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FIRST EXPEDITION TO EAST AFRICA 83 



I had before been wearing, under my thin khaki 

 shooting suit. I endured therefore until the 

 dawn without any ill effects, but I was exceedingly 

 cold and uncomfortable. Sleep for me was out 

 of the question, but the three negroes huddled 

 together on the ground and slept peacefully. 

 When one of them in the night rolled against me 

 in his sleep, the warmth from his body was so 

 grateful that I did not shove him away. If 

 Johnny had admitted the seriousness of the 

 situation, I should have made a camp in the 

 forest country ; and there, under a tree with a 

 fire, the experience would not have been so 

 unpleasant ; but, as it was, I had a very bad 

 night. I had nothing to eat, but drank about 

 a tumblerful of lime-juice and water. 



In the morning the drizzle stopped, and we 

 picked up the track of our " Safari." The '450 

 rifle, which was on my knees, was all right, owing 

 to the protection afforded by the umbrella; but 

 Johnny had placed the Rigby-Mauser on the 

 ground outside the cloth covering which the 

 negroes made for themselves out of their clothes, 

 and it was very badly rusted, and this was an 

 additional cause of annoyance. Buoyed up with 

 hopes of breakfast, however, we followed the 

 track of the Safari ; but when, at about 10 a.m., 

 we arrived at the place where the men had spent 

 the night, we found, much to our disappointment 

 and disgust, that they had struck the tents and 

 marched on in the direction of Nakuro. My 

 Indian servant was, I think, responsible for 

 this piece of stupidity. 

 The only thing to be done was to follow, and we 



