64 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



thorn trees, which completely hid the intervening 

 country from me. However, I knew the direction in 

 which the safari was travelling, so I started off at an 

 easy pace to meet it. I rode through an ideal bit 

 of sporting country, consisting of rolling downs with 

 numbers of trees dotted about, patches of bush, open 

 glades, with here and there a nullah, and above all 

 animals galore for the lover of wild life to feast his 

 eyes upon. Indeed, I would not like to state the 

 number of wild creatures of various kinds that I 

 surprised in the course of that short ride. I re- 

 member giving chase to a couple of beautifully- 

 coated jackals that started up out of the grass at 

 Aladdin's feet and fled away in the direction in 

 which I was going, thereby giving me an exhilara- 

 ting hunt without hurting the jackals, as they 

 eventually scuttled into safety in a thicket or down 

 a hole. 



In the course of an hour or so I was glad to come 

 in sight of the safari again, as after all it feels 

 somewhat lonely to be away entirely by one's self 

 in the bush, in the midst of wild animals of all 

 kinds. Riding up to some spreading trees I waited 

 there for the safaris arrival, turning Aladdin's head 

 towards the approaching crowd and watching them 

 as they came into view through the bushes. 

 Immediately behind me was a belt of forest and 

 some high grass. No sooner had the caravan got 



