222 THE BONDS OF AFRICA 



But it would have been much worse had the 

 operation been delayed, for the " jigger," like 

 another African curse, the *' buffalo bean," must 

 have been created in a moment of vindictiveness 

 against mankind in general. Toes have some- 

 times to be amputated as a result of this devilish 

 little insect. Wherefore, you who may tread the 

 earth of lesser-known Africa, beware the "jigger!" 

 Wear thick boots and have a periodical toe 

 inspection ! 



We left the Ongorra Narok about three o'clock 

 in the cool of the morning, and shortly after 

 daybreak reached the Guaso Nyiro river, an 

 unbeautiful stream flowing through a dry and 

 fly-plagued country, with here and there a few 

 mournful trees standing up to break the mono- 

 tony of the plain, and in the background great, 

 inhospitable, stony hills. We found a store on 

 the south bank, a ramshackle establishment 

 presided over by a solitary young South African. 

 I do not envy him his lot. We partook of his 

 hospitality in the shape of fried eggs, and then 

 marched out on to the plain covered with wilde- 

 beeste, hartebeeste, Grant's and Thomson's 

 gazelles, to a water-hole, where we established 

 our camp. 



I find the 16th of October recorded as a red- 

 letter day in my diary. It was somewhat late 

 when I left the camp by the water-hole; and, 

 attended by Elmi and a couple of porters, rode 

 towards the Guaso Nyiro. We had not gone 

 a mile before sighting a great herd of white- 

 bearded gnu picking at the sun-dried herbage of 

 the plain. A belt of leafless shrubs intervened 

 between us and them, and I crept up to this line 

 of cover, intent on achieving better success than 

 had been my lot the day before, when I had 



