THE MAGIC PORTALS CLOSE 



captured the Great Prize ! No thought of that seemed 

 to affect the heartiness of his joy. He rushed up to 

 shake both my hands; he examined the kudu with an 

 attention that was held only by great restraint; he 

 let go that restraint to shake me again enthusiasti- 

 cally by the hands. After him, up the hill, bobbed 

 slowly the lanterns. The smiling bearers shouldered 

 the trophy and the meat; and we stumbled home 

 through the half shadows and the opalescences of 

 the moonlight. 



Our task in this part of the country was now 

 finished. We set out on the return journey. The 

 weather changed. A beautiful, bright-copper sun- 

 set was followed by a drizzle. By morning this had 

 turned into a heavy rain. We left the topi camp to 

 which we had by now returned, cold and miserable. 

 Cuninghame and I had contributed our waterproofs 

 to protect the precious trophies; and we were speedily 

 wet through. The grass was long. This was no 

 warm and grateful tropical rain; but a driving, chill- 

 ing storm straight out from the high mountains. 



We marched up the long plain, we turned to the 

 left around the base of the ranges, we mounted the 

 narrow grass valley, we entered the forest — the 

 dark, dripping, and unfriendly forest. Over the edge 

 we dropped and clambered down through the hang- 

 ing vines and the sombre trees. By and by we 



373 



