she-第12部分

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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。　
Now　for　a　shot。　I　must　have　one；　though　he　is　going　
like　an　arrow；　and　a　hundred　yards　away　and　more。　By　
Jove！　over　and　over　and　over！　〃Well；　I　think　I've　
wiped　your　eye　there；　Master　Leo；〃　I　say；　struggling　
against　the　ungenerous　exultation　that　in　such　a　
supreme　moment　of　one's　existence　will　rise　in　the　
best…mannered　sportsman's　breast。

〃Confound　you；　yes；〃　growled　Leo；　and　then；　with　that　
quick　smile　that　is　one　of　his　charms　lighting　up　his　
handsome　face　with　a　ray　of　light；　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　
old　fellow。　I　congratulate　you；　it　was　a　lovely　shot；　
and　mine　were　vile。〃

We　got　out　of　the　boat　and　ran　to　the　buck；　which　was　
shot　through　the　spine　and　stone　dead。　It　took　us　a　
quarter　of　an　hour　or　more　to　clean　it　and　cut　off　as　
much　of　the　best　meat　as　we　could　carry；　and；　having　
packed　this　away；　we　had　barely　light　enough　to　row　up　
into　the　lagoon…like　space；　into　which；　there　being　a　
hollow　in　the　swamp；　the　river　here　expanded。　Just　as　
the　light　vanished　we　cast　anchor　about　thirty　fathoms　
from　the　edge　of　the　lake。　We　did　not　dare　to　go　
ashore；　not　knowing　if　we　should　find　dry　ground　to　
camp　on；　and　greatly　fearing　the　poisonous　exhalations　
from　the　marsh；　from　which　we　thought　we　should　be　
freer　on　the　water。　So　we　lighted　a　lantern；　and　made　
our　evening　meal　off　another　potted　tongue　in　the　best　
fashion　that　we　could；　and　then　prepared　to　go　to　
sleep；　only；　however；　to　find　that　sleep　was　
impossible。　For；　whether　they　were　attracted　by　the　
lantern；　or　by　the　unaccustomed　smell　of　a　white　man；　
for　which　they　had　been　waiting　for　the　last　thousand　
years　or　so；　I　know　not；　but　certainly　we　were　
presently　attacked　by　tens　of　thousands　of　the　most　
bloodthirsty；　pertinacious；　and　huge　mosquitoes　that　I　
ever　saw　or　read　of。　In　clouds　they　came；　and　pinged　
and　buzzed　and　bit　till　we　were　nearly　mad。　Tobacco　
smoke　only　seemed　to　stir　them　into　a　merrier　and　more　
active　life；　till　at　length　we　were　driven　to　covering　
ourselves　with　blankets；　head　and　all；　and　sitting　to　
slowly　stew　and　continually　scratch　and　swear　beneath　
them。　And　as　we　sat；　suddenly　rolling　out　like　thunder　
through　the　silence　came　the　deep　roar　of　a　lion；　and　
then　of　a　second　lion；　moving　among　the　reeds　within　
sixty　yards　of　us。

〃I　say；〃　said　Leo；　sticking　his　head　out　from　under　
his　blanket；　〃lucky　we　ain't　on　the　bank；　eh；　
avuncular？〃　（Leo　sometimes　addressed　me　in　this　
disrespectful　way。）　〃Curse　it！　a　mosquito　has　bitten　
me　on　the　nose；〃　and　the　head　vanished　again。

Shortly；　after　this　the　moon　came　up；　and　
notwithstanding　every　variety　of　roar　that　echoed　over　
the　water　to　us　from　the　lions　on　the　banks；　we　began；　
thinking　ourselves　perfectly　secure；　to　gradually　doze　
off。

I　do　not　quite　know　what　it　was　that　made　me　poke　my　
head　out　of　the　friendly　shelter　of　the　blanket；　
perhaps　because　I　found　that　the　mosquitoes　were　
biting　right　through　it。　Anyhow；　as　I　did　so　I　heard　
Job　whisper；　a　frightened　voice

〃Oh；　my　stars；　look　there！〃　

Instantly　we　all　of　us　looked；　and　this　was　what　we　
saw　in　the　moonlight。　Near　the　shore　were　two　wide　and　
ever…widening　circles　of　concentric　rings　rippling　
away　across　the　surface　of　the　water；　and　in　the　heart　
and　centre　of　the　circles　were　two　dark　moving　
objects。

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　I。

〃It　is　those　damned　lions；　sir；〃　answered　Job；　in　a　
tone　which　was　an　odd　mixture　of　a　sense　of　personal　
injury；　habitual　respect；　and　acknowledged　fear；　〃and　
they　are　swimming　here　to　heat　us；〃　he　added；　
nervously　picking　up　an　〃h〃　in　his　agitation。

I　looked　again；　there　was　no　doubt　about　it；　I　could　
catch　the　glare　of　their　ferocious　eyes。　Attracted　
either　by　the　smell　of　the　newly　killed　water　buck　
meat　or　of　ourselves；　the　hungry　beasts　were　actually　
storming　our　position。

Leo　already　had　his　rifle　in　his　hand。　I　called　to　him　
to　wait　till　they　were　nearer；　and　meanwhile　grabbed　
my　own。　Some　fifteen　feet　from　us　the　water　shallowed　
on　a　bank　to　the　depth　of　about　fifteen　inches；　and　
presently　the　first　of　themit　was　the　lionessgot　
on　to　it　and　shook　herself　and　roared。　At　that　moment　
Leo　fired；　and　the　bullet　went　right　down　her　open　
mouth　and　out　at　the　back　of　her　neck；　and　down　she　
dropped；　with　a　splash；　dead。　The　other　liona　full…
grown　malewas　some　two　paces　behind　her。　At　this　
second　he　got　his　forepaws　on　to　the　bank；　when　a　
strange　thing　happened。　There　was　a　rush　and　
disturbance　of　the　water；　such　as　one　sees　in　a　pond　
in　England　when　a　pike　takes　a　little　fish；　only　a　
thousand　times　fiercer　and　larger；　and　suddenly　the　
lion　gave　a　most　terrific　snarling　roar　and　sprang　
forward　on　to　the　bank；　dragging　something　black　with　
him。

〃Allah！〃　shouted　Mahomed；　〃a　crocodile　has　got　him　by　
the　leg！〃　and　sure　enough　he　had。　We　could　see　the　
long　snout　with　its　gleaming　lines　of　teeth　and　the　
reptile　body　behind　it。

And　then　followed　an　extraordinary　scene；　indeed。　The　
lion　managed　to　get　well　on　to　the　bank；　the　crocodile　
half　standing　and　half　swimming；　still　nipping　his　
hind…leg。　He　roared　till　the　air　quivered　with　the　
sound；　and　then；　with　a　savage；　shrieking　snarl；　
turned　round　and　clawed　hold　of　the　crocodile's　head。　
The　crocodile　shifted　his　grip；　having；　as　we　
afterwards　discovered；　had　one　of　his　eyes　torn　out；　
and　slightly　turned　over；　and　instantly　the　lion　got　
him　by　the　throat　and　held　on；　and　then　over　and　over　
they　rolled　upon　the　bank；　struggling　hideously。　It　
was　impossible　to　follow　their　movements；　but　when　
next　we　got　a　clear　view　the　tables　had　turned；　for　
the　crocodile；　whose　head　seemed　to　be　a　mass　of　gore；　
had　got　the　lion's　body　in　his　iron　jaws　just　above　
the　hips；　and　was　squeezing　him　and　shaking　him　to　and　
fro。　For　his　part　the　tortured　brute；　roaring　in　
agony；　was　clawing　and　biting　madly　at　his　enemy's　
scaly　head；　and　fixing　his　great　hind　claws　in　the　
crocodile's；　comparatively　speaking；　soft　throat；　
ripping　it　open　as　one　would　rip　a　glove。

Then；　all　of　a　sudden；　the　end　came。　The　lion's　head　
fell　forward　on　the　crocodile's　back；　and　with　an　
awful　groan　he　died；　and　the　crocodile；　after　standing　
for　a　minute　motionless；　slowly　rolled　over　on　to　his　
side；　his　jaws　still　fixed　across　the　carcass　of　the　
lion；　which　we　afterwards　found　he　had　bitten　almost　
in　halves。

This　duel　to　the　death　was　a　wonderful　and　a　shocking　
sight；　and　one　that　I　suppose　few　men　have　seenand　
thus　it　ended。

When　it　was　all　over；　leaving　Mahomed　to　keep　a　
lookout；　we　managed　to　spend　the　rest　of　the　night　as　
quietly　as　the　mosquitoes　would　allow。

CHAPTER　VI

AN　EARLY　CHRISTIAN　CEREMONY

Next　morning；　at　the　earliest　blush　of　dawn；　we　rose；　
performed　such　ablutions　as　circumstances　would　allow；　
and　generally　made　ready　to　start。　I　am　bound　to　say　
that　when　there　was　sufficient　light　to　enable　us　to　
see　each　other's　faces　I；　for　one；　burst　out　into　a　
roar　of　laughter。　Job's　fat　and　comfortable　
countenance　was　swollen　out　to　nearly　twice　its　normal　
size　from　mosquito　bites；　and　Leo's　condition　was　not　
much　better。　Indeed；　of　the　three　I　had　come　off　much　
the　best；　probably　owing　to　the　toughness　of　my　dark　
skin；　and　to　the　fact　that　a　good　deal　of　it　was　
covered　by　hair；　for　since　we　started　from　England　I　
had　allowed　my　naturally　luxuriant　beard　to　grow　at　
its　own　sweet　will。　But　the　other　two　were；　
comparatively　speaking；　clean　shaved；　which　of　course　
gave　the　enemy　a　larger　extent　of　open　country　to　
operate　on；　though　as　for　Mahomed；　the　mosquitoes；　
recognizing　the　taste　of　a　true　believer；　would　not　
touch　him　at　any　price。　How　often；　I　wonder；　during　
the　next　week　or　so　did　we　wish　that　we　were　flavored　
like　an　Arab！

By　the　time　that　we　had　done　laughing　as　heartily　as　
our　swollen　lips　would　allow；　it　was　daylight；　and　the　
morning　breeze　was　coming　up　from　the　sea；　cutting　
lanes　through　the　dense　marsh　mists；　and　here　and　
there　rolling　them　before　it　in　great　balls　of　fleecy　
vapor。　So　we　set　our　sail；　and　having　first　taken　a　
look　at　the　two　dead　lions　and　the　dead　alligator；　
which　we　were　of　course　unable　to　skin；　being　
destitute　of　means　of　curing　the　pelts；　we　started；　
and；　sailing　through　the　lagoon；　followed　the　course　
of　the　rive