By The Time The Zebra Was Skinned, Darkness
Was Fast Approaching, So We Selected A Suitable
Tree In Which To Pass The Night.
Under it
we built a goodly fire, made some tea, and roasted
a couple of quails which I had shot early in
the day and which proved simply delicious.
We
then betook ourselves to the branches - at least,
Mahina and I did; Moota was afraid of nothing,
and said he would sleep on the ground. He
was not so full of courage later on, however, for
about midnight a great rhino passed our way,
winded us and snorted so loudly that Moota
scrambled in abject terror up our tree. He was
as nimble as a monkey for all his stoutness, and
never ceased climbing until he was far above
us. We both laughed heartily at his extraordinary
haste to get out of danger, and Mahina chaffed
him unmercifully.
The rest of the night passed without incident,
and in the early morning, while the boys were
preparing breakfast, I strolled off towards the
rocky hills which I had seen from Tsavo, and
which were now only about half a mile distant.
I kept a sharp look-out for game, but came across
nothing save here and there a paa and a few
guinea-fowl, until, just as I was about half-way
round the hill, I saw a fine leopard lying on a
rocky ledge basking in the morning sun. But
he was too quick for me, and made off before
I could get a shot; I had not approached
noiselessly enough, and a leopard is too wary a
beast to be caught napping.
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