the land of footprints-第26部分

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lves　neatly　with　lions。　Truly；　it　WAS　our　day。

After　a　time　we　gave　it　up；　and　went　back　to　measure　and　photograph　our　latest　prize。　It　proved　to　be　a　male；　maneless；　two　inches　shorter　than　that　killed　by　B。；　and　three　feet　five　and　one　half　inches　tall　at　the　shoulder。　My　bullet　had　reached　the　brain　just　over　the　left　eye。

Now；　toward　sunset；　we　headed　definitely　toward　camp。　The　long　shadows　and　beautiful　lights　of　evening　were　falling　across　the　hills　far　the　other　side　the　Isiola。　A　little　breeze　with　a　touch　of　coolness　breathed　down　from　distant　unseen　Kenia。　We　plodded　on　through　the　grass　quite　happily；　noting　the　different　animals　coming　out　to　the　cool　of　the　evening。　The　line　of　brush　that　marked　the　course　of　the　Isiola　came　imperceptibly　nearer　until　we　could　make　out　the　white　gleam　of　the　porters'　tents　and　wisps　of　smoke　curling　upward。

Then　a　small　black　mass　disengaged　itself　from　the　camp　and　came　slowly　across　the　prairie　in　our　direction。　As　it　approached　we　made　it　out　to　be　our　Monumwezis；　twenty　strong。　The　news　of　the　lions　had　reached　them；　and　they　were　coming　to　meet　us。　They　were　huddled　in　a　close　knot；　their　heads　inclined　toward　the　centre。　Each　man　carried　upright　a　peeled　white　wand。　They　moved　in　absolute　unison　and　rhythm；　on　a　slanting　zigzag　in　our　direction：　first　three　steps　to　the　right；　then　three　to　the　left；　with　a　strong　stamp　of　the　foot　between。　Their　bodies　swayed　together。　Sulimani　led　them；　dancing　backward；　his　wand　upheld。

〃Sheeka！〃　he　enunciated　in　a　piercing　half　whistle。

And　the　swaying　men　responded　in　chorus；　half　hushed；　rumbling；　with　strong　aspiration。

〃Goom　zoop！　goom　zoop！〃

When　fifty　yards　from　us；　however；　the　formation　broke　and　they　rushed　us　with　a　yell。　Our　horses　plunged　in　astonishment；　and　we　had　hard　work　to　prevent　their　bolting；　small　blame　to　'em！　The　men　surrounded　us；　shaking　our　hands　frantically。　At　once　they　appropriated　everything　we　or　our　gunbearers　carried。　One　who　got　left　otherwise　insisted　on　having　Billy's　parasol。　Then　we　all　broke　for　camp　at　full　speed；　yelling　like　fiends；　firing　our　revolvers　in　the　air。　It　was　a　grand　entry；　and　a　grand　reception。　The　rest　of　the　camp　poured　out　with　wild　shouts。　The　dark　forms　thronged　about　us；　teeth　flashing；　arms　waving。　And　in　the　background；　under　the　shadows　of　the　trees　were　the　Monumwezis；　their　formation　regained；　close　gathered；　heads　bent；　two　steps　swaying　to　the　right…stamp！　two　steps　swaying　to　the　left…stamp！…the　white　wands　gleaming；　and　the　rumble　of　their　lion　song　rolling　in　an　undertone：

〃Goom　zoop！　goom　zoop！〃



XV。　THE　LION　DANCE

We　took　our　hot　baths　and　sat　down　to　supper　most　gratefully；　for　we　were　tired。　The　long　string　of　men；　bearing　each　a　log　of　wood；　filed　in　from　the　darkness　to　add　to　our　pile　of　fuel。　Saa…sita　and　Shamba　knelt　and　built　the　night　fire。　In　a　moment　the　little　flame　licked　up　through　the　carefully　arranged　structure。　We　finished　the　meal；　and　the　boys　whisked　away　the　table。

Then　out　in　the　blackness　beyond　our　little　globe　of　light　we　became　aware　of　a　dull　confusion；　a　rustling　to　and　fro。　Through　the　shadows　the　eye　could　guess　at　movement。　The　confusion　steadied　to　a　kind　of　rhythm；　and　into　the　circle　of　the　fire　came　the　group　of　Monumwezis。　Again　they　were　gathered　together　in　a　compact　little　mass；　but　now　they　were　bent　nearly　double；　and　were　stripped　to　the　red　blankets　about　their　waists。　Before　them　writhed　Sulimani；　close　to　earth；　darting　irregularly　now　to　right；　now　to　left；　wriggling；　spreading　his　arms　abroad。　He　was　repeating　over　and　over　two　phrases；　or　rather　the　same　phrase　in　two　such　different　intonations　that　they　seemed　to　convey　quite　separate　meanings。

〃Ka　soompeele？〃　he　cried　with　a　strongly　appealing　interrogation。

〃Ka　soompeele！〃　he　repeated　with　the　downward　inflection　of　decided　affirmation。

And　the　bent　men；　their　dark　bodies　gleaming　in　the　firelight；　stamping　in　rhythm　every　third　step；　chorused　in　a　deep　rumbling　bass：

〃Goom　zoop！　goom　zoop！〃

Thus　they　advanced；　circled　between　us　and　the　fire；　and　withdrew　to　the　half　darkness；　where　tirelessly　they　continued　the　same　reiterations。

Hardly　had　they　withdrawn　when　another　group　danced　forward　in　their　places。　These　were　the　Kikuyus。　They　had　discarded　completely　their　safari　clothes；　and　now　came　forth　dressed　out　in　skins；　in　strips　of　white　cloth；　with　feathers；　shells　and　various　ornaments。　They　carried　white　wands　to　represent　spears；　and　they　sang　their　tribal　lion　song。　A　soloist　delivered　the　main　argument　in　a　high　wavering　minor　and　was　followed　by　a　deep　rumbling　emphatic　chorus　of　repetition；　strongly　accented　so　that　the　sheer　rhythm　of　it　was　most　pronounced：

〃An…gee　a　Ka　ga　An…gee　a　Ka　ga　An…gee　a　Ka　ga　Ki　ya　Ka　ga　Ka　ga　an　gee　ya！〃

Solemnly　and　loftily；　their　eyes　fixed　straight　before　them　they　made　the　circle　of　the　fire；　passed　before　our　chairs；　and　withdrew　to　the　half　light。　There；　a　few　paces　from　the　stamping；　crouching　Monumwezis；　they　continued　their　performance。

The　next　to　appear　were　the　Wakambas。　These　were　more　histrionic。　They　too　were　unrecognizable　as　our　porters；　for　they　too　had　for　the　lion　discarded　their　work…a…day　garments　in　favour　of　savage。　They　produced　a　pantomime　of　the　day's　doings；　very　realistic　indeed；　ending　with　a　half　dozen　of　dark　swaying　bodies　swinging　and　shuddering　in　the　long　grass　as　lions；　while　the　〃horses〃　wove　in　and　out　among　the　crouching　forms；　all　done　to　the　beat　of　rhythm。　Past　us　swept　the　hunt；　and　in　its　turn　melted　into　the　half　light。

The　Kavirondos　next　appeared；　the　most　fantastically　caparisoned　of　the　lot；　fine　big　black　men；　their　eyes　rolling　with　excitement。　They　had　captured　our　flag　from　its　place　before　the　big　tent；　and　were　rallied　close　about　this；　dancing　fantastically。　Before　us　they　leaped　and　stamped　and　shook　their　spears　and　shouted　out　their　full…voiced　song；　while　the　other　three　tribes　danced　each　its　specialty　dimly　in　the　background。

The　dance　thus　begun　lasted　for　fully　two　hours。　Each　tribe　took　a　turn　before　us；　only　to　give　way　to　the　next。　We　had　leisure　to　notice　minutiae；　such　as　the　ingenious　tail　one　of　the　〃lions〃　had　constructed　from　a　sweater。　As　time　went　on；　the　men　worked　themselves　to　a　frenzy。　From　the　serried　ranks　every　once　in　a　while　one　would　break　forth　with　a　shriek　to　rush　headlong　into　the　fire；　to　beat　the　earth　about　him　with　his　club；　to　rush　over　to　shake　one　of　us　violently　by　the　hand；　or　even　to　seize　one　of　our　feet　between　his　two　palms。　Then　with　equal　abruptness　back　he　darted　to　regain　his　place　among　the　dancers。　Wilder　and　wilder　became　the　movements；　higher　rose　the　voices。　The　mock　lion　hunt　grew　more　realistic；　and　the　slaughter　on　both　sides　something　tremendous。　Lower　and　lower　crouched　the　Monumwezi；　drawing　apart　with　their　deep　〃goom〃；　drawing　suddenly　to　a　common　centre　with　the　sharp　〃zoop！〃　Only　the　Kikuyus　held　their　lofty　bearing　as　they　rolled　forth　their　chant；　but　the　mounting　excitement　showed　in　their　tense　muscles　and　the　rolling　of　their　eyes。　The　sweat　glistened　on　naked　black　and　bronze　bodies。　Among　the　Monumwezi　to　my　astonishment　I　saw　Memba　Sasa；　stripped　like　the　rest；　and　dancing　with　all　abandon。　The　firelight　leaped　high　among　the　logs　that　eager　hands　cast　on　it；　and　the　shadows　it　threw　from　the　swirling；　leaping　figures　wavered　out　into　a　great；　calm　darkness。

The　night　guard　understood　a　little　of　the　native　languages；　so　he　stood　behind　our　chairs　and　told　us　in　Swahili　the　meaning　of　some　of　the　repeated　phrases。

〃This　has　been　a　glorious　day；　few　safaris　have　had　so　glorious　a　day。〃

〃The　masters　looked　upon　the　fierce　lions　and　did　not　run　away。〃

〃Brave　men　without　other　weapons　will　nevertheless　kill　with　a　knife。〃

〃The　masters'　mothers　must　be　brave　women；　the　masters　are　so　brave。〃

〃The　white　woman　went　hunting；　and　so　were　many　lions　killed。〃

The　last　one　pleased　Billy。　She　felt　that　at　last　she　was　appreciated。

We　sat　there　spellbound　by　the　weird　savagery　of　the　spectacle…the　great　licking　fire；　the　dancing；　barbaric　figures；　the　rise　and　fall　of　the　rhythm；　the　dust　and　shuffle；　the　ebb　and　flow　of　the　dance；　the　dim；　half…guessed　groups　swaying　in　the　darkness…and　overhead　the　calm　tropic　night。

At　last；　fairly　exhausted；　they　stopped。　Some　one　gave　a　signal。　The　men　all　gathered　in　one　group；　uttered　a　final　yell；　very　like　a　cheer；　and　dispersed。

We　called　up　the　heroes　of　the　day…Fundi　and　his　companion…and　made　a　little　speech；　and　bestowed　appropriate　reward。　Then　we　turned　in。



XVI。　FUNDI

Fundi；　as　I　have　suggested；　was　built　very　much　on　the　lines　of　the　marabout　stork。　He　was　about　twenty　years　old；　carried　himself　very　erect；　and　looked　one　straight　in　the　eye。　His　total　assets　when　he　came　to　us　were　a　pair　of　raggedy　white　breeches；　very　baggy；　and　an　old　mesh　undershirt；　ditto　ditto。　To　this　we　added　a　jersey；　a　red　blanket；　and　a　water　bottle。　At　the　first　opportunity　he　constructed　himself　a　pair　of　rawhide　sandals。

Throughout　the　first　part　of　the　trip　he　had　applied　himself　to　business　and　carried　his　load。　He　never　made　trouble。　Then　he　and　his　companion　saw　five　lions；