the land of footprints-第4章

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We　snatched　our　glasses　and　concentrated　on　that　important　detail。

To　catch　the　third　experience　you　must　have　journeyed　with　us　across　the　〃Thirst；〃　as　the　natives　picturesquely　name　the　waterless　tract　of　two　days　and　a　half。　Our　very　start　had　been　delayed　by　a　breakage　of　some　Dutch…sounding　essential　to　our　ox　wagon；　caused　by　the　confusion　of　a　night　attack　by　lions：　almost　every　night　we　had　lain　awake　as　long　as　we　could　to　enjoy　the　deep…breathed　grumbling　or　the　vibrating　roars　of　these　beasts。　Now　at　last；　having　pushed　through　the　dry　country　to　the　river　in　the　great　plain；　we　were　able　to　take　breath　from　our　mad　hurry；　and　to　give　our　attention　to　affairs　beyond　the　limits　of　mere　expediency。　One　of　these　was　getting　Billy　a　shot　at　a　lion。

Billy　had　never　before　wanted　to　shoot　anything　except　a　python。　Why　a　python　we　could　not　quite　fathom。　Personally；　I　think　she　had　some　vague　idea　of　getting　even　for　that　Garden　of　Eden　affair。　But　lately；　pythons　proving　scarcer　than　in　that　favoured　locality；　she　had　switched　to　a　lion。　She　wanted；　she　said；　to　give　the　skin　to　her　sister。　In　vain　we　pointed　out　that　a　zebra　hide　was　very　decorative；　that　lions　go　to　absurd　lengths　in　retaining　possession　of　their　own　skins；　and　other　equally　convincing　facts。　It　must　be　a　lion　or　nothing；　so　naturally　we　had　to　make　a　try。

There　are　several　ways　of　getting　lions；　only　one　of　which　is　at　all　likely　to　afford　a　steady　pot　shot　to　a　very　small　person　trying　to　manipulate　an　over…size　gun。　That　is　to　lay　out　a　kill。　The　idea　is　to　catch　the　lion　at　it　in　the　early　morning　before　he　has　departed　for　home。　The　best　kill　is　a　zebra：　first；　because　lions　like　zebra；　second；　because　zebra　are　fairly　large；　third；　because　zebra　are　very　numerous。

Accordingly；　after　we　had　pitched　camp　just　within　a　fringe　of　mimosa　trees　and　of　red…flowering　aloes　near　the　river；　had　eaten　lunch；　smoked　a　pipe　and　issued　necessary　orders　to　the　men；　C。　and　I　set　about　the　serious　work　of　getting　an　appropriate　bait　in　an　appropriate　place。

The　plains　stretched　straight　away　from　the　river　bank　to　some　indefinite　and　unknown　distance　to　the　south。　A　low　range　of　mountains　lay　blue　to　the　left；　and　a　mantle　of　scrub　thornbush　closed　the　view　to　the　right。　This　did　not　imply　that　we　could　see　far　straight　ahead；　for　the　surface　of　the　plain　rose　slowly　to　the　top　of　a　swell　about　two　miles　away。　Beyond　it　reared　a　single　butte　peak　at　four　or　five　times　that　distance。

We　stepped　from　the　fringe　of　red　aloes　and　squinted　through　the　dancing　heat　shimmer。　Near　the　limit　of　vision　showed　a　very　faint　glimmering　whitish　streak。　A　newcomer　to　Africa　would　not　have　looked　at　it　twice：　nevertheless；　it　could　be　nothing　but　zebra。　These　gaudily　marked　beasts　take　queer　aspects　even　on　an　open　plain。　Most　often　they　show　pure　white；　sometimes　a　jet　black；　only　when　within　a　few　hundred　yards　does　one　distinguish　the　stripes。　Almost　always　they　are　very　easily　made　out。　Only　when　very　distant　and　in　heat　shimmer；　or　in　certain　half　lights　of　evening；　does　their　so…called　〃protective　colouration〃　seem　to　be　in　working　order；　and　even　then　they　are　always　quite　visible　to　the　least　expert　hunter's　scrutiny。

It　is　not　difficult　to　kill　a　zebra；　though　sometimes　it　has　to　be　done　at　a　fairly　long　range。　If　all　you　want　is　meat　for　the　porters；　the　matter　is　simple　enough。　But　when　you　require　bait　for　a　lion；　that；　is　another　affair　entirely。　In　the　first　place；　you　must　be　able　to　stalk　within　a　hundred　yards　of　your　kill　without　being　seen；　in　the　second　place；　you　must　provide　two　or　three　good　lying…down　places　for　your　prospective　trophy　within　fifteen　yards　of　the　carcass…and　no　more　than　two　or　three；　in　the　third　place；　you　must　judge　the　direction　of　the　probable　morning　wind；　and　must　be　able　to　approach　from　leeward。　It　is　evidently　pretty　good　luck　to　find　an　accommodating　zebra　in　just　such　a　spot。　It　is　a　matter　of　still　greater　nicety　to　drop　him　absolutely　in　his　tracks。　In　a　case　of　porters'　meat　it　does　not　make　any　particular　difference　if　he　runs　a　hundred　yards　before　he　dies。　With　lion　bait　even　fifty　yards　makes　all　the　difference　in　the　world。

C。　and　I　talked　it　over　and　resolved　to　press　Scallywattamus　into　service。　Scallywattamus　is　a　small　white　mule　who　is　firmly　convinced　that　each　and　every　bush　in　Africa　conceals　a　mule…eating　rhinoceros；　and　who　does　not　intend　to　be　one　of　the　number　so　eaten。　But　we　had　noticed　that　at　times　zebra　would　be　so　struck　with　the　strange　sight　of　Scallywattamus　carrying　a　man；　that　they　would　let　us　get　quite　close。　C。　was　to　ride　Scallywattamus　while　I　trudged　along　under　his　lee　ready　to　shoot。

We　set　out　through　the　heat　shimmer；　gradually　rising　as　the　plain　slanted。　Imperceptibly　the　camp　and　the　trees　marking　the　river's　course　fell　below　us　and　into　the　heat　haze。　In　the　distance；　close　to　the　stream；　we　made　out　a　blurred；　brown…red　solid　mass　which　we　knew　for　Masai　cattle。　Various　little　Thompson's　gazelles　skipped　away　to　the　left　waggling　their　tails　vigorously　and　continuously　as　Nature　long　since　commanded　〃Tommies〃　to　do。　The　heat　haze　steadied　around　the　dim　white　line；　so　we　could　make　out　the　individual　animals。　There　were　plenty　of　them；　dozing　in　the　sun。　A　single　tiny　treelet　broke　the　plain　just　at　the　skyline　of　the　rise。　C。　and　I　talked　low…voiced　as　we　went　along。　We　agreed　that　the　tree　was　an　excellent　landmark　to　come　to；　that　the　little　rise　afforded　proper　cover；　and　that　in　the　morning　the　wind　would　in　all　likelihood　blow　toward　the　river。　There　were　perhaps　twenty　zebra　near　enough　to　the　chosen　spot。　Any　of　them　would　do。

But　the　zebra　did　not　give　a　hoot　for　Scallywattamus。　At　five　hundred　yards　three　or　four　of　them　awoke　with　a　start；　stared　at　us　a　minute；　and　moved　slowly　away。　They　told　all　the　zebra　they　happened　upon　that　the　three　idiots　approaching　were　at　once　uninteresting　and　dangerous。　At　four　hundred　and　fifty　yards　a　half　dozen　more　made　off　at　a　trot。　At　three　hundred　and　fifty　yards　the　rest　plunged　away　at　a　canter…all　but　one。　He　remained　to　stare；　but　his　tail　was　up；　and　we　knew　he　only　stayed　because　he　knew　he　could　easily　catch　up　in　the　next　twenty　seconds。

The　chance　was　very　slim　of　delivering　a　knockout　at　that　distance；　but　we　badly　needed　meat；　anyway；　after　our　march　through　the　Thirst；　so　I　tried　him。　We　heard　the　well…known　plunk　of　the　bullet；　but　down　went　his　head；　up　went　his　heels；　and　away　went　he。　We　watched　him　in　vast　disgust。　He　cavorted　out　into　a　bare　open　space　without　cover　of　any　sort；　and　then　flopped　over。　I　thought　I　caught　a　fleeting　grin　of　delight　on　Mavrouki's　face；　but　he　knew　enough　instantly　to　conceal　his　satisfaction　over　sure　meat。

There　were　now　no　zebra　anywhere　near；　but　since　nobody　ever　thinks　of　omitting　any　chances　in　Africa；　I　sneaked　up　to　the　tree　and　took　a　perfunctory　look。　There　stood　another；　providentially　absent…minded；　zebra！

We　got　that　one。　Everybody　was　now　happy。　The　boys　raced　over　to　the　first　kill；　which　soon　took　its　dismembered　way　toward　camp。　C。　and　I　carefully　organized　our　plan　of　campaign。　We　fixed　in　our　memories　the　exact　location　of　each　and　every　bush；　we　determined　compass　direction　from　camp；　and　any　other　bearings　likely　to　prove　useful　in　finding　so　small　a　spot　in　the　dark。　Then　we　left　a　boy　to　keep　carrion　birds　off　until　sunset；　and　returned　home。

We　were　out　in　the　morning　before　even　the　first　sign　of　dawn。　Billy　rode　her　little　mule；　C。　and　I　went　afoot；　Memba　Sasa　accompanied　us　because　he　could　see　whole　lions　where　even　C。's　trained　eye　could　not　make　out　an　ear；　and　the　syce　went　along　to　take　care　of　the　mule。　The　heavens　were　ablaze　with　the　thronging　stars　of　the　tropics；　so　we　found　we　could　make　out　the　skyline　of　the　distant　butte　over　the　rise　of　the　plains。　The　earth　itself　was　a　pool　of　absolute　blackness。　We　could　not　see　where　we　were　placing　our　feet；　and　we　were　continually　bringing　up　suddenly　to　walk　around　an　unexpected　aloe　or　thornbush。　The　night　was　quite　still；　but　every　once　in　a　while　from　the　blackness　came　rustlings；　scamperings；　low　calls；　and　once　or　twice　the　startled　barking　of　zebra　very　nea