266 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA CHAP. 



This was a hard day for the donkeys on 

 account of the rough nature of the ground, and it 

 gave Munyakai a good deal of trouble to get them 

 to camp, as it was his business to bring up the rear 

 of the safari and clear all stragglers on before him. 

 One of the donkeys finally gave out, and although 

 his load was taken off, was unable to walk any 

 further. The Headman, however, was not to be 

 defeated, so sending on to me for half-a-dozen 

 porters, he tied the donkey's legs together, put 

 a pole between them, and hoisting him aloft on the 

 men's shoulders, had him borne in triumph to 

 camp. It reminded me of the final stage of the fable 

 of the old man and the ass. 



We reached Kavai about midday, where we 

 found some salty water in holes in the otherwise dry 

 bed of the river from which this camping place 

 takes its name. Game similar to that seen at Serah, 

 with the addition of gerenuk, abounded. 



From Kavai we marched on to a place called 

 Lungaya, and on the way had a most exciting and 

 tragic adventure. B. was feeling a little better 

 and we were all riding together at the head of the 

 safari, when suddenly, just after we had crossed 

 over the dry bed of the Lungaya river, we saw a 

 huge, solitary elephant stalk up out of the trees 

 which grew very thick along its banks, and stand 

 in a threatening attitude directly in our path 



