92 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



I reached the meeting place well ahead of my 

 companions, and tying Aladdin securely to a tree, 

 I at once began to explore the neighbourhood. 



First of all I tried to scale the rocky height, but 

 the growl of some unseen beast lurking in its dark 

 lair soon checked my enthusiasm, as unfortunately 

 I had no rifle with me. I had foolishly left it with 

 my gun-bearer — a most unsound thing to do in the 

 wilds, as the unexpected is always happening, and 

 one never knows what predicament one may be 

 placed in at any moment. 



Just as I had made up my mind to restrain my 

 impatience for the present, Abuddi spied me from 

 afar off where he was striding alono- at the head 

 of the safari, and stretching out his beautiful limbs 

 in the peculiar run so typical of the Masai, was 

 very soon beside me, bringing my rifle with 

 him. 



I then once more attempted the rock, which was 

 some sixty or eighty feet high and rose up practi- 

 cally perpendicularly from the plain. I had not yet 

 found a sufficiently easy path by which to reach 

 the summit when the safari arrived, so I abandoned 

 the attempt for the much more agreeable occupation 

 of sitting down to a hearty breakfast which Paul 

 the cook quickly prepared. We were all quite 

 ready to do justice to it, and I think that a break- 

 fast in a shady spot in the wilds after some hours' 



