A DAY ON THE ISIOLA 



Accordingly we abandoned that still distant river 

 and swung away in a wide circle to return to camp. 



Several minor adventures brought us to high 

 noon and the heat of the day. B. had succeeded in 

 drawing a prize, one of the Grevy's or mountain 

 zebra. He and the gunbearers engaged themselves 

 with that, while we sat under the rather scanty shade 

 of a small thorn tree and had lunch. Here we had a 

 favourable chance to observe that very common, but 

 always wonderful phenomenon, the gathering of the 

 carrion birds. Within five minutes after the stoop 

 of the first vulture above the carcass, the sky im- 

 mediately over that one spot was fairly darkened 

 with them. They were as thick as midges — or as 

 ducks used to be in California. All sizes were there 

 from the little carrion crows to the great dignified 

 vultures and marabouts and eagles. The small fry 

 flopped and scolded, and rose and fell in a dense 

 mass; the marabouts walked with dignified pace to 

 and fro through the grass all about. As far as the 

 eye could penetrate the blue, it could make out more 

 and yet more of the great soarers stooping with 

 half bent wings. Below we could see uncertainly 

 through the shimmer of the mirage the bent forms of 

 the men. 



We ate and waited; and after a little we dozed. I 

 was awakened suddenly by a tremendous rushing 



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