Soldiering and Sport in Uganda 



fore-finger on his lips, signifying silence. It was 

 my orderly. I listened and could just make out 

 some dull, low sounds. The hippopotamus had 

 com.e out of the lake to feed on the grass, and were 

 evidently in the close vicinity of my tent. I walked 

 out a little way with my rifle, but as there was no 

 moon, I could make out absolutely nothing at all in 

 the inky darkness, so I returned crestfallen. 



After instructing my boys to call me an hour 

 before daylight, I turned in for my night's rest in a 

 very hopeful mood. 



I slept with the flaps of my tent open, nearly 

 immune under my light gauze curtain from the 

 ferocious attacks of countless mosquitoes, although I 

 must credit them with marvellous sagacity for the 

 cunning manner in which they occasionally did force 

 their unwelcome visits beneath its almost impene- 

 trable folds. 



I had pitched the tent on a rise commanding an 

 extensive view of the lake and within a couple of 

 hundred yards of it, so that on awaking my eyes 

 were confronted with a magnificent stretch of pure 

 water, over whose surface wild duck, marabout, and 

 golden-crested crane were flying in numbers, and 

 above the crest of a ridge of hills, forming the 

 background beyond, the sunrise was already be- 

 ginning to clothe the landscape with the magic hues 

 of its romantic colouring. Dressing is a matter of a 

 moment when confined to a khaki shirt, shorts and 

 puttees. Although only a little distance to the lake, 

 I was drenched through to the skin by the time I 



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