THROUGH ELEPHANT GRASS AND WATER 



We arranged to join forces again at this spot in 

 exactly six weeks' time. On the eve of departing we 

 instructed Pishi to produce a real flash dinner, which he 

 did, not forgetting to swim everything in fat. However, 

 a bottle of Dry Monopole soon put things straight. It 

 was the last dinner we might have together, who could 

 say ? Elephant hunting is a risky business at the best 

 of times. 



Every one was astir before sunrise the following day, 

 Sundav, the porters were drawn up and divided between 

 us, each taking twenty-four carriers, a cook, headman, 

 syce, tent boy and gun-bearer. Two boys were to remain 

 in charge of the stores at Wadelai. There was great 

 excitement between the boys who were to go with me, 



and those about to travel with P , many of them 



embraced each other and kissed, handshaking was going 

 on all over the place. 



A start was made shortly before the sun appeared 



above the horizon, Mpala, P 's headman, led the way, 



clad in an old shirt and a straw hat, in his hand he held a 

 long spear. 



Great shouts of farewell were given on both sides 

 as the party set out for the east, travelling through the 

 long grass, in which they were soon lost to view. The 

 excitement having passed off, I set two of my boys on 

 the top of an ant-hill to shout lustily for the Shinzis 

 on the other bank of the Nile, which is here about 400 

 yards in width. Directly opposite to us, some half mile 

 back from the river, we could see the tops of the huts in 

 the village, just visible above the long waving grass. 

 It was from them that the noise of singing and drums 

 beating amidst the lurid glow of fires had come on the 

 Friday night. I sat down and smoked my pipe while the 

 boys yelled frantically and beat old tins in the hope of 

 attracting the villagers. Presently a few figures came 

 out of the long grass at the water's edge. Shading my 



63 



