THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 301 



line back to camp — could it be determined — would 

 merely plunge one into inextricable difficulties. Yet 

 these men will follow a twisting and doubling spoor for 

 three days, and then strike accurately out of the forest 

 to a distant camp. It must be an instinct. But when 

 the day 's tracking is done they squat down in their wet 

 blankets, perfectly helpless. The white man builds the 

 fire, he rigs the shelters, etc. When he is ready, he in- 

 dicates to the Wanderobo where they are to establish 

 themselves. Otherwise they would continue squatting 

 in the same spot until morning! 



After we had lost this herd we started back for our 

 base camp. The three days had about exhausted our 

 cold food ; and we ourselves were pretty well tired out. 

 The travel had been hard, wet, and long; the camps 

 without comfort; and the occasional excitement intense. 

 My ankle had been so twisted and abused that it was 

 swollen and turning black so that a day's rest seemed 

 in every way advisable. 



Cuninghame and I had no idea where we might be, 

 nor how long it would take us to get to camp. Down 

 through the forest we started and walked until one 

 o'clock, when we emerged from the woods into the 

 ''vine country." Then we found we had been skirting 

 the base of Kenia toward the east; and were about half- 

 way to Embu. It behooved us to retrace our steps. 

 The three days' hunt, however, could be compressed, 

 for we had not now to double and twist; we were in a 



