In Untrodden Paths 



making of history began. A move had to be 

 made to cross the Tana River in two different 

 places, in order to annoy the enemy as much 

 as possible, the two parties effecting a junction 

 again in a week or so. 



Arrived at the river-bank, where there is a 

 well-known ford, the first thing was to get a rope 

 stretched across, and attach to this by pulleys 

 a small punt we had brought for the occasion. If 

 the river rose at any moment through the melting 

 of the snows on Mount Kenia or the rainstorms 

 which visit this part of the world fairly frequently, 

 there would have been no means of getting back 

 the cattle and sheep which we fondly imagined we 

 should receive from the enemy, so this was done 

 to prevent accidents. All precautions against a 

 surprise were taken here, as although there was 

 little danger in reality, still it was an important 

 point. Camp was pitched that afternoon close 

 by, and a strong cattle zareba built, with strands 

 of barbed wire wound about to strengthen it. 



Some few days later the Tana saw us again, 

 and great was our delight to find that the river 

 had not risen, since we had some cattle and sheep 

 to get across, as we wanted them off our hands. 

 After all was said and done, ferrying the stock 

 over in a flat-bottom punt wanted a bit of doing 

 and would have been solid hard work, to say the 

 least of it ; but now everything seemed made 

 smooth, so to speak, the cattle being able to walk 



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