-^ The Lonely Wonder-world of the Nyika 



ornament, and the stallion leaders of the zebra herd all 

 continually on the alert watching against their enemies. 



There is a scuttling over the ground, for the little 

 mungoose family, that live over there among the ant- 

 hills, are making a sally from their fortress. Snake-like 

 in their swift movements, the graceful little animals seem 

 to glide along. Yonder two snake-vultures are looking 

 for reptiles. Numbers of other vultures and marabous 

 have flown down to the margin of the shallow water to 

 bathe and drink. 



Into the midst of all this gathering of animals there 

 now come three ostriches, making for the fresh green 

 growth along the marshy edge of the river-bank, and 

 a number of francolins and guinea-fowl that gradually 

 come crowding out of the undergrowth into the clearing 

 to feed there. On the sandbank on which I look down 

 as it extends far along the course of the river, there are 

 some thirty huge crocodiles sunning themselves. I can 

 see several smaller specimens of these mail-clad lizards 

 on a flat part of the river margin not far from the 

 sandbank. 



Yesterday, too, six giant hippopotami paid a visit to 

 this sandbank on the primeval river, and left tracks that 

 my eye can plainly see in the glowing sunshine ; to-day, 

 however, I have waited in vain for them to show them- 

 selves. But suddenly from the reed-beds on the opposite 

 bank of the stream the mighty voice of an old bull comes 

 booming across to me. 



Over this most peaceful picture of animal life the 

 tropical sun blazes, casting deep shadows. At this hour 



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