OUR SECOND SAFARI 



tramped on and on, and it was muddy and heavy 

 going ; there was plenty of the usual game to be 

 seen, but nothing worth shooting. The bridges 

 over the streams were roughly made by tree-trunks 

 just thrown across, and were very rickety and 

 slippery to pass over. One was a foot or two under 

 water ; another I took a photo of, and during the 

 process Mark slipped in — it was quite deep too and 

 his unexpected bath cold. We passed the place 

 where we camped once before, and crossed the cut- 

 away road which originally was to have been a high 

 road to Nyeri, and came on a suitable place, in- 

 tending to wait for the others to come up to pitch 

 camp. Just then, about half-past eleven, the sun 

 went in and clouds quickly gathered. We hastily 

 made a fire, then a thunder-cloud came along and 

 presently it streamed with rain, a real tropical down- 

 pour. 



Our bodies grew cold and wet in parts, or 

 roasted ; we were blinded by smoke from our fire, 

 and empty, having forgotten to bring any sandwiches. 

 For nearly five hours we waited in that discomfort, 

 all crouched round the fire, before the others put 

 in an appearance ; and then we heard that Baruku 

 had had more trouble with the porters, as some 

 had put down their loads and run away. Baruku 

 managed to get back all but one, and the safari ap- 

 peared, twenty-eight in number, he having taken on 

 six more in case of emergencies. As for clothes, 



153 



