Trail and Camp-Fire 



to foolhardiness. Watching them carefully, 

 one is led to believe that this recklessness of 

 danger is due more to pride and natural cour- 

 age than to a religious belief in fate. This 

 fearlessness is apt to bring one into curious 

 situations at times, which one would gladly 

 avoid, as the natives always expect the 

 "sahibs" to be in for anything that turns up. 

 We were agreeably surprised at the extremely 

 decent way in which the women were treated 

 by the men ; and, what is more, the men did 

 their share of labor. 



One is first impressed on starting into the 

 jungle by the ability of his followers. With 

 a good head-man, everybody from the head 

 shikari, or hunter, down to the camel-men, 

 knows his place in a few days, and rarely 

 has to be urged to do his share of the work. 

 The rapidity with which a caravan is got 

 under way is simply marvelous. Often we 

 had hardly time, after being awakened in the 

 morning by the crying of the camels which 

 were being loaded, to put on our clothes and 

 drink our coffee before the whole encamp- 

 ment was in motion. 



The supply of water is often a most import- 

 ant matter in Africa, and especially so where 



86 



