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The Land of Footprints-Part35_Stewart Edward White(1873-1946)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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few, may have fixed habits, and so prove easy hunting.

These difficulties, while in no way formidable, are real enough



in their small way; but they are immensely increased when the

herds have been often disturbed. Disturbance need not necessarily



mean shooting. In countries unvisited by white men often the

pastoral natives will so annoy the buffalo by shoutings and other



means, whenever they appear near the tame cattle, that the huge

beasts will come practically nocturnal. In that case only the



rankest luck will avail to get a man a chance in the open. The

herds cling to cover until after sundown and just at dusk; and



they return again very soon after the first streaks of dawn. If

the hunter just happens to be at the exact spot, he may get a



twilight shot when the glimmering ivory of his front sight is

barely visible. Otherwise he must go into the thicket.



As an illustration of the first condition might be instanced an

afternoon on the Tana. The weather was very hot. We had sent



three lots of men out in different directions, each under the

leadership of one of the gunbearers, to scout, while we took it



easy in the shade of our banda, or grass shelter, on the bank of

the river. About one o'clock a messenger came into camp reporting



that the men under Mavrouki had traced a herd to its lying-down

place. We took our heavy guns and started.



The way led through thin scrub up the long slope of a hill that

broke on the other side into undulating grass ridges that ended



in a range of hills. These were about four or five miles distant,

and thinlywooded on sides and lower slopes with what resembled a



small live-oak growth. Among these trees, our guide told us, the

buffalo had first been sighted.



The sun was very hot, and all the animals were still. We saw

impalla in the scrub, and many giraffes and bucks on the plains.



After an hour and a half's walk we entered the parklike groves at

the foot of the hills, and our guide began to proceed more



cautiously. He moved forward a few feet, peered about, retraced

his steps. Suddenly his face broke into a broad grin. Following



his indication we looked up, and there in a tree almost above us

roosted one of our boys sound asleep! We whistled at him.



Thereupon he awoke, tried to look very alert, and pointed in the

direction we should go. After an interval we picked up another



sentinel, and another, and another until, passed on thus from one

to the next, we traced the movements of the herd. Finally we came



upon Mavrouki and Simba under a bush. From them, in whispers, we

learned that the buffalo were karibu sana-very near; that they



had fed this far, and were now lying in the long grass just

ahead. Leaving the men, we now continued our forward movement on



hands and knees, in single file. It was very hot work, for the

sun beat square down on us, and the tall grass kept off every



breath of air. Every few moments we rested, lying on our faces.

Occasionally, when the grass shortened, or the slant of ground



tended to expose us, we lay quite flat and hitched forward an

inch at a time by the strength of our toes. This was very severe



work indeed, and we were drenched in perspiration. In fact, as I

had been feeling quite ill all day, it became rather doubtful



whether I could stand the pace.

However after a while we managed to drop down into an eroded deep



little ravine. Here the air was like that of a furnace, but at

least we could walk upright for a few rods. This we did, with the



most extraordinary precautions against even the breaking of a

twig or the rolling of a pebble. Then we clambered to the top of



the bank, wormed our way forward another fifty feet to the

shelter of a tiny bush, and stretched out to recuperate. We lay



there some time, sheltered from the sun. Then ahead of us

suddenly rumbled a deep bellow. We were fairly upon the herd!



Cautiously F., who was nearest the centre of the bush, raised

himself alongside the stem to look. He could see where the beasts



were lying, not fifty yards away, but he could make out nothing

but the fact of great black bodies taking their ease in the grass



under the shade of trees. So much he reported to us; then rose

again to keep watch.



Thus we waited the rest of the afternoon. The sun dipped at last

toward the west, a faint irregularbreeze wandered down from the



hills, certain birds awoke and uttered their clear calls, an

unsuspected kongoni stepped from the shade of a tree over the way






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