152 TREKKING [ch. vii 



rest. Just before this we heard two Hons roaring, or 

 rather grunting, not far in front of us ; they were after 

 prey. Lions are bold on rainy nights, and we did not 

 wish to lose any of our horses ; so a watch was organized, 

 and we kept ready for immediate action, but the lions 

 did not come. The native boys built fires, and lay close 

 to them, relieving one another, and us, as sentinels. 

 Kermit and I had our army overcoats, which are warm 

 and practically waterproof ; the others had coats almost 

 as good. We lay down in the rain, on the drenched 

 grass, with our saddle-cloths over our feet, and our 

 heads on our saddles, and slept comfortably for two 

 hours. 



At three we mounted and were off again, the rain 

 still falling. There were steep ravines to cross, slippery 

 from the wet ; but we made good time, and soon after 

 six off-saddled on the farther side of a steep drift or ford 

 in the little Suavi River. It is a rapid stream flowing 

 between high, well-wooded banks ; it was an attractive 

 camp site, and, as we afterward found, the nights were 

 so cool as to make great camp-flres welcome. At half- 

 past ten the safari appeared, in excellent spirits, the flag- 

 waving, to an accompaniment of chanting and horn- 

 blowing ; and, to their loudly expressed satisfaction, the 

 porters were told that they should have an extra day's 

 rations, as well as a day's rest. Camp was soon pitched, 

 and all, of every rank, slept soundly that night, though 

 the lions moaned near by. The waggons did not get 

 in until ten the following morning. By that time the 

 oxen had been nearly three days without water, so, by 

 dawn, they were unyoked and driven down to drink 

 before the drift was attempted, tlie waggons being left 

 a mile or two back. The approaches to the drift were 

 steep and difficult, and, with two spans to each, the 



