TREKKING THROUGH THE THIRST 153 
rose into lofty hills ahead of us. The porters received their 
water and food, and lay down to sleep, some directly in the 
open, others rigging little sun shelters under the scattering 
thorn-bushes. The horses were fed, were given half a 
pail of water apiece, and were turned loose to graze with 
the oxen; this was the last time the oxen would feed freely, 
unless there was rain; and this was to be our longest halt. 
We had an excellent breakfast, like our supper the night 
before, and then slept as well as we could. 
Noon came, and soon afterward we again started. The 
country grew hilly, and brushy. It was too dry for much 
game, but we saw a small herd of giraffe, which are in¬ 
dependent of water. Now riding our horses, now leading 
them, we travelled until nearly sunset, when we halted at 
the foot of a steep divide, beyond which our course lay 
across slopes that gradually fell to the stream for which 
we were heading. Here the porters had all the food and 
water they wished, and so did the horses; and, each with 
a double span of oxen, the wagons were driven up the 
slope, the weary cattle straining hard in the yokes. 
Black clouds had risen and thickened in the west, 
boding rain. Three-fourths of our journey was over; and 
it was safe to start the safari and then leave it to come on 
by itself, while the ox wagons followed later. At nine, be¬ 
fore the moon struggled above the hill-crests to our left, we 
were off. Soon we passed the wagons, drawn up abreast, 
a lantern high on a pole, while the tired oxen lay in their 
yokes, attached to the trek tow. An hour afterward vce 
left the safari behind, and rode ahead, with only our saises 
and gun-bearers. Gusts of rain blew in our faces, and grad¬ 
ually settled into a steady, gentle downpour. Our horses 
