MOPANI FOREST 95 
exasperating manner. We also passed through a fine open 
Mopani forest. Of course, there were neither footpaths nor 
roads to guide our course, so we simply had to force our way 
through everything that we met. After crossing we soon came 
MOPANI FOREST 
to a flat, quite half a mile wide, covered with clear water standing 
about a foot deep, through which we waded to the bush-grown 
sand belts skirting the open before us, Almost as soon as we 
reached dry land beyond this water we saw a troop of hartebeest 
staring at us from about 150 yards distance. Jan and I, firing 
simultaneously, each dropped one in his tracks; and as the party 
was very much fatigued with the day’s unusual exertion, we 
camped and made a meal, comprising breakfast, dinner, and 
supper all in one; nor did we forfeit in quantity any part of 
this combined meal as we sat roasting and devouring slices of 
liver, spread over with the hartebeest marrow that Paul skilfully 
extracted in bulk from the long bones for our consumption. 
Hammar and I were deeply disturbed at noticing, by the 
very decided though quiet behaviour of the boys, that at last 
