IV 
THE NDOROBO COUNTRY 
the roughness of the ground on which I slept. We went a 
long tramp through thick bush, but found no fresh spoor, 
so in the afternoon I worked round to some open country 
in search of other game for meat After being disappointed 
of getting a shot at a single giraffe which passed near 
me on the way there, I was successful on reaching the open, 
killing two oryx with as many shots, and an impala and a 
gazelle a little beyond with three more. I gave one oryx to 
my Ndorobo guides, and sent for my men to bring all my 
things to some small rock pools I knew of nearer at hand than 
our last night’s camp, and to come on to carry the meat there. 
In the meantime heavy rain with thunder came on, lasting 
an hour and a half, making things very uncomfortable and 
soaking us thoroughly. At last we got back to the water at 
dusk, very wet, tired, and empty, to find my wretched cook and 
boy standing shivering under the dripping bushes, waiting for 
matches, but never having thought to collect firewood or do 
anything towards making things ready. Of course no one had 
thought of turning a bucket upside down over our sack of meal 
to keep it dry. I was not long in packing them off to hunt up 
firewood, while I set to work to chop out some dry wood from 
the inside of the biggest sticks I could find and split it up into 
thin slips and shavings with my knife, and soon started a fire 
which by and by burned up to be the comfort of the whole 
camp and to roast every one’s meat. Then I had to see meat 
divided, clean my rifles, which were very wet (work I always do 
myself), and have my hot sponge-down ; so that it was eleven 
o’clock before I got any dinner, and fully midnight by the 
time I got to bed. But in hunting one must take things as 
they come, one day with another. Fortunately the rain ceased 
by sundown, and I was comfortable enough in the end, in spite 
of adverse circumstances, and slept well till morning. It had 
been a hard day’s work, but I was in good hard condition and 
robust health and thought nothing of it. Had I waited for 
my Swahili servants to make the fire, though, I might have 
