In African Forest and Jungle. Du Chaillu Paul Belloni

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ light all around. It was an ideal night for lying in wait for a leopard.

      One o'clock came and no leopard had made his appearance. Time went on slowly. Two o'clock, no leopard. I began to think that they would not call, when suddenly the goats began to bleat. They had scented the approach of a beast of prey and become terrified. Suddenly I saw from behind one of the houses and among three or four plantain trees something moving. It was the leopard. He was coming. His eyes shone as if they were burning coals. Then slowly he advanced towards the trap. I did not wonder that Rogala had admonished me to make no noise. The leopard was slowly crawling near, his belly almost touching the ground.

      I watched him carefully to see what he was going to do. His long tail beat his flanks. He sniffed at the goat, and finding that he could not reach the frightened creature, he went round the trap. I watched with breathless attention.

      Then he came to the opening, and entered. Soon after I heard the trap-door close behind him. That did not disturb him, for all he thought of was the goat. He went on until he got so jammed in that he could not advance further. Then he became excited as he tried to extricate himself, and roared with anger. He could not turn back, and I fired and killed him.

      In an instant Rogala, Shinshooko, and Alapai were out of their cabins, guns in hand, running towards the goat-house. We lighted torches to frighten other leopards, and came out with them. The men gave a terrific war-cry, and shouted: "Leopard, you will not eat more of our goats!" In a short time everybody was around the leopard, looking at him.

      I opened his mouth and looked at his terrible-looking canines. "These four canines," I said, "I will send to Rotembo. I hope we shall kill leopards enough to have canines for a big necklace for him."

      "Yes," they all shouted, "let us kill all the leopards in the country."

      Then all the people danced around the leopard, singing at the same time: "You wicked leopard, your days are over, you will not make any one now fear you. The antelopes and gazelles of the forest would be glad if they knew that you have been killed by the great Oguizi."

      The dance lasted until daylight, when we skinned the beast. "Let us make a belt of his skin for Chief Rotembo," I said; and we accordingly did so. The tail I gave to Rogala. We divided the liver into several parts.

      Later in the day Rogala, Shinshooko, and I went into the forest with Andekko in search of the lair of the leopard, which was a female, hoping to take the young ones. But we were not successful, and were obliged finally to return without accomplishing our object.

      "When night comes," I said to my hunters, "I will lie in wait for the male leopard; perhaps he will come here in search of his mate."

      To this the man replied: "Yes, a male leopard is more likely to come and seek for his mate than a female is."

      That night as I was watching I suddenly saw a dark spot moving not far from where I stood. Suddenly I saw the eyes of a leopard looking like burning coals. He had come to look for his mate. But he had not advanced far towards the houses when I fired and killed him.

      Andekko, who had been fastened inside Rogala's house, was let loose and came bounding towards us. He had heard the sound of the gun, and knew that something was up. At the sight of the dead leopard his hair stood straight up, and then before we knew it he was on the body of the beast with his teeth fastened in its throat.

      In the morning I said to Rogala, "Bring Ndova to look at the leopard." He went after the monkey and soon came back with Ndova in his arms. At the sight of the leopard Ndova sprang from Rogala's arms, and in an instant was up a young tree, the hair all over his body standing upright. He glared at the dead leopard, uttering at the same time sounds of rage. We could not make him come down from the tree until we had taken away the leopard from the place. Then he descended and hid away in the house of Rogala.

      CHAPTER VI

      MY HUNTERS AND I BECOME GREAT FRIENDS – ANDEKKO AND NDOVA GROW FOND OF ME – WE TAKE NDOVA INTO THE FOREST – HE CALLS MONKEYS TO US AGAIN – ANDEKKO'S PROWESS AS A HUNTER – A FEMALE GORILLA AND HER BABY – WE KILL THE MAMMA AND ANDEKKO KILLS THE BABY

      After a few days of constant companionship with Rogala, Shinshooko, and Alapai, their fears of me had been allayed and we had become great friends.

      The women had also become accustomed to me and had grown to like me, for I had given them beads, looking-glasses, and some other trinkets. They also showed much pleasure when they brought to my feet bunches of plantain, peanuts, or other food. They would fish in the river, and all the fish they caught they would bring to me, so that I might choose what I wanted. The children would snare birds and bring them to me. They were always delighted to follow me when I went out to shoot birds.

      Andekko and Ndova, who were always fed by me, had also become accustomed to the color of my face and my long hair; they knew I was their friend, for when they were hungry I gave them food.

      Ndova from his perch always watched for my return, and when he saw me he uttered peculiar sounds of joy, which were always the same, so that when he uttered them I always knew that he was glad. He knew that I generally brought to him nuts, berries, or fruits which he liked. When I was eating with Rogala, Shinshooko, and Alapai, Andekko was always by me, for he had learned that he fared much better by my side, as I had directed them not to feed him.

      One day I said to Rogala: "Meat is getting scarce. Let us take Ndova with us into the forest to-morrow morning; perhaps he will succeed, if we meet monkeys belonging to his species, in making them come to him. Then, if we kill two or three, we shall have monkey meat to eat."

      The following morning Rogala, with Ndova tied by a rope, and I set out for the forest. Once in a while Ndova would call for his friends, the monkeys of his species; but there came no answer to his call, – there were no ndovas in that part of the forest.

      We kept on further and further; but though Ndova called for those of his species, there came no answer back, and finally we deemed it time to return home, as otherwise we should have to sleep in the forest.

      On our way back Ndova began to chatter in his own language. What he meant we of course could not tell at first, but soon we found out that through some peculiar gifts only belonging to monkeys, perhaps with his keen sense of smell, he knew that there were monkeys of his own tribe near. His voice or utterances were answered by other sounds made by a troop of monkeys which Rogala and I knew to be ndovas, and before we realized their presence, they were all upon a tree above our heads. Ndova became dreadfully excited. I took aim at the biggest monkey, fired, and he fell on the ground with a great crash. The others gave a cry of alarm, and in less than twenty seconds were out of sight.

      The next day I said to Rogala: "Let us go into the forest with Andekko. I want to see how he hunts, and if he drives the game within gunshot of the place where we are waiting for it."

      "He will surely do that," replied Rogala.

      The next morning, at dawn of day, we started for the forest, Andekko ahead of us. Suddenly he disappeared. Once in a while Rogala shouted to let the dog know where we stood. Then we waited and waited, Rogala now and then calling Andekko at the top of his voice. After a few hours we heard the barking of Andekko. The barking became louder, and Rogala said: "Oguizi, let us make ready, for Andekko is probably driving an antelope towards us."

      In another instant a large antelope with long spiral horns passed near us, but not near enough for us to fire. Then the barking of Andekko died away in the distance, and Rogala said: "We must not go away. I think Andekko will bring back the antelope towards us." He was not mistaken. A short time afterwards we heard Andekko again in the distance; the barking became louder and louder, and at last seemed very near. An antelope СКАЧАТЬ