DOWN THE NILE; THE GIANT ELAND 517 



thirsty men drank gallons; the porters were loaded with 

 the hide, head, and meat; and they marched back to camp 

 by moonlight. 



It was no easy job, in that climate, to care for and save 

 the three big skins; but we did it. On the trip we had 

 taken, besides our gun-bearers and tent boys, Magi, the 

 sais, and two of our East African skinners, Kiboko and 

 Merefu; they formed in the safari a kind of chief-petty- 

 officer's mess, so to speak. They were all devoted to their 

 duties, and they worked equally hard whether hunting or 

 caring for the skins; the day Kermit killed his bull he and 

 the gun-bearers and skinners, with Magi as a volunteer, 

 worked until midnight at the hide. But they had any 

 amount of meat, and we shared our sugar and tea with 

 them. On the last evening there was nothing to do, and 

 they sat in the brilliant moonlight in front of their tents, 

 while Kassitura played his odd little harp. Kermit and I 

 strolled over to listen; and at once Kassitura began to 

 improvise a chant in my honor, reciting how the Bwana 

 Makuba had come, how he was far from his own country, 

 how he had just killed a giant eland, and so on and so on. 

 Meanwhile, over many little fires strips of meat were dry- 

 ing on scaffolds of bent branches, and askaris and por- 

 ters were gathered in groups, chatting and singing; while 

 the mighty tree near which our tents were pitched cast 

 a black shadow on the silver plain. Then the shenzis 

 who had helped us came to receive their reward, and their 

 hearts were gladdened with red cloth and salt, and for 

 those whose services had been greatest there were special 

 treasures in the shape of three green and white umbrellas. 

 It was a pleasant ending to a successful hunt. 



On our return to Gondokoro we found Cuninghame 

 all right, although he had been obliged single-handed to 

 do the work of getting our porters safely started on their 

 return march to Kampalla, as well as getting all the skins 

 and skeletons properly packed for shipment. Heller had 

 also recovered, and had gone on a short trip during which 



