XIV RETURN TO LAKE RUDOLPH 327 



explained, within a short distance of Labugo's large stockaded 

 village. His people had recently been successful in routing 

 a neighbouring section of their tribe which had attacked them, 

 and had afterwards burnt the villages of the aggressors and 

 captured their cattle, and were exultant and inclined to be 

 boastful ; and as I lay during those long weary nights of 

 suffering, unable to sleep, I used to listen to them singing and 

 dancing half the night and fear lest they might be tempted by 

 my own helpless condition and the smallness of my little party 

 to think our belongings would be an easy prey. But they 

 never molested us nor stole a thing all the time we were there. 

 Their weird and rather tuneful singing, mellowed by the inter- 

 vening distance, was in itself rather pleasant and helped to 

 pass the dragging hours ; and I always felt grateful for the 

 commotion heralding the earliest streaks of dawn, as the 

 inhabitants bestirred themselves preparatory to hieing to their 

 fields, before the birds began their forays on the heavy red 

 clusters of ripening grain. Then as the light began to come 

 I would be put outside on my camp chair, while the air was 

 yet comparatively cool, to watch the wedges and undulating 

 lines of storks and pelicans winging their way across the placid 

 sky — against whose pale, greenish blue background, lit up with 

 faint streaks of crimson, their rhythmically gliding forms stood 

 out, though below it was still dusk — before the fiery sun should 

 make all one glare, up or down the river as they changed their 

 feeding-grounds between the various small lakes near its course. 

 The days were less tedious than the dreaded nights. 

 Among other sources of distraction I used often to question 

 Hamisi about his experiences among the people of Kere. He 

 described to me the battle, before alluded to, in which he had 

 taken part. All the inhabitants were collected in the town 

 on the news being brought in by a woman of the approach of 

 the attacking force. The fighting men, armed for the fray, 

 waited till the enemy, advancing in battle array, were within 

 a stone's throw of their gates ; then, having proclaimed to 



