AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



was nine feet eight inches long, without the tail; 

 and would weigh twenty-five hundred pounds. The 

 men were delighted with this acquisition. I now had 

 thirteen porters, the three gunbearers, the cook, and 

 the two boys. They surrounded each tiny fire with 

 switches full of roasting meat; they cut off great 

 hunks for a stew; they made quantities of biltong, 

 or jerky. 



Next day I left Kongoni and one porter at the old 

 camp, loaded my men with what they could carry, 

 and started out. We marched a little over two 

 hours; then found ourselves beneath a lone mimosa 

 tree about a quarter mile from the edge of the bench. 

 At this point the stream drops into a little canon 

 preparatory to its plunge; and the plateau rises 

 ever so gently to tremendous cliff's. I immediately 

 dispatched the porters back for another load. A 

 fine sing-sing lured me across the river. I did not 

 get the sing sing; but had a good fight with two 

 lions, as narrated elsewhere.* 



In this spot we camped a number of days; did a 

 heap of hard climbing and looking; killed another 

 lion out of a band of eight ;t thoroughly determined 

 that we had come at the wrong time for kudu; and 

 decided on another move. 



*"The Land of Footprints." 

 t" The Land of Footprints." 



306 



