No great harm had happened to him; he had received only a few scratches and skin-wounds, that would soon yield to careful treatment and the surgical2 skill which his father possessed3, along with certain herbal remedies known to Saloo.
They were soon restored to their former state of equanimity4, and thought nothing more of the little incident that had just flurried them, except to congratulate themselves on having so unexpectedly added to their stock of provisions the bodies of two great birds, each of respectable size; to say nothing of the fat featherless chick, which appeared as if it would make a very bonne bouche for a gourmand5.
As we have said, Saloo did not think any more of ascending6 the durion-tree, nor they of asking him to do so. Its fruits might have served them for dessert, to come after the game upon which they were now going to dine.
But they were not in condition to care for following the usual fashion of dining, and least of all did they desire a dinner of different courses, so long as they had one sufficiently7 substantial to satisfy the simple demands of hunger. The two hornbills promised, each of them, a fair pièce-de-resistance, while the fat pult was plainly a titbit, to be taken either hors d’oeuvres, or as an entrée.
They were not slow in deciding what should be done with the stock so unexpectedly added to their larder8. In a trice the cock bird was despoiled9 of his plumage; the hen having been well-nigh dismantled10 of hers already. The former was trussed and made ready for the spit, the latter being intended for the pot, on the supposition that boiling might be better for her toughness. Murtagh had taken to finishing the plucking of the hen, while Saloo set about divesting11 the old cock of his feathers.
The chick needed no plucking, nor even to be singed12. Its skin was as free of covering as the shell of the egg lately containing it. It was tender enough to be cooked in any way. It could be boiled over the embers, and would make a nice meal for the two young people, and doubtless greatly benefit their strength.
When the bodies of the old birds were unmasked of their feathery envelopment13, it was seen that they were much smaller than supposed; and, moreover, that the hen was by many degrees larger in size and fatter than the cock. It was but natural, and was due to her sex, as well as to her long confinement14 in a dark cell of but limited dimensions, where she had nothing to do but to rest.
But as the cock bird, after all, was quite as large as a Cochin-China fowl15, and, moreover, in good condition, there would be enough of him to supply a full repast, without touching16 either the hen or chick. So it was determined17 that both should be reserved till the following morning, when no doubt all hands would be again hungry enough for the toughest of fowls18.
This point settled, the old cock was staked upon a bamboo spit, and set over the fire, where he soon began to sputter19, sending out a savoury odour that was charmingly appetising.
The hen was at the same time chopped into small pieces, which were thrown into one of the great shells, along with some seasoning20 herbs Saloo had discovered in the neighbouring woods; and as they could now give the stew21 plenty of time to simmer, it was expected that before next day the toughness would be taken out of the meat, and after all it might prove a palatable22 dish to people distressed23 as they had been, and not caring much for mere24 dainties.
As they had nothing else to do but watch the spit, now and then turn it, and wait till the roast should be done, they fell into conversation, which naturally turned upon hornbills and their habits, Saloo furnishing most of the information concerning these curious birds.
Captain Redwood had not only seen them before, in the course of his voyages among the Malayan Archipelago, but he had read about their habits, and knew that they were found in various parts of the African continent.
They are there called Korwé (Tockus erythrorhynchus), and Dr Livingstone gives an interesting account of them.
He says,—“We passed the nest of a korwé, just ready for the female to enter; the orifice was plastered on both sides, but a space left of a heart shape, and exactly the size of the bird’s body. The hole in the tree was in every case found to be prolonged some distance above the opening, and thither25 the korwé always fled to escape being caught.”
The first time that Dr Livingstone himself saw the bird, it was caught by a native, who informed him that when the female hornbill enters her nest, she submits to a positive confinement. The male plasters up the entrance, leaving only a narrow slit26 by which to feed his mate, and which exactly suits the form of his beak27. The female makes a nest of her own feathers, lays her eggs, hatches them, and remains28 with the young till they are fully29 fledged. During all this time, which is stated to be two or three months, the male continues to feed her and her young family.
Strange to say, the prisoner generally becomes fat, and is esteemed30 a very dainty morsel31 by the natives, while the poor slave of a husband gets so lean that, on the sudden lowering of the temperature, which sometimes happens after a fall of rain, he is benumbed, falls down, and dies.
It is somewhat unusual, as Captain Redwood remarked, for the prisoner to fatten32, while the keeper pines!
The toucan33 of South America also forms her nest in the cavity of a tree, and, like the hornbill, plasters up the aperture34 with mud.
The hornbill’s beak, added Captain Redwood, is slightly curved, sharp-pointed, and about two inches long.
While the body of the rooster was sputtering35 away in the bright blaze, Saloo entertained the party by telling them what he knew about the habits of the hornbills; and this was a good deal, for he had often caught them in the forests of Sumatra. It may be remarked here, that many of the natives of the Malayan Archipelago possess a considerable knowledge of natural history, at least of its practical part. The reason is, that the Dutch, who own numerous settlements throughout these islands, have always been great taxidermists and skin-preservers, and to procure36 specimens37 for them and obtain the reward, has naturally originated a race of collectors among the native people. Saloo himself had been one of these bird-hunters, in early life, before taking to the sea, which last, as a general thing, is the favourite element and profession of a Malay.
He told them that he knew of two kinds of hornbill in his native island of Sumatra, but that he had seen the skins of several other species in the hands of the taxidermists, brought from various islands, as well as from the mainland of India, Malacca, and Cochin-China. They were all large birds, though some were smaller than the others; mostly black, with white markings about the throat and breast. He said that their nests are always built in the hollow of a tree, in the same way as the one he had robbed, and the entrance to them invariably plastered up with mud in a similar fashion, leaving a hole just big enough to allow the beak of the hen to be passed out, and opened a little for the reception of the food brought to her by her mate. It is the cock that does the “bricking up,” Saloo said, bringing the “mortar” from the banks of some neighbouring pool or stream and laying it on with his beak. He begins the task as soon as the hen takes her seat upon her solitary38 egg. The hen is kept in her prison not only during the full period of incubation, but long after; in fact, until the young chick becomes a full fledgling, and can fly out of itself. During all this time the imprisoned39 bird is entirely40 dependent on her mate for every morsel of food required, either by herself or for the sustenance41 of the nursling, and, of course, has to trust to his fidelity42, in which he never fails. The hornbills, however, like the eagles, and many other rapacious43 birds, though not otherwise of a very amiable44 disposition45, are true to the sacred ties of matrimony. So said Saloo, though not in this exact phraseology.
“But what if the ould cock shud get killed?” suggested Murtagh. “Supposin’ any accident was to prevint him from returnin’ to the nest? Wud the hen have to stay there an’ starve?”
Saloo could not answer this question. It was a theory he had never thought of, or a problem that had not come under his experience. Possibly it might be so; but it was more likely that her imprisonment46 within the tree cave, being an act agreed to on her part, was more apparent than real, and that she could break through the mud barricade47, and set herself free whenever she had a mind to do so.
This was the more probable view of the case, and terminated the discussion on natural history; or rather, it was brought to a close by their perceiving that the bird upon the bamboo stake was done to a turn, and they were by this time too hungry to think of anything else than eating it.
So off it came from the spit, and at it they went with a will, Saloo acting48 as carver, and distributing the roast joints49 all around, taking care to give the tenderest bits of breast to the children, and to Helen the liver wing.
They were all very cheerful in commencing their supper, but their strain was changed to sadness even before they had finished it.
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1
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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surgical
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| adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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equanimity
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| n.沉着，镇定 | |
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gourmand
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| n.嗜食者 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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despoiled
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| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
dismantled
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| 拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消 | |
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11
divesting
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| v.剥夺( divest的现在分词 )；脱去（衣服）；2。从…取去…；1。（给某人）脱衣服 | |
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12
singed
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| v.浅表烧焦( singe的过去式和过去分词 )；（毛发）燎，烧焦尖端[边儿] | |
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13
envelopment
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| n.包封，封套 | |
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confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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15
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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18
fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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19
sputter
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| n.喷溅声；v.喷溅 | |
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20
seasoning
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| n.调味；调味料；增添趣味之物 | |
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21
stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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22
palatable
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| adj.可口的，美味的；惬意的 | |
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23
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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27
beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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29
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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30
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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fatten
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| v.使肥，变肥 | |
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33
toucan
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| n.巨嘴鸟，犀鸟 | |
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34
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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35
sputtering
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| n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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36
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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38
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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39
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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41
sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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42
fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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43
rapacious
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| adj.贪婪的，强夺的 | |
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44
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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45
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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46
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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47
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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48
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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49
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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