African Camp Fires

urrents on the surface of the sea; the flying-fish rose in flocks before our bows; high mountains of peaks and flat table tops thrust their summits into cloud

opened furnace door-dry and scorching. Now, although the temperature was lower,[2] the humidity wa

folds in garments accumulated mildew in an astonishingly brief period of time. There was never even the suggestio

tropic ocean like a lantern. The lazy sea stirred beneath it, and the ship glided on, its lights fairly subdued by the splendour of the waters. Under the awnings the ship's company lounged in lazy attit

cession of tiny German flags on pins marched steadily, an inch at a time, towards the south. O

fool; and all, for the joyousness of mankind, differ. On the bulletin board one evening appeared a notice to the effect that the following morning a limited number of sportsmen would be permitted ashore for the day. E

h; but surely the bulletin board was as far as it could possibly go. Next morning, however, we observed a half-dozen of our German friends in khaki and sun helmet, very busy with lunch boxes, bottles of beer, rifles, and the like. They said

d gently, "does th

o'clock,

in fifteen minu

es off shore, and forging ahead f

oor old man had suddenly gone deaf! We therefore refrained from asking several othe

ok for new cattle country, "is a goat. It sure looks to me like it was these yer

h assented, though

hought gave they to the fact that we were ten miles off the coast, that we gave no indication of slackening speed, that it would take the rest of the day to row ashore, that there was no cape for us to round, that if there were-oh! all the other hundred improbabilities peculiar to the situation. Under direction of the mate the

t had flamed with amazed incredulity. Then a mask of expressionless stoli

with them?" murmured one of

t they look on this as the easies

dy and capture that hose nozzle and turn the stream to sweep the decks? Did they duck for shelter? Did they at least know enough to scatter and run? They did none of these things; but sat there in meek little rows like mannikins until the boat was half full of water and everything awash. Then, when the sailor shut of

gustedly, "what is the

t solution. He stretched his long

ing above the

asses we made out distant mountains far beyond nearer hills. The latter were green-covered with dense forests whence rose mysterious smokes. Along the shore we saw an occasional cocoanut plantation to the water's edge

Ocean himself. It looked from the distance like a thick, soft coverlet thrown down over the country; following-or, rather, suggesting-the inequalities. Through the glasses we were occasionally able to peep under the edge of this coverlet, and see where the fringe of

greenery, bold and white, shone the buildings of Mombasa; and after a little while we saw an inland glitter that represented her narrow, deep bay, the stern of a wreck against the low, green cliffs, and strange, fat-trunked squat trees without leaves. Straight past all this we glided at half speed, then turned sharp to the right to enter a long wide ex

antings and the beating of a tom-tom, an occasional shrill shout from the unknown jungle. The sun was just set, and the tops of the palms caught the last rays; all below was dense green shadow. Across the surface of the water glided dug-out canoes of shapes

until at last, when we seemed to be afloat in a l

ered over a huge pile of baggage, and stowed ourselves as best we could. A figure in a long white robe sat astern, tiller ropes in hand; two half-naked blacks far up towards the prow manipulated a pair of tremendous sweeps. With a vast heaving, jabbering, and shouting, our boat disengaged itself from the swarm of other craft. We floated around the stern of our ship, and were immediately susp

TNO

2

daytime, and 75-83