A BATTLE WITH A TORRENT 141 



Masai kraal (village) and we decided to get a 

 man there who could put us right again. 



This fellow a rather old man who carried a 

 spear proved to be worse than the first guide, 

 for, after proceeding about five miles, he called 

 a halt just as we were about to enter another 

 dense jungle. He said that he was not sure 

 of the direction and wanted time to look for 

 the trail, so we seated ourselves in the shade of 

 the forest and awaited developments. 



He kept us there for half an hour and then 

 returned with the discouraging news that he 

 could not find the trail. Once more he started 

 off in another direction, and that was the last 

 that we ever saw of him, for he deserted us slick 

 and clean. 



That the trail was to the north seemed rea- 

 sonable, so, with my gun bearer running by my 

 side, I put spurs to my horse and started off 

 to do a little scouting on my own account. 



A mile and a half I rode over veldt, through 

 brush clumps, and then into the jungle, where, 

 for the most part, I followed elephant and rhino 

 paths. 



Finally, I came to a stream about fifty feet 

 wide. Had it been early in the morning, before 



