THE LOWER BENCHES. 337 



the three gunbearers, the cook, and the two 

 boys. They surrounded each tiny fire with 

 switches full of roasting meat ; they cut off 

 great hunks for a stew ; they made quantities 

 of biltong, or jerky. 



Next day I left Kongoni and one porter at the 

 old camp, loaded my men with what they could 

 carry, and started out. We marched a little 

 over two hours ; then found ourselves beneath 

 a lone mimosa tree about a quarter-mile from 

 the edge of the bench. At this point the stream 

 drops into a little canon preparatory to its 

 plunge; and the plateau rises ever so gently in 

 tremendous cliffs. I immediately dispatched the 

 porters back for another load. A fine sing-sing 

 lured me across the river. I did not get the sing- 

 sing, but had a good fight with two lions, as 

 narrated elsewhere.* 



In this spot we camped a number of days ; 

 did a heap of hard climbing and spying ; killed 

 another lion out of a band of eight ;* thoroughly 

 determined that we had come at the wrong time 

 for kudu, and decided on another move. 



This time our journey lasted five hours, so 

 that our relaying consumed three days. We 

 broke back through the ramparts, by means of 



* "The Land of Footprints." 



