GAUARONGA, THE GREAT CHIEF 187 



contradiction would be given, and said it was only a 

 mirage. He almost walked into it, and a flock of 

 sacred ibis rose scared from its waters before he 

 admitted that the interpreter had indeed lied. 



Beyond Maiashe lies a long arid tract — a steppe of 

 the lower Sudanese desert — which for long months 

 lies waterless and desolate. Even by December the 

 two pools of Bokkoiyu and Bamboiyu were drying into 

 fetid swamps. It was this country that we now had 

 to traverse. We hoped to reach Bokkoiyu that night, 

 and, by a very long march next day, the Bahr Alienya, 

 the ju-ju river ; after which we should again be in a 

 well -populated country. Mrs Talbot declared herself 

 well and anxious to continue, for, though we were 

 now out of his territory, we should hardly be 

 beyond Gauaronga's reach until we had passed the 

 uninhabited desert and were in the populous dis- 

 tricts near Fort Lamy. As the afternoon drew on, 

 it was all Mrs Talbot could do to sit her horse ; 

 and in fact it seemed touch and go whether she 

 would not fall, and we made the boys walk on 

 either side of her in case she did. 



It was late and pitch - dark when we reached the 

 water-hole. Wild beasts were roaring in its vicinity, 

 and there could be no more drear and desolate spot ; 

 but to us it was a haven. A few inches of dirty 

 water, stretches of sand, brown sapless grass, a few 

 scrub - trees, and that was all ; but it meant rest. 

 In a few minutes the tents were up and Mrs Talbot 

 in bed ; and the moment we had dined I, too, went 

 to mine. 



When I awoke, my first thought was for the in- 

 valid, of whom a favourable report was given, though 



