112 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



short time he had o-uided me to the ford, 

 which was not so far away after all. It was 

 by this time growing very dark, but I safely 

 negotiated the somewhat dangerous passage 

 and soon afterwards rejoined my friends by a 

 cheery camp fire. They were beginning to 

 get anxious about me and were just about 

 to send up some rockets as a guide, when 

 I happily appeared amongst them. It can 

 well be imagined how pleased I was to get 

 back to camp so unexpectedly, and how much 

 I enjoyed my dinner and comfortable bed that 

 night. 



I was still with these same companions, but in a 

 different part of the country, when one day I had an 

 unusual piece of good luck. 



I hajd decided to see the camp all cleared out and 

 follow on an hour or so after the others had marched 

 off. I therefore let the whole safari get well out of 

 sight, and having with me only my gun-bearer, I set 

 off a little to the right of the path taken by the 

 caravan. We had gone but a short distance when 

 I spied a silver jackal, which I successfully bowled 

 over. Soon afterwards I came across a Grant's 

 gazelle with a very good head, which was also 

 added to the bag. After this I observed something 

 of a whitish colour standing under the shade of a 

 tree, and, on stalking it, found that it was a zebra. 



