Читать книгу In African Forest and Jungle - Du Chaillu Paul Belloni - Страница 6

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 came bounding by us. We fired and brought him down.

We returned home with our spoil, and the following afternoon I said to Rogala: "Where is Andekko? I have not seen him to-day. Has he perhaps been devoured by a prowling leopard?"

Rogala smiled at my question, and replied: "Andekko is a wide-awake dog, and seeing that we did not go into the forest with him, he has gone to hunt by himself, and I should not wonder if we heard his barking soon, telling us that he is pursuing game towards our little settlement and warning us to be ready for it."

Rogala was right; a short time afterwards we heard the barking of Andekko. He was running after some animal and giving us warning. But the barking soon became fainter, then could not be heard at all.

I said to Rogala, "The animal has escaped from Andekko."

"It is perhaps so," he replied; "but the dog will not give up the chase so easily."

A little while after we heard Andekko again far away; then the barking gradually became louder. We got ready with our guns. I had my smooth-bore loaded with buckshot. Soon after a gazelle passed by us, closely pursued by Andekko. We fired and killed the beautiful creature. We had great trouble in preventing Andekko from tearing the animal in pieces until I cut off the foreleg and threw it to him, exclaiming: "Great indeed is the gift of Chief Rotembo to me. We shall not starve while Andekko is with us."

The following day we went again with Andekko into the forest. This time Shinshooko, Alapai, and Rogala were all with me. They had seen footmarks of a gorilla and of her baby. So we took a net with us to throw over the little one and capture him in case we succeeded in killing the mother.

After a tramp of three hours we heard the fierce barking of Andekko on the right of the path, not very far from us. There followed loud, short yells of an ngina. We immediately left the path and entered the forest, being guided by the barking of Andekko and the yells of the ngina. We soon found ourselves in the presence of a mamma ngina on a tree, with a tiny baby holding to her and uttering sounds of fright. Andekko was in a perfect rage; his hair stood up, bristling like the quills of a porcupine.

Rogala, Shinshooko, and Alapai were by my side. The ngina was looking fiercely at us. Her big black face, wrinkled all over, was savagely wicked. The little fellow was hiding his face against her breast. She uttered sharp, piercing yells of anger, then a shout of "Whoa, whoa." I aimed at her, and fired. She dropped, but held on for an instant to the branch upon which she was seated with a firm hand, while the little one clung fast to her shoulders. Then she let go and fell down some twenty feet to the ground with a great crash. She was dead, and before we had time to rescue the little ngina, Andekko had strangled him, to my infinite sorrow.

Rogala and Shinshooko said: "We must look out for her mate; the big 'man ngina' may come upon us in a moment. Perhaps he is already coming silently to her rescue."

We were glad we had Andekko with us, for we were sure to be warned by him of the approach of the big beast. We cut off the heads of the ngina and of the little one as trophies, and then retraced our steps towards Rogala's and Shinshooko's home.

On our way back we heard, several miles away, the mighty voice of the male ngina calling upon his mate to let her know where he was; but no answer came back to him, and I found myself wondering what his feelings would be when he came to where she had been killed. We would have gone after him, but it was too late in the day.

There was great excitement on our return. The following day Rogala warned me to take no other gun but "Bulldog" if I went into the forest, saying: "The 'man ngina' is probably around looking for the slayer of his wife." How I wished I could have been present when the big beast came before the dead body of his mate and saw her and her baby ngina headless! How he must have yelled and roared! How fiercely he would have come to the attack if some one had been near! How I wished I could face him with "Bulldog" in my hand! We expected to hear his roar that day, then go after him; but the forest was silent. He had gone wandering in search of another mate.