82 SPORT IN ASIA AND AFRICA 



had a conversation. Stupidly, however, Johnny 

 would not admit even then the seriousness of 

 the situation, and said that there was another 

 Safari (party of travellers) in the vicinity, and that 

 we would go to their camp. Thinking that he 

 had heard this from the native with whom he 

 had been in conversation, I made no demur, 

 and we pushed on ; and at nightfall we reached 

 the large open plain where the mistake about 

 the road had evidently occurred. In the middle 

 of this plain night came upon us with tropical 

 suddenness, and Johnny, after lighting one or 

 two matches in an aimless and bewildered manner, 

 turned to me and said : " This good place : we 

 stay here/' It was an unpleasant situation, 

 but my sense of humour was tickled by the 

 remark, and I laughingly replied that it was 

 anything but a good place, but that I agreed 

 that we must stop where we were. We proceeded, 

 therefore, to make the best of it. It was the 

 month of March, and even in the plains the rains 

 had begun, and, shortly after we halted, it 

 began to drizzle. I seated myself on the saddle 

 of the mule with my big rifle across my knees ; 

 and, as it was lion country, I had the mule 

 tethered in close proximity, and the three 

 negroes lay on the ground beside me. We were 

 at an elevation of about 7,000 feet, and the night 

 was decidedly chilly, but I had a Burberry 

 coat, and also, what I consider to be an indispen- 

 sable item of a traveller's equipment in damp 

 weather, a good stout umbrella. Fortunately 

 also, seeing that it was likely to rain, I had put 

 on that morning a somewhat thicker vest than 



