52 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



across the trail. In perhaps ten seconds he showed 

 signs of swinging back. I, who was much on the alert 

 for any move, gave him one in the shoulder. This 

 decided him. He turned away around and disappeared. 



After a decent interval I followed him. At last I 

 reached the point where the range met the river. A 

 cliff only twenty feet across reaching down to deep 

 water seemed to bar the route, though the approach 

 on both sides was good. It was impossible to ford. 



Rested ten minutes, and returned to camp, blazing 

 a way with my hunting knife as I went. Saw one 

 bushbuck, the only game. Got in at sundown, and 

 drank one quart of tea all at once. Quite weary. 

 Last February I broke my leg badly, and the hard 

 work is beginning to bother it. 



During the evening two rhinos tried to enter camp, 

 but we scared them off with our Colt's and firebrands. 



March six hours; 8 miles; scout, five hours; eleva- 

 tion, 4,200; morning, 48; noon, 86; night, 68. 



July 24. — Marched by my blazes to bend of river. 

 Here to our delight we found a monkey trail leading up 

 the face of the cliff and around a sort of concealed 

 ledge. A half hour's work widened it so we could lead 

 the animals one at a time around the forty feet of 

 cliffs. 



On the other side we found ourselves in a wide canon 

 hemmed in by low and diminishing hills, and thickly 

 grown in the bottoms with dense thorn scrub. The 



