220 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



carrying out the work. The crossing on which I 

 had decided had to be approached by a somewhat 

 sharp curve in the line, and in laying this out with 

 the theodolite I experienced considerable difficulty, 

 as for some reason or other I could not make the 

 last peg on the curve come anywhere near the 

 tangent-point where the curve should link up 

 with the straight. I repeated the whole operation 

 time after time, but always with the same result. 

 Eventually I came to the conclusion that there must 

 be some mistake in the table of angles from which I 

 had been working, so I started to work them out for 

 myself and soon discovered a serious misprint. 

 This being rectified in my calculations, I proceeded 

 to lay out the curve again, when at last everything 

 came out accurately and to my satisfaction. 



After I had pegged out this temporary diversion 

 of the line, I thought I richly deserved a few hours' 

 play, and accordingly determined to try my luck after 

 lions up-stream towards the source of the Athi. 

 The river which runs almost due north here, 

 before taking a turn eastward to the Indian Ocean- 

 forms part of the western boundary of the Athi 

 Plains, and is fringed all along its course by a belt 

 of thorny hardwood trees. In some places this 

 fringe is quite narrow, while in others it is about a 

 quarter of a mile wide, with grassy glades here and 

 there among the trees. Every now and again, too, 



