SKETCHES IN THE SOUDAN 75 



pure liquid, and then, supperless, laid our wearied bodies down 

 upon an uncomfortable bed of rough, sharp stones. On account 

 of the possibly hostile Dembelas we did not dare to light a fire. 



" Hardly had I dozed off when a sharp tug at the pony's 

 picketing rope, the end of which I held in my hand, awoke me. 

 Wasa, who was keeping guard on a rock overlooking the water, 

 exclaimed ' Lion ! lion ! ' so, hastily snatching up my rifle, 

 I made for Wasa's rock. Just too late, however. A magnifi- 

 cent lion had walked from the other side down to the sandy 

 beach of the pool to take his evening drink, but hearing me 

 crawling up the rock, off he had gone before there was the 

 possibility of a shot. Had I only been in Wasa's place the 

 lion would have given me a splendid chance as he stood on 

 the sand quietly drinking fully exposed in the bright light of 

 the beautiful moon. We watched for him eagerly for some 

 time, but in vain nothing came, and the remainder of the 

 night was undisturbed. On again next morning at 6, after a 

 luxurious breakfast on cold water fully impregnated with rotting 

 vegetable matter, and for six hours we followed the course of 

 a dry, winding river-bed, up a rapidly ascending valley, over- 

 looked on both sides by picturesque high mountains ; we were 

 now well within the huge mountain ranges which extend 

 through Abyssinia to the Bed Sea. At noon we reached a 

 small pool in a rocky basin, full of small fish resembling 

 minnows ; but beyond this all advance seemed to be barred by 

 the most precipitous mountain-sides. Feeling tired out and 

 exhausted, for there had been nothing to see for twenty-four 

 hours, and we had had a very trying march, I ordered the guide 

 to ascend the nearest peak and try if he could discover the 

 Dembela village anywhere. After an hour's absence he re- 

 turned delighted ; from the top he had seen the village we were 

 in search of, adding the gratifying intelligence that it was not 

 very far off. Without food, and the country almost impractic- 

 able, I had made up my mind, should there be no habitations 

 visible, to return to our last night's halting-ground, and the 

 following day to make for the standing camp ; but now, of 

 course, on we went at once. We ascended a very steep crag, 

 and from there my guide showed me on the skyline of another 

 mountain what looked to me like rocks, but which he assured 

 me were the Dembela houses. Two hours or more were occupied 



