SNOW-BLIND ON MOUNT KENIA 261 



be long after midnight. How penetrating the 

 chilly air was, and how my eyes ached, now 

 that there was nothing to occupy my attention ! 

 The rocks could not be very far away, for oc- 

 casionally the shrill cry of a restless rock hy- 

 rax floated up from below. Once I heard ele- 

 phants trumpeting in the heather three miles 

 away. 



"And so the weary minutes formed the hours 

 until suddenly I thought that I heard a bird 

 singing; yes, it was a bird, the twittering of a 

 sunbird. Oh, what a welcome sound was that 

 heralder of dawn ! 



"If Brown could only strike my trail at once 

 he would be here in a few hours. I waited until 

 I thought that he might be within hearing, then 

 at intervals of about half a minute fired three 

 shots the universal signal of distress. The 

 echoes roared back from the mountain peak as 

 eagerly I listened for an answer, but it did not 

 come. I waited another hour, then fired three 

 more shots, but still no reply. 



"An inventory of my cartridge-belt showed 

 nine cartridges left. The third signal of three 

 shots failed also to bring an answer, so, dis- 

 couraged and weak from hunger and lack of 



