the land of footprints-第53章

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DING　a　recalcitrant　animal　back　to　its　band　and　I　have　no　doubt　at　all　that　when　they　first　by　us　the　old　lady　was　making　a　break　for　liberty　in　the　wrong　direction；　AND　THAT　THE　TWO　YOUNGER　COWS　WERE　TRYING　TO　ROUND　HER　BACK！　Whether　they　were　her　daughters　or　not　is　problematical；　but　it　certainly　seemed　that　they　were　taking　care　of　her　and　trying　to　prevent　her　running　back　where　it　was　dangerous　to　go。　I　never　heard　of　a　similar　case。　though　Herbert　Ward*　mentions；　without　particulars　that　elephants　AND　BUFFALOES　will　assist　each　other　WHEN　WOUNDED。

*A　Voice　from　the　COngo。


After　passing　these　we　returned　to　where　B。　and　the　men；　who　had　now　come　up；　had　prepared　the　dead　bull　for　transportation。　We　started　at　once；　travelling　by　the　stars；　shouting　and　singing　to　discourage　the　lions；　but　did　not　reach　camp　until　well　into　the　night。



XXV。　THE　BUFFALO…continued

Some　months　later；　and　many　hundreds　of　miles　farther　south；　Billy　and　I　found　ourselves　alone　with　twenty　men；　and　two　weeks　to　pass　until　C。…our　companion　at　the　time…should　return　from　a　long　journey　out　with　a　wounded　man。　By　slow　stages；　and　relaying　back　and　forth；　we　landed　in　a　valley　so　beautiful　in　every　way　that　we　resolved　to　stay　as　long　as　possible。　This　could　be　but　five　days　at　most。　At　the　end　of　that　time　we　must　start　for　our　prearranged　rendezvous　with　C。

The　valley　was　in　the　shape　of　an　ellipse；　the　sides　of　which　were　formed　by　great　clifflike　mountains；　and　the　other　two　by　hills　lower；　but　still　of　considerable　boldness　and　size。　The　longest　radius　was　perhaps　six　or　eight　miles；　and　the　shortest　three　or　four。　At　one　end　a　canyon　dropped　away　to　a　lower　level；　and　at　the　other　a　pass　in　the　hills　gave　over　to　the　country　of　the　Narassara　River。　The　name　of　the　valley　was　Lengeetoto。

》From　the　great　mountains　flowed　many　brooks　of　clear　sparkling　water；　that　ran　beneath　the　most　beautiful　of　open　jungles；　to　unite　finally　in　one　main　stream　that　disappeared　down　the　canyon。　Between　these　brooks　were　low　broad　rolling　hills；　sometimes　grass　covered；　sometimes　grown　thinly　with　bushes。　Where　they　headed　in　the　mountains；　long　stringers　of　forest　trees　ran　up　to　blocklike　groves；　apparently　pasted　like　wafers　against　the　base　of　the　cliffs；　but　in　reality　occupying　spacious　slopes　below　them。

We　decided　to　camp　at　the　foot　of　a　long　grass　slant　within　a　hundred　yards　of　the　trees　along　one　of　the　small　streams。　Before　us　we　had　the　sweep　of　brown　grass　rising　to　a　clear　cut　skyline；　and　all　about　us　the　distant　great　hills　behind　which　the　day　dawned　and　fell。　One　afternoon　a　herd　of　giraffes　stood　silhouetted　on　this　skyline　quite　a　half　hour　gazing　curiously　down　on　our　camp。　Hartebeeste　and　zebra　swarmed　in　the　grassy　openings；　and　impalla　in　the　brush。　We　saw　sing…sing　and　steinbuck；　and　other　animals；　and　heard　lions　nearly　every　night。　But　principally　we　elected　to　stay　because　a　herd　of　buffaloes　ranged　the　foothills　and　dwelt　in　the　groves　of　forest　trees　under　the　cliffs。　We　wanted　a　buffalo；　and　as　Lengeetoto　is　practically　unknown　to　white　men；　we　thought　this　a　good　chance　to　get　one。　In　that　I　reckoned　without　the　fact　that　at　certain　seasons　the　Masai　bring　their　cattle　in；　and　at　such　times　annoy　the　buffalo　all　they　can。

We　started　out　well　enough。　I　sent　Memba　Sasa　with　two　men　to　locate　the　herd。　About　three　o'clock　a　messenger　came　to　camp　after　me。　We　plunged　through　our　own　jungle；　crossed　a　low　swell；　traversed　another　jungle；　and　got　in　touch　with　the　other　two　men。　They　reported　the　buffalo　had　entered　the　thicket　a　few　hundred　yards　below　us。　Cautiously　reconnoitering　the　ground　it　soon　became　evident　that　we　would　be　forced　more　definitely　to　locate　the　herd。　To　be　sure；　they　had　entered　the　stream　jungle　at　a　known　point；　but　there　could　be　no　telling　how　far　they　might　continue　in　the　thicket；　nor　on　what　side　of　it　they　would　emerge　at　sundown。　Therefore　we　commenced　cautiously　and　slowly　follow　the　trail。　

The　going　was　very　thick；　naturally；　and　we　could　not　see　very　far　ahead。　Our　object　was　not　now　to　try　for　a　bull；　but　merely　to　find　where　the　herd　was　feeding；　in　order　that　we　might　wait　for　it　to　come　out。　However；　we　were　brought　to　a　stand；　in　the　middle　of　a　jungle　of　green　leaves；　by　the　cropping　sound　of　a　beast　grazing　just　the　other　side　of　a　bush。　We　could　not　see　it；　and　we　stood　stock　still　in　the　hope　of　escaping　discovery　ourselves。　But　an　instant　later　a　sudden　crash　of　wood　told　us　we　had　been　seen。　It　was　near　work。　The　gunbearers　crouched　close　to　me。　I　held　the　heavy　double　gun　ready。　If　the　beast　had　elected　to　charge　I　would　have　had　less　than　ten　yards　within　which　to　stop　it。　Fortunately　it　did　not　do　so。　But　instantly　the　herd　was　afoot　and　off　at　full　speed。　A　locomotive　amuck　in　a　kindling　pile　could　have　made　no　more　appalling　a　succession　of　rending　crashes　than　did　those　heavy　animals　rushing　here　and　there　through　the　thick　woody　growth。　We　could　see　nothing。　Twice　the　rush　started　in　our　direction；　but　stopped　as　suddenly　as　it　had　begun；　to　be　succeeded　by　absolute　stillness　when　everything；　ourselves　included；　held　its　breath　to　listen。　Finally；　the　first　panic　over；　the　herd　started　definitely　away　downstream。　We　ran　as　fast　as　we　could　out　of　the　jungle　to　a　commanding　position　on　the　hill。　Thence　we　could　determine　the　course　of　the　herd。　It　continued　on　downstream　as　far　as　we　could　follow　the　sounds　in　the　convolutions　of　the　hills。　Realizing　that　it　would　improbably　recover　enough　from　its　alarmed　condition　to　resume　its　regular　habits　that　day；　we　returned　to　camp。

Next　morning　Memba　Sasa　and　I　were　afield　before　daylight。　We　took　no　other　men。　In　hunting　I　am　a　strong　disbeliever　in　the　common　habit　of　trailing　along　a　small　army。　It　is　simple　enough；　in　case　the　kill　is　made；　to　send　back　for　help。　No　matter　how　skilful　your　men　are　at　stalking；　the　chances　of　alarming　the　game　are　greatly　increased　by　numbers；　while　the　possibilities　of　misunderstanding　the　plan　of　campaign；　and　so　getting　into　the　wrong　place　at　the　wrong　time；　are　infinite。　Alone；　or　with　one　gunbearer；　a　man　can　slip　in　and　out　a　herd　of　formidable　animals　with　the　least　chances　of　danger。　Merely　going　out　after　camp　meat　is　of　course　a　different　matter。

We　did　not　follow　in　the　direction　taken　by　the　herd　the　night　before；　but　struck　off　toward　the　opposite　side　of　the　valley。　For　two　hours　we　searched　the　wooded　country　at　the　base　of　the　cliff　mountains；　working　slowly　around　the　circle；　examining　every　inlet；　ravine　and　gully。　Plenty　of　other　sorts　of　game　we　saw；　including　elephant　tracks　not　a　half　hour　old；　but　no　buffalo。　About　eight　o'clock；　however；　while　looking　through　my　glasses；　I　caught　sight　of　some　tiny　chunky　black　dots　crawling　along　below　the　mountains　diagonally　across　the　valley；　and　somewhat　over　three　miles　away。　We　started　in　that　direction　as　fast　as　we　could　walk。　At　the　end　of　an　hour　we　surmounted　the　last　swell；　and　stood　at　the　edge　of　a　steep　drop。　Immediately　below　us　flowed　a　good…sized　stream　through　a　high　jungle　over　the　tops　of　which　we　looked　to　a　triangular　gentle　slope　overgrown　with　scattered　bushes　and　high　grass。　Beyond　this　again　ran　another　jungle；　angling　up　hill　from　the　first；　to　end　in　a　forest　of　trees　about　thirty　or　forty　acres　in　extent。　This　jungle　and　these　trees　were　backed　up　against　the　slope　of　the　mountain。　The　buffaloes　we　had　first　seen　above　the　grove：　they　must　now　have　sought　cover　among　either　the　trees　or　the　lower　jungle；　and　it　seemed　reasonable　that　the　beasts　would　emerge　on　the　grass　and　bush　area　late　in　the　afternoon。　Therefore　Memba　Sasa　and　I　selected　good　comfortable　sheltered　spots；　leaned　our　backs　against　rocks；　and　resigned　ourselves　to　long　patience。　It　was　now　about　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　we　could　not　expect　our　game　to　come　out　before　half　past　three　at　earliest。　We　could　not；　however；　go　away　to　come　back　later　because　of　the　chance　that　the　buffaloes　might　take　it　into　their　heads　to　go　travelling。　I　had　been　fooled　that　way　before。　For　this　reason；　also；　it　was　necessary；　every　five　minutes　or　so；　to　examine　carefully　all　our　boundaries；　lest　the　beasts　might　be　slipping