ACROSS THE SERENGETTI 



the thorn it was absolutely essential to keep in touch 

 with every member of the party. A man once lost 

 would likely remain so, for we could not afford to 

 endanger all for the sake of one. 



Time wore on until noon. Had it not been for a 

 thin film of haze that now overspread the sky, I 

 think the sun would have proved too much for some 

 of the men. Four or five straggled so very badly 

 that we finally left them in charge of one of our 

 two askaris, with instructions to follow on as fast 

 as they could. In order to make this possible, we 

 were at pains to leave a well-marked trail. 



After this fashion, slowly, and with growing 

 anxiety for some of the men, we drew up on our 

 landmark hill. There our difficulties increased; the 

 thorn brush thickened. Only by a series of short 

 zigzags and by taking advantage of every rhino 

 trail going in our direction could we make our way 

 through it at all; while to men carrying burdens on 

 their heads the tangle aloft must have been fairly 

 maddening. So slow did our progress necessarily 

 become, and so difficult was it to keep in touch with 

 everybody, that F. and I finally halted for consul- 

 tation. It was decided that I should push on ahead 

 with Memba Sasa to make certain that we were 

 not on the wrong line, while F. and the askaris 

 struggled with the safari. 



209 



