THE EYLAD BUSH 



to bed, but it seemed scarcely a few moments later 

 when I was again awakened, and I could already see 

 the loads being done up and the camels being 

 saddled. We finally started, shortly after three 

 o'clock, and marched across a perfectly flat and dusty 

 plain, which in the rainy season must, I should 

 imagine, become somewhat swampy, until at noon we 

 reached the edoe of what the gruide told me was the 

 Eylad bush. The Eylad water-hole was still twelve 

 miles on, but as I did not yet wish to over-exert 

 myself by taking long marches in my present weak 

 condition, I decided to camp here and proceed the 

 following morning. It had been very hot and muggy 

 all day, and at 2.45 there was a heavy storm to the 

 west, great black clouds and obvious rain, which 

 cleared off about four, when the air cooled somewhat. 

 I did not go out again in the afternoon, as I knew I 

 should not see any game, this part of the country 

 being too hopelessly arid even for such desert dwellers 

 as the gerenuk and Grant's gazelle. 



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