In \Vi Iciest Africa * 



and elelescho hushes, impenetrable to men hut affording 

 a refuse to animals, even to elephants. On the clay hefore 

 I had noted the fact that Masai warriors had recently 

 encamped in the neighbourhood, with cattle which they 

 had got hold o! on a marauding expedition (and some of 

 which they had here slaughtered), and that with their booty 

 they had betaken themselves over the English frontier. 

 It was quite on the cards that roaming young Masai 

 warriors would suddenly turn up while I was there. It 

 was several days' journey to the nearest inhabited region. 

 For weeks together one would see no human soul save; 

 for a nomadic hunter every now and again. 



The: great barren wilderness, which then in the; dry 

 season could boast ot no verdure save the evergreen 

 I lunger-plant, so well suited to the arid veil ; the romantic 

 site' ol my camp ; the beautiful moonlight night, darkened 

 over from time: to time: by great masses oi clouds, heralding 

 the: approach of rain ; the dangers lurking all around : 

 everything conspireel to produce a wonderful efte:ct upon 

 the- mind. The night had come upon us silently, mys- 

 teriously, jet-black. Before the: moon rose:, one's laney 

 foreshadowed some sudden incursion into the death-like 

 darkness, the. bodeful silence. I here was something weird 

 and unnatural about the stillne-ss it suggested the calm 

 belore the storm. 1'aint rustlings and cracklings and 

 voice's inaudible by day now made themselves heard. 

 The world ot the: little living things e'ame by its own, 

 and crackled and rustled among plants and branches and 

 reeels and grass. Mark! Is th.it the sound ot a ce>ck- 

 chafer or a mouse, or is it the footstep ol a foe? . . . 



o I o 



