登陆注册
5697500000011

第11章 AN ELEPHANT HUNT(1)

Now I do not propose to narrate at full length all the incidents of our long journey up to Sitanda's Kraal,near the junction of the Lukanga and Kalukwe rivers,a journey of more than a thousand miles from Durban,the last three hundred or so of which,owing to the frequent presence of the dreadful "tsetse"fly,whose bite is fatal to all animals except donkeys and men,we had to make on foot.

We left Durban at the end of January,and it was in the second week of May that we camped near Sitanda's Kraal.Our adventures on the way were many and various,but as they were of the sort which befall every African hunter,I shall not -with one exception to be presently detailed --set them down here,lest I should render this history too wearisome.

At Inyati,the outlying trading station in the Matabele country;of which Lobengula (a great scoundrel)is king,we with many regrets parted from our comfortable wagon.Only twelve oxen remained to us out of the beautiful span of twenty which I had bought at Durban.One we had lost from the bite of a cobra,three had perished from poverty and the want of water,one had been lost,and the other three had died from eating the poisonous herb called "tulip."Five more sickened from this cause,but we managed to cure them with doses of an infusion made by boiling down the tulip-leaves.If administered in time this is a very effective antidote.

The wagon and oxen we left in the immediate charge of Goza and Tom,the driver and leader,both of them trustworthy boys,requesting a worthy Scotch missionary who lived in this wild place to keep an eye to it.Then,accompanied by Umbopa,Khiva,Ventv?gel,and half a dozen bearers whom we hired on the spot,we started off on foot upon our wild quest.I remember we were all a little silent on the occasion of that departure,and I think that each of us was wondering if we should ever see that wagon again;for my part I never expected to.For a while we tramped on in silence,till Umbopa,who was marching in front,broke into a Zulu chant about how some brave men,tired of life and the tameness of things,started off into a great wilderness to find new things or die,and how,lo,and behold!when they had got far into the wilderness,they found it was not a wilderness at all,but a beautiful place full of young wives and fat cattle,of game to hunt and enemies to kill.

Then we all laughed and took it for a good omen.He was a cheerful savage,was Umbopa,in a dignified sort of way,when he had not got one of his fits of brooding,and had a wonderful trick of keeping one's spirits up.We all got very fond of him.

And now for the one adventure I am going to treat myself to,for I do heartily love a hunting yam.

About a fortnight's march from Inyati we came across a peculiarly beautiful bit of fairly-watered wooded country:The kloofs in the hills were covered with dense bush,"idoro"bush as the natives call it,and in some places with the "wacht-een-beche"(wait-a-little)thorn,and there were great quantities of the beautiful "machabell"tree,laden with refreshing yellow fruit with enormous stones.This tree is the elephant's favorite food,and there were not wanting signs that the great brutes were about,for not only was their spoor frequent,but in many places the trees were broken down and even uprooted.The elephant is a destructive feeder.

One evening,after a long day's march,we came to a spot of peculiar loveliness.At the foot of a bush-clad hill was a dry river-bed,in which,however,were to be found pools of crystal water all trodden round with the hoof-prints of game.Facing this hill was a park like plain,where grew clumps of flat-topped mimosa,varied with occasional glossy leaved machabells,and all round was the great sea of pathless,silent bush.

As we emerged into this river-bed path we suddenly started a troop of tall giraffes,who galloped,or,rather,sailed off,with their strange gait,their tails screwed up over their backs,and their hoofs rattling like castanets.They were about three hundred yards from us,and therefore practically out of shot,but Good,who was walking ahead and had an express loaded with solid ball in his hand,could not resist,but upped gun and let drive at the last,a young cow.By some extraordinary chance the ball struck it full on the back of the neck,shattering the spinal column,and that giraffe went rolling head over heels just like a rabbit.I never saw a more curious thing.

"Curse it!"said Good -for I am sorry to say he had a habit of using strong language when excited -contracted no doubt,in the course of his nautical career;"curse it,I've killed him.""Ou,Bougwan,"ejaculated the Kaffirs;"ou!ou!"They called Good "Bougwan"(glass eye)because of his eyeglass.

"Oh!`Bougwan'!"re-echoed Sir Henry and I;and from that day Good's reputation as a marvelous shot was established,at any rate among the Kaffirs.Really he was a bad one,but whenever he missed we overlooked it for the sake of that giraffe.

Having set some of the "boys"to cut off the best of the giraffe meat,we went to work to build a "scherm"near one of the pools about a hundred yards to the right of it.This is done by cutting a quantity of thorn bushes and laying them in the shape of a circular hedge.Then the space enclosed is smoothed,and dry tambouki grass,if obtainable,is made into a bed in the centre,and a fire or fires lighted.

By the time the "scherm"was finished the moon was coming up,and our dinner of giraffe steaks and roasted marrow-bones was ready.How we enjoyed those marrow-bones,though it was rather a job to crack them!

同类推荐
  • 溪蛮丛笑

    溪蛮丛笑

    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。
  • 说无垢称经

    说无垢称经

    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。
  • 浪淘沙二首

    浪淘沙二首

    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。
  • 任法

    任法

    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。
  • 太上玉晨郁仪结璘奔日月图

    太上玉晨郁仪结璘奔日月图

    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。
热门推荐
  • 谁道女子不修仙

    谁道女子不修仙

    本是为母求药,一不小心竟扳倒九幽男权?顺带连自己的余生,也被一个狐仙“偷”走了?高冷美人×粘人狐狸,会是怎样的火花?[女扮男装+修仙+1v1+爽文]
  • 田园无小事:山里汉子宠妻忙

    田园无小事:山里汉子宠妻忙

    末世木系异能呆萌女穿成力大无穷却被饿死的可怜小哑巴,睁眼时被人施舍了一个窝窝头,就乖乖地跟他走了。云景:一个窝窝头牵回来一个媳妇,这媳妇是不是太廉价了?天知道他只是想喂她怀里的小狐狸!苏沫:给她吃的的都是大好人,好人,抱大腿!PS:绒毛控傲娇男Ⅹ吃不饱就会死呆萌末世女男主前期腿瘸,后期会好。甜宠文
  • Laddie

    Laddie

    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。
  • 道德经三帝注

    道德经三帝注

    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。
  • 社交礼仪一点通

    社交礼仪一点通

    《社交礼仪一点通:青少年礼仪指导》的宗旨是帮助广大青少年了解和培养社交礼仪行为,帮助青少年培养良好的人际关系。内容主要是以教育、引导全体公民自觉遵循社会主义礼貌道德规范以及相应社交礼仪的形式,来提高人们的文明意识,养成人们文明行为的日常习惯,促使良好社会风尚形成,使人与人之间、人与社会之间达到高度和谐与有序,努力推进整个社会精神文明程度的提高。
  • 宝刀

    宝刀

    《宝刀》的故事由“我”从民族学院分配到家乡说起。“我”毕业回来,风尘仆仆,一出长途汽车站,就看到了韩月。她和“我”一同毕业于民族学院,也被分配到这个远离世外的小城市,但她的经历很丰富,曾是学院里风云人物刘晋藏的女朋友。刘晋藏,融合汉族和藏族长相优点的混血儿,他的老爸在军分区有相当的职位,所以,他活得相当潇洒,女朋友一大堆,而作为汉族人韩月,则突出重围,成为追逐刘的胜利者。但刘晋藏最后因贩卖文物而没能毕业。我就是和这样的女孩,一同分配在这个被群山包围、汉藏杂居的小城市工作,然后就平平淡淡地在了一起,结了婚,但一直没有孩子。生活就是这样,平淡,单调,如从山野里定时刮来的风。
  • 绝色千金逃婚记

    绝色千金逃婚记

    各位亲们,《我晕,这样也能穿越》正式更名为《绝色千金逃婚记》希望大家可以继续支持我。我觉得这个名字比较贴切。呵呵呵。她安氏企业大小姐安琪,天生一副颠倒众生的美貌,再加上后天父母的精心栽培,上知天文,下通地理,古今中外没有她不知晓的事情,真是命运捉弄人啊,父母竟然逼我和一个素未谋面的人结婚,而且丝毫没有转圜的余地,我一气之下逃之夭夭了。郁闷,这是哪啊,好像穿越了,不会吧,逃婚也能穿越,真是奇闻。苍天啊,我怎么穿越了还要被逼婚啊,真是命苦啊。哇塞,太美了吧,我照了一下镜子,看到镜中那张美得没有一点瑕疵的脸,她真的是我吗?我自认为自己就有够美了,可是镜中这张脸真是让我望尘莫及啊。原来我是蓝月国的新月公主,被逼嫁给太阳城的大王做妃子,要是我的父王不同意太阳城就要出兵攻打蓝月国,原来父王也是有苦衷的,让我不由得想起老爸是不是也有苦衷呢?都怪那个太阳城的破大王,那叫什么楚天磊的超级没品的人,看本小姐嫁过去怎么收拾你,哼!下面介绍一下几位重要男主楚天磊——太阳城的大王,冷酷高傲,却对新月一见钟情,让他想尽一切办法获取芳心。楚君毅——太阳城九皇子,生性浪荡不羁,却被新月的一颦一笑一举一动所牵动着。许昊天——大将军之子,因为父亲被陷害冠上通敌卖国之名,惨遭灭门,来行刺皇上,却以外挟持新月离开,因为对磊的仇恨,所以使得他也讨厌新月可是最终是什么导致他转恨为爱呢?尹玉枫——叱诧风云的武林盟主,却因她的救命之恩而不可救药的爱上她。总之就是各位男主都是人中之龙,都死心塌地的爱着女主,最终女主会选择谁,敬请关注吧。我所构造的女主开始是个纯情小女生,后来因为变故可能会变得冷酷无情。所以不喜者勿近。希望各位亲亲可以用手中的票票继续支持我,支持新月公主哦。《穿越之特异功能皇后》已经接近尾声,偶有挖了个新坑,《穿越之绝色杀手》向亲们推荐,不过还是会以更这篇为主,请亲们别介意偶的贪心,其实偶也不是贪心,因为如果更一篇文更久了会找不到感觉,所以同时更两篇算是给自己放松一下,不过还是要以一篇为主,一篇为副。呵呵,不说了,再说偶就太啰嗦了。最后偶很厚脸皮的向大家说,收藏,砸票。呵呵········
  • 美女杀手:待嫁新娘

    美女杀手:待嫁新娘

    美女杀手穿梭在死神边境,两位帅的惊天地泣鬼神的俊男因私人恩怨而‘争夺’沈凌。她凭借着努力,问鼎世界巅峰。但她终究能否得到那梦幻般美好的爱情?爱情,对她来说也许奢侈品……
  • 茶仙

    茶仙

    雪花棉絮一般飞扬着。西北风凶猛而又匀称,雪花就旋动起来,一圈、两圈、三圈,然后像一群群飞累的鸟儿在远处飘落。天地也像被雪花旋动起来,如同一架摇动着的纺车。大雪已下了整整一天一宿。官庙镇被白茫茫厚雪包起来,已看不出房舍、院墙、树木和街巷的模样,倒像是两座平缓的小山耸起在无际的雪野中。将镇一分为二切割开的长街,如同冻结的山沟一样将镇子衬托得幽静而恬淡,好像这是天边的国度似的。驴的叫声打破了如梦的宁静,随之出现了狗叫的声音,甚至巢中的喜鹊也饮着雪片放喉长歌。随之,一缕缕炊烟从雪地里蹿出——是吃晌饭的时候了。
  • 南亚顽疾:克什米尔冲突之谜

    南亚顽疾:克什米尔冲突之谜

    关于克什米尔问题的产生和发展有多种解释路径。人们固然可以从不同的角度来阐释克什米尔问题,但对其来龙去脉进行详细考查之后可以发现,它之所以产生和发展无不受亚洲地缘政治的影响。《南亚顽疾:克什米尔冲突之谜(1947-1974)》将运用地缘政治理论来对它进行阐释。