We were at Bungoma Secondary School in western Kenya. Over our half-term break, Ron and I, the Joneses, Les, Bill, the P.C.er, and thirteen fourth formers went up Mt. Elgon.  Ron, Jill, I, and two students rode to the hut (eighteen miles up) in a trailer pulled by a tractor. We picked up the rest of the group about two-thirds of the way up. What a ride! We were lucky we didn't have internal injuries. 

     That afternoon, some Elgon Masai youth came down to our campfire to talk. One of them mentioned that hyenas had been seen in the area.  They also said that hyenas had a tendency to grab vulnerable animals by their heads and  that their breath was foul from eating dead or injured animals. 

     That evening, Lodrick, one of the students with a rather vivid imagination, insisted that we barricade the door to the hut from the inside to keep hyenas out. Another student, Edward, was feeling sick from the 14,000-foot altitude. Thus, the stage was set, and everyone unconsciously had hyenas on the brain. We slept on the floor in two rows: one the students and across, the adults. About one-thirty, we were awakened by the most bloodcurdling, horrified screams I've ever heard and a frenzied scrambling about. Suddenly something flung itself over my face and I yelled. Bedlam prevailed for several seconds until all the flashlights were turned on and we could see that nothing was amiss.

     This is what had happened. Jill was awake and heard all of this: Edward woke up sick and leaned over Lodrick making retching, animal-like noises and breathed into his face. Lodrick reached up, felt Edward's head, thought it was a hyena and screamed. God what screams! Edward then thought that a hyena was trying to drag Lodrick out of the hut and grabbed his feet. Lodrick, of course, thought that he was being attacked at his feet and drummed his heels on the floor. More screams. At this point, Ron flung himself over my face to protect me from the hyena and—the original screams coming from the other end of the hut—I screamed, thinking 'God that hyena moves fast.' This unnerved Jill, next to me, who had until that time thought it was just someone dreaming. Roger laid back and played dead hoping that whatever it was would leave him alone. Needless to say no one got much more sleep that night.