the land of footprints-第41章

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tch　of　standing　rape　not　over　two　acres　in　extent；　the　only　sign　of　human　life。　It　was　as　though　this　little　bit　had　overflowed　from　the　countless　millions　on　the　plateau　above。　Beyond　it　arose　a　thin　signal　of　smoke。

We　sipped　our　lime　juice　and　rested。　Soon　our　attention　was　attracted　by　the　peculiar　actions　of　a　big　flock　of　very　white　birds。　They　rose　suddenly　from　one　side　of　the　tiny　rape　field；　wheeled　and　swirled　like　leaves　in　the　wind；　and　dropped　down　suddenly　on　the　other　side　the　patch。　After　a　few　moments　they　repeated　the　performance。　The　sun　caught　the　dazzling　white　of　their　plumage。　At　first　we　speculated　on　what　they　might　be；　then　on　what　they　were　doing；　to　behave　in　so　peculiar　a　manner。　The　lime　juice　and　the　armchair　began　to　get　in　their　recuperative　work。　Somehow　the　distance　across　that　flat　did　not　seem　quite　as　tremendous　as　at　first。　Finally　I　picked　up　the　shotgun　and　sauntered　across　to　investigate。　The　cause　of　action　I　soon　determined。　The　owner　of　that　rape　field　turned　out　to　be　an　emaciated；　gray…haired　but　spry　old　savage。　He　was　armed　with　a　spear；　and　at　the　moment　his　chief　business　in　life　seemed　to　be　chasing　a　large　flock　of　white　birds　off　his　grain。　Since　he　had　no　assistance；　and　since　the　birds　held　his　spear　in　justifiable　contempt　as　a　fowling　piece；　he　was　getting　much　exercise　and　few　results。　The　birds　gave　way　before　his　direct　charge；　flopped　over　to　the　other　side；　and　continued　their　meal。　They　had　already　occasioned　considerable　damage；　the　rape　heads　were　bent　and　destroyed　for　a　space　of　perhaps　ten　feet　from　the　outer　edge　of　the　field。　As　this　grain　probably　constituted　the　old　man's　food　supply　for　a　season；　I　did　not　wonder　at　the　vehemence　with　which　he　shook　his　spear　at　his　enemies；　nor　the　apparent　flavour　of　his　language；　though　I　did　marvel　at　his　physical　endurance。　As　for　the　birds；　they　had　become　cynical　and　impudent；　they　barely　fluttered　out　of　the　way。


I　halted　the　old　gentleman　and　hastened　to　explain　that　I　was　neither　a　pirate；　a　robber；　nor　an　oppressor　of　the　poor。　This　as　counter…check　to　his　tendency　to　flee；　leaving　me　in　sole　charge。　He　understood　a　little　Swahili；　and　talked　a　few　words　of　something　he　intended　for　that　language。　By　means　of　our　mutual　accomplishment　in　that　tongue；　and　through　a　more　efficient　sign　language；　I　got　him　to　understand　the　plan　of　campaign。　It　was　very　simple。　I　squatted　down　inside　the　rape；　while　he　went　around　the　other　side　to　scare　them　up。

The　white　birds　uttered　their　peculiarly　derisive　cackle　at　the　old　man　and　flapped　over　to　my　side。　Then　they　were　certainly　an　astonished　lot　of　birds。　I　gave　them　both　barrels　and　dropped　a　pair；　got　two　more　shots　as　they　swung　over　me　and　dropped　another　pair；　and　brought　down　a　straggling　single　as　a　grand　finale。　The　flock；　with　shrill；　derogatory　remarks；　flew　in　an　airline　straight　away。　They　never　deviated；　as　far　as　I　could　follow　them　with　the　eye。　Even　after　they　had　apparently　disappeared；　I　could　catch　an　occasional　flash　of　white　in　the　sun。

Now　the　old　gentleman　came　whooping　around　with　long；　undignified　bounds　to　fall　on　his　face　and　seize　my　foot　in　an　excess　of　gratitude。　He　rose　and　capered　about；　he　rushed　out　and　gathered　in　the　slain　one　by　one　and　laid　them　in　a　pile　at　my　feet。　Then　he　danced　a　jig…step　around　them　and　reviled　them；　and　fell　on　his　face　once　more；　repeating　the　word　〃Bwana！　bwana！　bwana！〃　over　and　over…〃Master！　master！　master！〃　We　returned　to　camp　together；　the　old　gentleman　carrying　the　birds；　and　capering　about　like　a　small　boy；　pouring　forth　a　flood　of　his　sort　of　Swahili；　of　which　I　could　understand　only　a　word　here　and　there。　Memba　Sasa；　very　dignified　and　scornful　of　such　performances；　met　us　halfway　and　took　my　gun。　He　seemed　to　be　able　to　understand　the　old　fellow's　brand　of　Swahili；　and　said　it　over　again　in　a　brand　I　could　understand。　From　it　I　gathered　that　I　was　called　a　marvellously　great　sultan；　a　protector　of　the　poor；　and　other　Arabian　Nights　titles。

The　birds　proved　to　be　white　egrets。　Now　at　home　I　am　strongly　against　the　killing　of　these　creatures；　and　have　so　expressed　myself　on　many　occasions。　But；　looking　from　the　beautiful　white　plumage　of　these　villainous　mauraders；　to　the　wrinkled　countenance　of　the　grateful　weary　old　savage；　I　could　not　fan　a　spark　of　regret。　And　from　the　straight　line　of　their　retreating　flight　I　like　to　think　that　the　rest　of　the　flock　never　came　back；　but　took　their　toll　from　the　wider　fields　of　the　plateau　above。

Next　day　we　reentered　the　game…haunted　wilderness；　nor　did　we　see　any　more　native　villages　until　many　weeks　later　we　came　into　the　country　of　the　Wakamba。



XIX。　THE　TANA　RIVER

Our　first　sight　of　the　Tana　River　was　from　the　top　of　a　bluff。　It　flowed　below　us　a　hundred　feet；　bending　at　a　sharp　elbow　against　the　cliff　on　which　we　stood。　Out　of　the　jungle　it　crept　sluggishly　and　into　the　jungle　it　crept　again；　brown；　slow；　viscid；　suggestive　of　the　fevers　and　the　lurking　beasts　by　which；　indeed；　it　was　haunted。　From　our　elevation　we　could　follow　its　course　by　the　jungle　that　grew　along　its　banks。　At　first　this　was　intermittent；　leaving　thin　or　even　open　spaces　at　intervals；　but　lower　down　it　extended　away　unbroken　and　very　tall。　The　trees　were　many　of　them　beginning　to　come　into　flower。

Either　side　of　the　jungle　were　rolling　hills。　Those　to　the　left　made　up　to　the　tremendous　slopes　of　Kenia。　Those　to　the　right　ended　finally　in　a　low　broken　range　many　miles　away　called　the　Ithanga　Hills。　The　country　gave　one　the　impression　of　being　clothed　with　small　trees；　although　here　and　there　this　growth　gave　space　to　wide　grassy　plains。　Later　we　discovered　that　the　forest　was　more　apparent　than　real。　The　small　trees；　even　where　continuous；　were　sparse　enough　to　permit　free　walking　in　all　directions；　and　open　enough　to　allow　clear　sight　for　a　hundred　yards　or　so。　Furthermore；　the　shallow　wide　valleys　between　the　hills　were　almost　invariably　treeless　and　grown　to　very　high　thick　grass。

Thus　the　course　of　the　Tana　possessed　advantages　to　such　as　we。　By　following　in　general　the　course　of　the　stream　we　were　always　certain　of　wood　and　water。　The　river　itself　was　full　of　fish…not　to　speak　of　hundreds　of　crocodiles　and　hippopotamuses。　The　thick　river　jungle　gave　cover　to　such　animals　as　the　bushbuck；　leopard；　the　beautiful　colobus；　some　of　the　tiny　antelope；　waterbuck；　buffalo　and　rhinoceros。　Among　the　thorn　and　acacia　trees　of　the　hillsides　one　was　certain　of　impalla；　eland；　diks…diks；　and　giraffes。　In　the　grass　bottoms　were　lions；　rhinoceroses；　a　half　dozen　varieties　of　buck；　and　thousands　and　thousands　of　game　birds　such　as　guinea　fowl　and　grouse。　On　the　plains　fed　zebra；　hartebeeste；　wart…hog；　ostriches；　and　several　species　of　the　smaller　antelope。　As　a　sportsman's　paradise　this　region　would　be　hard　to　beat。

We　were　now　afoot。　The　dreaded　tsetse　fly　abounded　here；　and　we　had　sent　our　horses　in　via　Fort　Hall。　F。　had　accompanied　them；　and　hoped　to　rejoin　us　in　a　few　days　or　weeks　with　tougher　and　less　valuable　mules。　Pending　his　return　we　moved　on　leisurely；　camping　long　at　one　spot；　marching　short　days；　searching　the　country　far　and　near　for　the　special　trophies　of　which　we　stood　in　need。

It　was　great　fun。　Generally　we　hunted　each　in　his　own　direction　and　according　to　his　own　ideas。　The　jungle　along　the　river；　while　not　the　most　prolific　in　trophies；　was　by　all　odds　the　most　interesting。　It　was　very　dense；　very　hot；　and　very　shady。　Often　a　thorn　thicket　would　fling　itself　from　the　hills　right　across　to　the　water's　edge；　absolutely　and　hopelessly　impenetrable　save　by　way　of　the　rhinoceros　tracks。　Along　these　then　we　would　slip；　bent　double；　very　quietly　and　gingerly；　keeping　a　sharp　lookout　for　the　rightful　owners　of　the　trail。　Again　we　would　wander　among　lofty　trees　through　the　tops　of　which　the　sun　flickered　on　festooned　serpentlike　vines。　Every　once　in　a　while　we　managed　a　glimpse　of　the　sullen　oily　river　through　the　dense　leaf　screen　on　its　banks。　The　water　looked　thick　as　syrup；　of　a　deadly　menacing　green。　Sometimes　we　saw　a　loathsome　crocodile　lying　with　his　nose　just　out　of　water；　or　heard　the　snorting　blow　of　a　hippopotamus　coming　up　for　air。　Then　the　t