54 
AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 
had their rations of rice, depended for much of their well¬ 
being on our success with the rifle. 
These rides through the wild, lonely country, with only 
my silent black followers, had a peculiar charm. When 
the sky was overcast it was cool and pleasant, for it is a high 
country; as soon as the sun appeared the vertical tropic 
rays made the air quiver above the scorched land. As we 
passed down a hillside we brushed through aromatic shrubs 
and the hot, pleasant fragrance enveloped us. When we came 
to a nearly dry watercourse, there would be beds of rushes, 
beautiful lilies and lush green plants with staring flowers; 
and great deep-green fig-trees, or flat-topped mimosas. In 
many of these trees there were sure to be native beehives; 
these were sections of hollow logs hung from the branches; 
they formed striking and characteristic features of the land¬ 
scape. Wherever there was any moisture there were flow¬ 
ers, brilliant of hue and many of them sweet of smell; and 
birds of numerous kinds abounded. When we left the hills 
and the wooded watercourses we might ride hour after 
hour across the barren desolation of the flats, while herds 
of zebra and hartebeest stared at us through the heat haze. 
Then the zebra, with shrill, barking neighs, would file off 
across the horizon, or the high-withered hartebeests, snort¬ 
ing and bucking, would rush off in a confused mass, as 
unreasoning panic succeeded foolish confidence. If I shot 
anything, vultures of several kinds, and the tall, hideous 
marabout storks, gathered before the skinners were through 
with their work; they usually stayed at a wary distance, 
but the handsome ravens, glossy-hued with white napes, 
big-billed, long-winged, and short-tailed, came round more 
familiarly. 
