A PLATEAU 



While I was eating my own lunch, and watching 

 them at the same time, one of the sentries who was 

 on guard came up and reported that one of the guides 

 had returned, having found the faint trail he was 

 looking for. By two o'clock the others had also 

 arrived, so we were able to proceed not long after. 

 The morning had, however, been wasted, so it was 

 improbable that we should reach the Lorian Swamp 

 that night. As soon as we came to the long-disused 

 track which we were to follow, we were able to mend 

 our pace. The ground rose steadily as we advanced, 

 and at length we reached a plateau only thinly covered 

 with bush. We were now some 800 feet above sea- 

 level, and, on looking back, Haryel Plains could just 

 be seen throug^h the thick heat haze that hunor low 

 over the land. It was barely visible and appeared as 

 a thin yellow line almost lost in the vast expanse of 

 green bush that surrounded it. Old rhinoceros spoor 

 was plentiful on this table-land, and there were many 

 giraffe about but very little game of any other sort. 



Five miles farther on we crossed a narrow valley 

 150 feet deep, in which was situated a large water- 

 hole ; when we passed, it was quite dry, so we climbed 

 up the other side on to another plateau 180 feet 

 higher than the last. The bush, however, became 

 very dense, the track disappeared, and we were 

 compelled to follow an old elephant trail. While I 

 was examining the pool we had just passed, I noticed 

 that some elephants had come down from the north, 

 but on finding no water had turned south-west along 

 the trail, and had proceeded at a fast walk in the 

 direction of the Lorian Swamp. We followed their 

 tracks easily enough, and it was apparent that they 

 were very thirsty, as they had not halted anywhere to 



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