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The Land of Footprints-Part29_Stewart Edward White(1873-1946)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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this most extraordinary affair leave no room for doubt. Crossing

a stream was always a matter of concern to us. The boys beat the



surface of the water vigorously with their safari sticks. On

occasion we have even let loose a few heavy bullets to stir up



the pool before venturing in.

A steep climb through thorn and brush would always extricate us



from the river jungle when we became tired of it. Then we found

ourselves in a continuous but scattered growth of small trees.



Between the trunks of these we could see for a hundred yards or

so before their numbers closed in the view. Here was the



favourite haunt of numerous beautiful impalla. We caught glimpses

of them, flashing through the trees; or occasionallystanding,



gazing in our direction, their slender necks stretched high,

their ears pointed for us. These curious ones were generally the



does. The bucks were either more cautious or less inquisitive. A

herd or so of eland also liked this covered country; and there were



always a few waterbuck and rhinoceroses about. Often too we here

encountered stragglers from the open plains-zebra or



hartebeeste, very alert and suspicious in unaccustomed

surroundings.



A great deal of the plains country had been burned over; and a

considerable area was still afire. The low bright flames licked



their way slowly through the grass in a narrow irregular band

extending sometimes for miles. Behind it was blackened soil, and



above it rolled dense clouds of smoke. Always accompanied it

thousands of birds wheeling and dashingfrantically" target="_blank" title="ad.狂暴地，疯狂地">frantically in and out of



the murk, often fairly at the flames themselves. The published

writings of a certain worthy and sentimental person waste much



sympathy over these poor birds dashing frenziedly about above

their destroyed nests. As a matter of fact they are taking greedy



advantage of a most excellent opportunity to get insects cheap.

Thousands of the common red-billed European storks patrolled the



grass just in front of the advancing flames, or wheeled barely

above the fire. Grasshoppers were their main object, although



apparently they never objected to any small mammals or reptiles

that came their way. Far overhead wheeled a few thousand more



assorted soarers who either had no appetite or had satisfied it.

The utter indifference of the animals to the advance of a big



conflagration always impressed me. One naturally pictures the

beasts as fleeing wildly, nostrils distended, before the



devouring element. On the contrary I have seen kongoni grazing

quite peacefully with flames on three sides of them. The fire



seems to travel rather slowly in the tough grass; although at

times and for a short distance it will leap to a wild and roaring



life. Beasts will then lope rapidly away to right or left, but

without excitement.



On these open plains we were more or less pestered with ticks of

various sizes. These clung to the grass blades; but with no



invincible preference for that habitat; trousers did them just as

well. Then they ascended looking for openings. They ranged in



size from little red ones as small as the period of a printed

page to big patterned fellows the size of a pea. The little ones



were much the most abundant. At times I have had the front of my

breeches so covered with them that their numbers actually



imparted a reddish tinge to the surface of the cloth. This sounds

like exaggeration, but it is a measured statement. The process of



de-ticking (new and valuable word) can then be done only by

scraping with the back of a hunting knife.



Some people, of tender skin, are driven nearly frantic by these

pests. Others, of whom I am thankful to say I am one, get off



comparatively easy. In a particularly bad tick country, one

generally appoints one of the youngsters as "tick toto." It is



then his job in life to de-tick any person or domestic animal

requiring his services. His is a busy existence. But though at



first the nuisance is excessive, one becomes accustomed to it in

a remarkably short space of time. The adaptability of the human






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