Evening star., 1909-07-18

burdened as he was he never hundred
feet behind my mule. But he got in surly
and ugly, his great under lip pendant some
where in the vicinity of his knees.
Indeed the fact is, after all, that the African
black IS nothing but grown-up child on
whom no punishment short of a corporal
drubbng counts The load penalty | had
decreed only left him sury; but when, later,
Judd ordered him out with others to fetch fire
wood and he sat tight by his fire and returned
a surv stare and Judd hurled at him heavy
knobkerrie that landed him hard smash on IIs
the shins, out he flew and did the work of
three men, cheerfully singing at his task.
Half the Caravan Lost
NOR Molo's getting lost our only mis-
- hap; for at four P. NJ. awakened to
the fact that all the donkeys and over half
the porters had lost touch with the advance
and strayed in the jungle. And by every i'll
token the lot lost had all tents, blankets,
and the cook mess kit.
We then on the higher slopes of
Lengilabl Mountain, at height of six thou
sand eight hundred feet, and the keen even
ing chill of the high plateau had already
driven into coats. We built big signal =
fires of grass and green leaves that sent up
tall smoke columns, and searched the lower
country we had crossed with our glasses; but
all to purpose until about hour before sunset
sighted them crossing bit of open slope at least
five miles away-headed due north instead of westi
SO plainly there was nothing to do but camp where
were, rocky slope steep roof and at least
four hundred feet above the nearest water, rain
pools in the canon below.
5,
and about nine P. NJ. few lead porters got in with
part of the mess kit and we had bit of supper We
were no more than lain down. somewhat sheltered
wind breaking hooks of the rocks and wrapped in
nothing but rancoats. before pelting cold rain
came that drove us into huddle about the campfire
tor the rest of the night and caused heavy drafts
philosophy to concede what was really the fact
that the boys were little to be blamed for going
astray in the frightful tange of deep gulches and
thorn and cactus thicket afternoons course had
traVerSed
However by s11n-11D the last of the strayed
climbed into camp; for they had reached the bottom
of the canon beneath early in the morning but
had found ascent in the dark impossible.
Outram as Water Finder
HERE, again, we were trek practically impos-
sible to any white but Outram; for from
Black Duck Creek, our night camp of the twenty
seventh to the kibabai Hills and Springs distance
of fifty miles there streams springs not
drop OF water except natural rain tanks he found
While leading the advance OF the Boundary Survey.
But mystery to though it was, he able find
them again and straight to each he marched, uner-
ring, Notwithstanding that none lay any promi-
nent landmark,-now punglng down to the bottom
of deep gulch through scrub we had to crawl
through again winding up dry rocky gorge like as
two peas to many others nearby, again scrambng
to the summit OF some lofty Crag undstinguishabe
by us from its fellows. Only in the four camps
we made on this fifty-five-me dry belt did Outram
fail to score true on the water and then he fetched it
after more than twenty minutes search.
The night of the twenty ninth, after march
over reeless uplands of the slope of the Mau
Plateau, we camped about three miles from Mount
Oh Albwa beside one of Outram's clear cold rain
pools and in a thick grove of candeabrum cactus.
We took good pains to bona mules and donkeys
stoutly inside narrow ring formed by our eight
and campres; for three lion were close to our
camp the previous night, and thence west they are
about every night and may give look-in any
time
Bv eight o'clock we were not sorry we were well
bomaed; for two big fellowship, indeed, if they
were big as their deep voices-were hailing from a
distance of few hundred yards, hailng with the
when attacking from short range, is about the only
sound one ever hears from the wild lion Few men