort　of　sub…foremen　in　bossing　the　complicated　work。　Next　is　your　cook；　and　your　own　valet　and　that　of　your　horse。　Also　your　two　gunbearers。

〃Hold　on！〃　cries　our　friend。　〃I　have　only　two　guns；　and　I'm　going　to　carry　one　myself。〃

But　this；　he　learns；　is　quite　impossible。　It　is　never　done。　It　is　absolutely　necessary；　in　this　climate；　to　avoid　all　work。

That　makes　how　many？　Ten　already；　and　there　seem　to　be　three　tent　loads；　one　bed　load；　one　chair　and　table　load；　one　lantern　load；　two　miscellaneous　loads；　two　cook　loads；　one　personal　box；　and　fifteen　chop　boxes…total　twenty…six；　plus　the　staff；　as　above；　thirty…six。　Why　all　the　rest　of　the　army？

Very　simple：　these　thirty…six　men　have；　according　to　regulation；　seven　tents；　and　certain　personal　effects；　and　they　must　have　〃potio〃　or　a　ration　of　one　and　a　half　pounds　per　diem。　These　things　must　be　carried　by　more　men。

〃I　see；〃　murmurs　the　American；　crushed；　〃and　these　more　men　have　more　tents　and　more　potio；　which　must　also　be　carried。　It's　like　the　House　that　Jack　Built。〃

So　our　American　concludes　still　once　again　that　the　other　fellow　knows　his　own　game；　and　starts　out。　He　learns　he　has　what　is　called　a　〃modest　safari〃；　and　spares　a　fleeting　wonder　as　to　what　a　really　elaborate　safari　must　be。　The　procession　takes　the　field。　He　soon　sees　the　value　of　the　four　askaris…the　necessity　of　whom　he　has　secretly　doubted。　Without　their　vigorous　seconding　the　headman　would　have　a　hard　time　indeed。　Also；　when　he　observes　the　labour　of　tent…making；　packing；　washing；　and　general　service　performed　by　his　tent　boy；　he　abandons　the　notion　that　that　individual　could　just　as　well　take　care　of　the　horse　as　well；　especially　as　the　horse　has　to　have　all　his　grass　cut　and　brought　to　him。　At　evening　our　friend　has　a　hot　bath；　a　long　cool　fizzly　drink　of　lime　juice　and　soda；　he　puts　on　the　clean　clothes　laid　out　for　him；　assumes　soft　mosquito　boots；　and　sits　down　to　dinner。　This　is　served　to　him　in　courses；　and　on　enamel　ware。　Each　course　has　its　proper…sized　plate　and　cutlery。　He　starts　with　soup；　goes　down　through　tinned　whitebait　or　other　fish；　an　entree；　a　roast；　perhaps　a　curry；　a　sweet；　and　small　coffee。　He　is　certainly　being　〃done　well；〃　and　he　enjoys　the　comfort　of　it。

There　comes　a　time　when　he　begins　to　wonder　a　little。　It　is　all　very　pleasant；　of　course；　and　perhaps　very　necessary；　they　all　tell　him　it　is。　But；　after　all；　it　is　a　little　galling　to　the　average　man　to　think　that　of　him。　Your　Englishman　doesn't　mind　that；　he　enjoys　being　taken　care　of：　but　the　sportsman　of　American　training　likes　to　stand　on　his　own　feet　as　far　as　he　is　able　and　conditions　permit。　Besides；　it　is　expensive。　Besides　that；　it　is　a　confounded　nuisance；　especially　when　potio　gives　out　and　more　must　be　sought；　near　or　far。　Then；　if　he　is　wise；　he　begins　to　do　a　little　figuring　on　his　own　account。

My　experience　was　very　much　as　above。　Three　of　us　went　out　for　eleven　weeks　with　what　was　considered　a　very　〃modest〃　safari　indeed。　It　comprised　one　hundred　and　eighteen　men。　My　fifth　and　last　trip；　also　with　two　companions；　was　for　three　months。　Our　personnel　consisted；　all　told；　forty　men。

In　essentials　the　Englishman　is　absolutely　right。　One　cannot　camp　in　Africa　as　one　would　at　home。　The　experimenter　would　be　dead　in　a　month。　In　his　application　of　that　principle；　however；　he　seems　to　the　American　point　of　view　to　overshoot。　Let　us　examine　his　proposition　in　terms　of　the　essentials…food；　clothing；　shelter。　There　is　no　doubt　but　that　a　man　must　keep　in　top　condition　as　far　as　possible；　and　that；　to　do　so；　he　must　have　plenty　of　good　food。　He　can　never　do　as　we　do　on　very　hard　trips　at　home：　take　a　little　tea；　sugar；　coffee；　flour；　salt；　oatmeal。　But　on　the　other　hand；　he　certainly　does　not　need　a　five…course　dinner　every　night；　nor　a　complete　battery　of　cutlery；　napery　and　table　ware　to　eat　it　from。　Flour；　sugar；　oatmeal；　tea　and　coffee；　rice；　beans；　onions；　curry；　dried　fruits；　a　little　bacon；　and　some　dehydrated　vegetables　will　do　him　very　well　indeed…with　what　he　can　shoot。　These　will　pack　in　waterproof　bags　very　comfortably。　In　addition　to　feeding　himself　well；　he　finds　he　must　not　sleep　next　to　the　ground；　he　must　have　a　hot　bath　every　day；　but　never　a　cold　one；　and　he　must　shelter　himself　with　a　double　tent　against　the　sun。

Those　are　the　absolute　necessities　of　the　climate。　In　other　words；　if　he　carries　a　double　tent；　a　cot；　a　folding　bath；　and　gives　a　little　attention　to　a　properly　balanced　food　supply；　he　has　met　the　situation。

If；　in　addition；　he　takes　canned　goods；　soda　siphons；　lime　juice；　easy　chairs　and　all　the　rest　of　the　paraphernalia；　he　is　merely　using　a　basic　principle　as　an　excuse　to　include　sheer　luxuries。　In　further　extenuation　of　this　he　is　apt　to　argue　that　porters　are　cheap；　and　that　it　costs　but　little　more　to　carry　these　extra　comforts。　Against　this　argument；　of　course；　I　have　nothing　to　say。　It　is　the　inalienable　right　of　every　man　to　carry　all　the　luxuries　he　wants。　My　point　is　that　the　average　American　sportsman　does　not　want　them；　and　only　takes　them　because　he　is　overpersuaded　that　these　things　are　not　luxuries；　but　necessities。　For；　mark　you；　he　could　take　the　same　things　into　the　Sierras　or　the　North…by　paying；　but　he　doesn't。

I　repeat；　it　is　the　inalienable　right　of　any　man　to　travel　as　luxuriously　as　he　pleases。　But　by　the　same　token　it　is　not　his　right　to　pretend　that　luxuries　are　necessities。　That　is　to　put　himself　into　the　same　category　with　the　man　who　always　finds　some　other　excuse　for　taking　a　drink　than　the　simple　one　that　he　wants　it。

The　Englishman's　point　of　view　is　that　he　objects　to　〃pigging　it；〃　as　he　says。　〃Pigging　it〃　means　changing　your　home　habits　in　any　way。　If　you　have　been　accustomed　to　eating　your　sardines　after　a　meal；　and　somebody　offers　them　to　you　first；　that　is　〃pigging　it。〃　In　other　words；　as　nearly　as　I　can　make　out；　〃pigging　it〃　does　not　so　much　mean　doing　things　in　an　inadequate　fashion　as　DOING　THEM　DIFFERENTLY。　Therefore；　the　Englishman　in　the　field　likes　to　approximate　as　closely　as　may　be　his　life　in　town；　even　if　it　takes　one　hundred　and　fifty　men　to　do　it。　Which　reduces　the　〃pigging　it〃　argument　to　an　attempt　at　condemnation　by　calling　names。

The　American　temperament；　on　the　contrary；　being　more　experimental　and　independent；　prefers　to　build　anew　upon　its　essentials。　Where　the　Englishman　covers　the　situation　blanket…wise　with　his　old　institutions；　the　American　prefers　to　construct　new　institutions　on　the　necessities　of　the　case。　He　objects　strongly　to　being　taken　care　of　too　completely。　He　objects　strongly　to　losing　the　keen　enjoyment　of　overcoming　difficulties　and　enduring　hardships。　The　Englishman　by　habit　and　training　has　no　such　objections。　He　likes　to　be　taken　care　of；　financially；　personally；　and　everlastingly。　That　is　his　ideal　of　life。　If　he　can　be　taken　care　of　better　by　employing　three　hundred　porters　and　packing　eight　tin　trunks　of　personal　effects…as　I　have　seen　it　done…he　will　so　employ　and　take。　That　is　all　right：　he　likes　it。

But　the　American　does　not　like　it。　A　good　deal　of　the　fun　for　him　is　in　going　light；　in　matching　himself　against　his　environment。　It　is　no　fun　to　him　to　carry　his　complete　little　civilization　along　with　him；　laboriously。　If　he　must　have　cotton　wool；　let　it　be　as　little　cotton　wool　as　possible。　He　likes　to　be　comfortable；　but　he　likes　to　be　comfortable　with　the　minimum　of　means。　Striking　just　the　proper　balance　somehow　adds　to　his　interest　in　the　game。　And　how　he　DOES　object　to　that　ever…recurring　thought…that　he　is　such　a　helpless　mollusc　that　it　requires　a　small　regiment　to　get　him　safely　around　the　country！

Both　means　are　perfectly　legitimate；　of　course；　and　neither　view　is　open　to　criticism。　All　either　man　is　justified　in　saying　is　that　he；　personally；　wouldn't　get　much　fun　out　of　doing　it　the　other　way。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　human　nature　generally　goes　beyond　its　justifications　and　is　prone　to　criticise。　The　Englishman　waxes　a　trifle　caustic　on　the　subject　of　〃pigging　it〃；　and　the　American　indulges　in　more　than　a　bit　of　sarcasm　on　the　subject　of　〃being　led　about　Africa　like　a　dog　on　a　string。〃

By　some　such　roundabout　mental　process　as　the　above　the　American　comes　to　the　conclusion　that　he　need　not　necessarily　adopt　the　other　fellow's　method　of　playing　this　game。　His　own　method　needs　modification；　but　it　will　do。　He　ventures　to　leave　out　the　tables　and　easy　chair；　takes　a　camp　stool　and　eats　off　a　chop　box。　To　the　best　of　his　belief　his　health　does　not　suffer　from　this。　He　gets　on　with　a　camper's　allowance