Mixed Sport. 271 



advance. Kites and the small king crows were darting 

 about, pouncing on grasshoppers and other insects 

 which were disturbed by the conflagration, and how 

 these birds could live in such a fiery furnace was a 

 marvel, but they seemed impervious to its effects, 

 swooping down on the insects until the flames seemed 

 to envelop them. While the reeds were bursting 

 with reports like pistol shots, huge flakes of lighted 

 matted matter were flying about, causing the fire in 

 our rear to break out afresh, and was overtaking us 

 at railway speed. It now became a question of almost 

 minutes as to whether we were to be overwhelmed 

 or not. Shoay-jah said that a short distance ahead 

 was a brake, where there was generally a pool of 

 water, and the ground was bare of grass. The wind 

 now became a tornado, so we had to crouch on our 

 animals, who at last realising their danger, were 

 ambling along as fast as the nature of the ground 

 would permit, but what is the speed of a racehorse 

 even to that of the devouring element ? If the tem- 

 pest had blown either from behind or from either side 

 of us for five minutes consecutively, we must have been 

 enveloped in its fiery embraces and been destroyed ; 

 but the very eccentricity of the wind saved us. Still 

 the fiery element was fast overtaking us, and the heat 

 was awful ; the flames licked round our heads, when 

 a " guddie " became lighted, scorching the elephants 

 as well as ourselves. Then there was a momentary 

 stoppage, followed by an awful crash, as the leading 

 elephant with his weight, bore down the creepers 

 which lay between us and salvation. In a moment 

 after we were beyond the reach of the destructive 

 element. No one could have lived over a few 



