MY SECOND VOYAGE ON THE LAKE 53 



were wild and set fire to the tall dry reeds in the hope of turn- 

 ing them out like rats. Soon afterwards the wind sprang up 

 and the whole island was enveloped in a sheet of flames. 



BUDTJMA METHOD OF CARRYING CATTLE ACROSS THE LAKE 



This was the signal for a number of hawks to come upon the 

 scene, and they hovered and circled round as if aiding us in 

 our search. But no trace of the thieves could be seen till 

 quite by chance I discovered their footprints in the mud at 

 the point where we had gained the island. We were all 

 astonished, for it showed that they must have run over the 

 mud like moor-hens, where our men had waded up to their 

 chests the day before. The loss of our guides did not make 

 very much difference to us, for they had proved themselves 

 sullen and bad-tempered, and we could get no information 

 out of them as to our whereabouts. However, it so happened 



