94 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



gathered strength, and the animals are still quietly 

 feeding within the bush. On our left, the clear river 

 murmurs on its way, sparkling blue in the sunlight ; here 

 and there voicing its remonstrance, and lashing itself into 

 foamy anger, as some rocky barrier temporarily impedes 

 its course. Bordering it lie some thirty or forty yards of 

 yellowish-brown sand, over which the stream ran deep 

 and strong a few months ago, when summer was with us ; 

 the width of its former course plainly shown by the heaps 

 of rubbish and derelict tree-trunks to be seen at intervals. 

 Here and there shoot up patches of reeds and hardy 

 bushes, which appear to be none the worse from having 

 to lead an aquatic life during nearly half the year. 



In front ot us, and some ten feet higher than the sand, 

 stretches the bank of the river, some fifty yards of open 

 grass gradually sloping up to the edge of the thick thorn 

 bush which, grim and mysterious, reaches away for 

 many a mile to our right. Where we stand the grass is 

 all eaten and trampled into dust by the daily passage of 

 hundreds of impala. It is the thoroughfare to the 

 watering-place. Following the tracks to the river's 

 edge, we come to a little inlet of shallow water, cut off 

 from the main stream by a bar of stones ; all around the 

 sand is churned and trampled by dainty footmarks ; 

 this is the drinking-place itself, chosen with the cunning 

 of experience, for in Africa no beast may satisfy its thirst 

 many times at a deep pool and escape the lurking demon 

 who dwells there, and is ever on the watch for some 

 unhappy victim. See, within ten paces stands a clump 

 of dense reeds, rendered still more impenetrable-looking 

 by the mass of debris washed up against the hither side 

 of it. The very place for an ambush ; and we will 

 temporarily supplant the leopard who has long ago 

 discovered that it is an excellent hiding-place, whence 



