African Game Trails 
265 
An hour after¬ 
ward we 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 began to slip in the 
greasy soil; we knew the rain 
would refresh the cattle, but 
would make the going harder. 
At one we halted, in the rain, for a couple 
of hours’ rest. Just before this we heard 
two lions roaring, or rather grunting, not far 
in front of us; they were after prey. Lions 
are bold on rainy nights, and we did not 
wish to lose any of our horses; so a watch 
was organized, and we kept readyfor imme¬ 
diate action, but the lions did not come. 
The native boys built fires, and lay close to 
them, relieving one another, and us, as sen¬ 
tinels. Kermit and I had our army over¬ 
coats, which are warm and practically 
water-proof; the others had coats almost as 
good. We lay down in the rain, on the 
drenched grass, with our saddle-cloths over 
our feet, and our heads on our saddles, and 
slept comfortably for two hours. 
At three we mounted and were off again, 
the rain still falling. There were steep ra¬ 
vines to cross, slippery from the wet; but 
we made good time, and soon after six off- 
saddled on the farther side of a steep drift 
or ford in the little Suavi River. It is a rapid 
stream flowing between high, well-wooded 
banks; it was an attractive camp site, and, 
as we afterward found, the nights were so 
cool as to make great camp-fires welcome. 
At half-past ten the safari appeared, in 
excellent spirits, the flag waving, to an ac¬ 
companiment of chanting and horn-blow¬ 
ing; and, to their loudly expressed satisfac¬ 
tion, the porters were told that they should 
have an extra day’s rations, as well as a day’s 
rest. Camp was soon pitched; and all, of 
every rank, slept soundly that night, though 
the lions moaned near by. The wagons did 
not get in until ten the fol¬ 
lowing morning. By that 
time the oxen had been near¬ 
ly three days without water, 
so, by dawn, they were un¬ 
yoked and driven down to 
drink before the drift was 
attempted, the wagons being 
left a mile or two back. 
The approaches to the drift 
were steep and difficult, 
and, with two spans to each, 
the wagons swayed and 
plunged over the twisted 
bowlder-choked trails, down 
into the river-bed, crossed 
it, and, with lurching and 
straining, men shouting and 
