92 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA CHAP. 



I reached the meeting place well ahead of my 

 companions, and tying Aladdin securely to a tree, 

 I at once began to explore the neighbourhood. 



First of all I tried to scale the rocky height, but 

 the growl of some unseen beast lurking In its dark 

 lair soon checked my enthusiasm, as unfortunately 

 I had no rifle with me. I had foolishly left it with 

 my gun-bearer a most unsound thing to do in the 

 wilds, as the unexpected is always happening, and 

 one never knows what predicament one may be 

 placed in at any moment. 



Just as I had made up my mind to restrain my 

 impatience for the present, Abbudi spied me from 

 afar off where he was striding along at the head 

 of the safari, and stretching out his beautiful limbs 

 in the peculiar run so typical of the Masai, was 

 very soon beside me, bringing my rifle with 

 him. 



I then once more attempted the rock, which was 

 some sixty or eighty feet high and rose up practi- 

 cally perpendicularly from the plain. I had not yet 

 found a sufficiently easy path by which to reach 

 the summit when the safari arrived, so I abandoned 

 the attempt for the much more agreeable occupation 

 of sitting down to a hearty breakfast which Paul 

 the cook quickly prepared. We were all quite 

 ready to do justice to it, and I think that a break- 

 fast in a shady spot in the wilds after some hours' 



