Читать книгу Soo Thah: A Tale of the Making of the Karen Nation - Alonzo Bunker - Страница 8

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SOO THAH advanced rapidly from a student of jungle lore to the position of a hunter, and readily took his place among the members of the family who were working for its defence and support. Being poor, they were forced to depend largely upon the chase for their supply of food. Living also, as they were, amid the great forest, the village people were often forced to defend themselves and their live stock from the attacks of wild beasts, and so needed strong hands and keen eyes.

Among the larger and fiercer beasts were the tiger, leopard, chetah, and bear. The wild elephant also often attacked the rice-bins or destroyed the growing rice. The wild hog and many kinds of deer moreover abounded.

In the denser forests lived a great variety of snakes, their king being the huge python, often twenty feet long. Then there were the hooded family of snakes, which were most venomous. In the green and thick foliage of the trees a bright green snake, like a long whiplash, had its haunts, where it hunted birds and preyed upon their young. Vipers and deaf adders also burrowed in the sand and leaves.

The python is perhaps the most beautiful reptile in the whole jungle, having variegated and brilliant colours. He always crushes his victim in his coils and then proceeds to swallow it whole. In this way he will dispose of an animal much larger than himself, his skin and muscles being so elastic.

One of Soo Thah's most perilous adventures in early life was with a python. His father one day proposed going in search of a deer, and Soo Thah begged to go with him. He was now a sturdy little fellow, and could easily walk long distances; so his father consented on his promise to go quietly, so as not to frighten the game. His weapon was a spear much longer than himself, while his father was armed with an old matchlock gun. It was very difficult for this wild people to secure modern guns in those days, and whoever had one was regarded as of the honourable and great men of the village. After a long tramp, they reached the bed of the brook, in which little water was running, as it was the dry season. Here the father cautioned his son again to step softly from rock to rock, as he hoped to see a deer near the brook, where they came to drink. They had not gone far when the father suddenly sprang aside, crying to his son, "Run! a great snake!" With a bound the boy reached the bank. Glancing back as he ran, he saw a huge python spring from the leaves in the bed of the brook and rapidly uncoil itself in the attempt to seize his father. He, however, had jumped aside at the first sight of the monster in the leaves, through which his bright colour flashed a warning, and just in time to escape. Quicker than can be described, he aimed his match-lock and sent a charge of lead through the body of the foe. Ah, with what contortions the monster thrashed about in his dying agonies! But he was soon lifeless, and it was safe for even the little boy to come near him and examine the curious markings of his skin.

It seems that the python also was out on a hunt. He knew in some way that deer and wild hogs were wont to come to the brook to drink, and so with wonderful wisdom he had coiled himself between two rocks and carefully covered himself with dry leaves. This was the trap he set. Any animal going along the bed of the brook would naturally step over one of the rocks, and so into the trap set for him. This was so cunningly done that Soo Thah was greatly interested in it, and wondered at the snake's wisdom. In fact he was much excited at the whole adventure; yet, like all his people, he appeared as though he were used to such scenes by concealing his feelings.

While they sat resting on the bank of the brook, for of course all other game had been frightened off by the noise, Soo Thah's father said to him, "Dangerous as this snake is, it rarely bites and is not venomous, but beware of the hooded family." The king of this family, the hamadryad (though he called him by another name), is to be dreaded even more than a tiger; for he follows one more persistently. Being of great size, he is as swift as a horse, and can swim as well as run. He may always be known by his dirty brown and grayish bands alternating from head to tail, as if he were a "jail bird."

He then told his son how he once came near being killed by a king of the hooded family. "While hunting, I heard a noise in the dry leaves and stopped to listen, thinking it was a wild hen scratching for food. But on looking around the noise ceased. Pursuing my course, the same rustling was again heard, but I could not discover the cause. When this occurred a third time, I became alarmed, believing some deadly creature was stealthily pursuing me. And sure enough, as I carefully looked back on my track, there was the monster snake only several rods away trying to conceal himself while crawling towards me. But seeing he was discovered, the snake now rose up fully three feet, spreading his hood, and with glaring eyes and darting tongue gathered himself for a fatal spring. I was too quick for him, however, and a well aimed shot brought him low."

At the conclusion of this recital Soo Thah gave a long sigh, betraying for once much excitement; and as he turned his gaze at the great snake at his feet, he remarked, "I don't think I would like to be hunted by a snake as well as I do to hunt them."

The python being quite dead, they cut a bamboo, fastened the reptile to it, and carried him home where he furnished them a great feast.

There were many devices used by Soo Thah's people for capturing birds and beasts for food which would be interesting, if it did not require too much time to explain them. These jungle folk were close students of the habits of all kinds of game, and so learned how to plan best for their capture. For instance, a species of parrots at certain seasons used to fly very swiftly in large flocks, always keeping near the ground. Having observed this fact, the natives were accustomed to clear some mountain ridge of trees, thus forming an open space on the summit. Two tall bamboo poles were then set upon either edge of the cutting, and something like a tennis net, only much larger, was stretched between them. The parrots in their swift flight seeing the opening, but not the net, would dash into it and become so entangled that they were easily captured.

But such sports did not fill up the life of our hero. There was the preparation of the fields for the rice crop, the grain on which they chiefly lived. This was a laborious process, in which the whole family must engage from early dawn till late at night. Large tracts of hill country must be cleared of the thick growth of forest trees, bamboo and grass; and all this must be dried and burned before the soil would be ready for the seed. This required about three months' work. But this hard toil was somewhat lightened, especially to the young people, by anticipating the excitement and sport of the burning day. The time for setting the fires was always determined by the flowering of certain trees; for the elders claimed this denoted the coming of rain. This time having arrived, every man, woman and child able to help, must assist; for it would not do to let the fire get beyond the limits of the field, as it would burn the jungle, and thereby destroy the fields for the next year's crop. For these wild Karens never cultivate the same field two successive years.

First a wide space all around the edges of the clearing was swept clean of twigs and leaves to prevent the fire spreading. Then men and women were stationed all along this cleared space with green branches to watch the fire. All things being ready, at noon time when the dew had been thoroughly dried away by the sun, the elders gave the word, and the torches were applied in a dozen places at once. What a grand sight was this fierce burning of hundreds of acres of dry brush and grass along the mountain's side! No wonder the boys ran about in utmost excitement, capturing game that had been driven from the brush by the heat, and anon shouting to each other as they fought the fire here and there which had leaped its barriers, eager for a race through the dry leaves, and away over the hills. The sun was quite shut out by the dense clouds of smoke, leaves and cinders carried upward by the current of heated air. The roaring flames, as they danced and leaped, and flung themselves heavenward in great tongues, formed a picture never to be forgotten.

After the ground was cleared came the planting of the rice. This was quite a tame affair. The reader may know that highland and lowland rice differ greatly in the mode of cultivation, though not in appearance. Highland rice is cultivated like wheat, while the lowland is raised in from four to six inches of water till it begins to ripen. The great difficulty in cultivating the former arises from the multitude of weeds which grow with it, requiring much hard labour to keep them down. This Soo Thah learned to his sorrow, for he was obliged to rise with the dawn and toil till dark in company with others during both rain and sunshine--and it rained most of the time. Only thus could the weeds be kept down until the harvest.