Копи царя Соломона
Solomon’s Road
Itwasaknottypoint,butImadeupmymindthatwemustriskitandusetheexpresses.
"Leteachofustakethebuckoppositetohim.Aimwellatthepointoftheshoulderandhighup,"saidI; "andUmbopa,doyougivetheword,sothatwemayallfiretogether."
Thencameapause,eachofusaiminghislevelbest,asindeedamanislikelytodowhenheknowsthatlifeitselfdependsupontheshot.
"Fire,"saidUmbopainZulu,andatalmostthesameinstantthethreeriflesrangoutloudly; threecloudsofsmokehungforamomentbeforeus,andahundredechoeswentflyingoverthesilentsnow. Presentlythesmokecleared,andrevealed—oh,joy!—agreatbucklyingonitsbackandkickingfuriouslyinitsdeathagony. Wegaveayelloftriumph—weweresaved—weshouldnotstarve. Weakaswewere,werusheddowntheinterveningslopeofsnow,andintenminutesfromthetimeofshooting,thatanimal’sheartandliverwerelyingbeforeus. Butnowanewdifficultyarose,wehadnofuel,andthereforecouldmakenofiretocookthem. Wegazedateachotherindismay.
"Starvingmenshouldnotbefanciful,"saidGood;"wemusteatrawmeat."
Therewasnootherwayoutofthedilemma, andourgnawinghungermadethepropositionlessdistastefulthanitwouldotherwisehavebeen. Sowetooktheheartandliverandburiedthemforafewminutesinapatchofsnowtocoolthem. Thenwewashedthemintheice-coldwaterofthestream,andlastlyatethemgreedily.
