BATS 
115 
like children, shouting and laughing to hear the echoes, dancing 
in the spray of the waterfall, and leaping from one soft moss- 
covered rock to another. Behind the waterfall I see the 
rotting huts, some thirty in number, the old homes of a departed 
race of cave dwellers. But my first thoughts are of bats. 
What a place for them ! I can smell their unmistakable 
odour. And here there seems to be a possibility of finding 
an unknown species. 
So soon as the excitement of my Ethiopians has abated 
I send them back to get a candle. When they return we form 
an expedition into the interior. Carefully clambering up and 
up, over enormous masses of rock and across chasms, we 
eventually find ourselves almost out of sight of the hazy 
glimmer of the daylight and in the place where the ceiling or 
roof ought to be. But on throwing a stone upwards I find the 
ceiling has risen even more than we have and is far above us. 
Moving slowly on, the rocks get very slippery with the 
accumulations of bat droppings through countless ages. 
And now a shower of stones from us disturbs the winged 
inmates of this dark and drear abode. 
Hundreds, nay, thousands of bats fill the noisome air, we 
hear their shrill squeaks, we feel the movement of the air from 
their wings upon our faces. But with the candle we cannot 
see anything, save only about one square foot of rock sufficient 
to take the next step safely. No glimmer of daylight penetrates 
thus far. We continue our showers of stones at random, and 
after a time I direct all the natives to grope round and try to 
feel if any bat has been killed. The result is nothing. So we 
continue our underground battle for an hour or more, but still 
with no result. 
I tell the boys to remain where they are while I return 
towards the entrance. Just at the twilight part of the 
entrance dome I take my stand with a collector’s gun, ready 
to shoot if I can get an aiming sight at a bat. I then give a 
signal to the hoys inside to recommence their showers of stones. 
Some bats come past me, pause to hang to the roof ! no ! 
they don’t stop ! there is one ! no ! I can’t see him ! yes ! 
there is another .... bang ! 
I think I heard a something. I step gingerly forward, 
