Having now bagged two rhinoceros, we determined to push on to the “Green Camp,” though darkness had already fallen and the bulk of the safari were still some distance behind. Leaving the mules in charge of Ramathani, El Hakim, George, and I pushed forward on foot. We marched on and on, but no sign of the camp we were looking for appeared, and we were inclined to think that we had mistaken our way in the darkness. At seven o’clock in the evening, however, we reached it. It seemed almost like coming home. I had been on my feet since half-past five in the morning, and was thoroughly done up. El Hakim and George were not much better, as riding a mule at a walk becomes very tiring after some hours in the saddle. We three gathered some dry wood and lit a large fire to guide our men, who presently straggled in two or three at a time, till all had arrived, with the exception of Jumbi, his assistants, and the animals. As they had not turned up at ten o’clock in the evening, we got out a large signal rocket, and after some searching found a suitable stick and set it off. Something, however, went wrong, as instead of ascending the rocket described a low curve in the air and then pitched into the dry grass in front of the camp, instantly setting it into a blaze. We had to bestir ourselves _then_. It took us an hour of hard work coupled with some small amount of profanity to get the flames subdued. The humour of the situation then struck us, and we laughed till our sides ached, to the great astonishment of our poor perspiring men, who could not see anything funny in it at all. Another rocket was then sent up with better results, as it ascended to a great height and burst most satisfactorily with a loud report and a shower of multi-coloured stars. It answered its purpose, as half an hour afterwards Jumbi and his assistants came in with the animals, all dead beat, having been over fourteen hours on the road. FOOTNOTES: [8] Professor J. W. Gregory, D.Sc. Lond., “The Great Rift Valley,” pp. 322 and 325 (1896). [9] W. C. Harris, “Particulars concerning the Great River Gochol and the Countries adjacent thereto from Native Information collected in the Kingdom of ‘Shoa.’” _Trans. Bombay Geog. Soc._, vol. vi. (1844), pp. 63, 64. [10] Leon des Avanchers, “Esquisse Geographique des pays Oromo ou Galla.” _Bull. Soc. Geog. Paris_, ser. 4 (1859), map and p. 164. [11] J. L. Krapff, “Travels, Researches, and Missionary Labours, etc., in Eastern Africa” (1860), pp. 43-45. [12] P. Rigby, “Remarks on the North-East Coast of Africa, and the Various Tribes by which it is Inhabited.” _Trans. Bombay Geog. Soc._, vol. ii. (1844), p. 80. CHAPTER XI. _DOWN THE WASO NYIRO ONCE MORE._