CHAPTER SEVEN 



THE ENDLESS VELDT 



4FRICA is a vast stage upon which savage men 

 Jl\. and milhons of wild animals daily perform their 

 allotted parts, and lucky indeed is the civilized man 

 whom circumstances permit to visit this alluringly 

 beautiful but primitive country I 



Wildebeest, zebra, kongoni, giraffe, ostrich, topi, 

 and impalla were now trekking into our front yard in 

 countless thousands, while the Grant's and Thomp- 

 son's gazelles simply covered the landscape near and 

 far. The innumerable small depressions filled by the 

 short rains, were now commencing to dry up, and the 

 game was coming back into the vast plcdns near the 

 larger water holes, such as those along the Serra 

 Nyiro. 



Knowing that the Hons would follow in the wake of 

 the antelope and zebra herds, bright and early one 

 morning we again took the familiar trail, which by a 

 devious route, found its way to our hon donga. While 

 bouncing along, a large herd of wildebeest stampeded 

 and tried to outrace the truck. These animals and 

 the zebra both have a habit which is unexplainable. 

 Without any apparent reason, they will kick up their 

 heels and race along parallel to any motor car, eventu- 

 ally contriving somehow to cross in front of it. 

 It always seems that the last animal just clears the 

 radiator cap by two inches — never more or less. 



1S7 



