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The Land of Footprints-Part16_Stewart Edward White(1873-1946)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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rhino, some sing-sing, a heard of impalla, and a tremendous



thirst. In the meantime, Mavrouki had, under orders, scouted the

foothills of the mountain range at the back. He reported none but



old tracks of kudu, but said he had seen eight lions not far from

our encounter of the day before.



Therefore, as soon next morning as we could see plainly, we again

crossed the canyon and the waist-deep stream. I had with me all



three of the gun men, and in addition two of the most courageous

porters to help with the tracking and the looking.



About eight o'clock we found the first fresh pad mark plainly

outlined in an isolated piece of soft earth. Immediately we began



that most fascinating of games-trailing over difficult ground.

In this we could all take part, for the tracks were some hours



old, and the cover scanty. Very rarely could we make out more

than three successive marks. Then we had to spy carefully for the



slightest indication of direction. Kongoni in especial was

wonderful at this, and time and again picked up a broken grass



blade or the minutest inch-fraction of disturbed earth. We moved

slowly, in long hesitations and castings about, and in swift



little dashes forward of a few feet; and often we went astray on

false scents, only to return finally to the last certain spot. In



this manner we crossed the little plain with the scattered shrub

trees and arrived at the edge of the low bluff above the stream



bottom.

This bottom was well wooded along the immediate bank of the



stream itself, fringed with low thick brush, and in the open

spaces grown to the edges with high, green, coarse grass.



As soon as we had managed to follow without fault to this grass,

our difficulties of trailing were at an end. The lions' heavy



bodies had made distinct paths through the tangle. These paths

went forward sinuously, sometimes separating one from the other,



sometimes intertwining, sometimes combining into one for a short

distance. We could not determine accurately the number of beasts



that had made them.

"They have gone to drink water," said Memba Sasa.



We slipped along the twisting paths, alert for indications; came

to the edge of the thicket, stooped through the fringe, and



descended to the stream under the tall trees. The soft earth at

the water's edge was covered with tracks, thickly overlaid one



over the other. The boys felt of the earth, examined, even

smelled, and came to the conclusion that the beasts must have



watered about five o'clock. If so, they might be ten miles away,

or as many rods.



We had difficulty in determining just where the party left this

place, until finally Kongoni caught sight of suspicious



indications over the way. The lions had crossed the stream. We

did likewise, followed the trail out of the thicket, into the



grass, below the little cliffs parallel to the stream, back into

the thicket, across the river once more, up the other side, in



the thicket for a quarter mile, then out into the grass on that

side, and so on. They were evidently wandering, rather idly, up



the general course of the stream. Certainly, unlike most cats,

they did not mind getting their feet wet, for they crossed the



stream four times.

At last the twining paths in the shoulder-high grass fanned out



separately. We counted.

"You were right, Mavrouki," said I, "there were eight."



At the end of each path was a beaten-down little space where

evidently the beasts had been lying down. With an exclamation the



three gunbearers darted forward to investigate. The lairs were

still warm! Their occupants had evidently made off only at our



approach!

Not five minutes later we were halted by a low warning growl



right ahead. We stopped. The boys squatted on their heels close

to me, and we consulted in whispers.



Of course it would be sheer madness to attack eight lions in

grass so high we could not see five feet in front of us. That



went without saying. On the other hand, Mavrouki swore that he

had yesterday seen no small cubs with the band, and our



examination of the tracks made in soft earth seemed to bear him

out. The chances were therefore that, unless themselves attacked



or too close pressed, the lions would not attack us. By keeping

just in their rear we might be able to urge them gently along



until they should enter more open cover. Then we could see.




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