46 SAFARI 



was the only one to be vouchsafed us to show us what 

 the country could be like. Nevertheless, we kept 

 busily at work, some gangs going up the back trails to 

 help the delayed transports, while others started 

 building our shelters. And though, even when it 

 stopped raining, the trees still dripped cold moisture 

 on us, I kept the boys cheerful by rationing out extra 

 lots of sugar and coffee and slaughtering oxen for 

 fresh meat, a pleasing variation from their regular 

 com meal or posho; and we managed to keep great 

 fires going somehow, part of the time, so that they 

 could dry themselves before going to sleep. 



In the early stages our boys were most miserable of 

 all, having not even our insecure shelter. When the 

 foremost wagons arrived and we put up our first 

 tents, Osa called the boys and made them come imder 

 the tent porch flap where they squatted, grinning 

 as Osa called out from within little jokes as old as 

 Ham of whom we have just spoken, such as "It's 

 a good day for ducks," nevertheless new to them. 

 Her cheerfulness under all sorts of hardships was 

 part of the secret of her charm, also of her power over 

 them. 



It was like Osa to start a garden in spite of the rain. 

 Scarcely had we started unpacking than she had a big 

 bundle of garden seeds out, checking over its con- 

 tents. On the second afternoon she mustered a gang 

 of boys with shovels and picks and cheerily started 



