the land of footprints-第47部分

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th　a　critical　eye　the　herds　of　game　to　right　and　left　of　us。　The　latter　examined　us；　apparently；　with　an　eye　as　critical。　Finally；　in　a　herd　of　zebra；　we　espied　a　lone　wildebeeste。

The　wildebeeste　is　the　Jekyll　and　Hyde　of　the　animal　kingdom。　His　usual　and　familiar　habit　is　that　of　a　heavy；　sluggish　animal；　like　our　vanished　bison。　He　stands　solid　and　inert；　his　head　down；　he　plods　slowly　forward　in　single　file；　his　horns　swinging；　each　foot　planted　deliberately。　In　short；　he　is　the　personification　of　dignity；　solid　respectability；　gravity　of　demeanour。　But　then　all　of　a　sudden；　at　any　small　interruption；　he　becomes　the　giddiest　of　created　beings。　Up　goes　his　head　and　tail；　he　buck　jumps；　cavorts；　gambols；　kicks　up　his　heels；　bounds　stiff…legged；　and　generally　performs　like　an　irresponsible　infant。　To　see　a　whole　herd　at　once　of　these　grave　and　reverend　seigneurs　suddenly　blow　up　into　such　light…headed　capers　goes　far　to　destroy　one's　faith　in　the　stability　of　institutions。

Also　the　wildebeeste　is　not　misnamed。　He　is　a　conservative；　and　he　sees　no　particular　reason　for　allowing　his　curiosity　to　interfere　with　his　preconceived　beliefs。　The　latter　are　distrustful。　Therefore　he　and　his　females　and　his　young…I　should　say　small…depart　when　one　is　yet　far　away。　I　say　small；　because　I　do　not　believe　that　any　wildebeeste　is　ever　young。　They　do　not　resemble　calves；　but　are　exact　replicas　of　the　big　ones；　just　as　Niobe's　daughters　are　in　nothing　childlike；　but　merely　smaller　women。

When　we　caught　sight　of　this　lone　wildebeeste　among　the　zebra；　I　naturally　expected　that　we　would　pull　up　the　buckboard；　descend；　and　approach　to　within　some　sort　of　long　range。　Then　we　would　open　fire。　Barring　luck；　the　wildebeeste　would　thereupon　depart　〃wilder　and　beestier　than　ever；〃　as　John　McCutcheon　has　it。　Not　at　all！　Michael；　the　Hottentot；　turned　the　buckboard　off　the　road；　headed　toward　the　distant　quarry；　and　charged　at　full　speed！　Over　stones　we　went　that　sent　us　feet　into　the　air；　down　and　out　of　shallow　gullies　that　seemed　as　though　they　would　jerk　the　pole　from　the　vehicle　with　a　grand　rattlety…bang；　every　one　hanging　on　for　his　life。　I　was　entirely　occupied　with　the　state　of　my　spinal　column　and　the　retention　of　my　teeth；　but　McMillan　must　have　been　keeping　his　eye　on　the　game。　One　peculiarity　of　the　wildebeeste　is　that　he　cannot　see　behind　him；　and　another　is　that　he　is　curious。　It　would　not　require　a　very　large　bump　of　curiosity；　however；　to　cause　any　animal　to　wonder　what　all　the　row　was　about。　There　could　be　no　doubt　that　this　animal　would　sooner　or　later　stop　for　an　instant　to　look　for　the　purpose　of　seeing　what　was　up　in　jungleland；　and　just　before　doing　so　he　would；　for　a　few　steps；　slow　down　from　a　gallop　to　a　trot。　McMillan　was　watching　for　this　symptom。

〃Now！〃　he　yelled；　when　he　saw　it。

Instantly　Michael　threw　his　weight　into　the　right　rein　and　against　the　brake。　We　swerved　so　violently　to　the　right　and　stopped　so　suddenly　that　I　nearly　landed　on　the　broad　prairies。　The　manoeuvre　fetched　us　up　broadside。　The　small　black　syce…and　heaven　knows　how　HE　had　managed　to　hang　on…darted　to　the　heads　of　the　leading　mules。　At　the　same　moment　the　wildebeeste　turned；　and　stopped；　but　even　before　he　had　swung　his　head；　McMillan　had　fired。　It　was　extraordinarily　good；　quick　work；　the　way　he　picked　up　the　long　range　from　the　spurts　of　dust　where　the　bullets　hit。　At　the　third　or　fourth　shots　he　landed　one。　Immediately　the　beast　was　off　again　at　a　tearing　run　pursued　by　a　rapid　fusillade　from　the　remaining　shots。　Then　with　a　violent　jerk　and　a　wild　yell　we　were　off　again。

This　time；　since　the　animal　was　wounded；　he　made　for　rougher　country。　And　everywhere　that　wildebeeste　went　we　too　were　sure　to　go。　We　hit　or　shaved　boulders　that　ought　to　have　smashed　a　wheel；　we　tore　through　thick　brush　regardless。　Twice　we　charged　unhesitatingly　over　apparent　precipices。　I　do　not　know　the　name　of　the　manufacturer　of　the　buckboard。　If　I　did；　I　should　certainly　recommend　it　here。　Twice　more　we　swerved　to　our　broadside　and　cut　loose　the　port　batteries。　Once　more　McMillan　hit。　Then；　on　the　fourth　〃run；〃　we　gained　perceptibly。　The　beast　was　weakening。　When　he　came　to　a　stumbling　halt　we　were　not　over　a　hundred　yards　from　him；　and　McMillan　easily　brought　him　down。　We　had　chased　him　four　or　five　miles；　and　McMillan　had　fired　nineteen　shots；　of　which　two　had　hit。　The　rifle　practice　throughout　had　been　remarkably　good；　and　a　treat　to　watch。　Personally；　besides　the　fun　of　attending　the　show；　I　got　a　mighty　good　afternoon's　exercise。

We　loaded　the　game　aboard　and　jogged　slowly　back　to　the　house；　for　the　mules　were　pretty　tired。　We　found　a　neighbour；　Mr。　Heatley　of　Kamiti　Ranch　who　had　〃dropped　down〃　twelve　miles　to　see　us。　On　account　of　a　theft　McMillan　now　had　all　the　Somalis　assembled　for　interrogation　on　the　side　verandas。　The　interrogation　did　not　amount　to　much；　but　while　it　was　going　on　the　Sudanese　headman　and　his　askaris　were　quietly　searching　the　boys'　quarters。　After　a　time　they　appeared。　The　suspected　men　had　concealed　nothing；　but　the　searchers　brought　with　them　three　of　McMillan's　shirts　which　they　had　found　among　the　effects　of　another；　and　entirely　unsuspected；　boy　named　Abadie。

〃How　is　this；　Abadie？〃　demanded　McMillan　sternly。

Abadie　hesitated。　Then　he　evidently　reflected　that　there　is　slight　use　in　having　a　deity　unless　one　makes　use　of　him。

〃Bwana；〃　said　he　with　an　engaging　air　of　belief　and　candour；　〃God　must　have　put　them　there！〃

That　evening　we　planned　a　〃general　day〃　for　the　morrow。　We　took　boys　and　buckboards　and　saddle…horses；　beaters；　shotguns；　rifles；　and　revolvers；　and　we　sallied　forth　for　a　grand　and　joyous　time。　The　day　from　a　sporting　standpoint　was　entirely　successful；　the　bag　consisting　of　two　waterbuck；　a　zebra；　a　big　wart…hog；　six　hares；　and　six　grouse。　Personally　I　was　a　little　hazy　and　uncertain。　By　evening　the　fever　had　me；　and　though　I　stayed　at　Juja　for　six　days　longer；　it　was　as　a　patient　to　McMillan's　unfailing　kindness　rather　than　as　a　participant　in　the　life　of　the　farm。



XXVIII。　A　RESIDENCE　AT　JUJA

A　short　time　later；　at　about　middle　of　the　rainy　season；　McMillan　left　for　a　little　fishing　off　Catalina　Island。　The　latter　is　some　fourteen　thousand　miles　of　travel　from　Juja。　Before　leaving　on　this　flying　trip；　McMillan　made　us　a　gorgeous　offer。

〃If；〃　said　he；　〃you　want　to　go　it　alone；　you　can　go　out　and　use　Juja　as　long　as　you　please。〃

This　offer；　or；　rather；　a　portion　of　it；　you　may　be　sure；　we　accepted　promptly。　McMillan　wanted　in　addition　to　leave　us　his　servants；　but　to　this　we　would　not　agree。　Memba　Sasa　and　Mahomet　were；　of　course；　members　of　our　permanent　staff。　In　addition　to　them　we　picked　up　another　house　boy；　named　Leyeye。　He　was　a　Masai。　These　proud　and　aristocratic　savages　rarely　condescend　to　take　service　of　any　sort　except　as　herders；　but　when　they　do　they　prove　to　be　unusually　efficient　and　intelligent。　We　had　also　a　Somali　cook；　and　six　ordinary　bearers　to　do　general　labour。　This　small　safari　we　started　off　afoot　for　Juja。　The　whole　lot　cost　us　about　what　we　would　pay　one　Chinaman　on　the　Pacific　Coast。

Next　day　we　ourselves　drove　out　in　the　mule　buckboard。　The　rains　were　on；　and　the　road　was　very　muddy。　After　the　vital　tropical　fashion　the　grass　was　springing　tall　in　the　natural　meadows　and　on　the　plains　and　the　brief…lived　white　lilies　and　an　abundance　of　ground　flowers　washed　the　slopes　with　colour。　Beneath　the　grass　covering；　the　entire　surface　of　the　ground　was　an　inch　or　so　deep　in　water。　This　was　always　most　surprising；　for；　apparently；　the　whole　country　should　have　been　high　and　dry。　Certainly　its　level　was　that　of　a　plateau　rather　than　a　bottom　land；　so　that　one　seemed　always　to　be　travelling　at　an　elevation。　Nevertheless　walking　or　riding　we　were　continually　splashing；　and　the　only　dry　going　outside　the　occasional　rare　〃islands〃　of　the　slight　undulations　we　found　near　the　very　edge　of　the　bluffs　above　the　rivers。　There　the　drainage　seemed　sufficient　to　carry　off　the　excess。　Elsewhere　the　hardpan　or　bedrock　must　have　been　exceptionally　level　and　near　the　top　of　the　ground。

Nothing　nor　nobody　seemed　to　mind　this　much。　The　game　splashed　around　merrily；　cropping　at　the　tall　grass；　the　natives　slopped　indifferently；　and　we　ourselves　soon　became　so　accustomed　to　two　or　three　inches　of　water　and　wet　feet　that　after　the　first　two　days　we　never　gave　those　phenomena　a　thought。

The　world　above　at　this　season　of　the　year　was　magnificent。　The　African　heavens　are　always　widely　spacious；　but　now　they　seemed　to　have　blown　even　vaster　than　usual。　In　the　sweep　of　the　vision　four　or　five　heavy　black　rainstorms　would　be　trailing　their　skirts　across　an　infinitely　remote　prospect；　between　them　white　piled　scud　clouds　and　cumuli　sailed　like　ships；　and　from　them　reflected　so　brilliant　a　sunlight　and　behind　all　showed　so　dazzling　a　blue　sky　that　the　general　impression　was　of　a　fine　day。　The　rainstorms'　gray　veils　slanted；　tremendous　patches　of　shadow　lay　becalmed　on　the　plains；　bright　sunshine　poured　abundantly　its　warmth　and　yellow　light。

So　brilliant　with　both　direct　and　reflected　light　and　the　values　of　contrast　were　the　heavens；　that　when　one　happened　to　stand　within　one　of　the　great　shadows　it　became　extraordinarily　difficult　to　make　out　game　on　the　plains。　The　pupils　contracted　to　the　brilliancy　overhead。　Often　too；　near　sunset；　the　atmosphere　would　become　suffused　with　a　lurid　saffron　light　that　made　everything　unreal　and　ghastly。　At　such　times　the　game　seemed　puzzled　by　the　unusual　aspect　of　things。　The　zebra　especially　would　bark　and　stamp　and　stand　their　ground；　and　even　come　nearer　out　of　sheer　curiosity。　I　have　thus　been　within　fifty　yards　of　them；　right　out　in　the　open。　At　such　times　it　was　as　though　the　sky；　instead　of　rounding　over　in　the　usual　shape；　had　been　thrust　up　at　the　western　horizon　to　the　same　incredible　height　as　the　zenith。　In　the　space　thus　created　were　piled　great　clouds　through　which　slanted　broad　bands　of　yellow　light　on　a　diminished　world。

It　rained　with　great　suddenness　on　our　devoted　heads；　and　with　a　curious　effect　of　metamorphoslng　the　entire　universe。　One　moment　all　was　clear　and　smiling；　with　the　trifling　exception　of　distant　rain　squalls　that　amoun