AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



of them out from these joyful concourses of happy- 

 people. Generally we sat down for a while in these 

 markets, and talked to the people a little, and 

 perhaps purchased some of the delicious fruit. 

 They had a small delicate variety of banana, most 

 wonderful, the like of which I have seen nowhere 

 else. We bought forty of these for a coin worth 

 about eight cents. Besides fruit, they offered coco- 

 nuts in all forms, grain, woven baskets, small articles 

 of handicraft — and fish. The latter were farther 

 from the sea than they should have been! These 

 occasional halts greatly refreshed us for more of that 

 endless road. 



For all this time we were very hot. As the sun 

 mounted, the country fairly steamed. From the 

 end of my rifle barrel, which I carried across my fore- 

 arm, a steady trickle of water dripped into the road. 

 We neither of us had a dry stitch on us; and our 

 light garments clung to us thoroughly wet through. 

 At first we tried the military method, and marched 

 fifty minutes to rest ten; but soon discovered that 

 twenty-five minutes' work to five minutes off was 

 more practical. The sheer weight of the sun was 

 terrific; after we had been exposed to it for any 

 great length of time — as across several wide open 

 spaces — we entered the steaming shade of the 

 jungle with gratitude. At the end of seven hours, 



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