87 



know; I was too busy watching for the green 

 covers of the tents to loom up ahead. But I 

 do know that we put two hundred yards be- 

 tween us and the bird before he again started 

 after us. We were so near the camp that the 

 wildebeests had veered off and now stood watch- 

 ing from a safe distance the finish of the race. 



When, at last, we came within shouting dis- 

 tance of the tents I tried to call, but I was so 

 thoroughly out of breath that I could hardly 

 make a sound. I turned to the gun bearer and 

 by signs made him understand that I wished 

 him to attract attention. He shouted long and 

 loud. 



The porters came swarming from their tents, 

 and the uproar of laughter that broke from 

 the crowd still rings in my ears. Not one of 

 them offered to come to our assistance; they 

 just stood there and laughed. Cuninghame, 

 however, darted back into his tent and reap- 

 peared with a large towel. Running toward 

 us, he waved the towel in front of him as if to 

 flag the bird or to announce to us that the 

 race was over and that we had won the prize 

 of four hundred dollars. 



As we entered the camp, amid the uproar- 



