XXXVI DIGGING OUT AN ANT-BEAR 42s 



he practically filled up the tunnel behind him as he 

 went, so that in the end we got far more of the smoke 

 than the beast did. 



Getting disheartened by the ill-success of our tactics, 

 I left two men on guard and returned to camp, where I 

 had my hair and beard trimmed, and looked out my 

 most presentable garments, with a view to a speedy 

 return to civilisation. I had just started on an early 

 dinner, when a hurricane of wind and rain burst over 

 the camp. Warned by previous experience, I began 

 throwing all the things I could into boxes, but it was 

 too late : a sudden gust tore all the pegs out at one side 

 and the tent toppled over. With the help of two men 

 I prevented its blowing away altogether, and, by 

 degrees, as more and more men came to our assistance, 

 we got it up again, rescued a leg of mutton and a loaf 

 of bread, floatinor about amoncr a collection of miscel- 

 laneous properties, and baled out the water. Every , 

 tent was laid flat, the camp presenting the appearance 

 of a pond, with a torrent running through it. Ali and 

 I then started off across the flooded fields to the scene 

 of our futile operations, and sat over the burrows for 

 three hours ; but although, after the first two hours, we 

 heard the animal move once, nothing happened for the 

 next hour, and, as it was raining sharply, we returned 

 to camp, which smelt like a marsh, and where every- 

 thing felt damp. 



As soon as the sun rose next morning, all hands 

 were at work striking tents and spreading everything 

 out to dry. One man, sent to inspect the ant-bear's 

 earth, reported that the beast had come out, and during 



