400 AFRICA SPEAKS 



made three trips, one with the equipment and one 

 each with an empty truck. I sailed with the last 

 load, amusing myself on the slow journey by shooting 

 at crocodile heads. These reptiles swim along near 

 the surface, with their knobby eyes protruding, and 

 after a httle practice, I was able to sink one with a 

 single shot. Every time a bullet struck, the boys 

 shouted with glee, for each of them had probably lost 

 some near relative to these flesh eaters of the Chari. 



After leaving Bousso, we found the country to be 

 mostly sand, but managed to creep along, trekking 

 over a landscape as wild and far away from the world 

 as any man could wish to find. The heavy pulling 

 caused the trucks to heat up until they would start 

 firing ahead of time and stop. During these bitter 

 days I was thankful we had brought a plentiful supply 

 of good lubricating oil, for a burned-out bearing or 

 scored cyhnder at this time would have been a calam- 

 ity, the consequences of which no one could foretell. 

 The dwindling supply of gasohne worried me, for we 

 had not anticipated pulling for days at a time in low 

 gear, and, even if we should reach Fort Lamy, I had 

 no means of knowing whether gasoline would be avail- 

 able there or not, my next depot being Maidugari. 



One evening we camped near a small village, and 

 after dinner I paced up and down in front of the huts 

 until Joe threatened to hog-tie me. There was plenty 

 to worry about, and I found it easier to think after 

 the sun went down, being especially good at this wliile 

 walking under the stars. I tried to plan a way to 

 bring the work to a successful close and get out of the 

 country as quickly as possible. My three companions 

 were commencing to get along like a bunch of strange 



