238 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



deluges. We moved slowly, but even then our 

 garments were literally dripping wet. 



At the end of three miles the stream bed 

 widened. We came upon beautiful, spacious, 

 open lawns of from eighty to one hundred acres 

 apiece, separated from each other by narrow 

 strips of tall forest trees. The grass was high, 

 and waved in the breeze like planted grain ; the 

 boundary trees resembled artificial wind-breaks 

 of eucalyptus or Normandy poplar. One might 

 expect a white ranch house beyond some low 

 clump of trees, and chicken runs, and corrals. 



Along these apparent boundaries of forest trees 

 our stream divided, and divided again, so that 

 we were actually looking upon what we had come 

 to seek the source of the Swanee branch of 

 the Tsavo River. In these peaceful, protected 

 meadows was it cradled. From them it sprang 

 full size out into the African wilderness. 



A fine impalla buck grazed in one of these fields. 

 I crept as near him as I could behind one of the 

 wind-break rows of trees. It was not very near, 

 and for the second time I missed. Thereupon 

 we decided two things : that we were not really 

 meat hungry, and that yesterday's hard work 

 was not conducive to to-day's good shooting. 



Having thus accomplished the second object of 



