AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



hut was the living and dining-room. A long table, 

 rawhide bottomed chairs, a large sideboard, book- 

 cases, a long easy settee with pillows, gun racks, 

 photographs in and out of frames, a table with writing 

 materials, and books and magazines everywhere — 

 not to speak of again the skins of many animals 

 completely covering the floor. Out behind, in small 

 separate buildings functioned the cook, and dwelt 

 the stores, the bathtub, and other such necessary 

 affairs. 



As soon as we had consumed the usual grateful 

 lime juice and sparklets, we followed our hosts into 

 open air to look around. 



On this high, airy hilltop the Hills some day are 

 going to build them a real house. In anticipation 

 they have laid out grounds and have planted many 

 things. In examining these my California training 

 stood by me. Out there, as here, one so often 

 examines his own and his neighbours' gardens not 

 for what they are but for what they shall become. 

 His imagination can exalt this tiny seedling to the 

 impressiveness of spreading noontime shade; can 

 magnify yonder apparent duplicate to the full 

 symmetry of a shrub; can ruthlessly diminish the 

 present importance of certain grand and lofty 

 growths to their true status of flower or annual. So 

 from a dead uniformity of size he casts forward in 



146 



