THE LOWER BENCHES. 



A broad gravel beach was spread on the hither side 

 of it, like a spacious secret room in the jungle. 

 Here too was a clear little slope on which to 

 sit, with the thicket all about, the clean, swift 

 little stream below, the high forest arches above, 

 and the inquisitive smaller creatures hovering 

 near. Others had been here before us, the wild 

 things, taking advantage of the easy descent to 

 drinking water eland, buffalo, leopard, and 

 small bucks. The air was almost cloyingly sweet 

 with a perfume like sage-brush honey. 



Our first task was to set our boys to work clear- 

 ing a space ; the grass was so high and rank that 

 mere trampling had little effect on it. The 

 Baganda, Sabakaki, we had been compelled to 

 leave with the ox team. So our twenty-seven 

 had become twenty- six. 



Next morning C. and I started out very early 

 with one gunbearer. The direction of the wind 

 compelled us to a two hours' walk before we 

 could begin to hunt. The high grass was soaked 

 with a very heavy dew, and shortly we were as 

 wet as though we had fallen into the river. A 

 number of hornbills and parrots followed us for 

 some distance, but soon left us hi peace. We 

 saw the Roberts' gazelle and some hartebeeste. 



When we had gained a point of vantage, we 



lla 



