A DIFFICULT PATH 195 



convinced that they had seen Daniel, and was about 

 to give vent to my feelings, when Lepet assured 

 me that they were only shifting to cooler quarters for 

 shelter from the scorching rays of the sun, under the 

 rocks I had previously noticed. I was disposed to 

 believe him, for though they ran fast they did not 

 behave like frightened animals, which generally after 

 a sharp gallop suddenly halt to take breath and look 

 round in the direction of the intruder, and then gallop 

 off again at full speed. They never turned once, 

 and it became evident that they were making for the 

 rocks. But we should now have to find their hiding- 

 place. When they had disappeared over a ridge 

 we decided to mount our ponies and proceed down 

 the corrie and up to the place where we had lost sight 

 of them, leaving the horses again below the ridge. 

 The ravine we had to negotiate was a difficult one 

 owing to the rolling stones, and at places soft marshy 

 ground, which we had to cross at its bottom. Seeing 

 that this was too much for the ponies, I dismounted 

 and went on with Lepet. The " red man " was again 

 left behind, and happily this time did not object. At 

 this stage I found that the wind was blowing steadily 

 at our backs, so I suggested a long detour which took 

 us an hour to make, and when we reached the top 

 of the next corrie we were on the far side of the 



