164 AFRICA SPEAKS 



table, I introduced myself and found that they were 

 from Ocdiland, California, and had come to Africa for a 

 vacation and incidentally to do some big-game shoot- 

 ing. We had an interesting visit, during which I ob- 

 tained news from home and told them of our wonderful 

 Tanganyika country and about our work with the 

 lions. Before we parted, I invited them to visit our 

 famous Camp Simba. 



I had taken the truck into a garage to have the front 

 axle straightened. The white man in charge was one 

 of the shiftless kind and turned the job over to a black 

 boy, who failed to tighten the bolts which hold the 

 front springs to the axle, with the result that shortly 

 after leaving Nairobi — while going down the steep 

 Ejkuyu Escarpment — the truck insisted upon wig- 

 gling all over the narrow road. When I stopped to 

 find the reason, I discovered the bolts had dropped off 

 and the whole front of the truck was out of place. 

 The black boy evidently had screwed the nuts on 

 loosely with his fingers and the rough roads soon 

 jarred them off, leaving me in a fine predicament! 

 My back and arms were nearly broken when I finally 

 limped into Gilgil. 



When my mechanic friend informed me the camera 

 was ready for use, I forgot my recent troubles in the 

 joy of knowing I could now go ahead with my picture 

 making. With tliis equipment repaired and the per- 

 mission obtained to use the Nandi, I decided to proceed 

 at once to Kapsabet. Before leaving, however, I made 

 arrangements to meet Mike in Gilgil five days later. 

 With two boys as companions, I left the next after- 

 noon, arriving in Eldama Ravine after dark — a trip of 

 sixty-six miles from Gilgil. 



