THE LAND OF FOOTPRINTS 



three inches of water and wet feet that after the 

 first two days we never gave those phenomena a 

 thought. 



The world above at this season of the year was 

 magnificent. The African heavens are always 

 widely spacious, but now they seemed to have blown 

 even vaster than usual. In the sweep of the vision 

 four or five heavy black rainstorms would be trailing 

 their skirts across an infinitely remote prospect; 

 between them white piled scud clouds and cumuli 

 sailed like ships; and from them reflected so bril- 

 liant a sunlight and behind all showed so dazzling a 

 blue sky that the general impression was of a fine 

 day. The rainstorms' gray veils slanted; tremen- 

 dous patches of shadow lay becalmed on the plains; 

 bright sunshine poured abundantly its warmth and 

 yellow light. 



So brilliant with both direct and reflected light 

 and the values of contrast were the heavens, that 

 when one happened to stand within one of the great 

 shadows it became extraordinarily diflficult to make 

 out game on the plains. The pupils contracted to 

 the brilliancy overhead. Often too, near sunset, 

 the atmosphere would become suflFused with a lurid 

 saffron light that made everything unreal and 

 ghastly. At such times the game seemed puzzled by 

 the unusual aspect of things. The zebra espe- 



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