CHAPTER VIII 



TO THE GAME-HAUNTED SOLITUDES OF THE 

 RUCHURU AND RUINDI PLAINS 



" When the world is out of gear, 



When our gods have gone astray, 

 When the ghosts of yester-year 



^ise to taunt the coming day. 

 In the lull before the rains 

 Hie we to the Magic Plains." 



The Magic Plains. Verse I. 



BEFORE leaving Kisenji to resume our northward 

 journey it fell to my lot, for the second time in my 

 life, to be reported as killed by an elephant. How 

 and where the report started it is difficult to say but like 

 news of disaster all the world over it travelled quickly, and 

 before many weeks had passed my wife was receiving letters 

 of condolence from all parts of the country, as far even as from 

 Lake Tanganyika. As I told my wife, judging from the tone 

 of one of the letters I am not at all sure that it would not have 

 ended in a proposal of marriage if she had not written to 

 disprove the report, whilst thanking the kind inquirer for his 

 S5mipathy. 



The peace of Kisenji was rudely shaken on the morning 

 upon which we had decided to start. The discovery was 

 made that in the night a large man-eating lion had sprung 

 on a wretched native servant going to the lake for water 

 and had partially eaten the body, leaving the gruesome 

 remains on the foreshore for all to see. As my porters were 

 all ready and loaded for departure, I was unable to stay for 

 the lion hunt that was to be arranged. Whether or no the 



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