“Avast!” said Disco, in a hoarse1 whisper, at the same time crouching2 behind a bush, and making frantic3 signals to the rest of the party to advance with extreme caution.
“Wat ’um see?” inquired Jumbo in a low whisper, creeping up to his excited leader.
There was no need for a reply. A glance over the top of the bush sufficed.
“Be quiet as mice now, lads,” said Disco, when all the members of his party had crept around him, and become aware of the presence of elephants. “Get your guns laid, and if any one of you dares to pull a trigger till I give the word, I’ll keel-haul him.”
This, or something distantly resembling it, having been explained to the men who carried guns, they lay down and took aim.
The noise made by the hunters attracted the attention of the nearest elephant, and, with true motherly instinct she placed her young one between her fore-legs for protection.
“We fire right in de middel ob de lot?” inquired Zombo hastily.
“Not at all,” whispered Disco; “let every man point at the nearest one—the one that lays broadside on to us, wi’ the little un under her bows. Now—ready—present—fire!”
Bang went the seven guns with a degree of precision that might have put to shame any corps4 of volunteer riflemen in England; up went the trunks and tails of the elephants, little and big, and away rushed the whole herd5 in dire6 alarm. But the wounded animal suddenly stumbled and fell on its knees, then leaped up and ran on heavily.
Meanwhile Disco, who had discharged only one barrel of his heavy gun, leaped over the bushes, and rushed forward at a pace which for a few seconds enabled him to keep ahead even of the fleet natives. The elephants, however, easily left them all behind, and it appeared as if the affair were about to end in disappointment, when the wounded beast again stumbled.
“Hold on! halt!” cried Disco in a voice of thunder.
He kneeled at the same time, took aim, and fired.
Whether it was this last shot or the effects of previous loss of blood, we cannot tell; but after receiving it, the ponderous7 animal rolled over on its side, and died.
To say that the natives became temporarily insane would give but a feeble idea of what now took place, because few readers are likely to be aware of the amazing power of the negro to give expression to the vagaries8 of insanity9. We shall therefore content ourselves by saying that they cheered, laughed, howled, shouted, danced, and yelled—and leave the rest to imagination.
“Now, then, boys, avast howlin’. Clap a stopper on your bellows10, will ’ee?” said Disco, in a boatswain’s roar, that effectually quelled11 the tumult12. “Cut off to camp, every mother’s son of you, an bring up Kambira an’ all the boys, with as many knives and dishes as ye can muster13, for this mountain of flesh ain’t to be cut up in a hurry, an’ the sun won’t be long o’ goin’ to bed. Away with ’ee! Let’s see how you can wag yer black legs, an’ I’ll keep watch over the carcase. If anything comes to have a look at it—a lion, for instance,—so much the worse for the lion!”
It was in vain that Jumbo explained there was no necessity for sending more than one of the party to the camp. Disco was a strict disciplinarian, and, having given the order, enforced it in a manner which admitted of no disobedience. They therefore departed, leaving the seaman14 seated on the elephant, smoking his pipe with his gun beside him.
But Jumbo did not go far. He soon turned aside from his companions, and returned to the scene of the hunt, resolved if possible to give his leader a fright. Gaining the skirts of the jungle which surrounded the open space where Disco kept watch, he crept cautiously as near to him as possible.
Disco still sat smoking and eyeing the elephant with a smile of satisfaction. Presently he rose,—retreated a few yards from the carcase, and stood admiring it with his head on one side, as if it were a picture and he a connoisseur15. He had in this act approached somewhat nearer to Jumbo, who saluted16 him with a most awful growl17.
No monkey in Africa could have dropped its pipe, had it been a smoker18, or sprung to seize its gun, had it been a sportsman, with greater agility19 than did Disco Lillihammer on that trying occasion! Getting on the other side of the dead elephant he faced round, cocked both barrels, and prepared to receive whatever might come.
Jumbo, lying very low behind a bank of earth for safety, gave another low growl. Disco started and half raised his piece. Jumbo then threw a large stone towards a neighbouring bush, which it struck and caused to rustle20.
This was enough for Disco, who took a quick aim, and let fly the contents of both barrels into the bush.
Jumbo noiselessly but swiftly crept back into the woods, chuckling21 as he went, leaving Disco to reload in wild haste. But his haste was uncalled for. There was no more growling22; no more rustling23 in the bushes.
“I’ve done for him,” muttered Disco, after waiting patiently at the “ready” for some time. “But it won’t do for me to ventur’ up to it all by myself. Pr’aps it’s a lion, an’ they do say that it’s chancy work to go near a wounded lion. To be sure the growl wasn’t so loud as I’d have expected o’ the king o’ the forest, but then they don’t always growl loud. Anyhow I’ll keep a bright look-out an’ wait till the niggers return.”
Philosophising thus, the bold seaman mounted guard over the elephant.
Meanwhile Jumbo, having got out of earshot of his friend, indulged in a loud laugh and made after his friends, but, observing the visage of a small yellow-coloured monkey among the leaves overhead, a thought flashed into his mind and induced him to change his plans.
Throwing his spear dexterously24 he transfixed the monkey and brought it down. Returning with great caution to the bush into which Disco had fired, and gliding25 with the noiseless motion of a snake the latter part of the way, he placed the dead monkey on the ground and left it there.
It was by that time too late to overtake his comrades. He therefore waited until they returned, and then joined the party in rear, as though he had followed them from the camp.
The same wild exhibition of delight was about to be enacted26 when the party came trooping up, but Disco quickly checked it by the astounding27 announcement that he thought he had shot a lion, or somethin’ o’ that sort!
“You don’t mean it!” said Harold, rather excited.
“All I know is,” said Disco, “that I heerd somethin’ uncommon28 like a lion growl twice in yonder bush, an’ saw the bush move too, so I fired a broadside that seemed to finish him at once, for there was no more rustlin’ after that.”
“An’ no more growlin’?” asked Jumbo, with much simplicity29 of countenance30.
“Not a growl, nor nothin’ else,” answered Disco.
“Well, get your guns ready, lads,” said Harold, “and stand by to fire while we go and search the bush.”
So saying, Harold and Disco advanced together with their rifles ready, while the natives, who were more or less alarmed, according to their respective degrees of courage, scattered31 in a semicircle well in rear. Kambira, armed with a spear, kept close to Harold, and Jumbo, with unwonted bravery, walked alongside of Disco. Antonio, quietly retiring, took refuge in a tree.
“Yoo’s sure you hit um?” inquired Jumbo in a whisper.
“Can’t say I’m sure,” replied Disco, “but we’ll soon see.”
“Was um’s growl very bad?” asked Jumbo.
“Hold yer long tongue!” said Disco testily32, for he was becoming excited.
“Look! see dere!” exclaimed Jumbo in an energetic whisper.
“What? where?”
“Look! right troo de bush. Dis way. Dar, don’ you zee um’s skin,—t’other side? Fire!”
“Why, eh!” exclaimed Disco, peering keenly through the leaves, “yellow hair! yes—its—”
Stopping abruptly33 he pointed34 his gun at the bush and poured the contents of both barrels into it. Then, clubbing his weapon and brandishing35 it in the air, he uttered a wild cry—went crashing through the bush, and next moment stood aghast before the yellow monkey, whose little carcase he had almost blown to atoms.
We won’t chronicle the roars of laughter, the yells of delight that followed,—the immense amount of chaffing, the innumerable witticisms36 and criticisms that ensued—no, no! regard for the gallant37 seaman constrains38 us to draw a veil over the scene and leave it, as we have left many things before, and shall leave many things yet to come, to the reader’s vivid imagination.
Fortunately for Disco, the superior attractions of the dead elephant soon drew off attention from this exploit. The natives proceeded to cut up the huge mass of meat, and this was indeed an amazing spectacle. At first the men stood round the carcase in dead silence, while Kambira delivered a species of oration39, in which he pointed out minutely the particular parts of the animal which were to be apportioned40 to the head-men of the different fires of which the camp was composed,—the left hind-leg and the parts around the eyes being allotted41 to his English visitors. These points settled, the order was given to “cut up,” and immediately the excitement which had been restrained burst forth42 again with tenfold violence. The natives seemed to be quite unable to restrain their feelings of delight, as they cut away at the carcase with spears and knives. They screamed as well as danced with glee. Some attacked the head, others the flanks, jumping over the animal or standing43 on it the better to expedite their operations; some ever and anon ran off screaming with masses of bloody44 meat, threw it on the grass and went back for more, while others, after cutting the carcase open, jumped inside and wallowed about in their eagerness to reach and cut out the precious fat—all talking and shouting at the utmost pitch of their voices.
“Well, now,” said Disco to Harold, with a grin of amusement, “the likes o’ that I never did see nowheres. Cuttin’ up a Greenland whale is nothin’ to it.”
“Come, come,” said Harold, checking his laughter and seizing an excited negro by the shoulder, “no fighting allowed.”
This had reference to two who chanced to have taken a fancy for the same mass of meat, and were quarrelling so violently over it that blows seemed on the point of following, but having let off part of their superabundant energy in words, they rushed back to expend45 the remainder on their dead friend.
Suddenly a sharp agonised yell was heard inside the carcase. Next moment Zombo jumped out all bloody and furious, holding up his right hand. While groping about inside, one of his too eager comrades outside had laid about rather incautiously with his knife, drove it through the meat and sliced Zombo’s left hand. He was easily soothed46, however; Harold bound up the cut with a piece of rag, and Zombo went to work as recklessly as ever.
In a marvellously short time tons of meat were cut up and divided amongst the band, and, before daylight had quite disappeared, the hunters were on their way back to camp, while a troop of hyenas47 and other carnivora were gorging48 themselves with the elephant’s remains49.
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1
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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8
vagaries
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| n.奇想( vagary的名词复数 )；异想天开；异常行为；难以预测的情况 | |
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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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bellows
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| n.风箱；发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的名词复数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的第三人称单数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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quelled
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| v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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connoisseur
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| n.鉴赏家，行家，内行 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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smoker
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| n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室 | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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witticisms
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| n.妙语，俏皮话( witticism的名词复数 ) | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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constrains
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| 强迫( constrain的第三人称单数 )； 强使； 限制； 约束 | |
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39
oration
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| n.演说，致辞，叙述法 | |
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40
apportioned
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| vt.分摊，分配（apportion的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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41
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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43
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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44
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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45
expend
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| vt.花费，消费，消耗 | |
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46
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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47
hyenas
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| n.鬣狗( hyena的名词复数 ) | |
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48
gorging
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| v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的现在分词 )；作呕 | |
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49
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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