A PRAIRIE FIRE 



supper. While I was thus occupied, and was enjoy- 

 ing the peaceful scene that lay before me, I noticed 

 a thin blue haze growing in the east : this increased 

 in volume very quickly, and soon great clouds of 

 smoke began to pass overhead, driven by a light 

 breeze. At the same time I became aware of a 

 continuous crackling noise which gradually grew 

 louder, while the heat became very oppressive. I 

 walked back to camp and found everybody working 

 feverishly to get the last few loads across the river : 

 the camels were already feeding on the other side, 

 and it was not long^ before we too had orained the 

 comparative safety of the southern bank and were 

 free to gaze at the awe-inspiring sight of the prairie 

 fire that raged to the north ; huge red flames could 

 be seen rising above the bush, above which hung 

 enormous clouds of black smoke. As darkness fell 

 the beauty of the scene increased, but the fire 

 gradually died away to the north-west, and on the 

 following morning the black and smoking plain was 

 all that was left to mark its passage. 



We were lucky to have been able to cross the 

 river, as otherwise we might have been very awk- 

 wardly situated. How it started I have not the 

 faintest idea, unless one of my porters had thrown 

 away a cigarette into a dry patch of grass during 

 the morning's march : the country through which 

 we had come was uninhabited, so it could not have 

 been caused by the natives. 



My Borana guides were very anxious to have 

 some meat, as they had not tasted any for some 

 considerable time. So I set out that evening in 

 search of game. It was good policy to treat them 

 well, as I wished to exchange many of my trade 



220 



