and above it rolled
dense clouds of smoke. Always accompanied it thousands of birds wheeling
and dashing frantically in and out of the murk, often fairly at the
flames themselves. The published writings of a certain worthy and
sentimental person waste much sympathy over these poor birds dashing
frenziedly about above their destroyed nests. As a matter of fact they
are taking greedy advantage of a most excellent opportunity to get
insects cheap. Thousands of the common red-billed European storks
patrolled the grass just in front of the advancing flames, or wheeled
barely above the fire. Grasshoppers were their main object, although
apparently they never objected to any small mammals or reptiles that
came their way. Far overhead wheeled a few thousand more assorted
soarers who either had no appetite or had satisfied it.

The utter indifference of the animals to the advance of a big
conflagration always impressed me. One naturally pictures the beasts as
fleeing wildly, nostrils distended, before the devouring element. On
the contrary I have seen kongoni grazing quite peacefully with flames on
three sides of them. The fire seems to travel rather slowly in the tough
grass; although at times and for a short distance it will leap to a wild
and roaring life. Beasts will then lope rapidly away to right or left,
but without excitement.

On these open plains we were more or less pestered with ticks of
various sizes. These clung to the grass blades; but with no invincible
preference for that habitat; trousers did them just as well. Then they
ascended looking for openings. They ranged in size from little red ones
as small as the period of a printed page to big patterned fellows the
size of a pea. The little ones were much the most abundant. At times
I have had the front of my breeches so covered with them that their
numbers actually imparted a reddish tinge to the surface of the cloth.
This sounds like exaggeration, but it is a measured statement. The
process of de-ticking (new and valuable word) can then be done only by
scraping with the back of a hunting knife.

Some people, of tender skin, are driven nearly frantic by these pests.
Others, of whom I am thankful to say I am one, get off comparatively
easy. In a particularly bad tick country, one generally appoints one of
the youngsters as "tick toto." It is then his job in life to de-tick
any person or domestic animal requiring his services. His is a busy
existence. But though