xxiv ACROSS THE KAISOOT DESERT 311 



two of her rude couch of grass and rugs. I do not 

 remember how long I had slept when I was suddenly 

 awakened by a loud cry from Mrs. B. and a mad 

 rush of frenzied ponies and mules tearing past us, 

 not half a dozen yards away. 



In a moment the askaris added to the panic by 

 discharging their rifles recklessly under the impres- 

 sion that they were aiming at a couple of rhino which 

 had charged the camp and stampeded the animals. 

 I very nearly shot one of the ponies myself before I 

 was quite awake, taking it to be a beast of prey of 

 some kind as it dashed past. Luckily the rhinos 

 were soon driven off, and no harm was done to 

 man or beast. It took some time to round up the 

 ponies and mules, and I almost feared that we 

 had lost them altogether, but in the end all were 

 collected and safely tied up in camp again. It was 

 very neifve-shaking, however, for poor Mrs. B., who 

 had already been so sorely tried. 



During the night I had a great fire made on the 

 top of a small hill close to our bivouac to guide 

 Munyakai and the donkeys to our resting place, but 

 when morning came there was still no sign of them. 

 I therefore sent out a relief party with water to 

 search for them in the desert and kept a pillar of 

 smoke going up from the hill-top to serve as a 

 guide, and at last late in the afternoon they suc- 

 ceeded in reaching us in safety. Munyakai then 



