登陆注册
5381600000020

第20章

As no answer was forthcoming we proceeded to the edge of the swamp, and looked over it.It was apparently boundless, and vast flocks of every sort of waterfowl came flying from its recesses, till it was sometimes difficult to see the sky.Now that the sun was getting high it drew thin, sickly looking clouds of poisonous vapor from the surface of the marsh and from the scummy pools of stagnant water.

"Two things are clear to me," I said, addressing my three companions, who stared at this spectacle in dismay: "first, that we can't go across there" (Ipointed to the swamp), "and, secondly, that if we stop here we shall certainly die of fever.""That's as clear as a haystack, sir," said Job.

"Very well, then; there are two alternatives before us.One is to 'bout ship, and try and run for some port in the whale-boat, which would be a sufficiently risky proceeding, and the other to sail or row on up the river, and see where we come to.""I don't know what you are going to do," said Leo, setting his mouth, "but I am going up that river."Job turned up the whites of his eyes and groaned, and the Arab murmured "Allah," and groaned also.As for me, I remarked sweetly that as we seemed to be between the devil and the deep sea, it did not much matter where we went.But in reality I was as anxious to proceed as Leo.The colossal negro's head and the stone wharf had excited my curiosity to an extent of which I was secretly ashamed, and I was prepared to gratify it at any cost.Accordingly, having carefully fitted the mast, restowed the boat, and got out our rifles, we embarked.Fortunately the wind was blowing on shore from the ocean, so we were able to hoist the sail.Indeed, we afterwards found out that as a general rule the wind set on shore from daybreak for some hours, and off shore again at sunset, and the explanation that I offer of this is, that when the earth is cooled by the dew and the night the hot air rises, and the draught rushes in from the sea till the sun has once more heated it through.At least that appeared to be the rule here.

Taking advantage of this favoring wind, we sailed merrily up the river for three or four hours.Once we came across a school of hippopotami, which rose, and bellowed dreadfully at us within ten or a dozen fathoms of the boat, much to Job's alarm, and, I will confess, to my own.These were the first hippopotami that we had ever seen, and, to judge by their insatiable curiosity, I should judge that we were the first white men that they had ever seen.Upon my word l once or twice thought that they were coming into the boat to gratify it.Leo wanted to fire at them, but Idissuaded him, fearing the consequences.Also we saw hundreds of crocodiles basking on the muddy banks, and thousands upon thousands of waterfowl.Some of these we shot, and among them was a wild goose, which, in addition to the sharp curved spurs on its wings, had a spur about three quarters of an inch long growing from the skull just between the eyes.We never shot another like it, so I do not know if it was a "sport" or a distinct species.In the latter case this incident may interest naturalists.Job named it the Unicorn Goose.

About midday the sun grew intensely hot, and the stench drawn up by it from the marshes which the river drains was something too awful, and caused us instantly to swallow precautionary doses of quinine.

Shortly afterwards the breeze died away altogether, and, as rowing our heavy boat against stream in the heat was out of the question, we were thankful enough to get under the shade of a group of treesa species of willowthat grew by the edge of the river, and lie there and gasp till at length the approach of sunset put a period to our miseries.Seeing what appeared to be an open space of water straight ahead of us, we determined to row there before settling what to do for the night.Just as we were about to loosen the boat, however, a beautiful water-buck, with great horns curving forward, and a white stripe across the rump, came down to the river to drink, without perceiving us hidden away within fifty yards under the willows.Leo was the first to catch sight of it, and being an ardent sportsman, thirsting for the blood of big game, about which he had been dreaming for months, he instantly stiffened all over, and pointed like a setter dog.Seeing what was the matter, I handed him his express rifle, at the same time taking my own.

"Now then," I whispered, "mind you don't miss.""Miss!" he whispered back, contemptuously; "I could not miss it if I tried."He lifted the rifle, and the roan-colored buck, having drunk his fill, raised his head and looked out across the river.He was standing right against the sunset sky on a little eminence; or ridge of ground, which ran across the swamp, evidently a favorite path for game, and there was something very beautiful about him.Indeed, I do not think that if I live to a hundred I shall ever forget that desolate and yet most fascinating scene; it is stamped upon my memory.To the right and left were wide stretches of lonely, death-breeding swamp, unbroken and unrelieved so far as the eye could reach, except here and there by ponds of black and peaty water that, mirror-like, flashed up the red rays of the setting sun.Behind us and before stretched the vista of the sluggish river, ending in glimpses of a reed-fringed lagoon, on the surface of which the long lights of the evening played as the faint breeze stirred the shadows.To the west loomed the huge red ball of the sinking sun, now vanishing down the vapory horizon, and filling the great heaven, high across whose arch the cranes and wild fowl streamed in line, square, and triangle, with flashes of flying gold and the lurid stain of blood.And then ourselvesthree modern Englishmen in a modern English boatseeming to jar upon and looking out of tone with that measureless desolation; and in front of us the noble buck limned out upon a background of ruddy sky.

_i_ Bang! _i_ Away he goes with a mighty bound.Leo has missed him._i_ Bang! _i_ right under him again.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 虎啸图

    虎啸图

    伴君如伴虎,她考进国营单位,每日伴的不是君,也不是真正的虎,而是画中的一只虎。这只虎监视着每位员工,包括体重外貌变化。她最珍贵的一头长发,也被老虎发现了。她该抗争还是把头发剪了?一下江堤,白银就挣脱了绳子,几秒就跑到了水边。它不能这么跑,它这么跑我怎么办?我不想洗过滤棉了,又腥又臭的过滤棉,洗一次还没洗够吗?水边那条路,我是不敢再走了。可是白银不管我洗什么,不管我怕什么,它还是走老路,以闪电的速度走上了老路。“白银——”我的呼喊穿过江边的雾霭,上面挂满了水珠。
  • 玄天上帝启圣灵异录

    玄天上帝启圣灵异录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The New McGuffey Fourth Reader

    The New McGuffey Fourth Reader

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 藏海诗话

    藏海诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Fairy Tales

    Fairy Tales

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 亚特兰蒂斯(全3册)

    亚特兰蒂斯(全3册)

    刘慈欣力荐!完美融合历史与科幻,大胆揭示人种进化终极秘密,CBS films即将推出改编电影。亚特兰蒂斯人类起源三部曲,包含《亚特兰蒂斯1:基因战争》《亚特兰蒂斯2:末日病毒》《亚特兰蒂斯3:美丽新世界》。两千年来,一个古老的组织誓言保守人类起源的秘密,竭尽全力寻找一个自远古时代便已存在的宿敌,这个庞大的威胁具有消灭人类族群的邪恶力量,而所有一切物种本质谜团的线索,都指向失落的神话之城亚特兰蒂斯……从事自闭症研究的遗传学家凯特,无意中发现智人突变转化的关键要素“亚特兰蒂斯”,竟也是1918年杀死全球五千万人超级传染病西班牙流感的始作俑者,却因此莫名遭到神秘组织伊麻里的追缉。在地下反恐探员大卫的协助下,两人发现伊麻里掌握人类自古至今的历史进化秘密,与其背后的恐怖动机。
  • 二手生活

    二手生活

    很多人一喊他名字的时候就笑,有的说亏着你不姓“xing”。谢生活自己也觉得好笑,可他不反驳。日子无论过成什么样,就不感谢生活吗?当然更要感谢养父,把自己养大又把家业传给自己。家业不大,一块堆二手货的场地,三间瓦房一个院子。地方不错,就是在农村离城远了,每天谢生活要骑上一个小时的三轮车才能进城收货,三轮车前面一个喇叭,里面有他录好的吆喝声:“收二手货,旧电器,旧家具,报纸,废品,价格公道,老少不欺。”喇叭用一个小电瓶供电,电瓶是报废的,他捣腾好以后还能用。
  • 重生之锦绣春

    重生之锦绣春

    一不小心穿越了,江南水乡,远离朝局,黄锦只想带着全家发家致富奔小康。怎奈一次神秘邂逅,江湖之远,却牵扯进庙堂之争。他本是傲娇皇孙,被她的独特吸引,开始步步为营,挖下陷阱,只为了让她无路可退。
  • 高老头(语文新课标课外读物)

    高老头(语文新课标课外读物)

    现代中、小学生不能只局限于校园和课本,应该广开视野,广长见识,广泛了解博大的世界和社会,不断增加丰富的现代社会知识和世界信息,才有所精神准备,才能迅速地长大,将来才能够自由地翱翔于世界蓝天。否则,我们将永远是妈妈怀抱中的乖宝宝,将永远是温室里面的豆芽菜,那么,我们将怎样走向社会、走向世界呢?
  • 爱你,是最美的修行:仓央嘉措的诗与情

    爱你,是最美的修行:仓央嘉措的诗与情

    本书通过对仓央嘉措诗与情的解读,将一个最真实、最纯真、最多情的仓央嘉措呈现在读者面前。在本书中,读者可以领略到仓央嘉措诗歌之美,身世之传奇,情感之真挚。