262 THROUGH MAS AIL AND TO THE BORDERS OF KIKUYU 



of the Ghiaso Kedong, and with a view to losing no time I 

 meant to resist every temptation to turn aside till I reached 

 its swampy mouth. But at the edge of a little acacia wood 

 bounding the swamp on the east a herd of zebras dashed past 

 so very close to us that I could not help firing at one, which 

 turned its side full towards us. It fell to the ground and 

 remained motionless. 



At the same moment we heard an extraordinary noise like 

 the yelping of a young hound being flogged, and rushing to 

 our victim we discovered that a young foal had been hidden 

 by its mother's body. The bullet which had killed her had 

 passed through its neck. We had some of the flesh of the 

 foal cooked, and found that it tasted like broiled fish. 



Early in the morning of the second day the traders as- 

 sembled before Count Teleki's tent and begged for another 

 reprieve as they had not yet concluded their ivory purchases. 

 The Count yielded, and we shouldered our guns once more, 

 determined at least to bring down game enough for the day's 

 rations. 



On August 14 we resumed our march, the traders having 

 bought fifteen fine tusks, whilst we had succeeded in obtaining 

 four more pack-animals. First we started along the base of 

 the Doenye Erok till we reached its northern end, and then we 

 crossed a dreary, unfruitful, undulating district in a north- 

 westerly direction, Count Teleki bringing down three rhino- 

 ceroses by the way, arriving, after a long, hot march, at the 

 waterhole of Bartimaro at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. 



The neighbouring districts were inhabited by Masai, and 

 the water, which was in a deep cistern-like cavity, forming 

 part of the bed of a dried-up stream, encumbered with sand 

 and debris, was carefully guarded by a party of natives, who 

 drove our poor thirsty men angrily away. There was no 

 other water nearer than several hours' journey, but not until 



