MY ESCAPE 187 



than was necessary at a fire. Our guides, too, 

 only entered a village when they knew that parti- 

 cular friends or relatives resided in it. 



Hungry times we had, often living on wild fruit, 

 though once indeed we managed to get a whole 

 chicken. The rain made it rough travelling ; 

 continual heavy storms all night and almost every 

 night, for the wet season had now set in, and we 

 were utterly without shelter. Still it was always 

 a warm rain, and, above all, we were once more 

 at large and free. 



On the fifteenth day after leaving Mangangira 

 we reached a little advanced post of our K.A.R. 

 at Nambangi, where an askari corporal was in 

 charge. There we stayed a day, eating up, I fear, 

 between us all his, and his men's, fat ration — about 

 half a kerosene-tin full. Thence, through pouring 

 rain and flooded creeks, we came to Chemera, 

 the advanced post of our Kilwa force. I need not 

 say we were well received, the more so that one 

 of our Intelligence Officers, Lieutenant Gattwood, 

 was there. He looked after us with paternal care, 

 while all the promised backshishi was duly given 

 to our guides. It was grand to get some news 

 again, though I was terribly sorry to hear that 

 Frederick Selous had been killed. 



After waiting a day at Chemera, orders came for 

 me to report to my chief at the Headquarters of 

 the first division. In the camp General O'Grady 

 came up and shook hands, and it was good to find 

 him alive and well. We all, even then, thought 



