268 THE GUASO NYERO [ch. xi 



The day after we were out on plains untenanted by 

 human beings, and early in the afternoon struck water 

 by which to pitch our ten's. There was not much 

 game, and it was shy ; but I thought that I could kill 

 enough to keep the camp in meat, so I sent back the 

 two Scotsmen and their Kikuyus, after having them 

 build a thorn boma, or fence, round the camp. One of 

 the reasons why the Masai had driven their herds and 

 Hocks off this plain was because a couple of lions had 

 turned man-eaters, and had killed a number of men and 

 women. We saw no sign of lions, and believed they 

 had followed the Masai ; but there was no use in taking 

 needless chances. 



The camp was beside a cold, rapid stream, one of the 

 head- waters of tlie Guaso Nyero. it was heavily fringed 

 with thorn timber. To the east the crags and snow- 

 fields of Kenia rose from the slow swell of the mountain's 

 base. It should have been the dry season, but there 

 were continual heavy rains, which often turned into 

 torrential downpours. In the overcast mornings, as I 

 rode away from camp, it was as cool as if I were riding 

 through the fall weather at home ; at noon, if the sun 

 came out, straight overhead, the heat was blazing ; and 

 we generally returned to camp, at nightfall, drenched 

 with the cold rain. The first heavy storm, the evening 

 we pitched camp, much excited all my followers. Ali 

 came rushing into the tent to tell me that there was 

 " a big snake up high." This certainly seemed worth 

 investigating, and I followed him outside, where every- 

 body was looking at the " snake," which proved to be a 

 huge funnel-shaped, whirling cloud, careering across the 

 darkened sky. It was a kind of Materspout or cyclone ; 

 fortunately it passed to one side of camp. 



The first day I hunted I shot only a steinbuck for the 



