the land of footprints-第9节

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　Guaso　Nyero　River。

These　ten　days　were　not　uneventful。　We　had　crossed　the　wide　and　undulating　plains；　had　paused　at　some　tall　beautiful　falls　plunging　several　hundred　feet　into　the　mysteriousness　of　a　dense　forest　on　which　we　looked　down。　There　we　had　enjoyed　some　duck；　goose　and　snipe　shooting；　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　a　few　of　the　Masai；　and　had　looked　with　awe　on　our　first　hippo　tracks　in　the　mud　beside　a　tiny　ditchlike　stream。　Here　and　there　were　small　game　herds。　In　the　light　of　later　experience　we　now　realize　that　these　were　nothing　at　all；　but　at　the　time　the　sight　of　full…grown　wild　animals　out　in　plain　sight　was　quite　wonderful。　At　the　close　of　the　day's　march　we　always　wandered　out　with　our　rifles　to　see　what　we　could　find。　Everything　was　new　to　us；　and　we　had　our　men　to　feed。　Our　shooting　gradually　improved　until　we　had　overcome　the　difficulties　peculiar　to　this　new　country　and　were　doing　as　well　as　we　could　do　anywhere。

Now；　at　the　end　of　a　hard　day　through　scrub；　over　rolling　bold　hills；　and　down　a　scrub　brush　slope；　we　had　reached　the　banks　of　the　Guaso　Nyero。

At　this　point；　above　the　junction　of　its　principal　tributary　rivers；　it　was　a　stream　about　sixty　or　seventy　feet　wide；　flowing　swift　between　high　banks。　A　few　trees　marked　its　course；　but　nothing　like　a　jungle。　The　ford　was　in　swift　water　just　above　a　deep　still　pool　suspected　of　crocodiles。　We　found　the　water　about　waist　deep；　stretched　a　rope　across；　and　forcibly　persuaded　our　eager　boys　that　one　at　a　time　was　about　what　the　situation　required。　On　the　other　side　we　made　camp　on　an　open　flat。　Having　marched　so　far　continuously；　we　resolved　to　settle　down　for　a　while。　The　men　had　been　without　sufficient　meat；　and　we　desired　very　much　to　look　over　the　country　closely；　and　to　collect　a　few　heads　as　trophies。

Perhaps　a　word　might　not　come　amiss　as　to　the　killing　of　game。　The　case　is　here　quite　different　from　the　condition　of　affairs　at　home。　Here　animal　life　is　most　extraordinarily　abundant；　it　furnishes　the　main　food　supply　to　the　traveller；　and　at　present　is　probably　increasing　slightly；　certainly　holding　its　own。　Whatever　toll　the　sportsman　or　traveller　take　is　as　nothing　compared　to　what　he　might　take　if　he　were　an　unscrupulous　game　hog。　If　his　cartridges　and　his　shoulder　held　out；　he　could　easily　kill　a　hundred　animals　a　day　instead　of　the　few　he　requires。　In　that　sense；　then；　no　man　slaughters　indiscriminately。　During　the　course　of　a　year　he　probably　shoots　from　two　hundred　to　two　hundred　and　fifty　beasts；　provided　he　is　travelling　with　an　ordinary　sized　caravan。　This；　the　experts　say；　is　about　the　annual　toll　of　one　lion。　If　the　traveller　gets　his　lion；　he　plays　even　with　the　fauna　of　the　country；　if　he　gets　two　or　more　lions；　he　has　something　to　his　credit。　This　probably　explains　why　the　game　is　still　so　remarkably　abundant　near　the　road　and　on　the　very　outskirts　of　the　town。

We　were　now　much　in　need　of　a　fair　quantity　of　meat；　both　for　immediate　consumption　of　our　safari；　and　to　make　biltong　or　jerky。　Later；　in　like　circumstances；　we　should　have　sallied　forth　in　a　businesslike　fashion；　dropped　the　requisite　number　of　zebra　and　hartebeeste　as　near　camp　as　possible；　and　called　it　a　job。　Now；　however；　being　new　to　the　game；　we　much　desired　good　trophies　in　variety。　Therefore；　we　scoured　the　country　far　and　wide　for　desirable　heads；　and　the　meat　waited　upon　the　acquisition　of　the　trophy。

This；　then；　might　be　called　our　first　Shooting　Camp。　Heretofore　we　had　travelled　every　day。　Now　the　boys　settled　down　to　what　the　native　porter　considers　the　height　of　bliss：　a　permanent　camp　with　plenty　to　eat。　Each　morning　we　were　off　before　daylight；　riding　our　horses；　and　followed　by　the　gunbearers；　the　syces；　and　fifteen　or　twenty　porters。　The　country　rose　from　the　river　in　a　long　gentle　slope　grown　with　low　brush　and　scattered　candlestick　euphorbias。　This　slope　ended　in　a　scattered　range　of　low　rocky　buttes。　Through　any　one　of　the　various　openings　between　them；　we　rode　to　find　ourselves　on　the　borders　of　an　undulating　grass　country　of　low　rounded　hills　with　wide　valleys　winding　between　them。　In　these　valleys　and　on　these　hills　was　the　game。

Daylight　of　the　day　I　would　tell　about　found　us　just　at　the　edge　of　the　little　buttes。　Down　one　of　the　slopes　the　growing　half　light　revealed　two　oryx　feeding；　magnificent　big　creatures；　with　straight　rapier　horns　three　feet　in　length。　These　were　most　exciting　and　desirable；　so　off　my　horse　I　got　and　began　to　sneak　up　on　them　through　the　low　tufts　of　grass。　They　fed　quite　calmly。　I　congratulated　myself；　and　slipped　nearer。　Without　even　looking　in　my　direction；　they　trotted　away。　Somewhat　chagrined；　I　returned　to　my　companions；　and　we　rode　on。

Then　across　a　mile…wide　valley　we　saw　two　dark　objects　in　the　tall　grass；　and　almost　immediately　identified　these　as　rhinoceroses；　the　first　we　had　seen。　They　stood　there　side　by　side；　gazing　off　into　space；　doing　nothing　in　a　busy　morning　world。　After　staring　at　them　through　our　glasses　for　some　time；　we　organized　a　raid。　At　the　bottom　of　the　valley　we　left　the　horses　and　porters；　lined　up；　each　with　his　gunbearer　at　his　elbow；　and　advanced　on　the　enemy。　B。　was　to　have　the　shot　According　to　all　the　books　we　should　have　been　able；　provided　we　were　downwind　and　made　no　noise；　to　have　approached　within　fifty　or　sixty　yards　undiscovered。　However；　at　a　little　over　a　hundred　yards　they　both　turned　tail　and　departed　at　a　swift　trot；　their　heads　held　well　up　and　their　tails　sticking　up　straight　and　stiff　in　the　most　ridiculous　fashion。　No　good　shooting　at　them　in　such　circumstances；　so　we　watched　them　go；　still　keeping　up　their　slashing　trot；　growing　smaller　and　smaller　in　the　distance　until　finally　they　disappeared　over　the　top　of　a　swell。

We　set　ourselves　methodically　to　following　them。　It　took　us　over　an　hour　of　steady　plodding　before　we　again　came　in　sight　of　them。　They　were　this　time　nearer　the　top　of　a　hill；　and　we　saw　instantly　that　the　curve　of　the　slope　was　such　that　we　could　approach　within　fifty　yards　before　coming　in　sight　at　all。　Therefore；　once　more　we　dismounted；　lined　up　in　battle　array；　and　advanced。

Sensations？　Distinctly　nervous；　decidedly　alert；　and　somewhat　self…congratulatory　that　I　was　not　more　scared。　No　man　can　predicate　how　efficient　he　is　going　to　be　in　the　presence　of　really　dangerous　game。　Only　the　actual　trial　will　show。　This　is　not　a　question　of　courage　at　all；　but　of　purely　involuntary　reaction　of　the　nerves。　Very　few　men　are　physical　cowards。　They　will　and　do　face　anything。　But　a　great　many　men　are　rendered　inefficient　by　the　way　their　nervous　systems　act　under　stress。　It　is　not　a　matter　for　control　by　will　power　in　the　slightest　degree。　So　the　big　game　hunter　must　determine　by　actual　trial　whether　it　so　happens　that　the　great　excitement　of　danger　renders　his　hand　shaky　or　steady。　The　excitement　in　either　case　is　the　same。　No　man　is　ever　〃cool〃　in　the　sense　that　personal　danger　is　of　the　same　kind　of　indifference　to　him　as　clambering　aboard　a　street　car。　He　must　always　be　lifted　above　himself；　must　enter　an　extra　normal　condition　to　meet　extra　normal　circumstances。　He　can　always　control　his　conduct；　but　he　can　by　no　means　always　determine　the　way　the　inevitable　excitement　will　affect　his　coordinations。　And　unfortunately；　in　the　final　result　it　does　not　matter　how　brave　a　man　is；　but　how　closely　he　can　hold。　If　he　finds　that　his　nervous　excitement　renders　him　unsteady；　he　has　no　business　ever　to　tackle　dangerous　game　alone。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　he　discovers　that　IDENTICALLY　THE　SAME　nervous　excitement　happens　to　steady　his　front　sight　to　rocklike　rigidity…a　rigidity　he　could　not　possibly　attain　in　normal　conditions…then　he　will　probably　keep　out　of　trouble。

To　amplify　this　further　by　a　specific　instance：　I　hunted　for　a　short　time　in　Africa　with　a　man　who　was　always　eager　for　exciting　encounters；　whose　pluck　was　admirable　in　every　way；　but　whose　nervous　reaction　so　manifested　itself　that　he　was　utterly　unable　to　do　even　decent　shooting　at　any　range。　Furthermore；　his　very　judgment　and　power　of　observation　were　so　obscured　that　he　could　not　remember　afterward　with　any　accuracy　what　had　happened…which　way　the　beast　was　pointing；　how　many　there　were　of　them；　in　which　direction　they　went；　how　many　shots　were　fired；　in　short　all　the　smaller　details　of　the　affair。　He　thought　he　remembered。　After　the　show　was　over　it　was　quite　amusing　to　get　his　version　of　the　incident。　It　was　almost　always　so　wide　of　the　fact　as　to　be　little　recognizable。　And；　mind　you；　he　was　perfectly　sincere　in　his　belief；　and　absolutely　courageous。　Only　he　was　quite　unfitted　by　physical　make…up　for　a　big　game　hunter；　and　I　was　relieved　when；　after　a　short　time；　his　route　and　mine　separated。

Well；　we　clambered　up　that　slope　with　a　fine　compound　of　tension；　expectation；　and　latent　uneasiness　as　to　just　what　was　going　to　happen；　anyway。　Finally；　we　raised　the　backs　of　the　beasts；　stooped；　sneaked　a　little　nearer；　and　finally　at　a　signal　stood　upright　perhaps　forty　yards　from　the　brutes。

For　the　first　time　I　experienced　a　sensation　I　was　destined　many　times　to　repeat…that　of　the　sheer　size　of　the　animals。　Menagerie　rhinoceroses　had　been　of　the　smaller　Indian　variety；　and　in