ACROSS LAKE CHAD 217 



shivered also, despite an elaborate wind-screen com- 

 piled from our tent ground - sheets ; and the poor 

 little lions sought warmth in our beds and baths. 

 These latter, it must be explained, contained a light 

 wicker-basket where we kept our clothes, and this 

 was a favourite spot for the zakis, who there found 

 a soft couch, warmth, and plenty of chewing mate- 

 rial at one and the same moment. We felt some 

 reluctance about indulging this taste, for great holes 

 were crunched out of the blankets, and my helmet 

 was nipped through in so many places that it had 

 to be covered with a motor veil, which gave it a 

 more smart than suitable appearance. Later on, 

 when I had carefully hung it high above them, they 

 jumped persistently till they reached it down, and a 

 perforated crown and fragments of pith brim were 

 all that was left. Mrs Talbot was more resourceful 

 than I, for while I sat in helpless despair she turned 

 resolutely to, sacrificed the lining of her tea-gown, 

 got some cotton-wool, which was usually devoted to 

 stuffing birds, and in a trice a respectable helmet 

 was returned to me. I wore it for the rest of the 

 journey, though it required deftness in handling and 

 much cunning to keep it from the clutches of the 

 zakoki. 



We were storm - bound on that dismal spot for 

 forty - four hours, unable to walk more than a few 

 yards without getting wet, for though the camp itself 

 was upon sand the surroundings were more or less 

 deep swamp. Hippo groaned and grunted without 

 intermission, the ground was covered with spoor of 

 leopard and antelope, and each evening Mr Talbot 

 went out shootinof. 



