We Now Left The
Bed Of The Ravine, And Advanced Along The Top.
This Turned Out To Be A Good Move, For Soon
We Heard The Galloping Of A Herd Of Some
Animal Or Other Across Our Front.
I rushed round
a corner in the path a few yards ahead, and
crouching under the bushes saw a line of startled
zebras flying past.
This was the first time I
had seen these beautifully marked animals in
their wild state, so I selected the largest and
fired, and as I was quite close to them he dropped
in his tracks stone-dead. When I stood over the
handsome creature I was positively sorry for
having killed him. Not so Moota, however, who
rushed up in ecstasy, and before I could stop
him had cut his throat. This was done, as he
remarked, "to make the meat lawful," for Moota
was a devout follower of the Prophet, and no
true Mohammedan will eat the flesh of any
animal unless the throat has been cut at the
proper place and the blood allowed to flow.
This custom has often caused me great annoyance,
for Mohammedan followers rush in so quickly
when an animal is shot and cut the head off so
short that it is afterwards quite useless as a
trophy.
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. Unfortunately I had
no more time at my disposal in which to explor
these hills, as I was anxious to resume work
at Tsavo as soon as possible; so after breakfast
we packed up the zebra skin and began to retrace
our steps through the jungle. It was an intensely
hot day, and we were all very glad when at
length we reached the home camp.
Most of my little trips of this sort, however,
were made in a northerly direction, towards the
ever-interesting Athi or Sabaki rivers. After a
long and tiring walk through the jungle what a
pleasure it was to lie up in the friendly shelter
of the rushes which line the banks, and watch
the animals come down to drink, all unconscious
of my presence. I took several photographs of
scenes of this kind, but unfortunately many of
the negatives were spoiled. Often, too, on a
brilliant moonlight night have I sat on a rock
out in the middle of the stream, near a favourite
drinking place, waiting for a shot at whatever
fortune might send my way. How exasperating
it was, when the wind changed at the critical
moment, and gave me away to the rhino or other
animal I had sat there for hours patiently awaiting!
Occasionally I would get heartily tired of my
weary vigil and would wade ashore through
the warm water, to make my bed in the
soft sand regardless of the snap, snap of the crocodiles
which could plainly be heard from the deeper pools
up and down the river. At the time, being new
to the country, I did not realise the risks I ran; but
later on - after my poor Wa Kamba follower had
been seized and dragged under, as I have already
described - I learned to be much more cautious.
The shortest way of reaching the Athi river
from Tsavo was to strike through the jungle in
a north-westerly direction, and here there was
luckily a particularly well-defined rhino path
which I always made use of. I discovered it
quite by accident on one occasion when I had
asked some guests, who were staying with me
at Tsavo, to spend a night on the banks of the
river. As we were making our way slowly and
painfully through the dense jungle, I came across
this well-trodden path, which appeared to lead
in the direction in which I wished to go, and as
I felt convinced that at any rate it would bring
us to the river somewhere, I followed it with
confidence. Our progress was now easy, and
the track led through fairly open glades where
traces of bush-buck and water-buck were numerous;
indeed once or twice we caught glimpses of these
animals as they bounded away to the shelter of
the thicket, warned by the sound of our approach.
In the end, as I anticipated, the old rhino path
proved a true guide, for it struck the Athi at an
ideal spot for a camping ground, where some lofty
trees close to the bank of the river gave a most
grateful and refreshing shade.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 32 of 67
Words from 31974 to 32991
of 68125
