betray sleepy herds of antelope, that would rise leisurely,
stand staring at us, suddenly become suspicious, and then gallop off
until the whole plain was a panorama of wheeling herds, reminding one
of the cavalry maneuvers at Aldershot when the Guards regiments were
pitted against the regular cavalry--all riding and no wits.

Although we had to shoot enough meat for ourselves and men, we never
once took advantage of those surprise parties in the early morning,
preferring to stalk warier game at the end of a long march. The rains
were a thing of the past, and we seldom troubled to pitch tents but
slept under the stars with a sensation that the universe was one vast
place of peace.

Occasionally we reached an elevation from which we could look down and
see men toiling to build the railway, that already reached Nyanza after
the unfinished fashion of work whose chief aim is making a showing.
Profits, performances were secondary matters; that railway's one
purpose was to establish occupation of the head waters of the Nile and
refute the German claim to prior rights there. At irregular intervals
trains already went down to the lake, and passengers might ride on
suffrance; but we deluded ourselves with the belief that by marching
we threw enemies off the scent. It was pure delusion, but extremely
pleasant while it lasted. Where Africa is green and high she is a
lovely land to march across.

Brown grew sober on the trip, as if approaching his chosen home gave
him a sense of responsibility. His own reason for preferring the march
to a ride in a construction train was simple:

"Every favor you ask o' gov'ment, boys, leaves one less to fall back on
in a pinch! Ask not, and they'll forget some o' your peccadillos. Ask
too often, and one day when you really need a kindness you'll find the
Bank o' Good Hope bu'sted! And, believe me, boys, that 'ud be a hell
of a predicament for a poor sufferin' settler to find himself in!"

The approach to Lumbwa was over steep hilly grass land, between forests
of cedar--perfect country, kept clean by a wind that smelt of fern and
clover.

"You can tell we're gettin' near my place," said Brown, "by the number
o' leopards that's about."

We had to keep our three pups close at heel all the time, and even at
that we lost two of them. One was taken from between Will's feet as he
sat in camp cleaning his rifle. All he heard was the dog's yelp, and
all he saw was a flash of yellow as th