2 o6 THE LAND OF THE LION 



the great beasts love above everything to feed, made walk- 

 ing delightful. 



We soon had them in view and the stalk was an easy 

 one, though, since the herd stood in the open and far from 

 cover, we had to go cautiously. We got within fifty yards 

 and carefully looked them over, but as no good bull was 

 there we left them in peace. I tried a photograph, but 

 heavy clouds had gathered over the mountain, and the light 

 was poor. 



As we leisurely strolled campward, the black storm 

 clouds burst among the cliffs and canons of the great crater 

 summit of Elgon. For a few moments, no longer, no mountain 

 could be seen, and incessant lightnings alone marked 

 where the rocky points drew down the electric currents. 

 Then the sun beat through the storm, and all the many 

 square miles of broken forest that clothes, and softens as it 

 clothes, the jagged outlines of broken scarp and crag, were 

 actually lit up by the evening glow. One great mass of 

 snowy cloud still held together in the very crater itself, 

 and on it the full strength of the sun seemed to fall, till it 

 radiated over the cliffs and dense masses of woodland round 

 it, a soft white light all its own. 



I never fancied anything so strange or so lovely. The 

 secret places of the great mountain that were quite hidden 

 before, stood forth to view, as this lower light searched them 

 out. Then the smoky spirals of drifting cloud still clinging 

 to the tree tops, the leavings of the warm storm, rose at last 

 in silvery columns, slowly freeing themselves from the 

 earthly claims that had bound them, and you could hear 

 the augmented roar of the river torrent, as it came down the 

 dark canon of the Turkwell. 



The last evening light fell tenderly over the yellow 

 plain, while slowly the mighty herd moved off into the 

 darkening east. 



Let me close my rambling chapter by saying that I 



