AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



everywhere from the soil tempered but could not 

 obscure the white brilliance. The thermometer 

 stood now only 82; but the dripping tropical sweat- 

 bath in which our camp was pitched considerably 

 raised the sensible heat. A bird with a most 

 diabolical shrieking note cursed in the shadows. 

 Another, a pigeonlike creature, began softly, and 

 continued to repeat in diminishing energy until it 

 seemed to have run down, like a piece of clockwork. 



Our way next morning led for some time through 

 this lovely but damp jungle. Then we angled up 

 the side of a hill to emerge into the comparatively 

 open country atop what we Westerners would call 

 a "hog's back" a long, narrow spurlike ridge 

 mounting slowly to the general elevation of the 

 main hills. Here were high green bushes, with little 

 free open passages between them; and occasionally 

 meadowlike openings running down the slopes on 

 one side or the other. Before us, some miles distant, 

 were the rounded blue hills. 



We climbed steadily. It was still very early 

 morning; but already the day was hot. Pretty soon 

 we saw over the jungle to the gleaming waters of 

 the inlet; and then to the sea. Our "hog's back" 

 led us past a ridge of the hills, and before we knew it 

 we had been deposited in a shallow valley three or 

 four miles between parallel ridges; the said valley 



84 



