304 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



will occasionally happen, so that all the oxen 

 are discouraged at once, we would see one of the 

 Kikuyus leading the team back and forth, back 

 and forth, on the side hill just ahead of the wagon. 

 This is to confuse their minds, cause them to 

 forget their failure, and thus to make another 

 attempt. 



At one stretch we had three days of real 

 mountains. N'gombe * Brown shrieked like a 

 steam calliope all the way through. He lasted 

 the distance, but had little camp-fire conversa- 

 tion even with his beloved Kikuyus. 



When the team is outspanned, which in the 

 waterless country of forced marches is likely to 

 be almost any time of the day or night, N'gombe 

 Brown sought a little rest. For this purpose he 

 had a sort of bunk that let down underneath 

 the wagon. If it were daytime, the cattle were 

 allowed to graze under supervision of one of the 

 Kikuyus. If it was night time they were teth- 

 ered to the long chain, where they lay in a som- 

 nolent double row. A lantern at the head of the 

 file and one at the wagon's tail were supposed 

 to discourage lions. In a bad lion country fires 

 were added to these defences. 



N'gombe Brown thus worked hard through varied 



* N'gombe = oxen. 



