268 THE GUASO NYERO [ch. xi 
The day after we were out on plains untenanted by 
human beings, and early in the afternoon struck water 
by which to pitch our tents. There was not much 
game, and it was shy ; but I thought that I could kill 
enough to keep the camp in meat, so I sent back the 
two Scotsmen and their Kikuyus, after having them 
build a thorn boma, or fence, round the camp. One of 
the reasons why the Masai had driven their herds and 
flocks off this plain was because a couple of lions had 
turned man-eaters, and had killed a number of men and 
women. We saw no sign of lions, and believed they 
had followed the Masai; but there was no use in taking 
needless chances. 
The camp was beside a cold, rapid stream, one of the 
head-waters of the Guaso Nyero. It was heavily fringed 
with thorn timber. To the east the crags and snow- 
fields of Kenia rose from the slow swell of the mountain’s 
base. It should have been the dry season, but there 
were continual heavy rains, which often turned into 
torrential downpours. In the overcast mornings, as I 
rode away from camp, it was as cool as if I were riding 
through the fall weather at home ; at noon, if the sun 
came out, straight overhead, the heat was blazing; and 
we generally returned to camp, at nightfall, drenched 
with the cold rain. The first heavy storm, the evening 
we pitched camp, much excited all my followers. Ali 
came rushing into the tent to tell me that there was 
“ a big snake up high.” This certainly seemed worth 
investigating, and I followed him outside, where every¬ 
body was looking at the “ snake,” which proved to be a 
huge funnel-shaped, whirling cloud, careering across the 
darkened sky. It was a kind of waterspout or cyclone ; 
fortunately it passed to one side of camp. 
The first day I hunted I shot only a steinbuck for the 
