WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



and made up my mind we must be lost. So far as I 

 could see our guides were following no definite track, 

 there was not even human spoor, merely one vast 

 undulating plain, stretching away into the distance, 

 and behind us the Aberdares, with their gloomy 

 bamboo forests. 



The best plan seemed to be to stop and allow the 

 safari to rest, whilst the guides scoured the country 

 ahead to see if they could discover where we really 

 were. By this time the heat had become intense. 

 The pitiless tropical sun was beating full on us, and 

 there was no shade of any sort. The position was 

 far from being a pleasant one, and I was much relieved 

 when half an hour later the guides reappeared from 

 behind a sHght rise and announced that they had 

 seen the camp of the white man Bwana Cole in the 

 distance. We resumed the tramp, and I soon saw they 

 were telling the truth, but the tents looked painfully 

 small and far away. It took another hour before 

 we reached that most welcome shelter. And I had 

 left Nyeri expecting to cover the distance in a day ! 



The evening was spent in making plans for the 

 famous fight. Cole had got most things prepared. 

 He had six Somalis, who were to go out on 

 horseback, three in one direction and three in another, 

 and search for lions. If they discovered any, one of 

 the party was at once to ride back for me, whilst the 

 others attempted to hold up the lions until I arrived 



i88 



