224 SAFARI 



was riding a mule. The first thing I knew the rhino 

 and mule saw each other at the same time. And 

 both were scared. 



" Then began the strangest race in history. The 

 trail was narrow. And both beasts had to follow 

 it for a while. I hung on for dear life while the rhino 

 tried to escape the mule and the terrified mule tried 

 to escape the rhino. As the rhino was a little behind 

 it would have been the end of me to have fallen off. 

 Finally the rhino beat the mule and I was saved." 



Nevertheless, I had to leave Osa with an exacted 

 promise not to stray far from camp without Ndimdu, 

 the gun -bearer, and a threat to Bukhari, the headman, 

 to skin him alive if he didn't guard her. The threat, 

 however, was almost imnecessary, so far as our boys 

 were concerned. All were devoted to her; and Bu- 

 khari would sooner have lost his own life than hers. 

 The Nubians, the most aristocratic of African races, 

 are all that way. Up in their north country, a 

 Nubian guide simply cannot return to his village if he 

 comes back with a single soul missing from a party 

 he has taken out. It is a matter of honor and tradi- 

 tion with the race. 



Even if it were not, Bukhari's character is such that 

 he would die for her. And he is a splendid-looking 

 fellow, with his strong reliable features, his fine 

 head and muscles that ripple over his arms like 

 little rapids of the river over boulders. None could 



