《Stories by Doris Lessing》第4章

not　that　i　haven’t　seen　lions。　i　have　encountered　them；　and　other　interesting　animals；　in　the　london　zoo；　where　i　go　to　look　at　them　from　time　to　time。　and　on　my　home　ground；　which　is　mashonaland；　southern　rhodesia；　fauna　of　every　kind　used　to　flourish　and；　for　all　i　know；　flourish　yet。　i　do　not　care。　i　never　did。
along　with　my　indifference　toward　big　and　little　game　goes　the　fact　that　this　whole　plex　is　linked　irretrievably　with　my　sibling　rivalry　（for　my　brother）　and　my　masculine　protest　（against　practically　everything）。　it　all　started　very；　early；　when　my　brother　was　given　a　。22　rifle—　but　perhaps　it　would　be　best　to　go　even　further　back；　to　his　bicycle；　which　he　rode　perfectly　at　the　first　attempt；　whereas　i　could　only　look　at　it　and　shudder　with　fear。　i　decided　it　was　not　being　for　a　girl　to　ride　a　boy’s　bicycle；　and　stuck　out　for　one　of　my　own；　knowing　full　well　that　the　state　of　the　family’s　finances　would　put　off　the　evil　hour　indefinitely。
in　the　light　of　this　discreditable　and　evasive　behavior；　it　is　easy　to　understand　what　happened　when　the　。22　rifle　appeared；　during　one　of　my　brother’s　holidays　from　school。　he　picked　it　up；　took　aim　at　a　small　bird　sitting　on　a　twig　a　hundred　yards　away；　judiciously　pressed　the　trigger；　and　the　bird　fell　dead。　i　remember　he　felt　bad　because　the　shot　had　not　gone　through　the　eye。　to　him；　therefore；　sport　immediately　took　on　its　proper　colors；　to　fire　at　a　sitting　bird　was　altogether　beneath　him；　and　unless　he　could　get　in　a　good　oblique　shot　at　a　bird　hovering　widdershins　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　off；　with　a　strong　wind　between　him　and　it；　he　would　not　shoot。　as　for　duikerbok—small　antelope；　which　are　not　only　plentiful　in　our　parts　but　very　good　to　eat—he　would　not　kill　one　unless　he　had　first　arranged　an　exhausting　crawl　through　thick　bush；　preferably　in　heavy　mud。
when；　one　day；　he　handed　the　rifle　to　me；　i　said　i　did　not　care　for　it。　why　i　did　not　stick　to　this　simple　truth　i　cannot　imagine。　i　did　point　out　that　even　people　like　hunter　jim　and　elephant　bill　used　shotguns　for　birds　on　the　wing　and　deer　on　the　run；　and　that　it　would　never　have　entered　their　heads　to　use　a　。22　rifle；　but　my　brother　was　not　moved。　i　did　not　expect　him　to　be。
after　he　had　gone　back　to　school；　i　crept　to　his　room　and　took　the　。22　from　the　bed　of　oiled　waste　in　which　he　had　laid　it　away　for　the　duration　of　the　term。　i　spent　a　week　or　more　gingerly　opening　and　shutting　the　thing；　and　putting　bullets　in　and　taking　them　out。　when　i　could　do　this　without　flinching；　i　went　out　into　the　bush　with　it。
there　was　a　lot　of　bush　all　around　our　house—in　fact；　miles　of　it　in　every　direction；　wild；　uninhabited；　a　perfect　paradise　for　sportsmen。　i　remember　clearly　how；　that　first　day；　i　mooned　along；　thinking　about　guinevere　and　anne　of　green　gables；　until　a　fine　kudu　bull　（fauna　of　the　most　covetable　sort；　antelope　the　size　of　a　horse）　that　had　apparently　been　scrutinizing　me　from　an　anthill　took　to　its　hoofs　and　fled。　i　watched　it　go。　（my　brother；　needless　to　say；　had　already　shot　half　a　dozen　kudu　through　the　eye　under　impossible　handicaps。）
next　appeared　a　duiker；　and　i　put　the　gun　to　my　shoulder　and　fired　repeatedly　but　without　result；　since　the　creature　had　vanished　before　i　could　manage　to　sight　it。
that　was　a　discouraging　day；　and　those　that　followed　it　were　no　better。　one　day；　i　was　sitting　on　a　rock　in　a　clearing　when　a　guinea　fowl　trotted　past；　followed　soon　by　about　twenty　other　guinea　fowl；　in　single　file。　i　lifted　my　gun　and　shot　at　each　of　them。　it　was　exactly　like　shooting　in　a　fun　fair；　with　rabbits；　or　what　you　like；　moving　before　you　on　a　band。　i　missed　all　twenty　of　the　guinea　fowl；　and　thought　how　much　easier　it　would　be　if　only　they　were　prepared　to　keep　still。　from　this　thought　my　success　was　born；　and　since　it　was　based　entirely　on　the　habits　of　guinea　fowl；　i　shall　now　describe　them—from　a　sportsman’s；　not　a　naturalist’s；　point　of　view。
guinea　fowl　move　in　flocks　of　anywhere　from　ten　to　two　hundred。　they　can　be　heard　a　long　way　off；　because　of　a　chink；　chink；　chinking　sound　they　make；　like　stones　rubbing　together　under　water。　when　disturbed；　which　they　regularly　are；　since　this　chinking　advertises　their　presence　to　every　enemy　for　miles　around；　they　set　up　a　raucous　plaint　and　run　extremely　fast　in　all　directions。　if　they　stuck　to　doing　this；　they　would　be　practically　invulnerable；　but；　no—curiosity　is　their　downfall。　more　often　than　not；　before　they　have　run　any　distance　they　fly　up　into　trees　to　see　what　is　going　on。　their　wings　are　weak；　and　once　in　the　trees　they　are　reluctant　to　launch　themselves　into　space。
having　considered　these　facts　and　all　their　implications；　i　set　out　one　day　with　the　rifle　and　wandered　around　until　i　heard　the　“chink；　chink。”　i　crept　toward　it。　then　i　heaved　a　large　stone　at　it。　there　was　a　scurrying；　and　presently　seventy…four　guinea　fowl　flew　up　into　trees　all　around　me。　i　knew　there　were　seventy…four　because　i　sat　on　a　log　counting　them　and　deciding　which　looked　the　youngest　and　fattest。　i　then　carefully　aimed　at　this　one　and　fired。　the　bird　started　perceptibly；　and　settled　back　and　watched　a　leaf　that　had　been　dislodged　from　a　frond　three　feet　above　its　head　float　down　to　my　feet。　i　tried　again。　how　difficult　it　is　to　keep　a　gun　barrel　still　became　apparent　to　me　only　now　that　i　had　all　the　time　in　the　world　to　practice　it。　i　walked　to　a　nearby　tree　and　laid　the　barrel　against　its　trunk　for　support。
the　bird　i　had　chosen　was　about　four　yards　away。　i　kept　the　rifle　steady　long　enough　to　shoot　it　in　the　crop。　it　fell；　and　i　dispatched　it　with　another　shot；　in　the　eye；　and　went　home　with　it。　the　family；　naturally；　assumed　it　had　been　shot　on　the　wing；　and　in　the　eye　at　that—the　first　shot　going　unnoticed—and　a　letter　with　this　news　was　at　once　sent　to　my　brother。
thereafter；　my　technique；　while　remaining　substantially　the　same；　developed　small　refinements。　for　instance；　though　a　properly　trained　dog　would　have　been　useless　to　me；　we　did　have　a　dog　perfect　for　my　purposes。　i　took　him　along。　he　went　full　pelt　toward　the　“chink；　chink”　as　soon　as　he　heard　it；　and　by　the　time　i　arrived；　dozens　of　guinea　fowl　were