ng peacefully a little
distance away and straining their long necks to get at the tops of some
mimosa-like trees, while a young one was lying down in the grass quite
close to me. For some time I remained concealed, watching the
full-grown pair with great interest: they had evidently just come up
from the river, and were slowly making their way back to their home on
the escarpment. They seemed on the most affectionate terms,
occasionally entwining their great long necks and gently biting each
other on the shoulders. Much as I should have liked to have added a
giraffe to my collection of trophies, I left them undisturbed, as I
think it a pity to shoot these rather rare and very harmless creatures,
unless one is required for a special purpose.

We pushed on, accordingly, towards the escarpment, for I was very
impatient to get to the top and explore a place where I felt convinced
no other white man had ever set foot. From the river the ground rose
gently upwards to the foot of the ridge, and was covered more or less
densely with stunted trees and bushes, and of course the inevitable
"wait-a-bit" thorns. I was fortunate enough, however, to find a rhino
path which afforded a fairly comfortable and open road, on which we
could walk upright the greater part of the way. The climb up the
escarpment itself was a stiff one, and had to be negotiated principally
on all-fours, but on the way up I discovered that there was an enormous
cleft some miles to the right which would probably have afforded an
easier ascent. I had not time to explore it on this particular day, but
I made a mental note to do so on some future occasion.

After a two hours' journey from the river we sat panting on the summit
after our scramble and surveyed the valley of the Tsavo, which lay
spread out like a map about five hundred feet below us. Our home tents,
the bridge, Tsavo Station and other buildings were plainly visible, and
the railway itself, like a shining snake, could be seen for many miles
winding its way through the parched wilderness. Having taken a few
photographs of the scene, we turned and struck through the N'dungu
Plateau. Here I found the same kind of nyika as that round Tsavo, the
only difference being that there were more green trees about. The
country, moreover, was somewhat more open, and was intersected by
hundreds of broad and well-beaten animal paths, along which we could
walk upright in comfort. I was leading the way, followed closely