into the shade herself when the young man who had come out from the restaurant area detached himself from the family group he was with to stroll across the grass to where she sat. As he approached closer, she saw that he was probably only a year or so older than she was herself though with an air of confidence which at a distance had led her to think him in his mid-twenties at
least. He was smiling in a friendly fashion, hands thrust casually into the pockets of his shorts, fair hair lifting slightly in the light breeze which had sprung up.
`Say, you're new, aren't you?' he said. 'Get in this morning?'
Sara shook her head. 'I live here.'
`Here?' His good-looking young face registered surprise. 'At the Lodge?'
`N O, no. We're about twenty miles away.' She wrapped her arms about her knees. 'My father is Warden of Kambala Station.'
`Oh?' Interest replaced the surprise, and he sank to a seat on the grass beside her. 'Hey, that must be really something ! Imagine actually living right out here ! You must be a real adventurous type. I'm Travis Willard from Detroit.'
`Sara Macdonald. I've never met anyone from Detroit before,' she added, unable to think of anything else to say on the spur of the moment.
`Well, it's nothing like this, I can tell you — although the jungle bit still applies. We live sixteen floors up in an apartment block. On a clear day you can almost see the street.'
`We?'
`The family. Mother, father and younger brother. This trip was supposed to be my, nineteenth birthday present, but we decided to wait another year and make it all together.'
Sara said, 'And has it been worth waiting for?'
`Sure has. Wouldn't have missed it.' He sounded genuinely enthusiastic. 'We've been to Aberdare and Amboseli, Nairobi and now this. I'm not looking forward to setting off for home the day after tomorrow, I can tell you.'
`You've certainly got around,' commented Sara. `How long have you had?'
`A month. I've taken reels and reels of cine film, so at least I'll have something to remember it all by.' He looked over his shoulder to where his family had settled themselves down on loungers along the shaded terrace. `Say, why don't you come over and meet the, folks? They'd be tickled pink to know you.'
She glanced down at herself uncertainly. 'Shouldn't, I get changed first?'
`I don't see why.' His glance was frankly admiring. `You look fine. I wish I could get a tan like that, but just catch and burn, so I have to watch it.'
`Then you'd better get into the shade,' she said, smiling at him. 'And I'd like to meet your family very much'
The rest of the Willards proved to be as warmly friendly as the elder son, and soon made Sara feel at home in their midst. Travis's younger brother was aged about ten and was introduced simply as Chipper. He eyed Sara with suddenly awakened interest when Travis told them that she lived on the Reserve itself, freckling face lighting up.
`Can you ride an elephant?' he demanded without preamble.
Sara smiled and shook her head regretfully. 'I'm afraid not.'
`Well, have you got a pet lion, then?'
Again she had to acknowledge failure, and he began to look scornful. 'Gee whizz, you must have somethin' !
You can't ...'
`Chipper !' warned his mother in a voice long accustomed to warding off embarrassing observations from her son. She glanced apologetically at Sara. 'He's been watching too many of those old Tarzan films on television. I think he expected to find everyone round here swinging from the trees.'
He wasn't alone in that, thought Sara, recalling some of the stories related by the guides after taking certain parties out for a day's sightseeing. According to them, some of the folk who came on these safari trips wouldn't have been at all surprised to see Tarzan himself come swinging through the trees !
`I do have a monkey,' she offered, wondering if that could possibly constitute an adequate substitute for a lion. Apparently it did have some merit, for Chipper's face regained its
least. He was smiling in a friendly fashion, hands thrust casually into the pockets of his shorts, fair hair lifting slightly in the light breeze which had sprung up.
`Say, you're new, aren't you?' he said. 'Get in this morning?'
Sara shook her head. 'I live here.'
`Here?' His good-looking young face registered surprise. 'At the Lodge?'
`N O, no. We're about twenty miles away.' She wrapped her arms about her knees. 'My father is Warden of Kambala Station.'
`Oh?' Interest replaced the surprise, and he sank to a seat on the grass beside her. 'Hey, that must be really something ! Imagine actually living right out here ! You must be a real adventurous type. I'm Travis Willard from Detroit.'
`Sara Macdonald. I've never met anyone from Detroit before,' she added, unable to think of anything else to say on the spur of the moment.
`Well, it's nothing like this, I can tell you — although the jungle bit still applies. We live sixteen floors up in an apartment block. On a clear day you can almost see the street.'
`We?'
`The family. Mother, father and younger brother. This trip was supposed to be my, nineteenth birthday present, but we decided to wait another year and make it all together.'
Sara said, 'And has it been worth waiting for?'
`Sure has. Wouldn't have missed it.' He sounded genuinely enthusiastic. 'We've been to Aberdare and Amboseli, Nairobi and now this. I'm not looking forward to setting off for home the day after tomorrow, I can tell you.'
`You've certainly got around,' commented Sara. `How long have you had?'
`A month. I've taken reels and reels of cine film, so at least I'll have something to remember it all by.' He looked over his shoulder to where his family had settled themselves down on loungers along the shaded terrace. `Say, why don't you come over and meet the, folks? They'd be tickled pink to know you.'
She glanced down at herself uncertainly. 'Shouldn't, I get changed first?'
`I don't see why.' His glance was frankly admiring. `You look fine. I wish I could get a tan like that, but just catch and burn, so I have to watch it.'
`Then you'd better get into the shade,' she said, smiling at him. 'And I'd like to meet your family very much'
The rest of the Willards proved to be as warmly friendly as the elder son, and soon made Sara feel at home in their midst. Travis's younger brother was aged about ten and was introduced simply as Chipper. He eyed Sara with suddenly awakened interest when Travis told them that she lived on the Reserve itself, freckling face lighting up.
`Can you ride an elephant?' he demanded without preamble.
Sara smiled and shook her head regretfully. 'I'm afraid not.'
`Well, have you got a pet lion, then?'
Again she had to acknowledge failure, and he began to look scornful. 'Gee whizz, you must have somethin' !
You can't ...'
`Chipper !' warned his mother in a voice long accustomed to warding off embarrassing observations from her son. She glanced apologetically at Sara. 'He's been watching too many of those old Tarzan films on television. I think he expected to find everyone round here swinging from the trees.'
He wasn't alone in that, thought Sara, recalling some of the stories related by the guides after taking certain parties out for a day's sightseeing. According to them, some of the folk who came on these safari trips wouldn't have been at all surprised to see Tarzan himself come swinging through the trees !
`I do have a monkey,' she offered, wondering if that could possibly constitute an adequate substitute for a lion. Apparently it did have some merit, for Chipper's face regained its
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