d personal charm occupied a
trading boma, or enclosure, near at hand. An accident changed our plans
and brought us back unexpectedly at the end of a few weeks. We found
that N'gombe Brown had trekked back a long day's journey, and was
encamped alone at the end of a spur of mountains. We sent native runners
after him. He explained his change of base by saying that the cattle
feed was a little better at his new camp! Mind you this: at the
Narossara the feed was quite good enough, the oxen were doing no work,
there was companionship, books, papers, and even a phonograph to while
away the long weeks until our return. N'gombe Brown quite cheerfully
deserted all this to live in solitude where he imagined the feed to be
microscopically better!

FOOTNOTES:

[21] N'gombe = oxen.

XXXVI.

ACROSS THE THIRST.

We were off, a bright, clear day after the rains. Suswa hung grayish
pink against the bluest of skies. Our way slanted across the Rift Valley
to her base, turned the corner, and continued on the other side of the
great peak until we had reached the rainwater "pan" on her farther side.
It was a long march.

The plains were very wide and roomy. Here and there on them rose many
small cones and craters, lava flows and other varied evidences of recent
volcanic activity. Geologically recent, I mean. The grasses of the
flowing plains were very brown, and the molehill craters very dark; the
larger craters blasted and austere; the higher escarpment in the
background blue with a solemn distance. The sizes of things were not
originally fitted out for little tiny people like human beings. We
walked hours to reach landmarks apparently only a few miles away.

In this manner we crept along industriously until noon, by which time we
had nearly reached the shoulder of Suswa, around which we had to double.
The sun was strong, and the men not yet hardened to the work. We had
many stragglers. After lunch Memba Sasa and I strolled along on a route
flanking that of the safari, looking for the first of our meat supply.
Within a short time I had killed a Thompson's gazelle. Some solemn
giraffes looked on at the performance, and then moved off like
mechanical toys.

The day lengthened. We were in the midst of wonderful scenery. Our
objection grew to be that it took so long to put any of it behind us.
Insensibly, however, we made progress. Suddenly, as it seemed, we found
ourselves looking at the other side of Suswa, and various bra