THE TUBURI LAKES 75 



was terrified, and he did not wait for the permission 

 to be repeated. He brushed me aside, thrust the rifle 

 into my hands that he might cHmb the quicker, and, 

 in a shorter time than it takes to tell, had shinned 

 up that tree and was in its topmost branches. 



I was glad enough to have the rifle, for I did not 

 trust Kukaua's marksmanship in a moment of danger, 

 and besides, a crocodile had swum slowly by the spot 

 where we had been standing. Mr Talbot climbed too, 

 to where he could get a clear view and shot, and I 

 stood on a low bough just out of the water. I pre- 

 pared my rifle for defence against infuriated hippo 

 or stealthy crocodile, as need might arise, and then, 

 strung up to the highest pitch of expectancy, we 

 waited. Twilight closed in on us. The hippo had 

 scored — they were there, all round us, and yet we 

 had to go without shot fired. Thoroughly disheart- 

 ened we waded back to the path, and then through 

 500 yards of swamp, where we again saw the dark 

 ridge of a crocodile's back. 



Insult was added to injury, for when, after a dismal 

 tramp, we rejoined Mrs Talbot, she said a hippo had 

 doubled back to the path and had held up the carriers 

 for some minutes. 



The boys had by now reached the town and pitched 

 our camp, and I must admit that we found some 

 pleasure in the prospect of spending the next day in 

 idleness in a canoe. When we awoke, however, and 

 saw the chief, a very distressing fact came to our 

 knowledge — to wit, that we were not at Sulkando 

 at all, but at a little place called Cherijamm, two 

 hours away from it. The perfidious guides had all 

 along meant to make it a two days' march, but, as 



