Lions, and scores more, in the sweltering heat of 

 Africa ! 



That was a happy day ! 



When I woke up next morning Rocky was fitting 

 the packs on his donkeys. I was a little puzzled, 

 wondering at first if he was testing the saddles, for he 

 had said nothing about moving on ; but when he joined 

 us at breakfast the donkeys stood packed ready to start. 

 Then Robbie asked : 



" Going to make a move, Rocky ? " 

 " Yes ! Reckon I'll git ! " he answered quietly. 

 I ate in silence, thinking of what he was to face : 

 many hundreds of miles perhaps a thousand or two ; 

 many, many months may be a year or two ; wild 

 country, wild tribes, and wild beasts ; floods and fever ; 

 accident, hunger, and disease ; and alone ! 



When we had finished breakfast he rinsed out his 

 beaker and hung it on one of the packs, slung his rifle 

 over his shoulder, and picking up his long assegai- 

 wood walking-stick tapped the donkeys lightly to 

 turn them into the J Kaffir footpath that led away 

 North. They jogged on into place in single file. 



Rocky paused a second before following, turned one 

 brief grave glance on us, and 

 said : 



"Well. So long!" 

 He never came back ! 



