156 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



fast, and others soon joined him. Two hours of labour 

 then bridged the other channel. Then Cuninghame 

 and I took our gims and went to explore for a camp 

 site on the other side, and the boys went fishing. We 

 stooped and crawled by hippo trails for half a mile — 

 and foimd we were not on mainland at all, but on an- 

 other island with the bulk of the river still ahead! 

 Furthermore, this arm could not. possibly be bridged: 

 it was altogether too wide and swift. Scouted both 

 ways and found a possible ford, but even there the 

 water was running fast and deep. Natives could get 

 across all right without loads, after which we would 

 string a strong handline and cling to that. While Cim- 

 ninghame was attending to this, I agreed to return 

 and scout farther up the river for any other easier way. 

 Went some miles, enjoyed fine, broad-beaten hippo 

 trails, and returned about dark. Had one interesting 

 experience. As I was going very silently through a 

 dense green jungle, I stopped to admire a giant guinea 

 fowl strutting about in a tiny glade. Suddenly some 

 animal incredibly swift and active made four great 

 bounds and grabbed at the bird. It just escaped. So 

 quickly did the beast rush that actually I could not 

 make out what it was imtil it stopped. Then I saw it 

 to be a baboon. I had no idea they could move so fast. 

 He sat on his haunches gazing philosophically after the 

 escaped bird, and I could. fancy him saying, "Missed, 

 by gosh r' I found no ford. 



