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diff --git a/old/14451.txt b/old/14451.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3999048 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/14451.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8440 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of African Camp Fires, by Stewart Edward White + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: African Camp Fires + +Author: Stewart Edward White + +Release Date: December 24, 2004 [EBook #14451] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AFRICAN CAMP FIRES *** + + + + +Produced by Steven Gibbs and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + +AFRICAN CAMP FIRES + +BY + +STEWART EDWARD WHITE + + THOMAS NELSON AND SONS + LONDON, EDINBURGH, DUBLIN + AND NEW YORK + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + PART I.--TO THE ISLAND OF WAR. + + I. THE OPEN DOOR + + II. THE FAREWELL + + III. PORT SAID + + IV. SUEZ + + V. THE RED SEA + + VI. ADEN + + VII. THE INDIAN OCEAN + + VIII. MOMBASA + + + PART II.--THE SHIMBA HILLS. + + IX. A TROPICAL JUNGLE + + X. THE SABLE + + XI. A MARCH ALONG THE COAST + + XII. THE FIRE + + + PART III.--NAIROBI. + + XIII. UP FROM THE COAST + + XIV. A TOWN OF CONTRASTS + + XV. PEOPLE + + XVI. RECRUITING + + + PART IV.--A LION HUNT ON KAPITI. + + XVII. AN OSTRICH FARM AT MACHAKOS + + XVIII. THE FIRST LIONESS + + XIX. THE DOGS + + XX. BONDONI + + XXI. RIDING THE PLAINS + + XXII. THE SECOND LIONESS + + XXIII. THE BIG LION + + XXIV. THE FIFTEEN LIONS + + + PART V.--THE TSAVO RIVER. + + XXV. VOI + + XXVI. THE FRINGE-EARED ORYX + + XXVII. ACROSS THE SERENGETTI + + XXVIII. DOWN THE RIVER + + XXIX. THE LESSER KUDU + + XXX. ADVENTURES BY THE WAY + + XXXI. THE LOST SAFARI + + XXXII. THE BABU + + + PART VI.--IN MASAILAND. + + XXXIII. OVER THE LIKIPIA ESCARPMENT + + XXXIV. TO THE KEDONG + + XXXV. THE TEANSPORT RIDER + + XXXVI. ACROSS THE THIRST + + XXXVII. THE SOUTHERN GUASO NYERO + + XXXVIII. THE LOWER BENCHES + + XXXIX. NOTES ON THE MASAI + + XL. THROUGH THE ENCHANTED FOREST + + XLI. NAIOKOTUKU + + XLII. SCOUTING IN THE ELEPHANT FOREST + + XLIII. THE TOPI CAMP + + XLIV. THE UNKNOWN LAND + + XLV. THE ROAN + + XLVI. THE GREATER KUDU + + XLVII. THE MAGIC PORTALS CLOSE + + XLVIII. THE LAST TREK + + + + +PART I. + + +TO THE ISLAND OF WAR. + + + + +I. + +THE OPEN DOOR. + + +There are many interesting hotels scattered about the world, with a few +of which I am acquainted and with a great many of which I am not. Of +course all hotels are interesting, from one point of view or another. In +fact, the surest way to fix an audience's attention is to introduce your +hero, or to display your opening chorus in the lobby or along the facade +of a hotel. The life, the movement and colour, the drifting +individualities, the pretence, the bluff, the self-consciousness, the +independence, the _ennui_, the darting or lounging servants, the very +fact that of those before your eyes seven out of ten are drawn from +distant and scattered places, are sufficient in themselves to invest the +smallest hostelry with glamour. It is not of this general interest that +I would now speak. Nor is it my intention at present to glance at the +hotels wherein "quaintness" is specialized, whether intentionally or no. +There are thousands of them; and all of them well worth the +discriminating traveller's attention. Concerning some of them--as the +old inns at Dives-sur-Mer and at Mont St. Michel--whole books have been +written. These depend for their charm on a mingled gift of the unusual +and the picturesque. There are, as I have said, thousands of them; and +of their cataloguing, should one embark on so wide a sea, there could be +no end. And, again, I must for convenience exclude the altogether +charming places, like the Tour d'Argent of Paris, Simpson's of the +Strand,[1] and a dozen others that will spring to every traveller's +memory, where the personality of the host, or of a chef, or even a +waiter, is at once a magnet for the attraction of visitors and a reward +for their coming. These, too, are many. In the interest to which I would +draw attention, the hotel as a building or as an institution has little +part. It is indeed a facade, a _mise en scene_before which play the +actors that attract our attention and applause. The set may be as +modernly elaborate as Peacock Alley of the Waldorf or the templed lobby +of the St. Francis; or it may present the severe and Elizabethan +simplicity of the stone-paved veranda of the Norfolk at Nairobi--the +matter is quite inessential to the spectator. His appreciation is only +slightly and indirectly influenced by these things. Sunk in his +arm-chair--of velvet or of canvas--he puffs hard and silently at his +cigar, watching and listening as the pageant and the conversation eddy +by. + +Of such hotels I number that gaudy and polysyllabic hostelry the Grand +Hotel du Louvre et de la Paix at Marseilles. I am indifferent to the +facts that it is situated on that fine thoroughfare, the Rue de +Cannebiere, which the proud and untravelled native devoutly believes to +be the finest street in the world; that it possesses a dining-room of +gilded and painted _repousse_ work so elaborate and wonderful that it +surely must be intended to represent a tinsmith's dream of heaven; that +its concierge is the most impressive human being on earth except Ludwig +von Kampf (whom I have never seen); that its head waiter is sadder and +more elderly and forgiving than any other head waiter; and that its +hushed and cathedral atmosphere has been undisturbed through immemorial +years. That is to be expected; and elsewhere to be duplicated in +greater or lesser degree. Nor in the lofty courtyard, or the equally +lofty halls and reading-rooms, is there ever much bustle and movement. +People sit quietly, or move with circumspection. Servants glide. The +fall of a book or teaspoon, the sudden closing of a door, are events to +be remarked. Once a day, however, a huge gong sounds, the glass doors of +the inner courtyard are thrown open with a flourish, and enters the huge +bus fairly among those peacefully sitting at the tables, horses' hoofs +striking fire, long lash-cracking volleys, wheels roaring amid hollow +reverberations. From the interior of this bus emerge people; and from +the top, by means of a strangely-constructed hooked ladder, are decanted +boxes, trunks, and appurtenances of various sorts. In these people, and +in these boxes, trunks, and appurtenances, are the real interest of the +Grand Hotel du Louvre et de la Paix of the marvellous Rue Cannebiere of +Marseilles. + +For at Marseilles land ships, many ships, from all the scattered ends of +the earth; and from Marseilles depart trains for the North, where is +home, or the way home for many peoples. And since the arrival of ships +is uncertain, and the departure of trains fixed, it follows that +everybody descends for a little or greater period at the Grand Hotel du +Louvre et de la Paix. + +They come lean and quiet and a little yellow from hard climates, with +the names of strange places on their lips, and they speak familiarly of +far-off things. Their clothes are generally of ancient cut, and the +wrinkles and camphor aroma of a long packing away are yet discernible. +Often they are still wearing sun helmets or double terai hats, pending a +descent on a Piccadilly hatter two days hence. They move slowly and +languidly; the ordinary piercing and dominant English enunciation has +fallen to modulation; their eyes, while observant and alert, look tired. +It is as though the far countries have sucked something from the pith of +them in exchange for great experiences that nevertheless seem of little +value; as though these men, having met at last face to face the ultimate +of what the earth has to offer in the way of danger, hardship, +difficulty, and the things that try men's souls, having unexpectedly +found them all to fall short of both the importance and the final +significance with which human-kind has always invested them, were now +just a little at a loss. Therefore they stretch their long, lean frames +in the wicker chairs, they sip the long drinks at their elbows, puff +slowly at their long, lean cheroots, and talk spasmodically in short +sentences. + +Of quite a different type are those going out--young fellows full of +northern health and energy, full of the eagerness of anticipation, full +of romance skilfully concealed, self-certain, authoritative, clear +voiced. Their exit from the bus is followed by a rain of hold-alls, +bags, new tin boxes, new gun cases, all lettered freshly--an enormous +kit doomed to diminution. They overflow the place, ebb towards their +respective rooms; return scrubbed and ruddy, correctly clad, correctly +unconscious of everybody else; sink into more wicker chairs. The quiet +brown and yellow men continue to puff at their cheroots, quite eclipsed. +After a time one of them picks up his battered old sun helmet and goes +out into the street. The eyes of the newcomers follow him. They fall +silent; and their eyes, under cover of pulled moustache, furtively +glance towards the lean man's companions. Then on that office falls a +great silence, broken only by the occasional rare remarks of the quiet +men with the cheroots. The youngsters are listening with all their ears, +though from their appearance no one would suspect that fact. Not a +syllable escapes them. These quiet men have been there; they have seen +with their own eyes; their lightest word is saturated with the mystery +and romance of the unknown. Their easy, matter-of-fact, everyday +knowledge is richly wonderful. It would seem natural for these +young-young men to question these old-young men of that which they +desire so ardently to know; but that isn't done, you know. So they sit +tight, and pretend they are not listening, and feast their ears on the +wonderful syllables--Ankobar, Kabul, Peshawur, Annam, Nyassaland, +Kerman, Serengetti, Tanganika, and many others. On these beautiful +syllables must their imaginations feed, for that which is told is as +nothing at all. Adventure there is none, romance there is none, mention +of high emprise there is none. Adventure, romance, high emprise have to +these men somehow lost their importance. Perhaps such things have been +to them too common--as well mention the morning egg. Perhaps they have +found that there is no genuine adventure, no real romance except over +the edge of the world where the rainbow stoops. + +The bus rattles in and rattles out again. It takes the fresh-faced young +men down past the inner harbour to where lie the tall ships waiting. +They and their cargo of exuberance, of hope, of energy, of thirst for +the bubble adventure, the rainbow romance, sail away to where these +wares have a market. And the quiet men glide away to the North. Their +wares have been marketed. The sleepy, fierce, passionate, sunny lands +have taken all they had to bring. And have given in exchange? +Indifference, ill-health, a profound realization that the length of days +are as nothing at all; a supreme agnosticism as to the ultimate value of +anything that a single man can do, a sublime faith that it must be done, +the power to concentrate, patience illimitable; contempt for danger, +disregard of death, the intention to live; a final, weary estimate of +the fact that mere things are as unimportant here as there, no matter +how quaintly or fantastically they are dressed or named, and a +corresponding emptiness of anticipation for the future--these items are +only a random few of the price given by the ancient lands for that which +the northern races bring to them. What other alchemical changes have +been wrought only these lean and weary men could know--if they dared +look so far within themselves. And even if they dared, they would not +tell. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] In old days before the "improvements." + + + + +II. + +THE FAREWELL. + + +We boarded ship, filled with a great, and what seemed to us, an +unappeasable curiosity as to what we were going to see. It was not a +very big ship, in spite of the grandiloquent descriptions in the +advertisements, or the lithograph wherein she cut grandly and evenly +through huge waves to the manifest discomfiture of infinitesimal sailing +craft bobbing alongside. She was manned entirely by Germans. The room +stewards waited at table, cleaned the public saloons, kept the library, +rustled the baggage, and played in the band. That is why we took our +music between meals. Our staterooms were very tiny indeed. Each was +provided with an electric fan; a totally inadequate and rather +aggravating electric fan once we had entered the Red Sea. Just at this +moment we paid it little attention, for we were still in full enjoyment +of sunny France, where, in our own experience, it had rained two months +steadily. Indeed, at this moment it was raining, raining a steady, cold, +sodden drizzle that had not even the grace to pick out the surface of +the harbour in the jolly dancing staccato that goes far to lend +attraction to a genuinely earnest rainstorm. + +Down the long quay splashed cabs and omnibuses, their drivers glistening +in wet capes, to discharge under the open shed at the end various hasty +individuals who marshalled long lines of porters with astonishing +impedimenta and drove them up the gang-plank. A half-dozen roughs +lounged aimlessly. A little bent old woman with a shawl over her head +searched here and there. Occasionally she would find a twisted splinter +of wood torn from the piles by a hawser or gouged from the planking by +heavy freight, or kicked from the floor by the hoofs of horses. This she +deposited carefully in a small covered market basket. She was entirely +intent on this minute and rather pathetic task, quite unattending the +greatness of the ship, or the many people the great hulk swallowed or +spat forth. + +Near us against the rail leaned a dark-haired young Englishman whom +later every man on that many-nationed ship came to recognize and to +avoid as an insufferable bore. Now, however, the angel of good +inspiration stooped to him. He tossed a copper two-sou piece down to the +bent old woman. She heard the clink of the fall, and looked up +bewildered. One of the waterside roughs slouched forward. The Englishman +shouted a warning and a threat, indicating in pantomime for whom the +coin was intended. To our surprise that evil-looking wharf rat smiled +and waved his hand reassuringly, then took the old woman by the arm to +show her where the coin had fallen. She hobbled to it with a haste +eloquent of the horrible Marseillaise poverty-stricken alleys, picked it +up joyously, turned--and with a delightful grace kissed her finger-tips +towards the ship. + +Apparently we all of us had a few remaining French coins; and certainly +we were all grateful to the young Englishman for his happy thought. The +sous descended as fast as the woman could get to where they fell. So +numerous were they that she had no time to express her gratitude except +in broken snatches or gesture, in interrupted attitudes of the most +complete thanksgiving. The day of miracles for her had come; and from +the humble poverty that valued tiny and infrequent splinters of wood she +had suddenly come into great wealth. Everybody was laughing, but in a +very kindly sort of way it seemed to me; and the very wharf rats and +gamins, wolfish and fierce in their everyday life of the water-front, +seemed to take a genuine pleasure in pointing out to her the +resting-place of those her dim old eyes had not seen. Silver pieces +followed. These were too wonderful. She grew more and more excited, +until several of the passengers leaning over the rail began to murmur +warningly, fearing harm. After picking up each of these silver pieces, +she bowed and gestured very gracefully, waving both hands outward, +lifting eyes and hands to heaven, kissing her fingers, trying by every +means in her power to express the dazzling wonder and joy that this +unexpected marvel was bringing her. When she had done all these things +many times, she hugged herself ecstatically. A very well-dressed and +prosperous-looking Frenchman standing near seemed to be a little afraid +she might hug him. His fear had, perhaps, some grounds, for she shook +hands with everybody all around, and showed them her wealth in her +kerchief, explaining eagerly, the tears running down her face. + +Now the gang-plank was drawn aboard, and the band struck up the usual +lively air. At the first notes the old woman executed a few feeble +little jig steps in sheer exuberance. Then the solemnity of the +situation sobered her. Her great, wealthy, powerful, kind friends were +departing on their long voyage over mysterious seas. Again and again, +very earnestly, she repeated the graceful, slow pantomime--the wave of +the arms outward, the eyes raised to heaven, the hands clasped finally +over her head. As the brown strip of water silently widened between us +it was strangely like a stage scene--the roofed sheds of the quay, the +motionless groups, the central figure of the old woman depicting +emotion. + +Suddenly she dropped her hands and hobbled away at a great rate, +disappearing finally into the maze of the street beyond. Concluding that +she had decided to get quickly home with her great treasure, we +commended her discretion and gave our attention to other things. + +The drizzle fell uninterruptedly. We had edged sidewise the requisite +distance, and were now gathering headway in our long voyage. The quail +was beginning to recede and to diminish. Back from the street hastened +the figure of the little old woman. She carried a large white cloth, of +which she had evidently been in quest. This she unfolded and waved +vigorously with both hands. Until we had passed quite from sight she +stood there signalling her farewell. Long after we were beyond +distinguishing her figure we could catch the flutter of white. Thus that +ship's company, embarking each on his Great Adventure, far from home and +friends, received their farewell, a very genuine farewell, from one poor +old woman. B. ventured the opinion that it was the best thing we had +bought with our French money. + + + + +III. + +PORT SAID. + + +The time of times to approach Port Said is just at the fall of dusk. +Then the sea lies in opalescent patches, and the low shores fade away +into the gathering night. The slanting masts and yards of the dhows +silhouette against a sky of the deepest translucent green; and the +heroic statue of De Lesseps, standing for ever at the Gateway he opened, +points always to the mysterious East. + +The rhythmical, accustomed chug of the engines had fallen to quarter +speed, leaving an uncanny stillness throughout the ship. Silently we +slipped between the long piers, drew up on the waterside town, seized +the buoy, and came to rest. All around us lay other ships of all sizes, +motionless on the inky water. The reflections from their lights seemed +to be thrust into the depths, like stilts; and the few lights from the +town reflected shiveringly across. Along the water-front all was dark +and silent. We caught the loom of buildings; and behind them a dull glow +as from a fire, and guessed tall minarets, and heard the rising and +falling of chanting. Numerous small boats hovered near, floating in and +out of the patches of light we ourselves cast, waiting for permission to +swarm at the gang-plank for our patronage. + +We went ashore, passed through a wicket gate, and across the dark +buildings to the heart of the town, whence came the dull glow and the +sounds of people. + +Here were two streets running across one another, both brilliantly +lighted, both thronged, both lined with little shops. In the latter one +could buy anything, in any language, with any money. In them we saw +cheap straw hats made in Germany hung side by side with gorgeous and +beautiful stuffs from the Orient; shoddy European garments and Eastern +jewels; cheap celluloid combs and curious embroideries. The crowd of +passers-by in the streets were compounded in the same curiously mixed +fashion; a few Europeans, generally in white, and then a variety of +Arabs, Egyptians, Somalis, Berbers, East Indians and the like, each in +his own gaudy or graceful costume. It speaks well for the accuracy of +feeling, anyway, of our various "Midways," "Pikes," and the like of our +world's expositions that the streets of Port Said looked like Midways +raised to the nth power. Along them we sauntered with a pleasing feeling +of self-importance. On all sides we were gently and humbly besought--by +the shopkeepers, by the sidewalk vendors, by would-be guides, by +fortune-tellers, by jugglers, by magicians; all soft-voiced and +respectful; all yielding as water to rebuff, but as quick as water to +glide back again. The vendors were of the colours of the rainbow, and +were heavily hung with long necklaces of coral or amber, with scarves, +with strings of silver coins, with sequinned veils and silks, girt with +many dirks and knives, furnished out in concealed pockets with scarabs, +bracelets, sandalwood boxes or anything else under the broad canopy of +heaven one might or might not desire. Their voices were soft and +pleasing, their eyes had the beseeching quality of a good dog's, their +anxious and deprecating faces were ready at the slightest encouragement +to break out into the friendliest and most intimate of smiles. Wherever +we went we were accompanied by a retinue straight out of the Arabian +Nights, patiently awaiting the moment when we should tire; should seek +out the table of a sidewalk cafe; and should, in our relaxed mood, be +ready to unbend to our royal purchases. + +At that moment we were too much interested in the town itself. The tiny +shops, with their smiling and insinuating Oriental keepers, were +fascinating in their displays of carved woods, jewellery, perfumes, +silks, tapestries, silversmiths' work, ostrich feathers, and the like. +To either side the main street lay long narrow dark alleys, in which +flared single lights, across which flitted mysterious long-robed +figures, from which floated stray snatches of music either palpitatingly +barbaric or ridiculously modern. There the authority of the straight, +soldierly-looking Soudanese policemen ceased, and it was not safe to +wander unarmed or alone. + +Besides these motley variegations of the East and West, the main feature +of the town was the street car. It was an open-air structure of spacious +dimensions, as though benches and a canopy had been erected rather +haphazard on a small dancing platform. The track is absurdly narrow in +gauge; and as a consequence the edifice swayed and swung from side to +side. A single mule was attached to it loosely by about ten feet of +rope. It was driven by a gaudy ragamuffin in a turban. Various other +gaudy ragamuffins lounged largely and picturesquely on the widely spaced +benches. Whence it came or whither it went I do not know. Its orbit +swung into the main street, turned a corner, and disappeared. Apparently +Europeans did not patronize this picturesque wreck, but drove elegantly +but mysteriously in small open cabs conducted by totally incongruous +turbaned drivers. + +We ended finally at an imposing corner hotel, where we dined by an open +window just above the level of the street. A dozen upturned faces +besought us silently during the meal. At a glance of even the mildest +interest a dozen long brown arms thrust the spoils of the East upon our +consideration. With us sat a large benign Swedish professor whose +erudition was encyclopaedic, but whose kindly humanity was greater. +Uttering deep, cavernous chuckles, the professor bargained. A red coral +necklace for the moment was the matter of interest. The professor +inspected it carefully, and handed it back. + +"I doubt if id iss coral," said he simply. + +The present owner of the beads went frantic with rapid-fire proof and +vociferation. With the swiftness and precision of much repetition he +fished out a match, struck it, applied the flame to the alleged coral, +and blew out the match; cast the necklace on the pavement, produced +mysteriously a small hammer, and with it proceeded frantically to pound +the beads. Evidently he was accustomed to being doubted, and carried his +materials for proof around with him. Then, in one motion, the hammer +disappeared, the beads were snatched up, and again offered, unharmed, +for inspection. + +"Are those good tests for genuineness?" we asked the professor, aside. + +"As to that," he replied regretfully, "I do not know. I know of coral +only that is the hard calcareous skeleton of the marine coelenterate +polyps; and that this red coral iss called of a sclerobasic group; and +other facts of the kind; but I do not know if it iss supposed to resist +impact and heat. Possibly," he ended shrewdly, "it is the common +imitation which does _not_ resist impact and heat. At any rate they are +pretty. How much?" he demanded of the vendor, a bright-eyed Egyptian +waiting patiently until our conference should cease. + +"Twenty shillings," he replied promptly. + +The professor shook with one of his cavernous chuckles. + +"Too much," he observed, and handed the necklace back through the +window. + +The Egyptian would by no means receive it. + +"Keep! keep!" he implored, thrusting the mass of red upon the professor +with both hands. "How much you give?" + +"One shilling," announced the professor firmly. + +The coral necklace lay on the edge of the table throughout most of our +leisurely meal. The vendor argued, pleaded, gave it up, disappeared in +the crowd, returned dramatically after an interval. The professor ate +calmly, chuckled much, and from time to time repeated firmly the words, +"One shilling." Finally, at the cheese, he reached out, swept the coral +into his pocket, and laid down two shillings. The Egyptian deftly +gathered the coin, smiled cheerfully, and produced a glittering veil, in +which he tried in vain to enlist Billy's interest. + +For coffee and cigars we moved to the terrace outside. Here an orchestra +played, the peoples of many nations sat at little tables, the peddlers, +fakirs, jugglers, and fortune-tellers swarmed. A half-dozen postal cards +seemed sufficient to set a small boy up in trade, and to imbue him with +all the importance and insistence of a merchant with jewels. Other +ten-year-old ragamuffins tried to call our attention to some sort of +sleight-of-hand with poor downy little chickens. Grave, turbaned, and +polite Indians squatted cross-legged at our feet, begging to give us a +look into the future by means of the only genuine hall-marked Yogi-ism; +a troupe of acrobats went energetically and hopefully through quite a +meritorious performance a few feet away; a deftly triumphant juggler did +very easily, and directly beneath our watchful eyes, some really +wonderful tricks. A butterfly-gorgeous swarm of insinuating smiling +peddlers of small things dangled and spread their wares where they +thought themselves most sure of attention. Beyond our own little group +we saw slowly passing in the lighted street outside the portico the +variegated and picturesque loungers. Across the way a phonograph bawled; +our stringed orchestra played "The Dollar Princess;" from somewhere over +in the dark and mysterious alleyways came the regular beating of a +tom-tom. The magnificent and picturesque town car with its gaudy +ragamuffins swayed by in train of its diminutive mule. + +Suddenly our persistent and amusing _entourage_ vanished in all +directions. Standing idly at the portico was a very straight, black +Soudanese. On his head was the usual red fez; his clothing was of trim +khaki; his knees and feet were bare, with blue puttees between; and +around his middle was drawn close and smooth a blood-red sash at least a +foot and a half in breadth. He made a fine upstanding Egyptian figure, +and was armed with pride, a short sheathed club, and a great scorn. No +word spoke he, nor command; but merely jerked a thumb towards the +darkness, and into the darkness our many-hued horde melted away. We were +left feeling rather lonesome! + +Near midnight we sauntered down the street to the quay, whence we were +rowed to the ship by another turbaned, long-robed figure, who sweetly +begged just a copper or so "for poor boatman." + +We found the ship in the process of coaling, every porthole and doorway +closed, and heavy canvas hung to protect as far as possible the clean +decks. Two barges were moored alongside. Two blazing braziers lighted +them with weird red and flickering flames. In their depths, cast in +black and red shadows, toiled half-guessed figures; from their depths, +mounting a single steep plank, came an unbroken procession of natives, +naked save for a wisp of cloth around the loins. They trod closely on +each other's heels, carrying each his basket atop his head or on one +shoulder, mounted a gang-plank, discharged their loads into the side of +the ship, and descended again to the depths by way of another plank. The +lights flickered across their dark faces, their gleaming teeth and eyes. +Somehow the work demanded a heap of screeching, shouting, and +gesticulation; but somehow also it went forward rapidly. Dozens of +unattached natives lounged about the gunwales with apparently nothing to +do but to look picturesque. Shore boats moved into the narrow circle of +light, drifted to our gangway, and discharged huge crates of vegetables, +sacks of unknown stuffs, and returning passengers. A vigilant police +boat hovered near to settle disputes, generally with the blade of an +oar. For a long time we leaned over the rail watching them, and the +various reflected lights in the water, and the very clear, unwavering +stars. Then, the coaling finished, and the portholes once more opened, +we turned in. + + + + +IV. + +SUEZ. + + +Some time during the night we must have started, but so gently had we +slid along it fractional speed that until I raised my head and looked +out I had not realized the fact. I saw a high sandbank. This glided +monotonously by until I grew tired of looking at it and got up. + +After breakfast, however, I found that the sandbank had various +attractions all of its own. Three camels laden with stone and in convoy +of white-clad figures shuffled down the slope at a picturesque angle. +Two cowled women in black, veiled to the eyes in gauze heavily sewn with +sequins, barefooted, with massive silver anklets, watched us pass. Hindu +workmen in turban and loin-cloth furnished a picturesque note, but did +not seem to be injuring themselves by over-exertion. Naked small boys +raced us for a short distance. The banks glided by very slowly and very +evenly, the wash sucked after us like water in a slough after a duck +boat, and the sky above the yellow sand looked extremely blue. + +At short and regular intervals, half-way up the miniature sandhills, +heavy piles or snubbing-posts had been planted. For these we at first +could guess no reason. Soon, however, we had to pass another ship; and +then we saw that one of us must tie up to avoid being drawn irresistibly +by suction into collision with the other. The craft sidled by, separated +by only a few feet, so that we could look across to each other's decks +and exchange greetings. As the day grew this interest grew likewise. +Dredgers in the canal; rusty tramps flying unfamiliar flags of strange +tiny countries; big freighters, often with Greek or Turkish characters +on their sterns; small dirty steamers of suspicious business; passenger +ships like our own, returning from the tropics, with white-clad, languid +figures reclining in canvas chairs; gunboats of this or that nation +bound on mysterious affairs; once a P. & O. converted into a troopship, +from whose every available porthole, hatch, deck, and shroud laughing, +brown, English faces shouted chaff at our German decks--all these +either tied up for us, or were tied up for by us. The only craft that +received no consideration on our part were the various picturesque Arab +dhows, with their single masts and the long yards slanting across them. +Since these were very small, our suction dragged at them cruelly. As a +usual thing four vociferous figures clung desperately to a rope passed +around one of the snubbing-posts ashore, while an old man shrieked +syllables at them from the dhow itself. As they never by any chance +thought of mooring her both stem and stern, the dhow generally changed +ends rapidly, shipping considerable water in the process. It must be +very trying to get so excited in a hot climate. + +The high sandbanks of the early part of the day soon dropped lower to +afford us a wider view. In its broad, general features the country was, +quite simply, the desert of Arizona over again. There were the same +high, distant, and brittle-looking mountains, fragile and pearly; the +same low, broken half-distances; the same wide sweeps; the same +wonderful changing effects of light, colour, shadow, and mirage; the +same occasional strips of green marking the watercourses and oases. As +to smaller detail, we saw many interesting divergences. In the +foreground constantly recurred the Bedouin brush shelters, each with its +picturesque figure or so in flowing robes, and its grumpy camels. Twice +we saw travelling caravans, exactly like the Bible pictures. At one +place a single burnoused Arab, leaning on his elbows, reclined full +length on the sky-line of a clean-cut sandhill. Glittering in the +mirage, half-guessed, half-seen, we made out distant little white towns +with slender palm trees. At places the water from the canal had +overflowed wide tracts of country. Here, along the shore, we saw +thousands of the water-fowl already familiar to us, as well as such +strangers as gaudy kingfishers, ibises, and rosy flamingoes. + +The canal itself seemed to be in a continual state of repair. Dredgers +were everywhere; some of the ordinary shovel type, others working by +suction, and discharging far inland by means of weird huge pipes that +apparently meandered at will over the face of nature. The control +stations were beautifully French and neat, painted yellow, each with its +gorgeous bougainvilleas in flower, its square-rigged signal masts, its +brightly painted extra buoys standing in a row, its wharf--and its +impassive Arab fishermen thereon. We reclined in our canvas chairs, had +lemon squashes brought to us, and watched the entertainment steadily and +slowly unrolled before us. + +We reached the end of the canal about three o'clock of the afternoon, +and dropped anchor off the low-lying shores. Our binoculars showed us +white houses in apparently single rank along a far-reaching narrow sand +spit, with sparse trees and a railroad line. That was the town of Suez, +and seemed so little interesting that we were not particularly sorry +that we could not go ashore. Far in the distance were mountains; and the +water all about us was the light, clear green of the sky at sunset. + +Innumerable dhows and row-boats swarmed down, filled with eager salesmen +of curios and ostrich plumes. They had not much time in which to +bargain, so they made it up in rapid-fire vociferation. One very tall +and dignified Arab had as sailor of his craft the most extraordinary +creature, just above the lower limit of the human race. He was of a dull +coal black, without a single high light on him anywhere, as though he +had been sand-papered, had prominent teeth, like those of a baboon, in a +wrinkled, wizened monkey face, across which were three tattooed bands, +and possessed a little, long-armed, spare figure, bent and wiry. He +clambered up and down his mast, fetching things at his master's behest; +leapt nonchalantly for our rail or his own spar, as the case might be, +across the staggering abyss; clung so well with his toes that he might +almost have been classified with the quadrumana; and between times +squatted humped over on the rail, watching us with bright, elfish, alien +eyes. + +At last the big German sailors bundled the whole variegated horde +overside. It was time to go, and our anchor chain was already rumbling +in the hawse pipes. They tumbled hastily into their boats; and at once +swarmed up their masts, whence they feverishly continued their +interrupted bargaining. In fact, so fully embarked on the tides of +commerce were they, that they failed to notice the tides of nature +widening between us. One old man, in especial, at the very top of his +mast, jerked hither and thither by the sea, continued imploringly to +offer an utterly ridiculous carved wooden camel long after it was +impossible to have completed the transaction should anybody have been +moonstruck enough to have desired it. Our ship's prow swung; and just at +sunset, as the lights of Suez were twinkling out one by one, we headed +down the Red Sea. + + + + +V. + +THE RED SEA. + + +Suez is indeed the gateway to the East. In the Mediterranean often the +sea is rough, the winds cold, passengers are not yet acquainted, and hug +the saloons or the leeward side of the deck. Once through the canal and +all is changed by magic. The air is hot and languid; the ship's company +down to the very scullions appear in immaculate white; the saloon chairs +and transoms even are put in white coverings; electric fans hum +everywhere; the run on lemon squashes begins; and many quaint and +curious customs of the tropics obtain. + +For example: it is etiquette that before eight o'clock one may wander +the decks at will in one's pyjamas, converse affably with fair ladies in +pigtail and kimono, and be not abashed. But on the stroke of eight bells +it is also etiquette to disappear very promptly and to array one's self +for the day; and it is very improper indeed to see or be seen after that +hour in the rather extreme _negligee_ of the early morning. Also it +becomes the universal custom, or perhaps I should say the necessity, to +slumber for an hour after the noon meal. Certainly sleep descending on +the tropical traveller is armed with a bludgeon. Passengers, crew, +steerage, "deck," animal, and bird fall down then in an enchantment. I +have often wondered who navigates the ship during that sacred hour, or, +indeed, if anybody navigates it at all. Perhaps that time is sacred to +the genii of the old East, who close all prying mortal eyes, but in +return lend a guiding hand to the most pressing of mortal affairs. The +deck of the ship is a curious sight between the hours of half-past one +and three. The tropical siesta requires no couching of the form. You sit +down in your chair, with a book--you fade slowly into a deep, restful +slumber. And yet it is a slumber wherein certain small pleasant things +persist from the world outside. You remain dimly conscious of the +rhythmic throbbing of the engines, of the beat of soft, warm air on your +cheek. + +At three o'clock or thereabout you rise as gently back to life, and sit +erect in your chair without a stretch or a yawn in your whole anatomy. +Then is the one time of day for a display of energy--if you have any to +display. Ship games, walks--fairly brisk--explorations to the +forecastle, a watch for flying fish or Arab dhows, anything until +tea-time. Then the glowing sunset; the opalescent sea, and the soft +afterglow of the sky--and the bugle summoning you to dress. That is a +mean job. Nothing could possibly swelter worse than the tiny cabin. The +electric fan is an aggravation. You reappear in your fresh "whites" +somewhat warm and flustered in both mind and body. A turn around the +deck cools you off; and dinner restores your equanimity--dinner with the +soft, warm tropic air breathing through all the wide-open ports; the +electric fans drumming busily; the men all in clean white; the ladies, +the very few precious ladies, in soft, low gowns. After dinner the deck, +as near cool as it will be, and heads bare to the breeze of our +progress, and glowing cigars. At ten or eleven o'clock the groups begin +to break up, the canvas chairs to empty. Soon reappears a pyjamaed +figure followed by a steward carrying a mattress. This is spread, under +its owner's direction, in a dark corner forward. With a sigh you in your +turn plunge down into the sweltering inferno of your cabin, only to +reappear likewise with a steward and a mattress. The latter, if you are +wise, you spread where the wind of the ship's going will be full upon +you. It is a strong wind and blows upon you heavily, so that the sleeves +and legs of your pyjamas flop, but it is a soft, warm wind, and beats +you as with muffled fingers. In no temperate clime can you ever enjoy +this peculiar effect of a strong breeze on your naked skin without even +the faintest surface chilly sensation. So habituated has one become to +feeling cooler in a draught that the absence of chill lends the night an +unaccustomedness, the more weird in that it is unanalyzed, so that one +feels definitely that one is in a strange, far country. This is +intensified by the fact that in these latitudes the moon, the great, +glorious, calm tropical moon, is directly overhead--follows the centre +line of the zenith--instead of being, as with us in our temperate zone, +always more or less declined to the horizon. This, too, lends the night +an exotic quality, the more effective in that at first the reason for it +is not apprehended. + +A night in the tropics is always more or less broken. One awakens, and +sleeps again. Motionless white-clad figures, cigarettes glowing, are +lounging against the rail looking out over a molten sea. The moonlight +lies in patterns across the deck, shivering slightly under the throb of +the engines, or occasionally swaying slowly forward or slowly back as +the ship's course changes, but otherwise motionless, for here the sea is +always calm. You raise your head, look about, sprawl in a new position +on your mattress, fall asleep. On one of these occasions you find +unexpectedly that the velvet-gray night has become steel-gray dawn, and +that the kindly old quartermaster is bending over you. Sleepily, very +sleepily, you stagger to your feet and collapse into the nearest chair. +Then to the swish of water, as the sailors sluice the decks all around +and under you, you fall into a really deep sleep. + +At six o'clock this is broken by chota-hazri, another tropical +institution, consisting merely of clear tea and biscuits. I never could +get to care for it, but nowhere in the tropics could I head it off. No +matter how tired I was or how dead sleepy, I had to receive that +confounded chota-hazri. Throwing things at the native who brought it did +no good at all. He merely dodged. Admonition did no good, nor +prohibition in strong terms. I was but one white man of the whole white +race; and I had no right to possess idiosyncrasies running counter to +dastur, the custom. However, as the early hours are profitable hours in +the tropics, it did not drive me to homicide. + +The ship's company now developed. Our two prize members, fortunately for +us, sat at our table. The first was the Swedish professor +aforementioned. He was large, benign, paternal, broad in mind, +thoroughly human and beloved, and yet profoundly erudite. He was our +iconoclast in the way of food; for he performed small but illuminating +dissections on his plate, and announced triumphantly results that were +not a bit in accordance with the menu. A single bone was sufficient to +take the pretension out of any fish. Our other particular friend was C., +with whom later we travelled in the interior of Africa. C. is a very +celebrated hunter and explorer, an old Africander, his face seamed and +tanned by many years in a hard climate. For several days we did not +recognize him, although he sat fairly alongside, but put him down as a +shy man, and let it go at that. He never stayed for the long _table +d'hote_ dinners, but fell upon the first solid course and made a +complete meal from that. When he had quite finished eating all he +could, he drank all he could; then he departed from the table, and took +up a remote and inaccessible position in the corner of the smoking-room. +He was engaged in growing the beard he customarily wore in the jungle--a +most fierce outstanding Mohammedan-looking beard that terrified the +intrusive into submission. And yet Bwana C. possesses the kindest blue +eyes in the world, full of quiet patience, great understanding, and +infinite gentleness. His manner was abrupt and uncompromising, but he +would do anything in the world for one who stood in need of him. From +women he fled; yet Billy won him with infinite patience, and in the +event they became the closest of friends. Withal he possessed a pair of +the most powerful shoulders I have ever seen on a man of his frame; and +in the depths of his mild blue eyes flickered a flame of resolution that +I could well imagine flaring up to something formidable. Slow to make +friends, but staunch and loyal; gentle and forbearing, but fierce and +implacable in action; at once loved and most terribly feared; shy as a +wild animal, but straightforward and undeviating in his human relations; +most remarkably quiet and unassuming, but with tremendous vital force in +his deep eyes and forward-thrust jaw; informed with the widest and most +understanding humanity, but unforgiving of evildoers; and with the most +direct and absolute courage, Bwana C. was to me the most interesting man +I met in Africa, and became the best of my friends. + +The only other man at our table happened to be, for our sins, the young +Englishman mentioned as throwing the first coin to the old woman on the +pier at Marseilles. We will call him Brown, and, because he represents a +type, he is worth looking upon for a moment. + +He was of the super-enthusiastic sort; bubbling over with vitality, in +and out of everything; bounding up at odd and languid moments. To an +extraordinary extent he was afflicted with the spiritual blindness of +his class. Quite genuinely, quite seriously, he was unconscious of the +human significance of beings and institutions belonging to a foreign +country or even to a class other than his own. His own kind he treated +as complete and understandable human creatures. All others were merely +objective. As we, to a certain extent, happened to fall in the former +category, he was as pleasant to us as possible--that is, he was pleasant +to us in his way, but had not insight enough to guess at how to be +pleasant to us in our way. But as soon as he got out of his own class, +or what he conceived to be such, he considered all people as +"outsiders." He did not credit them with prejudices to rub, with +feelings to hurt, indeed hardly with ears to overhear. Provided his +subject was an "outsider," he had not the slightest hesitancy in saying +exactly what he thought about any one, anywhere, always in his high +clear English voice, no matter what the time or occasion. As a natural +corollary he always rebuffed beggars and the like brutally, and was +always quite sublimely doing little things that thoroughly shocked our +sense of the other fellow's rights as a human being. In all this he did +not mean to be cruel or inconsiderate. It was just the way he was built; +and it never entered his head that "such people" had ears and brains. + +In the rest of the ship's company were a dozen or so other Englishmen of +the upper classes, either army men on shooting trips, or youths going +out with some idea of settling in the country. They were a clean-built, +pleasant lot; good people to know anywhere, but of no unusual interest. +It was only when one went abroad into the other nations that inscribable +human interest could be found. + +There was the Greek, Scutari, and his bride, a languorous rather +opulent beauty, with large dark eyes for all men, and a luxurious manner +of lying back and fanning herself. She talked, soft-voiced, in half a +dozen languages, changing from one to the other without a break in +either her fluency or her thought. Her little lithe, active husband sat +around and adored her. He was apparently a very able citizen indeed, for +he was going out to take charge of the construction work on a German +railway. To have filched so important a job from the Germans themselves +shows that he must have had ability. With them were a middle-aged +Holland couple, engaged conscientiously in travelling over the globe. +They had been everywhere--the two American hemispheres, from one Arctic +Sea to another, Siberia, China, the Malay Archipelago, this, that, and +the other odd corner of the world. Always they sat placidly side by +side, either in the saloon or on deck, smiling benignly, and conversing +in spaced, comfortable syllables with everybody who happened along. Mrs. +Breemen worked industriously on some kind of feminine gear, and +explained to all and sundry that she travelled "to see de sceenery wid +my hoos-band." + +Also in this group was a small wiry German doctor, who had lived for +many years in the far interior of Africa, and was now returning after +his vacation. He was a little man, bright-eyed and keen, with a clear +complexion and hard flesh, in striking and agreeable contrast to most of +his compatriots. The latter were trying to drink all the beer on the +ship; but as she had been stocked for an eighty-day voyage, of which +this was but the second week, they were not making noticeable headway. +However, they did not seem to be easily discouraged. The Herr Doktor was +most polite and attentive, but as we did not talk German nor much +Swahili, and he had neither English nor much French, we had our +difficulties. I have heard Billy in talking to him scatter fragments of +these four languages through a single sentence! + +For several days we drifted down a warm flat sea. Then one morning we +came on deck to find ourselves close aboard a number of volcanic +islands. They were composed entirely of red and dark purple lava blocks, +rugged, quite without vegetation save for occasional patches of stringy +green in a gully; and uninhabited except for a lighthouse on one, and a +fishing shanty near the shores of another. The high mournful mountains, +with their dark shadows, seemed to brood over hot desolation. The rusted +and battered stern of a wrecked steamer stuck up at an acute angle from +the surges. Shortly after we picked up the shores of Arabia. + +Note the advantages of a half ignorance. From early childhood we had +thought of Arabia as the "burning desert"--flat, of course--and of the +Red Sea as bordered by "shifting sands" alone. If we had known the +truth--if we had not been half ignorant--we would have missed the +profound surprise of discovering that in reality the Red Sea is bordered +by high and rugged mountains, leaving just space enough between +themselves and the shore for a sloping plain on which our glasses could +make out occasional palms. Perhaps the "shifting sands of the burning +desert" lie somewhere beyond; but somebody might have mentioned these +great mountains! After examining them attentively we had to confess that +if this sort of thing continued farther north the children of Israel +must have had a very hard time of it. Mocha shone white, glittering, and +low, with the red and white spire of a mosque rising brilliantly above +it. + + + + +VI. + +ADEN. + + +It was cooler; and for a change we had turned into our bunks, when B. +pounded on our stateroom door. + +"In the name of the Eternal East," said he, "come on deck!" + +We slipped on kimonos, and joined the row of scantily draped and +interested figures along the rail. + +The ship lay quite still on a perfect sea of moonlight, bordered by a +low flat distant shore on one side, and nearer mountains on the other. A +strong flare, centred from two ship reflectors overside, made a focus of +illumination that subdued, but could not quench, the soft moonlight with +which all outside was silvered. A dozen boats, striving against a +current or clinging as best they could to the ship's side, glided into +the light and became real and solid; or dropped back into the ghostly +white unsubstantiality of the moon. They were long, narrow boats, with +small flush decks fore and aft. We looked down on them from almost +directly above, so that we saw the thwarts and the ribs and the things +they contained. + +Astern in each stood men, bending gracefully against the thrust of long +sweeps. About their waists were squares of cloth, wrapped twice and +tucked in. Otherwise they were naked, and the long smooth muscles of +their slender bodies rippled under the skin. The latter was of a +beautiful fine texture, and chocolate brown. These men had keen, +intelligent, clear-cut faces, of the Greek order, as though the statues +of a garden had been stained brown and had come to life. They leaned on +their sweeps, thrusting slowly but strongly against the little wind and +current that would drift them back. + +In the body of the boats crouched, sat, or lay a picturesque mob. Some +pulled spasmodically on the very long limber oars; others squatted doing +nothing; some, huddled shapelessly underneath white cloths that +completely covered them, slept soundly in the bottom. We took these for +merchandise until one of them suddenly threw aside his covering and sat +up. Others, again, poised in proud and graceful attitudes on the +extreme prows of their bobbing craft. Especially decorative were two, +clad only in immense white turbans and white cloths about the waist. An +old Arab with a white beard stood midships in one boat, quite +motionless, except for the slight swaying necessary to preserve his +equilibrium, his voluminous white draperies fluttering in the wind, his +dark face just distinguishable under his burnouse. Most of the men were +Somalis, however. Their keen small faces, slender but graceful necks, +slim, well-formed torsos bending to every movement of the boat, and the +white or gaudy draped nether garments were as decorative as the figures +on an Egyptian tomb. One or two of the more barbaric had made neat +headdresses of white clay plastered in the form of a skull-cap. + +After an interval a small and fussy tugboat steamed around our stern and +drew alongside the gangway. Three passengers disembarked from her and +made their way aboard. The main deck of the craft under an awning was +heavily encumbered with trunks, tin boxes, hand baggage, tin bath-tubs, +gun cases, and all sorts of impedimenta. The tugboat moored itself to us +fore and aft, and proceeded to think about discharging. Perhaps twenty +men in accurate replica of those in the small boats had charge of the +job. They had their own methods. After a long interval devoted strictly +to nothing, some unfathomable impulse would incite one or two or three +of the natives to tackle a trunk. At it they tugged and heaved and +pushed in the manner of ants making off with a particularly large fly or +other treasure trove, tossing it up the steep gangway to the level of +our decks. The trunks once safely bestowed, all interest, all industry, +died. We thought that finished it, and wondered why the tug did not pull +out of the way. But always, after an interval, another bright idea would +strike another native or natives. He--or they--would disappear beneath +the canvas awning over the tug's deck, to emerge shortly, carrying +almost anything, from a parasol to a heavy chest. + +On close inspection they proved to be a very small people. The +impression of graceful height had come from the slenderness and justness +of their proportions, the smallness of their bones, and the upright +grace of their carriage. After standing alongside one, we acquired a +fine respect for their ability to handle those trunks at all. + +Moored to the other side of the ship we found two huge lighters, from +which bales of goods were being hoisted aboard. Two camels and a dozen +diminutive mules stood in the waist of one of these craft. The camels +were as sniffy and supercilious and scornful as camels always are; and +everybody promptly hated them with the hatred of the abysmally inferior +spirit for something that scorns it, as is the usual attitude of the +human mind towards camels. We waited for upwards of an hour, in the hope +of seeing those camels hoisted aboard; but in vain. While we were so +waiting one of the deck passengers below us, a Somali in white clothes +and a gorgeous cerise turban, decided to turn in. He spread a square of +thin matting atop one of the hatches, and began to unwind yards and +yards of the fine silk turban. He came to the end of it--whisk! he sank +to the deck; the turban, spread open by the resistance of the air, +fluttered down to cover him from head to foot. Apparently he fell asleep +at once, for he did not again move nor alter his position. He, as well +as an astonishingly large proportion of the other Somalis and +Abyssinians we saw, carried a queer, well-defined, triangular wound in +his head. It had long since healed, was an inch or so across, and looked +as though a piece of the skull had been removed. If a conscientious +enemy had leisure and an icepick he would do just about that sort of a +job. How its recipient had escaped instant death is a mystery. + +At length, about three o'clock, despairing of the camels, we turned in. + +After three hours' sleep we were again on deck. Aden by daylight seemed +to be several sections of a town tucked into pockets in bold, raw, lava +mountains that came down fairly to the water's edge. Between these +pockets ran a narrow shore road; and along the road paced haughty camels +hitched to diminutive carts. On contracted round bluffs towards the sea +were various low bungalow buildings which, we were informed, comprised +the military and civil officers' quarters. The real Aden has been built +inland a short distance at the bottom of a cup in the mountains. +Elaborate stone reservoirs have been constructed to catch rain water, as +there is no other natural water supply whatever. The only difficulty is +that it practically never rains; so the reservoirs stand empty, the +water is distilled from the sea, and the haughty camels and the little +carts do the distributing. + +The lava mountains occupy one side of the spacious bay or gulf. The +foot of the bay and the other side are flat, with one or two very +distant white villages, and many heaps of glittering salt as big as +houses. + +We waited patiently at the rail for an hour more to see the camels slung +aboard by the crane. It was worth the wait. They lost their impassive +and immemorial dignity completely, sprawling, groaning, positively +shrieking in dismay. When the solid deck rose to them, and the sling had +been loosened, however, they regained their poise instantaneously. Their +noses went up in the air, and they looked about them with a challenging, +unsmiling superiority, as though to dare any one of us to laugh. Their +native attendants immediately squatted down in front of them, and began +to feed them with convenient lengths of what looked like our common +marsh cat-tails. The camels did not even then manifest the slightest +interest in the proceedings. Indeed, they would not condescend to reach +out three inches for the most luscious tit-bit held that far from their +aristocratic noses. The attendants had actually to thrust the fodder +between their jaws. I am glad to say they condescended to chew. + + + + +VII. + +THE INDIAN OCEAN. + + +Leaving Aden, and rounding the great promontory of Cape Guardafui, we +turned south along the coast of Africa. Off the cape were strange, oily +cross rips and currents 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 clouds; and along the coast the breakers +spouted like whales. For the first time, too, we began to experience +what our preconceptions had imagined as tropical heat. Heretofore we had +been hot enough, in all conscience, but the air had felt as though +wafted from an opened furnace door--dry and scorching. Now, although the +temperature was lower,[2] the humidity was greater. A swooning languor +was abroad over the spellbound ocean, a relaxing mist of enchantment. + +My glasses were constantly clouding over with a fine coating of water +drops; exposed metal rusted overnight; the folds in garments accumulated +mildew in an astonishingly brief period of time. There was never even +the suggestion of chill in this dampness. It clung and enveloped like a +grateful garment; and seemed only to lack sweet perfume. + +At this time, by good fortune, it happened that the moon came full. We +had enjoyed its waxing during our voyage down the Red Sea; but now it +had reached its greatest phase, and hung over the slumbering 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 attitudes or +promenaded slowly, talking low voiced, cigars glowing in the splendid +dusk. Overside, in the furrow of the disturbed waters, the +phosphorescence flashed perpetually beneath the shadow of the ship. + +The days passed by languidly and all alike. On the chart outside the +smoking-room door the procession of tiny German flags on pins marched +steadily, an inch at a time, towards the south. Otherwise we might as +well have imagined ourselves midgets afloat in a pond and getting +nowhere. + +Somewhere north of the equator--before Father Neptune in ancient style +had come aboard and ducked the lot of us--we were treated to the +spectacle of how the German "sheep" reacts under a joke. Each nation has +its type of 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. Each was advised to bring his own lunch, rifle, and +drinks. The reason alleged was that the ship must round a certain cape +across which the sportsmen could march afoot in sufficient time to +permit them a little shooting. + +Now aboard ship were a dozen English, four Americans, and thirty or +forty Germans. The Americans and English looked upon that bulletin, +smiled gently, and went to order another round of lemon squashes. It was +a meek, mild, little joke enough; 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 they were +going ashore as per bulletin. We looked at each other and hied us to the +upper deck. There we found one of the boats slung overside, with our old +friend the quartermaster ostentatiously stowing kegs of water, boxes, +and the like. + +"When," we inquired gently, "does the expedition start?" + +"At ten o'clock," said he. + +It was now within fifteen minutes of that hour. + +We were at the time fully ten miles off shore, and forging ahead full +speed parallel with the coast. + +We pointed out this fact to the quartermaster, but found, to our sorrow, +that the poor old man had suddenly gone deaf! We therefore refrained +from asking several other questions that had occurred to us--such as, +why the cape was not shown on the map. + +"Somebody," said one of the Americans, a cowboy going out second class +on the look for new cattle country, "is a goat. It sure looks to me like +it was these yere steamboat people. They can't expect to rope nothing on +such a raw deal as this!" + +To which the English assented, though in different idiom. + +But now up the companion ladder struggled eight serious-minded +individuals herded by the second mate. They were armed to the teeth, and +thoroughly equipped with things I had seen in German catalogues, but in +whose existence I had never believed. A half-dozen sailors eagerly +helped them with their multitudinous effects. Not a thought 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 they deposited their impedimenta +beneath a tarpaulin, and took their places in solemn rows amidships +across the thwarts of the boat slung overside. The importance of the +occasion sat upon them heavily; they were going ashore--in Africa--to +Slay Wild Beasts. They looked upon themselves as of bolder, sterner +stuff than the rest of us. + +When the procession first appeared, our cowboy's face for a single +instant had flamed with amazed incredulity. Then a mask of +expressionless stolidity fell across his features, which in no line +thereafter varied one iota. + +"What are they going to do with them?" murmured one of the Englishmen, +at a loss. + +"I reckon," said the cowboy, "that they look on this as the easiest way +to drown them all to onct." + +Then from behind one of the other boats suddenly appeared a huge German +sailor with a hose. The devoted imbeciles in the shore boat were +drenched as by a cloud-burst. Back and forth and up and down the heavy +stream played, while every other human being about the ship shrieked +with joy. Did the victims rise up in a body 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 +off the stream, they continued to sit there until the mate came to order +them out. Why? I cannot tell you. Perhaps that is the German idea of how +to take a joke. Perhaps they were afraid worse things might be +consequent on resistance. Perhaps they still hoped to go ashore. One of +the Englishmen asked just that question. + +"What," he demanded disgustedly, "what is the matter with the beggars?" + +Our cowboy may have had the correct solution. He stretched his long +legs and jumped down from the rail. + +"Nothing stirring above the ears," said he. + +It is customary in books of travel to describe this part of the journey +somewhat as follows: "Skirting the low and uninteresting shores of +Africa we at length reached," etc. Low and uninteresting shores! Through +the glasses 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 and native huts and villages of thatch. Canoes of strange +models lay drawn up on shelving beaches; queer fish-pounds of brush +reached out considerable distances from the coast. The white surf +pounded on a yellow beach. + +All about these things was the jungle, hemming in the plantations and +villages, bordering the lagoons, creeping down until it fairly overhung +the yellow beaches; as though, conqueror through all the country beyond, +it were half-inclined to dispute dominion with old 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 the jungle drew back in a +little pocket, or to catch the sheen of mysterious dark rivers slipping +to the sea. Up these dark rivers, by way of the entrances of these tiny +pockets, the imagination then could lead on into the dimness beneath the +sunlit upper surfaces. + +Towards the close of one afternoon we changed our course slightly, and +swung in on a long slant towards the coast. We did it casually; too +casually for so very important an action, for now at last we were about +to touch the mysterious continent. Then we saw clearer the fine, big +groves of palm and the luxuriance of the tropical vegetation. Against +the 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 expanse like a river, with green banks, twenty feet or so in +height, grown thickly with the tall cocoanut palms. These gave way at +times into broad, low lagoons, at the end of which were small beaches +and boats, and native huts among more cocoanut groves. Through our +glasses we could see the black men watching us, quite motionless, +squatted on their heels. + +It was like suddenly entering another world, this gliding from the open +sea straight into the heart of a green land. The ceaseless wash of waves +we had left outside with the ocean; our engines had fallen silent. +Across the hushed waters came to us strange chantings 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 strange to us. We passed ancient ruins almost +completely dismantled, their stones half smothered in green rank growth. +The wide river-like bay stretched on before us as far as the waning +light permitted us to see; finally losing itself in the heart of +mystery. + +Steadily and confidently our ship steamed forward, until at last, when +we seemed to be afloat in a land-locked lake, we dropped anchor and came +to rest. + +Darkness fell utterly before the usual quarantine regulations had been +carried through. Active and efficient agents had already taken charge +of our affairs, so we had only to wait idly by the rail until summoned. +Then we jostled our way down the long gangway, passed and repassed by +natives carrying baggage or returning for more baggage, stepped briskly +aboard a very bobby little craft, clambered 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 suspended in blackness dotted with the stars and their +reflections, and with various twinkling scattered lights. To one of +these we steered, and presently touched at a stone quay with steps. At +last we set foot on the land to which so long we had journeyed and +towards which our expectations had grown so great. We experienced "the +pleasure that touches the souls of men landing on strange shores." + +FOOTNOTES: + +[2] 82-88 deg. degrees in daytime, and 75-83 deg. degrees at night. + + + + +VIII. + +MOMBASA. + + +A single light shone at the end of the stone quay, and another inside a +big indeterminate building at some distance. We stumbled towards this, +and found it to be the biggest shed ever constructed out of corrugated +iron. A bearded Sikh stood on guard at its open entrance. He let any one +and every one enter, with never a flicker of his expressionless black +eyes; but allowed no one to go out again without the closest scrutiny +for dutiable articles that lacked the blue customs plaster. We entered. +The place was vast and barnlike and dim, and very, very hot. A +half-dozen East Indians stood behind the counters; another, a babu, sat +at a little desk ready to give his clerical attention to what might be +required. We saw no European; but next morning found that one passed his +daylight hours in this inferno of heat. For the moment we let our main +baggage go, and occupied ourselves only with getting through our smaller +effects. This accomplished, we stepped out past the Sikh into the +grateful night. + +We had as guide a slender and wiry individual clad in tarboush and long +white robe. In a vague, general way we knew that the town of Mombasa was +across the island and about four miles distant. In what direction or how +we got there we had not the remotest idea. + +The guide set off at a brisk pace with which we tried in vain to keep +step. He knew the ground, and we did not; and the night was black dark. +Commands to stop were of no avail whatever; nor could we get hold of him +to restrain him by force. When we put on speed he put on speed too. His +white robe glimmered ahead of us just in sight; and in the darkness +other white robes, passing and crossing, glimmered also. At first the +ground was rough, so that we stumbled outrageously. Billy and B. soon +fell behind, and I heard their voices calling plaintively for us to slow +down a bit. + +"If I ever lose this nigger, I'll never find him again," I shouted back, +"but I can find you. Do the best you can!" + +We struck a smoother road that led up a hill on a long slant. +Apparently for miles we followed thus, the white-robed individual ahead +still deaf to all commands and the blood-curdling threats I had now come +to uttering. All our personal baggage had long since mysteriously +disappeared, ravished away from us at the customs house by a ragged +horde of blacks. It began to look as though we were stranded in Africa +without baggage or effects. Billy and B. were all the time growing +fainter in the distance, though evidently they too had struck the long, +slanting road. + +Then we came to a dim, solitary lantern glowing feebly beside a bench at +what appeared to be the top of the hill. Here our guide at last came to +a halt and turned to me a grinning face. + +"Samama hapa," he observed. + +There! That was the word I had been frantically searching my memory for! +Samama--stop! + +The others struggled in. We were very warm. Up to the bench led a tiny +car track, the rails not over two feet apart, like the toy railroads +children use. This did not look much like grownup transportation, but it +and the bench and the dim lantern represented all the visible world. + +We sat philosophically on the bench and enjoyed the soft tropical +night. The air was tepid, heavy with unknown perfume, black as a band of +velvet across the eyes, musical with the subdued undertones of a +thousand thousand night insects. At points overhead the soft blind +darkness melted imperceptibly into stars. + +After a long interval we distinguished a distant faint rattling, that +each moment increased in loudness. Shortly came into view along the +narrow tracks a most extraordinary vehicle. It was a small square +platform on wheels, across which ran a bench seat, and over which spread +a canopy. It carried also a dim lantern. This rumbled up to us and +stopped. From its stern hopped two black boys. Obeying a smiling +invitation, we took our places on the bench. The two boys immediately +set to pushing us along the narrow track. + +We were off at an astonishing speed through the darkness. The night was +deliciously tepid; and, as I have said, absolutely dark. We made out the +tops of palms and the dim loom of great spreading trees, and could smell +sweet, soft odours. The bare-headed, lightly-clad boys pattered +alongside whenever the grade was easy, one hand resting against the +rail; or pushed mightily up little hills; or clung alongside like +monkeys while we rattled and swooped and plunged down hill into the +darkness. Subsequently we learned that a huge flat beam projecting +amidships from beneath the seat operated a brake which we above were +supposed to manipulate; but being quite ignorant as to the ethics and +mechanics of this strange street-car system, we swung and swayed at +times quite breathlessly. + +After about fifteen minutes we began to pick up lights ahead, then to +pass dimly-seen garden walls with trees whose brilliant flowers the +lantern revealed fitfully. At last we made out white stucco houses, and +shortly drew up with a flourish before the hotel itself. + +This was a two-story stucco affair, with deep verandas sunken in at each +story. It fronted a wide white street facing a public garden; and this, +we subsequently discovered, was about the only clear and open space in +all the narrow town. Antelope horns were everywhere hung on the walls; +and teakwood easy-chairs, with rests on which comfortably to elevate +your feet above your head, stood all about. We entered a bare, +brick-floored dining-room, and partook of tropical fruits quite new to +us--papayes, mangoes, custard apples, pawpaws, and the small red eating +bananas too delicate for export. Overhead the punkahs swung back and +forth in lazy hypnotic rhythm. We could see the two blacks at the ends +of the punkah cords outside on the veranda, their bodies swaying lithely +in alternation as they threw their weight against the light ropes. Other +blacks, in the long white robes and exquisitely worked white skull caps +of the Swahili, glided noiselessly on bare feet, serving. + +After dinner we sat out until midnight in the teakwood chairs of the +upper gallery, staring through the arches into the black, mysterious +night, for it was very hot, and we rather dreaded the necessary mosquito +veils as likely to prove stuffy. The mosquitoes are few in Mombasa, but +they are very deadly--very. At midnight the thermometer stood 87 deg. F. + +Our premonitions as to stuffiness were well justified. After a restless +night we came awake at daylight to the sound of a fine row of some sort +going on outside in the streets. Immediately we arose, threw aside the +lattices, and hung out over the sill. + +The chalk-white road stretched before us. Opposite was a public square, +grown with brilliant flowers, and flowering trees. We could not doubt +the cause of the trouble. An Indian on a bicycle, hurrying to his +office, had knocked down a native child. Said child, quite naked, sat +in the middle of the white dust and howled to rend the heavens--whenever +he felt himself observed. If, however, the attention of the crowd +happened for the moment to be engrossed with the babu, the injured one +sat up straight and watched the row with interested, rolling, pickaninny +eyes. A native policeman made the centre of a whirling, vociferating +group. He was a fine-looking chap, straight and soldierly, dressed in +red tarboosh, khaki coat bound close around the waist by yards and yards +of broad red webbing, loose, short drawers of khaki, bare knees and +feet, and blue puttees between. His manner was inflexible. The babu +jabbered excitedly; telling, in all probability, how he was innocent of +fault, was late for his work, etc. In vain. He had to go; also the kid, +who now, seeing himself again an object of interest, recommenced his +howling. Then the babu began frantically to indicate members of the +crowd whom he desired to retain as witnesses. Evidently not pleased with +the prospect of appearing in court, those indicated promptly ducked and +ran. The policeman as promptly pursued and collared them one by one. He +was a long-legged policeman, and he ran well. The moment he laid hands +on a fugitive, the latter collapsed; whereupon the policeman dropped him +and took after another. The joke of it was that the one so abandoned did +not try again to make off, but stayed as though he had been tagged at +some game. Finally the whole lot, still vociferating, moved off down the +white road. + +For over an hour we hung from our window sill, thoroughly interested and +amused by the varied life that deployed before our eyes. The morning +seemed deliciously cool after the hot night, although the thermometer +stood high. The sky was very blue, with big piled white clouds down near +the horizon. Dazzling sun shone on the white road, the white buildings +visible up and down the street, the white walls enclosing their gardens, +and the greenery and colours of the trees within them. For from what we +could see from our window we immediately voted tropical vegetation quite +up to advertisement: whole trees of gaudy red or yellow or bright orange +blossoms, flowering vines, flowering shrubs, peered over the walls or +through the fences; and behind them rose great mangoes or the slenderer +shafts of bananas and cocoanut palms. + +Up and down wandered groups of various sorts of natives. A month later +we would have been able to identify their different tribes and to know +more about them; but now we wondered at them, as strange and +picturesque peoples. They impressed us in general as being a fine lot of +men, for they were of good physique, carried themselves well, and looked +about them with a certain dignity and independence, a fine free pride of +carriage and of step. This fact alone differentiated them from our own +negroes; but, further, their features were in general much finer, and +their skins of a clear mahogany beautiful in its satiny texture. +Most--and these were the blackest--wore long white robes and fine +openwork skull caps. They were the local race, the Swahili, had we but +known it; the original "Zanzibari" who furnished Livingstone, Stanley, +Speke, and the other early explorers with their men. Others, however, +were much less "civilized." We saw one "Cook's tour from the jungle" +consisting of six savages, their hair twisted into innumerable points, +their ear lobes stretched to hang fairly to their shoulders, wearing +only a rather neglectful blanket, adorned with polished wire, carrying +war clubs and bright spears. They followed, with eyes and mouths open, a +very sophisticated-looking city cousin in the usual white garments, +swinging a jaunty, light bamboo cane. The cane seems to be a +distinguishing mark of the leisured class. It not only means that you +are not working, but also that you have no earthly desire to work. + +About this time one of the hotel boys brought the inevitable +chota-hazri--the tea and biscuits of early morning. For this once it was +very welcome. + +Our hotel proved to be on the direct line of freighting. There are no +horses or draught animals in Mombasa; the fly is too deadly. Therefore +all hauling is done by hand. The tiny tracks of the unique street car +system run everywhere any one would wish to go; branching off even into +private grounds and to the very front doors of bungalows situated far +out of town. Each resident owns his own street car, just as elsewhere a +man has his own carriage. There are, of course, public cars also, each +with its pair of boys to push it; and also a number of rather decrepit +rickshaws. As a natural corollary to the passenger traffic, the +freighting also is handled by the blacks on large flat trucks with short +guiding poles. These men are quite naked save for a small loin cloth; +are beautifully shaped; and glisten all over with perspiration shining +in the sun. So fine is the texture of their skins, the softness of their +colour--so rippling the play of muscles--that this shining perspiration +is like a beautiful polish. They rush from behind, slowly and steadily, +and patiently and unwaveringly, the most tremendous loads of the +heaviest stuffs. When the hill becomes too steep for them, they turn +their backs against the truck; and by placing one foot behind the other, +a few inches at a time, they edge their burden up the slope. + +The steering is done by one man at the pole or tongue in front. This +individual also sets the key to the song by which in Africa all heavy +labour is carried forward. He cries his wavering shrill-voiced chant; +the toilers utter antiphony in low gruff tones. At a distance one hears +only the wild high syncopated chanting; but as the affair draws slowly +nearer, he catches the undertone of the responses. These latter are cast +in the regular swing and rhythm of effort; but the steersman throws in +his bit at odd and irregular intervals. Thus: + +Headman (shrill): "Hay, ah mon!" + +Pushers (gruff in rhythm): "Tunk!--tunk!--tunk!--" or: + +Headman (and wavering minor chant): "Ah--nah--nee--e-e-e!" + +Pushers (undertone): "Umbwa--jo-e! Um-bwa--jo--e!" + +These wild and barbaric chantings--in the distance; near at hand; dying +into distance again--slow, dogged, toilsome, came to be to us one of the +typical features of the place. + +After breakfast we put on our sun helmets and went forth curiously to +view the town. We found it roughly divided into four quarters--the old +Portuguese, the Arabic, the European, and the native. The Portuguese +comprises the outer fringe next the water-front of the inner bay. It is +very narrow of street, with whitewashed walls, balconies, and wonderful +carven and studded doors. The business of the town is done here. The +Arabic quarter lies back of it--a maze of narrow alleys winding +aimlessly here and there between high white buildings, with occasionally +the minarets and towers of a mosque. This district harboured, besides +the upper-class Swahilis and Arabs, a large number of East Indians. +Still back of this are thousands of the low grass, or mud and wattle +huts of the natives, their roofs thatched with straw or palm. These are +apparently arranged on little system. The small European population +lives atop the sea bluffs beyond the old fort in the most attractive +bungalows. This, the most desirable location of all, has remained open +to them because heretofore the fierce wars with which Mombasa, "the +Island of Blood," has been swept have made the exposed seaward lands +impossible. + +No idle occupation can be more fascinating than to wander about the +mazes of this ancient town. The variety of race and occupation is +something astounding. Probably the one human note that, everywhere +persisting, draws the whole together is furnished by the water-carriers. +Mombasa has no water system whatever. The entire supply is drawn from +numberless picturesque wells scattered everywhere in the crowded centre, +and distributed mainly in Standard Oil cans suspended at either end of a +short pole. By dint of constant daily exercise, hauling water up from a +depth and carrying it various distances, these men have developed the +most beautifully powerful figures. They proceed at a half trot, the +slender poles, with forty pounds at either end, seeming fairly to cut +into their naked shoulders, muttering a word of warning to the loiterers +at every other breath--semeelay! semeelay! No matter in what part of +Mombasa you may happen to be, or at what hour of the day or night, you +will meet these industrious little men trotting along under their +burdens. + +Everywhere also are the women, carrying themselves proudly erect, with a +free swing of the hips. They wear invariably a single sheet of cotton +cloth printed in blue or black with the most astonishing borders and +spotty designs. This is drawn tight just above the breasts, leaving the +shoulders and arms bare. Their hair is divided into perhaps a dozen +parts running lengthwise of the head from the forehead to the nape of +the neck, after the manner of the stripes on a watermelon. Each part +then ends in a tiny twisted pigtail not over an inch long. The lobes of +their ears have been stretched until they hold thick round disks about +three inches in diameter, ornamented by concentric circles of different +colours, with a red bull's eye for a centre. The outer edges of the ears +are then further decorated with gold clasps set closely together. Many +bracelets, necklaces, and armlets complete the get-up. They are big +women, with soft velvety skins and a proud and haughty carriage--the +counterparts of the men in the white robes and caps. + +By the way, it may be a good place here to remark that these garments, +and the patterned squares of cloth worn by the women, are invariably +most spotlessly clean. + +These, we learned, were the Swahilis, the ruling class, the descendants +of the slave traders. Beside them are all sorts and conditions. Your +true savage pleased his own fancy as to dress and personal adornment. +The bushmen generally shaved the edges of their wool to leave a nice +close-fitting natural skull cap, wore a single blanket draped from one +shoulder, and carried a war club. The ear lobe seemed always to be +stretched; sometimes sufficiently to have carried a pint bottle. Indeed, +white marmalade jars seemed to be very popular wear. One ingenious +person had acquired a dozen of the sort of safety pins used to fasten +curtains to their rings. These he had snapped into the lobes, six on a +side. + +We explored for some time. One of the Swahilis attached himself to us so +unobtrusively that before we knew it we had accepted him as guide. In +that capacity he realized an ideal, for he never addressed a word to us, +nor did he even stay in sight. We wandered along at our sweet will, +dawdling as slowly as we pleased. The guide had apparently quite +disappeared. Look where we would we could in no manner discover him. At +the next corner we would pause, undecided as to what to do; there, in +the middle distance, would stand our friend, smiling. When he was sure +we had seen him, and were about to take the turn properly, he would +disappear again. Convoyed in this pleasant fashion we wound and twisted +up and down and round and about through the most appalling maze. We saw +the native markets with their vociferating sellers seated cross-legged +on tables behind piles of fruit or vegetables, while an equally +vociferating crowd surged up and down the aisles. Gray parrots and +little monkeys perched everywhere about. Billy gave one of the monkeys a +banana. He peeled it exactly as a man would have done, smelt it +critically, and threw it back at her in the most insulting fashion. We +saw also the rows of Hindu shops open to the street, with their gaudily +dressed children of blackened eyelids, their stolid dirty proprietors, +and their women marvellous in bright silks and massive bangles. In the +thatched native quarter were more of the fine Swahili women sitting +cross-legged on the earth under low verandas, engaged in different +handicrafts; and chickens; and many amusing naked children. We made +friends with many of them, communicating by laughter and by signs, while +our guide stood unobtrusively in the middle distance waiting for us to +come on. Just at sunset he led us out to a great open space, with a tall +palm in the centre of it and the gathering of a multitude of people. A +mollah was clambering into a high scaffold built of poles, whence +shortly he began to intone a long-drawn-out "Allah! Allah! il Allah!" +The cocoanut palms cut the sunset, and the boabab trees--the fat, lazy +boababs--looked more monstrous than ever. We called our guide and +conferred on him the munificent sum of sixteen and a half cents; with +which, apparently much pleased, he departed. Then slowly we wandered +back to the hotel. + + + + +PART II. + +THE SHIMBA HILLS. + + + + + + +IX. + +A TROPICAL JUNGLE. + + +Many months later, and after adventures elsewhere described,[3] besides +others not relevant for the moment, F., an Englishman, and I returned to +Mombasa. We came from some hundred odd miles in the interior where we +had been exploring the sources and the course of the Tsavo River. Now +our purpose was to penetrate into the low, hot, wooded country along the +coast known as the Shimba Hills in quest of a rare beast called the +sable antelope. + +These hills could be approached in one of two ways--by crossing the +harbour, and then marching two days afoot; or by voyaging up to the very +end of one of the long arms of the sea that extend many miles inland. +The latter involved dhows, dependence on uncertain winds, favourable +tides, and a heap of good luck. It was less laborious but most +uncertain. At this stage of the plan the hotel manager came forward with +the offer of a gasoline launch, which we gladly accepted. + +We embarked about noon, storing our native carriers and effects aboard a +dhow hired for the occasion. This we purposed towing. A very neatly +uniformed Swahili bearing on his stomach a highly-polished brass label +as big as a door plate--"Harbour Police"--threw duck fists over what he +called overloading the boat. He knew very little about boats, but threw +very competent duck fists. As we did know something about boats, we +braved unknown consequences by disregarding him utterly. No consequences +ensued--unless perhaps to his own health. When everything was aboard, +that dhow was pretty well down, but still well afloat. Then we white men +took our places in the launch. + +This was a long narrow affair with a four-cylinder thirty-horsepower +engine. As she possessed no speed gears, she had either to plunge ahead +full speed or come to a stop; there were no compromises. Her steering +was managed by a tiller instead of a wheel, so that a mere touch +sufficed to swerve her ten feet from her course. As the dhow was in no +respects built on such nervous lines, she did occasionally some fancy +and splashing curves. + +The pilot of the launch turned out to be a sandy-haired Yankee who had +been catching wild animals for Barnum and Bailey's circus. While waiting +for his ship, he, being a proverbial handy Yankee, had taken on this +job. He became quite interested in telling us this, and at times forgot +his duties at the tiller. Then that racing-launch would take a wild +swoop; the clumsy old dhow astern would try vainly, with much spray and +dangerous careening, to follow; the compromise course would all but +upset her; the spray would fly; the safari boys would take their +ducking; the boat boys would yell and dance and lean frantically against +the two long sweeps with which they tried to steer. In this wild and +untrammelled fashion we careered up the bay, too interested in our own +performances to pay much attention to the scenery. The low shores, with +their cocoanut groves gracefully rising above the mangrove tangle, +slipped by, and the distant blue Shimba Hills came nearer. + +After a while we turned into a narrower channel with a good many curves +and a quite unknown depth of water. Down this we whooped at the full +speed of our thirty-horsepower engine. Occasional natives, waist deep +and fishing, stared after us open-eyed. The Yankee ventured a guess as +to how hard she would hit on a mudbank. She promptly proved his guess a +rank underestimate by doing so. We fell in a heap on the bottom. The +dhow bore down on us with majestic momentum. The boat boys leaned +frantically on their sweeps, and managed just to avoid us. The dhow also +rammed the mudbank. A dozen reluctant boys hopped overboard and pushed +us off. We pursued our merry way again. On either hand now appeared fish +weirs of plaited coco fibre; which, being planted in the shallows, +helped us materially to guess at the channel. Naked men, up to their +shoulders in the water, attended to some mysterious need of the nets, or +emerged dripping and sparkling from the water with baskets of fish atop +their heads. The channel grew even narrower, and the mudbanks more +frequent. We dodged a dozen in our headlong course. Our local guide, a +Swahili in tarboosh and a beautiful saffron robe, showed signs of strong +excitement. We were to stop, he said, around the next bend; and at this +rate we never could stop. The Yankee remarked, superfluously, that it +would be handy if this dod-blistered engine had a clutch; adding, as an +afterthought, that no matter how long he stayed in the tropics his nose +peeled. We asked what we should do if we over-carried our prospective +landing-place. He replied that the dod-blistered thing did have a +reverse. While thus conversing we shot around a corner into a complete +cul-de-sac! Everything was shut off hastily, and an instant later we and +the dhow smashed up high and dry on a cozy mud beach! We drew a deep +breath and looked around us. + +Mangrove thicket to the edge of the slimy ooze; trees behind--that was +all we could see. We gave our attention to the business of getting our +men, our effects, and ourselves ashore. The ooze proved to be just above +knee deep. The porters had a fearful and floundering time, and received +much obvious comment from us perched in the bow of the launch. Finally +everything was debarked. F. and I took off our boots; but our gunbearers +expressed such horror at the mere thought of our plunging into the mud, +that we dutifully climbed them pick-a-back and were carried. The hard +shell beach was a hundred feet away, occupying a little recess where the +persistent tough mangroves drew back. From it led a narrow path through +the thicket. We waved and shouted a farewell to the crews of the launch +and the dhow. + +The path for a hundred feet was walled in by the mangroves through which +scuttled and rattled the big land crabs. Then suddenly we found +ourselves in a story-book tropical paradise. The tall coco palms rose +tufted above everything; the fans of the younger palms waved below; +bananas thrust the banners of their broad leaves wherever they could +find space; creepers and vines flung the lush luxuriance of their +greenery over all the earth and into the depths of all the half-guessed +shadows. In no direction could one see unobstructed farther than twenty +feet, except straight up; and there one could see just as far as the +tops of the palms. It was like being in a room--a green, hot, steamy, +lovely room. Very bright-coloured birds that ought really to have been +at home in their cages fluttered about. + +We had much vigorous clearing to do to make room for our tents. By the +time the job was finished we were all pretty hot. Several of the boys +made vain attempts to climb for nuts, but without success. We had +brought them with us from the interior, where cocoanuts do not grow; and +they did not understand the method. They could swarm up the tall slim +stems all right, but could not manage to get through the +downward-pointing spikes of the dead leaves. F. tried and failed, to the +great amusement of the men, but to the greater amusement of myself. I +was a wise person, and lay on my back on a canvas cot, so it was not +much bother to look up and enjoy life. Not to earn absolutely the stigma +of laziness, I tried to shoot some nuts down. This did not work either, +for the soft, spongy stems closed around the bullet holes. Then a little +wizened monkey of a Swahili porter, having watched our futile +performances with interest, nonchalantly swarmed up; in some mysterious +manner he wriggled through the defences, and perched in the top, whence +he dropped to us a dozen big green nuts. Our men may not have been much +of a success at climbing for nuts; but they were passed masters at the +art of opening them. Three or four clips from their awkward swordlike +pangas, and we were each presented with a clean, beautiful, natural +goblet brimming full of a refreshing drink. + +About this time a fine figure of a man drifted into camp. He was very +smooth-skinned, very dignified, very venerable. He was pure Swahili, +though of the savage branch of that race, and had none of the negro +type of countenance. In fact, so like was he in face, hair, short square +beard and genial dignity to a certain great-uncle of mine that it was +very hard to remember that he had on only a small strip of cloth, that +he was cherishing as a great treasure a piece of soap box he had +salvaged from the shore, and that his skin was red chocolate. I felt +inclined to talk to him as to an intellectual equal, especially as he +had a fine resonant bass voice that in itself lent his remarks some +importance. However, I gave him two ordinary wood screws, showed him how +they screwed in and out, and left him happy. + +After supper the moon rose, casting shadows of new and unknown shapes +through this strangely new and unknown forest. A thin white mist +ascending everywhere from the soil tempered but could not obscure the +white brilliance. The thermometer stood now only at 82 deg., but the +dripping tropical sweat-bath in which our camp was pitched considerably +raised the sensible heat. A bird with a most diabolical shrieking note +cursed in the shadows. Another, a pigeon-like creature, began softly, +and continued to repeat in diminishing energy until it seemed to have +run down, like a piece of clockwork. + +Our way next morning led for some time through this lovely but damp +jungle. Then we angled up the side of a hill to emerge into the +comparatively open country atop what we Westerners would call a "hog's +back"--a long narrow spurlike ridge mounting slowly to the general +elevation of the main hills. Here were high green bushes, with little +free open passages between them, and occasionally meadow-like openings +running down the slopes on one side or the other. Before us, some miles +distant, were the rounded blue hills. + +We climbed steadily. It was still very early morning, but already the +day was hot. Pretty soon we saw over the jungle to the gleaming waters +of the inlet, and then to the sea. Our "hog's back" led us past a ridge +of the hills, and before we knew it we had been deposited in a shallow +valley three or four miles wide between parallel ridges; the said valley +being at a considerable elevation, and itself diversified with rolling +hills, ravines, meadow land, and wide flats. On many of the ridges were +scattered cocoanut palms, and occasional mango groves, while many smokes +attested the presence of natives. + +These we found in shambas or groups of little farms, huddled all +together, with wilderness and brush and trees, or the wide open green +grass lawn between. The houses were very large and neat-looking. They +were constructed quite ingeniously from coco branches. Each branch made +one mat. The leaves were all brought over to the same side of the stem, +and then plaited. The resulting mat was then six or seven feet long by +from twelve to sixteen inches broad, and could be used for a variety of +purposes. Indeed, we found Melville's chapter in "Typhee" as to the +various uses of the cocoanut palm by no means exaggerated. The nuts, +leaves, and fibre supplied every conceivable human want. + +The natives were a pleasant, friendly, good-looking lot. In fact, so +like was their cast of countenance to that of the white-skinned people +we were accustomed to see that we had great difficulty in realizing that +they were mere savages, costume--or lack of it--to the contrary +notwithstanding. Under a huge mango tree two were engaged in dividing a +sheep. Sixty or seventy others stood solemnly around watching. It may +have been a religious ceremony, for all I know; but the affair looked to +be about two parts business to sixty of idle and cheerful curiosity. We +stopped and talked to them a little, chaffed the pretty girls--they were +really pretty--and marched on. + +About noon our elegant guide stopped, struck an attitude, and pointed +with his silver-headed rattan cane. + +"This," said he, "is where we must camp." + +We marched through a little village. A family party sat beneath the +veranda of a fine building--a very old wrinkled couple; two stalwart +beautiful youths; a young mother suckling her baby; two young girls; and +eight or ten miscellaneous and naked youngsters. As the rest of the +village appeared to be empty, I imagined this to be the caretaker's +family, and the youngsters to belong to others. We stopped and spoke, +were answered cheerfully, suggested that we might like to buy chickens, +and offered a price. Instantly with a whoop of joy the lot of them were +afoot. The fowl waited for no further intimations of troublous times, +but fled squawking. They had been there before. So had our hosts; for +inside a minute they had returned, each with a chicken--and a broad +grin. + +After due payment we proceeded on a few hundred yards, and pitched camp +beneath two huge mango trees. + +Besides furnishing one of the most delicious of the tropical fruits, +the mango is also one of the most beautiful of trees. It is tall, +spreads very wide, and its branches sweep to within ten feet of the +ground. Its perfect symmetry combined with the size and deep green of +its leaves causes it to resemble, from a short distance, a beautiful +green hill. Beneath its umbrella one finds dense shade, unmottled by a +single ray of sunlight, so that one can lie under it in full confidence. +For, parenthetically, even a single ray of this tropical sunlight is to +the unprotected a very dangerous thing. But the leaves of the mango have +this peculiarity, which distinguishes it from all other trees--namely, +that they grow only at the very ends of the small twigs and branches. As +these, of course, grow only at the ends of the big limbs, it follows +that from beneath the mango looks like a lofty green dome, a veritable +pantheon of the forest. + +We made our camp under one of these trees; gave ourselves all the space +we could use; and had plenty left over--five tents and a cook camp, with +no crowding. It was one of the pleasantest camps I ever saw. Our green +dome overhead protected us absolutely from the sun; high sweet grass +grew all about us; the breeze wandered lazily up from the distant +Indian Ocean. Directly before our tent door the slope fell gently away +through a sparse cocoanut grove whose straight stems panelled our view, +then rose again to the clear-cut outline of a straight ridge opposite. +The crest of this was sentinelled by tall scattered cocoanut trees, the +"bursting star" pyrotechnic effect of their tops being particularly fine +against the sky. + +After a five hours' tropical march uphill we were glad to sit under our +green dome, to look at our view, to enjoy the little breeze, and to +drink some of the cocoanuts our friends the villagers brought in. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[3] "The Land of Footprints." + + + + +X. + +THE SABLE. + + +About three o'clock I began to feel rested and ambitious. Therefore I +called up our elegant guide and Memba Sasa, and set out on my first hunt +for sable. F. was rather more done up by the hard morning, and so did +not go along. The guide wore still his red tarboosh, his dark short +jacket, his saffron yellow nether garment--it was not exactly a +skirt--and his silver-headed rattan cane. The only change he made was to +tuck up the skirt, leaving his long legs bare. It hardly seemed +altogether a suitable costume for hunting; but he seemed to know what he +was about. + +We marched along ridges, and down into ravines, and across gulleys +choked with brush. Horrible thickets alternated with and occasionally +surrounded open green meadows hanging against the side hills. As we +proceeded, the country became rougher, the ravines more precipitous. We +struggled up steep hills, fairly bucking our way through low growth that +proved all but impenetrable. The idea was to find a sable feeding in one +of the little open glades; but whenever I allowed myself to think of the +many adverse elements of the game, the chances seemed very slim. It took +a half-hour to get from one glade to the next; there were thousands of +glades. The sable is a rare shy animal that likes dense cover fully as +well if not better than the open. Sheer rank bull luck alone seemed the +only hope. And as I felt my strength going in that vicious struggle +against heavy brush and steep hills, I began to have very strong doubts +indeed as to that sable. + +For it was cruel, hard work. In this climate one hailed a car or a +rickshaw to do an errand two streets away, and considered oneself quite +a hero if one took a leisurely two-mile stroll along the cliff heads at +sunset. Here I was, after a five-hour uphill march, bucking into brush +and through country that would be considered difficult going even in +Canada. At the end of twenty minutes my every garment was not wringing +but dripping wet, so that when I carried my rifle over my arm water ran +down the barrel and off the muzzle in a steady stream. After a bit of +this my knees began to weaken; and it became a question of saving +energy, of getting along somehow, and of leaving the actual hunting to +Memba Sasa and the guide. If they had shown me a sable, I very much +doubt if I could have hit it. + +However, we did not see one, and I staggered into camp at dusk pretty +well exhausted. From the most grateful hot bath and clean clothes I +derived much refreshment. Shortly I was sitting in my canvas chair, +sipping a cocoanut, and describing the condition of affairs to F., who +was naturally very curious as to how the trick was done. + +"Now," I concluded, "I know just about what I can and what I cannot do. +Three days more of this sort of work will feed me up. If we do not run +across a sable in that time, I'm afraid we don't get any." + +"Two days will do for me," said he. + +We called up the guide and questioned him closely. He seemed quite +confident; and asserted that in this country sable were found, when they +were found at all, which was not often. They must be discovered in the +small grassy openings. We began to understand why so very few people get +sable. + +We dismissed the guide, and sat quietly smoking in the warm soft +evening. The air was absolutely still save for various night insects and +birds, and the weird calling of natives across the valleys. Far out +towards the sea a thunderstorm flashed; and after a long interval the +rumblings came to us. So very distant was it that we paid it little +attention, save as an interesting background to our own still evening. +Almost between sentences of our slow conversation, however, it rushed up +to the zenith, blotting out the stars. The tall palms began to sway and +rustle in the forerunning breeze. Then with a swoop it was upon us, a +tempest of fury. We turned in; and all night long the heavy deluges of +rain fell, roaring like surf on an unfriendly coast. + +By morning this had fallen to a light, steady drizzle in which we +started off quite happily. In this climate one likes to get wet. The +ground was sodden and deep with muck. Within a mile of camp we saw many +fresh buffalo tracks. + +This time we went downhill and still downhill through openings among +batches of great forest trees. The new leaves were just coming out in +pinks and russets, so that the effect at a little distance was almost +precisely that of our autumn foliage in its duller phases. So familiar +were made some of the low rounded knolls that for an instant we were +respectively back in the hills of Surrey or Michigan, and told each +other so. + +Thus we moved slowly out from the dense cover to the grass openings. Far +over on another ridge F. called my attention to something jet-black and +indeterminate. In another country I should have named it as a charred +log on an old pine burning, for that was precisely what it looked like. +We glanced at it casually through our glasses. It was a sable buck lying +down right out in the open. He was black and sleek, and we could make +out his sweeping scimitar horns. + +Memba Sasa and the Swahili dropped flat on their faces while F. and I +crawled slowly and cautiously through the mud until we had gained the +cover of a shallow ravine that ran in the beast's general direction. +Noting carefully a certain small thicket as landmark, we stooped and +moved as fast as we could down to that point of vantage. There we +cautiously parted the grasses and looked. The sable had disappeared. The +place where he had been lying was plainly to be identified, and there +was no cover save a tiny bush between two and three feet high. We were +quite certain he had neither seen nor winded us. Either he had risen +and fled forward into the ravine up which we had made our stalk, or else +he had entered the small thicket. F. agreed to stay on watch where he +was, while I slipped back and examined the earth to leeward of the +thicket. + +I had hardly crawled ten yards, however, before the gentle snapping of +F.'s fingers recalled me to his side. + +"He's behind that bush," he whispered in my ear. + +I looked. The bush was hardly large enough to conceal a setter dog, and +the sable is somewhat larger than our elk. Nevertheless F. insisted that +the animal was standing behind it, and that he had caught the toss of +its head. We lay still for some time, while the soft, warm rain drizzled +down on us, our eyes riveted on the bush. And then we caught the +momentary flash of curved horns as the sable tossed his head. It seemed +incredible even then that the tiny bush should conceal so large a beast. +As a matter of fact we later found that the bush grew on a slight +elevation, behind which was a depression. In this the sable stood, +patiently enduring the drizzle. + +We waited some time in hopes he would move forward a foot or so; but +apparently he had selected his loafing place with care, and liked it. +The danger of a shift of wind was always present. Finally I slipped back +over the brink of the ravine, moved three yards to the left, and crawled +up through the tall dripping grass to a new position behind a little +bush. Cautiously raising my head, I found I could see plainly the +sable's head and part of his shoulders. My position was cramped and out +of balance for offhand shooting; but I did my best, and heard the loud +plunk of the hit. The sable made off at a fast though rather awkward +gallop, wheeled for an instant a hundred yards farther on, received +another bullet in the shoulder, and disappeared over the brow of the +hill. We raced over the top to get in another shot, and found him stone +dead. + +He was a fine beast, jet-black in coat, with white markings on the face, +red-brown ears, and horns sweeping up and back scimitar fashion. He +stood four feet and six inches at the shoulder, and his horns were the +second best ever shot in British East Africa. This beast has been +described by Heller as a new subspecies, and named Rooseveltii. His +description was based upon an immature buck and a doe shot by Kermit +Roosevelt. The determination of subspecies on so slight evidence seems +to me unscientific in the extreme. While the immature males do exhibit +the general brown tone relied on by Mr. Heller, the mature buck differs +in no essential from the tropical sable. I find the alledged subspecies +is not accepted by European scientists. + + + + +XI. + +A MARCH ALONG THE COAST. + + +With a most comfortable feeling that my task was done, that suddenly the +threatening clouds of killing work had been cleared up, I was now +privileged to loaf and invite my soul on this tropical green hilltop +while poor F. put in the days trying to find another sable. Every +morning he started out before daylight. I could see the light of his +lantern outside the tent; and I stretched myself in the luxurious +consciousness that I should hear no deprecating but insistent "hodie" +from my boy until I pleased to invite it. In the afternoon or evening F. +would return, quite exhausted and dripping, with only the report of new +country traversed. No sable; no tracks of sable; no old signs, even, of +sable. Gradually it was borne in on me how lucky I was to have come upon +my magnificent specimen so promptly and in such favourable +circumstances. + +A leisurely breakfast alone, with the sun climbing; then the writing of +notes, a little reading, and perhaps a stroll to the village or along +the top of the ridge. At the heat of noon a siesta with a cool cocoanut +at my elbow. The view was beautiful on all sides; our great tree full of +birds; the rising and dying winds in the palms like the gathering +oncoming rush of the rains. From mountain to mountain sounded the wild, +far-carrying ululations of the natives, conveying news or messages +across the wide jungle. Towards sunset I wandered out in the groves, +enjoying the many bright flowers, the tall, sweet grasses, and the +cocoa-palms against the sky. Piles of cocoanuts lay on the ground, +covered each with a leaf plaited in a peculiarly individual manner to +indicate ownership. Small boys, like little black imps, clung naked +half-way up the slim trunks of the palms, watching me bright-eyed above +the undergrowth. In all directions, crossing and recrossing, ran a maze +of beaten paths. Each led somewhere, but it would require the memory +of--well, of a native, to keep all their destinations in mind. + +I used to follow some of them to their ending in little cocoa-leaf +houses on the tops of knolls or beneath mangoes; and would talk with the +people. They were very grave and very polite, and seemed to be living +out their lives quite correctly according to their conceptions. Again, +it was borne in on me that these people are not stumbling along the +course of evolution in our footsteps, but have gone as far in their path +as we have in ours; that they have reached at least as complete a +correspondence with their environment as we with our own.[4] + +If F. had not returned by the time I reached camp, I would seat myself +in my canvas chair, and thence dispense justice, advice, or medical +treatment. If none of these things seemed demanded, I smoked my pipe. To +me one afternoon came a big-framed, old, dignified man, with the heavy +beard, the noble features, the high forehead, and the blank statue eyes +of the blind Homer. He was led by a very small, very bright-eyed naked +boy. At some twenty feet distance he squatted down cross-legged before +me. For quite five minutes he sat there silent, while I sat in my camp +chair, smoked and waited. At last he spoke in a rolling deep bass voice +rich and vibrating--a delight to hear. + +"Jambo (greeting)!" said he. + +"Jambo!" I replied mildly. + +Again a five-minute silence. I had begun reading, and had all but +forgotten his presence. + +"Jambo bwana (greeting, master)!" he rolled out. + +"Jambo!" I repeated. + +The same dignified, unhasting pause. + +"Jambo bwana m'kubwa (greeting, great master)!" + +"Jambo!" quoth I, and went on reading. The sun was dropping, but the old +man seemed in no hurry. + +"Jambo bwana m'kubwa sana (greeting, most mighty master)!" he boomed at +last. + +"Jambo!" said I. + +This would seem to strike the superlative, and I expected now that he +would state his business, but the old man had one more shot in his +locker. + +"Jambo bwana m'kubwa kabeesa sana (greeting, mightiest possible +master)!" it came. + +Then in due course he delicately hinted that a gift of tobacco would not +come amiss. + +F. returned a trifle earlier than usual, to admit that his quest was +hopeless, that his physical forces were for the time being at an end, +and that he was willing to go home. + +Accordingly very early next morning we set out by the glimmer of a +lantern, hoping to get a good start on our journey before the heat of +the day became too severe. We did gain something, but performed several +unnecessary loops and semicircles in the maze of beaten paths before we +finally struck into one that led down the slope towards the sea. Shortly +after the dawn came up "like thunder" in its swiftness, followed almost +immediately by the sun. + +Our way now led along the wide flat between the seashore and the Shimba +Hills, in which we had been hunting. A road ten feet wide and innocent +of wheels ran with obstinate directness up and down the slight contours +and through the bushes and cocoanut groves that lay in its path. So +mathematically straight was it that only when perspective closed it in, +or when it dropped over the summit of a little rise, did the eye lose +the effect of its interminability. The country through which this road +led was various--open bushy veld with sparse trees, dense jungle, +cocoanut groves, tall and cool. In the shadows of the latter were the +thatched native villages. To the left always ran the blue Shimba Hills; +and far away to the right somewhere we heard the grumbling of the sea. + +Every hundred yards or so we met somebody. Even thus early the road was +thronged. By far the majority were the almost naked natives of the +district, pleasant, brown-skinned people with good features. They +carried things. These things varied from great loads balanced atop to +dainty impromptu baskets woven of cocoa-leaves and containing each a +single cocoanut. They smiled on us, returned our greeting, and stood +completely aside to let us pass. Other wayfarers were of more +importance. Small groups of bearded dignitaries, either upper-class +Swahili or pure Arabs, strolled slowly along, apparently with limitless +leisure, but evidently bound somewhere, nevertheless. They replied to +our greetings with great dignity. Once, also, we overtook a small +detachment of Sudanese troops moving. They were scattered over several +miles of road. A soldier, most impressive and neat in khaki and red +tarboosh and sash; then two or three of his laughing, sleek women, clad +in the thin, patterned "'Mericani," glittering with gold ornaments; then +a half dozen ragged porters carrying official but battered painted +wooden kit boxes, or bags, or miscellaneous curious plunder; then more +troopers; and so on for miles. They all drew aside for us most +respectfully; and the soldiers saluted, very smart and military. + +Under the broad-spreading mangoes near the villages we came upon many +open markets in full swing. Each vendor squatted on his heels behind his +wares, while the purchasers or traders wandered here and there making +offers. The actual commerce compared with the amount of laughing, +joking, shrieking joy of the occasion as one to a thousand. + +Generally three or four degenerate looking dirty East Indians slunk +about, very crafty, very insinuating, very ready and skilful to take +what advantages they could. I felt a strong desire to kick every one of +them out from these joyful concourses of happy people. Generally we sat +down for a while in these markets, and talked to the people a little, +and perhaps purchased some of the delicious fruit. They had a small +delicate variety of banana, most wonderful, the like of which I have +seen nowhere else. We bought forty of these for a coin worth about eight +cents. Besides fruit they offered cocoanuts in all forms, grain, woven +baskets, small articles of handicraft--and fish. The latter were farther +from the sea than they should have been! These occasional halts greatly +refreshed us for more of that endless road. + +For all this time we were very hot. As the sun mounted, the country +fairly steamed. From the end of my rifle barrel, which I carried across +my forearm, a steady trickle of water dripped into the road. We neither +of us had a dry stitch on us, and our light garments clung to us +thoroughly wet through. At first we tried the military method, and +marched fifty minutes to rest ten, but soon discovered that twenty-five +minutes' work to five minutes off was more practical. The sheer weight +of the sun was terrific; after we had been exposed to it for any great +length of time--as across several wide open spaces--we entered the +steaming shade of the jungle with gratitude. At the end of seven hours, +however, we most unexpectedly came through a dense cocoanut grove plump +on the banks of the harbour at Kilindini. + +Here, after making arrangements for the transport of our safari, when it +should arrive, we entrusted ourselves to a small boy and a cranky boat. +An hour later, clad in tropical white, with cool drinks at our elbows, +we sat in easy-chairs on the veranda of the Mombasa Club. + +The clubhouse is built on a low cliff at the water's edge. It looks +across the blue waters of the bay to a headland crowned with +cocoa-palms, and beyond the headland to the Indian Ocean. The cool +trades sweep across that veranda. We idly watched a lone white oarsman +pulling strongly against the wind through the tide rips, evidently bent +on exercise. We speculated on the incredible folly of wanting exercise; +and forgot him. An hour later a huge saffron yellow squall rose from +China 'cross the way, filled the world with an unholy light, lashed the +reluctant sea to white-caps, and swooped screaming on the cocoa-palms. +Police boats to rescue the idiot oarsman! Much minor excitement! Great +rushing to and fro! We continued to sit in our lounging chairs, one hand +on our cool long drinks. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[4] For a fuller discussion, see "The Land of Footprints." + + + + +XII. + +THE FIRE. + + +We were very tired, so we turned in early. W Unfortunately, our rooms +were immediately over the billiard room, where a bibulous and +cosmopolitan lot were earnestly endeavouring to bolster up by further +proof the fiction that a white man cannot retain his health in the +tropics. The process was pretty rackety, and while it could not keep us +awake, it prevented us from falling thoroughly asleep. At length, and +suddenly, the props of noise fell away from me, and I sank into a +grateful, profound abyss. + +Almost at once, however, I was dragged back to consciousness. Mohammed +stood at my bedside. + +"Bwana," he proffered to my rather angry inquiry, "all the people have +gone to the fire. It is a very large fire. I thought you would like to +see it." + +I glanced out of the window at the reddening sky, thrust my feet into a +pair of slippers, and went forth in my pyjamas to see what I could see. + +We threaded our way through many narrow dark and deserted streets, +beneath balconies that overhung, past walls over which nodded tufted +palms, until a loud and increasing murmuring told us we were nearing the +centre of disturbance. Shortly, we came to the outskirts of the excited +crowd, and beyond them saw the red furnace glow. + +"Semeelay! Semeelay!" warned Mohammed authoritatively; and the +bystanders, seeing a white face, gave me passage. + +All of picturesque Mombasa was afoot--Arabs, Swahilis, Somalis, savages, +Indians--the whole lot. They moved restlessly in the narrow streets; +they hung over the edges of balconies; they peered from barred windows; +interested dark faces turned up everywhere in the flickering light. One +woman, a fine, erect, biblical figure, stood silhouetted on a flat +housetop and screamed steadily. I thought she must have at least one +baby in the fire, but it seems she was only excited. + +The fire was at present confined to two buildings, in which it was +raging fiercely. Its spread, however, seemed certain; and, as it was +surrounded by warehouses of valuable goods, moving was in full swing. A +frantic white man stood at the low doorway of one of these dungeon-like +stores hastening the movements of an unending string of porters. As each +emerged bearing a case on his shoulder, the white man urged him to a +trot. I followed up the street to see where these valuables were being +taken, and what were the precautions against theft. Around the next +corner, it seemed. As each excited perspiring porter trotted up, he +heaved his burden from his head or his shoulders, and promptly scampered +back for another load. They were loyal and zealous men; but their +headpieces were deficient inside. For the burdens that they saved from +the fire happened to be cases of gin in bottles. At least, it was in +bottles until the process of saving had been completed. Then it trickled +merrily down the gutter. I went back and told the frantic white man +about it. He threw up both hands to heaven and departed. + +By dodging from street to street Mohammed and I succeeded in circling +the whole disturbance, and so came at length to a public square. Here +was a vast throng, and a very good place, so I climbed atop a rescued +bale of cotton the better to see. + +Mombasa has no water system, but a wonderful corps of water-carriers. +These were in requisition to a man. They disappeared down through the +wide gates of the customs enclosure, their naked, muscular, light-brown +bodies gleaming with sweat, their Standard Oil cans dangling merrily at +the ends of slender poles. A moment later they emerged, the cans full of +salt water from the bay, the poles seeming fairly to butt into their +bare shoulders as they teetered along at their rapid, swaying, burdened +gait. + +The moment they entered the square they were seized upon from a dozen +different sides. There was no system at all. Every owner of property was +out for himself, and intended to get as much of the precious water as he +could. The poor carriers were pulled about, jerked violently here and +there, besought, commanded, to bring their loads to one or the other of +the threatened premises. Vociferations, accusations, commands arose to +screams. One old graybeard occupied himself by standing on tiptoe and +screeching, "Maji! maji! maji!" at the top of his voice, as though that +added anything to the visible supply. The water-carrier of the moment +disappeared in a swirl of excited contestants. He was attending strictly +to business, looking neither to right nor to left, pushing forward as +steadily as he could, gasping mechanically his customary warning, +"Semeelay! Semeelay!" Somehow, eventually, he and his comrades must have +got somewhere; for after an interval he returned with empty buckets. +Then every blessed fool of a property owner took a whack at his bare +shoulders as he passed, shrieking hysterically, "Haya! haya! pesi! +pesi!" and the like to men already doing their best. It was a grand +sight! + +In the meantime the fire itself was roaring away. The old graybeard +suddenly ceased crying "maji," and darted forward to where I stood on +the bale of cotton. With great but somewhat flurried respect he begged +me to descend. I did so, somewhat curious as to what he might be up to, +for the cotton was at least two hundred feet from the fire. Immediately +he began to tug and heave; the bale was almost beyond his strength; but +after incredible exertions he lifted one side of it, poised it for a +moment, got his shoulder under it, and rolled it over once. Then he +darted away and resumed his raucous cry for water. I climbed back again. +Thrice more, at intervals, he repeated this performance. The only result +was to daub with mud every possible side of that bale. I hope it was his +property. + +You must remember that I was observing the heavy artillery of the attack +on the conflagration. Individual campaigns were everywhere in progress. +I saw one man standing on the roof of a threatened building. He lowered +slowly, hand over hand, a small tea-kettle at the end of a string. This +was filled by a friend in the street, whereupon the man hauled it up +again, slowly, hand over hand, and solemnly dashed its contents into the +mouth of the furnace. Thousands of other men on roofs, in balconies, on +the street, were doing the same thing. Some had ordinary cups which they +filled a block away! The limit of efficiency was a pail. Nobody did +anything in concert with anybody else. The sight of these thousands of +little midgets each with his teacup, or his teapot, or his tin pail, +throwing each his mite of water--for which he had to walk a street or +so--into the ravening roaring furnace of flame was as pathetic or as +comical as you please. They did not seem to have a show in the world. + +Nevertheless, to my vast surprise, the old system of the East triumphed +at last. The system of the East is that if you get _enough_ labour you +can accomplish anything. Little by little those thousands of tea kettles +of water had their aggregate effect. The flames fed themselves out and +died down leaving the contiguous buildings unharmed save for a little +scorching. In two hours all was safe, and I returned to the hotel, +having enjoyed myself hugely. I had, however, in the interest and +excitement, forgotten how deadly is the fever of Mombasa. Midnight in +pyjamas did the business; and shortly I paid well for the fun. + + + + +PART III. + +NAIROBI. + + + + + + +XIII. + +UP FROM THE COAST. + + +Nairobi is situated at the far edge of the great Athi Plains and just +below a range of hills. It might about as well have been anywhere else, +and perhaps better a few miles back in the higher country. Whether the +funny little narrow-gauge railroad exists for Nairobi, or Nairobi for +the railroad, it would be difficult to say. Between Mombasa and this +interior placed-to-order town, certainly, there is nothing, absolutely +nothing, either in passengers or freight, to justify building the line. +That distance is, if I remember it correctly, about three hundred and +twenty miles. A dozen or so names of stations appear on the map. These +are water tanks, telegraph stations, or small groups of tents in which +dwell black labourers--on the railroad. + +The way climbs out from the tropical steaming coast belt to and across +the high scrub desert, and then through lower rounded hills to the +plains. On the desert is only dense thorn brush--and a possibility that +the newcomer, if he looks very closely, may to his excitement see his +first game in Africa. This is a stray duiker or so, tiny grass antelopes +a foot high. Also in this land is thirst; so that alongside the +locomotives, as they struggle up grade, in bad seasons, run natives to +catch precious drops.[5] An impalpable red dust sifts through and into +everything. When a man descends at Voi for dinner he finds his +fellow-travellers have changed complexion. The pale clerk from indoor +Mombasa has put on a fine healthy sunburn; and the company in general +present a rich out-of-doors bloom. A chance dab with a white napkin +comes away like fresh paint, however. + +You clamber back into the compartment, with its latticed sun shades and +its smoked glass windows; you let down the narrow canvas bunk; you +unfold your rug, and settle yourself for repose. It is a difficult +matter. Everything you touch is gritty. The air is close and stifling, +like the smoke-charged air of a tunnel. If you try to open a window you +are suffocated with more of the red dust. At last you fall into a doze; +to awaken nearly frozen! The train has climbed into what is, after weeks +of the tropics, comparative cold; and if you have not been warned to +carry wraps, you are in danger of pneumonia. + +The gray dawn comes, and shortly, in the sudden tropical fashion, the +full light. You look out on a wide smiling grass country, with dips and +swales, and brushy river bottoms, and long slopes and hills thrusting up +in masses from down below the horizon, and singly here and there in the +immensities nearer at hand. The train winds and doubles on itself up the +gentle slopes and across the imperceptibly rising plains. But the +interest is not in these wide prospects, beautiful and smiling as they +may be, but in the game. It is everywhere. Far in the distance the herds +twinkle, half guessed in the shimmer of the bottom lands or dotting the +sides of the hills. Nearer at hand it stares as the train rumbles and +sways laboriously past. Occasionally it even becomes necessary to +whistle aside some impertinent kongoni that has placed himself between +the metals! The newcomer has but a theoretical knowledge at best of all +these animals; and he is intensely interested in identifying the various +species. The hartebeeste and the wildebeeste he learns quickly enough, +and of course the zebra and the giraffe are unmistakable; but the +smaller gazelles are legitimate subjects for discussion. The wonder of +the extraordinary abundance of these wild animals mounts as the hours +slip by. At the stops for water or for orders the passengers gather from +their different compartments to detail excitedly to each other what they +have seen. There is always an honest superenthusiast who believes he has +seen rhinoceroses, lions, or leopards. He is looked upon with envy by +the credulous, and with exasperation by all others. + +So the little train puffs and tugs along. Suddenly it happens on a +barbed wire fence, and immediately after enters the town of Nairobi. The +game has persisted right up to that barbed wire fence. + +The station platform is thronged with a heterogeneous multitude of +people. The hands of a dozen raggetty black boys are stretched out for +luggage. The newcomer sees with delight a savage with a tin can in his +stretched ear lobe; another with a set of wooden skewers set fanwise +around the edge of the ear; he catches a glimpse of a beautiful naked +creature very proud, very decorated with beads and heavy polished wire. +Then he is ravished away by the friend, or agent, or hotel +representative who has met him, and hurried out through the gates +between the impassive and dignified Sikh sentries to the cab. I believe +nobody but the newcomer ever rides in the cab; and then but once, from +the station to the hotel. After that he uses rickshaws. In fact it is +probable that the cab is maintained for the sole purpose of giving the +newcomer a grand and impressive entrance. This brief fleeting quarter +hour of glory is unique and passes. It is like crossing the Line, or the +first kiss, something that in its nature cannot be repeated. + +The cab was once a noble vehicle, compounded of opulent curves, with a +very high driver's box in front, a little let-down bench, and a deep, +luxurious, shell-shaped back seat, reclining in which one received the +adulation of the populace. That was in its youth. Now in its age the +varnish is gone; the upholstery of the back seat frayed; the upholstery +of the small seat lacking utterly, so that one sits on bare boards. In +place of two dignifiedly spirited fat white horses, it is drawn by two +very small mules in a semi-detached position far ahead. And how it +rattles! + +Between the station and the hotel at Nairobi is a long straight wide +well-made street, nearly a mile long, and bordered by a double row of +young eucalyptus. These latter have changed the main street of Nairobi +from the sunbaked array of galvanized houses described by travellers of +a half dozen years back to a thoroughfare of great charm. The iron +houses and stores are now in a shaded background; and the attention is +freed to concentrate on the vivid colouring, the incessant movement, the +great interest of the people moving to and fro. When I left Nairobi the +authorities were considering the removal of these trees, because one row +of them had been planted slightly within the legal limits of the street. +What they could interfere with in a practically horseless town I cannot +imagine, but I trust this stupidity gave way to second thought. + +The cab rattles and careers up the length of the street, scattering +rickshaws and pedestrians from before its triumphant path. To the left +opens a wide street of little booths under iron awnings, hung with gay +colour and glittering things. The street is thronged from side to side +with natives of all sorts. It whirls past, and shortly after the cab +dashes inside a fence and draws up before the low stone-built, +wide-verandahed hotel. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[5] The Government does much nowadays by means of tank cars. + + + + +XIV. + +A TOWN OF CONTRASTS. + + +It has been, as I have said, the fashion to speak of Nairobi as an ugly +little town. This was probably true when the first corrugated iron +houses huddled unrelieved near the railway station. It is not true now. +The lower part of town is well planted, and is always picturesque as +long as its people are astir. The white population have built in the +wooded hills some charming bungalows surrounded by bright flowers or +lost amid the trunks of great trees. From the heights on which is +Government House one can, with a glass, watch the game herds feeding on +the plains. Two clubs, with the usual games of golf, polo, +tennis--especially tennis--football and cricket; a weekly hunt, with +jackals instead of foxes; a bungalow town club on the slope of a hill; +an electric light system; a race track; a rifle range; frilly parasols +and the latest fluffiest summer toilettes from London and Paris--I +mention a few of the refinements of civilization that offer to the +traveller some of the most piquant of contrasts. + +For it must not be forgotten that Nairobi, in spite of these things--due +to the direct but slender thread of communication by railroad and +ships--is actually in the middle of an African wilderness--is a black +man's town, as far as numbers go.[6] + +The game feeds to its very outskirts, even wanders into the streets at +night.[7] Lions may be heard roaring within a mile or so of town; and +leopards occasionally at night come on the verandas of the outlying +dwellings. Naked savages from the jungle untouched by civilization in +even the minutest particular wander the streets unabashed. + +It is this constantly recurring, sharply drawn contrast that gives +Nairobi its piquant charm. As one sits on the broad hotel veranda a +constantly varied pageant passes before him. A daintily dressed, +fresh-faced Englishwoman bobs by in a smart rickshaw drawn by two +uniformed runners; a Kikuyu, anointed, curled, naked, brass adorned, +teeters along, an expression of satisfaction on his face; a horseman, +well appointed, trots briskly by followed by his loping syce; a string +of skin-clad women, their heads fantastically shaved, heavily +ornamented, lean forward under the burden of firewood for the market; a +beautiful baby in a frilled perambulator is propelled by a tall, solemn, +fine-looking black man in white robe and cap; the driver of a high cart +tools his animal past a creaking, clumsy, two-wheeled wagon drawn by a +pair of small humpbacked native oxen. And so it goes, all day long, +without end. The public rickshaw boys just across the way chatter and +game and quarrel and keep a watchful eye out for a possible patron on +whom to charge vociferously and full tilt. Two or three old-timers with +white whiskers and red faces continue to slaughter thousands and +thousands and thousands of lions from the depths of their easy chairs. + +The stone veranda of that hotel is a very interesting place. Here gather +men from all parts of East Africa, from Uganda, and the jungles of the +Upper Congo. At one time or another all the famous hunters drop into its +canvas chairs--Cunninghame, Allan Black, Judd, Outram, Hoey, and the +others; white traders with the natives of distant lands; owners of farms +experimenting bravely on a greater or lesser scale in a land whose +difficulties are just beginning to be understood; great naturalists and +scientists from the governments of the earth, eager to observe and +collect this interesting and teeming fauna; and sportsmen just out and +full of interest, or just returned and modestly important. More +absorbing conversation can be listened to on this veranda than in any +other one place in the world. The gathering is cosmopolitan; it is +representative of the most active of every social, political, and racial +element; it has done things; it contemplates vital problems from the +vantage ground of experience. The talk veers from pole to pole--and +returns always to lions. + +Every little while a native--a raw savage--comes along and takes up a +stand just outside the railing. He stands there mute and patient for +five minutes--a half hour--until some one, any one, happens to notice +him. + +"N'jo!--come here!" commands this person. + +The savage silently proffers a bit of paper on which is written the name +of the one with whom he has business. + +"Nenda officie!" indicates the charitable person waving his hand +towards the hotel office. + +Then, and not until this permission has been given by some one, dares +the savage cross the threshold to do his errand. + +If the messenger happens to be a trained houseboy, however, dressed in +his uniform of khaki or his more picturesque white robe and cap, he is +privileged to work out his own salvation. And behind the hotel are rows +and rows of other boys, each waiting patiently the pleasure of his +especial bwana lounging at ease after strenuous days. At the drawling +shout of "boy!" one of them instantly departs to find out which +particular boy is wanted. + +The moment any white man walks to the edge of the veranda a half-dozen +of the rickshaws across the street career madly around the corners of +the fence, bumping, colliding, careening dangerously, to drop +beseechingly in serried confusion close around the step. The rickshaw +habit is very strong in Nairobi. If a man wants to go a hundred yards +down the street he takes a rickshaw for that stupendous journey. There +is in justification the legend that the white man should not exert +himself in the tropics. I fell into the custom of the country until I +reflected that it would hardly be more fatal to me to walk a half-hour +in the streets of Nairobi than to march six or seven hours--as I often +did--when on safari or in the hunting field. After that I got a little +exercise, to the vast scandal of the rickshaw boys. In fact, so unusual +was my performance that at first I had fairly to clear myself a way with +my kiboko. After a few experiences they concluded me a particularly +crazy person and let me alone. + +Rickshaws, however, are very efficient and very cheap. The runners, two +in number, are lithe little round-headed Kavirondos, generally, their +heads shaved to leave a skull cap, clad in scant ragged garments, and +wearing each an anklet of little bells. Their passion for ornament they +confine to small bright things in their hair and ears. They run easily, +with a very long stride. Even steep hills they struggle up somehow, +zigzagging from one side of the road to the other, edging along an inch +or so at a time. In such places I should infinitely have preferred to +have walked, but that would have lost me caste everywhere. There are +limits even to a crazy man's idiosyncrasies. For that reason I never +thoroughly enjoyed rickshaws, save along the level ways with bells +jingling and feet patpatting a rapid time. Certainly I did not enjoy +them going down the steep hills. The boy between the shafts in front +hits the landscape about every forty feet. I do not really object to +sudden death, but this form of it seemed unfair to some poor hungry +lion. + +However, the winding smooth roads among the forested, shaded bungalows +of the upper part of town were very attractive, especially towards +evening. At that time the universal sun-helmet or double terai could be +laid aside for straw hats, cloth caps, or bare heads. People played the +more violent games, or strolled idly. At the hotel there was now a good +deal of foolish drinking; foolish, because in this climate it is very +bad for the human system, and in these surroundings of much interest and +excitement the relief of its exaltation from monotony or ennui or +routine could hardly be required. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[6] Fifteen hundred whites to twelve thousand natives, approximately. + +[7] This happened twice while I was in the country. + + + + +XV. + +PEOPLE. + + +Considered as a class rather than as individuals, the dark-skinned +population is easily the more interesting. Considered as individuals, +the converse is true. Men like Sir Percy Girouard, Hobley, Jackson, Lord +Delamere, McMillan, Cunninghame, Allan Black, Leslie Tarleton, +Vanderweyer, the Hill cousins, Horne, and a dozen others are nowhere +else to be met in so small a community. But the whites have developed +nothing in their relations one to another essentially different. The +artisan and shopkeeping class dwell on the flats; the Government people +and those of military connections live on the heights on one side of the +little stream; the civil service and bigger business men among the hills +on the other. Between them all is a little jealousy, and contempt, and +condescension; just as there is jealousy, and contempt, and +condescension elsewhere. They are pleasant people, and hospitable, and +some of them very distinguished in position or achievement; and I am +glad to say I have good friends among them. + +But the native is the joy, and the never-ceasing delight. For his +benefit is the wide, glittering, colourful, insanitary bazaar, with its +dozens of little open-air veranda shops, its "hotels" where he can sit +in a real chair and drink real tea, its cafes, and the dark mysteries of +its more doubtful amusements. The bazaar is right in the middle of town, +just where it ought not to be, and it is constantly being quarantined, +and threatened with removal. It houses a large population mysteriously, +for it is of slight extent. Then on the borders of town are the two +great native villages--one belonging to the Somalis, and the other +hospitably accommodating the swarms of caravan porters and their +families. For, just as in old days Mombasa and Zanzibar used to be the +points from which caravans into the interior would set forth, now +Nairobi outfits the majority of expeditions. Probably ten thousand +picked natives of various tribes are engaged in the profession. Of +course but a small proportion of this number is ever at home at any one +time; but the village is a large one. Both these villages are built in +the native style, of plaster and thatch; have their own headman +government--under supervision--and are kept pretty well swept out and +tidy. Besides these three main gathering places are many camps and +"shambas"[8] scattered everywhere; and the back country counts millions +of raw jungle savages, only too glad to drift in occasionally for a look +at the metropolis. + +At first the newcomer is absolutely bewildered by the variety of these +peoples; but after a little he learns to differentiate. The Somalis are +perhaps the first recognizable, with their finely chiselled, +intelligent, delicate brown features, their slender forms, and their +strikingly picturesque costumes of turbans, flowing robes, and +embroidered sleeveless jackets. Then he learns to distinguish the savage +from the sophisticated dweller of the town. Later comes the +identification of the numerous tribes. + +The savage comes in just as he has been for, ethnologists alone can +guess, how many thousands of years. He is too old an institution to have +been affected as yet by this tiny spot of modernity in the middle of the +wilderness. As a consequence he startles the newcomer even more than +the sight of giraffes on the sky-line. + +When the shenzi--wild man--comes to town he gathers in two or three of +his companions, and presents himself as follows: His hair has been grown +quite long, then gathered in three tight pigtails wound with leather, +one of which hangs over his forehead, and the other two over his ears. +The entire head he has then anointed with a mixture of castor oil and a +bright red colouring earth. This is wiped away evenly all around the +face, about two inches below the hair, to leave a broad, bandlike +glistening effect around the entire head. The ears are most marvellous. +From early youth the lobes have been stretched, until at last they have +become like two long elastic loops, hanging down upon the shoulder, and +capable of accommodating anything up to and including a tomato can. When +in fatigue uniform these loops are caught up over the tops of the ears, +but on dress parade they accommodate almost anything considered +ornamental. I have seen a row of safety pins clasped in them or a number +of curtain rings; or a marmalade jar, or the glittering cover of a +tobacco tin. The edges of the ears, all around to the top, are then +pierced. Then the insertion of a row of long white wooden skewers gives +one a peculiarly porcupinish look; or a row of little brass danglers +hints of wealth. Having thus finished off his head, your savage clasps +around his neck various strings of beads; or collars of iron or copper +wire, polished to the point of glitter; puts on a half-dozen armlets and +leglets of the same; ties on a narrow bead belt, in which is thrust a +short sword; anoints himself all over with reddened castor oil until he +glistens and shines in the sun; rubs his legs with white clay and traces +patterns therein; seizes his long-bladed spear, and is ready for the +city. Oh, no! I forgot--and he probably came near doing so--his strip of +'Mericani.[9] This was originally white, but constant wear over castor +oil has turned it a uniform and beautiful brown. + +The purpose of this is ornament, and it is so worn. There has been an +attempt, I understand, to force these innocent children to some sort of +conventional decency while actually in the streets of Nairobi. It was +too large an order. Some bring in clothes, to be sure, because the white +man asks it; but why no sensible man could say. They are hung from one +shoulder, flap merrily in the breeze, and are always quite frankly +tucked up about the neck or under the arms when the wearer happens to be +in haste. As a matter of fact these savages are so beautifully and +smoothly formed; their red-brown or chocolate-brown skin is so fine in +texture, and their complete unconsciousness so genuine that in an hour +the newcomer is quite accustomed to their nakedness. + +These proud youths wander mincingly down the street with an expression +of the most fatuous and good-natured satisfaction with themselves. To +their minds they have evidently done every last thing that human +ingenuity or convention could encompass. + +These young men are the dandies, the proud young aristocracy of wealth +and importance; and of course they may differ individually or tribally +from the sample I have offered. Also there are many other social grades. +Those who care less for dress or have less to get it with can rub along +very cheaply. The only real essentials are (_a_) something for the +ear--a tomato can will do; (_b_) a trifle for clothing--and for that a +scrap of gunny sacking will be quite enough. + +The women to be seen in the streets of Nairobi are mostly of the Kikuyu +tribe. They are pretty much of a pattern. Their heads are shaven, +either completely or to leave only ornamental tufts; and are generally +bound with a fine wire fillet so tightly that the strands seem to sink +into the flesh. A piece of cotton cloth, dyed dark umber red, is belted +around the waist, and sometimes, but not always, another is thrown about +the shoulder. They go in for more hardware than do the men. The entire +arms and the calves of the legs are encased in a sort of armour made of +quarter-inch wire wound closely, and a collar of the same material +stands out like a ruff eight or ten inches around the neck. This is +wound on for good; and must be worn day and night and all the time, a +cumbersome and tremendously heavy burden. A dozen large loops of +coloured beads strung through the ears, and various strings and +necklaces of beads, cowrie shells, and the like finish them out in all +their gorgeousness. They would sink like plummets. Their job in life, +besides lugging all this stuff about, is to carry in firewood and +forage. At any time of the day long files of them can be seen bending +forward under their burdens. These they carry on their backs by means of +a strap across the tops of their heads; after the fashion of the +Canadian tump line. + +The next cut above the shenzi, or wild man, is the individual who has +been on safari as carrier, or has otherwise been much employed around +white men. From this experience he has acquired articles of apparel and +points of view. He is given to ragged khaki, or cast-off garments of all +sorts, but never to shoes. This hint of the conventional only serves to +accent the little self-satisfied excursions he makes into barbarism. The +shirt is always worn outside, the ear ornaments are as varied as ever, +the head is shaved in strange patterns, a tiny tight tuft on the crown +is useful as fastening for feathers or little streamers or anything else +that will wave or glitter. One of these individuals wore a red label he +had, with patience and difficulty, removed from one of our trunks. He +had pasted it on his forehead; and it read "Baggage Room. Not Wanted." +These people are, after all, but modified shenzis. The modification is +nearly always in the direction of the comic. + +Now we step up to a class that would resent being called shenzis as it +would resent an insult. This is the personal servant class. The members +are of all tribes, with possibly a slight preponderance of Swahilis and +Somalis. They are a very clean, well-groomed, self-respecting class, +with a great deal of dignity, and a great deal of pride in their +bwanas. Also they are exceedingly likely to degenerate unless ruled with +a firm hand and a wise head. Very rarely are they dishonest as respects +the possessions of their own masters. They understand their work +perfectly, and the best of them get the equivalent of from eight to ten +dollars a month. Every white individual has one or more of them; even +the tiny children with their ridiculous little sun helmets are followed +everywhere by a tall, solemn, white-robed black. Their powers of +divination approach the uncanny. About the time you begin to think of +wanting something, and are making a first helpless survey of a boyless +landscape, your own servant suddenly, mysteriously, and unobtrusively +appears from nowhere. Where he keeps himself, where he feeds himself, +where he sleeps you do not know. These beautifully clean, trim, +dignified people are always a pleasant feature in the varied picture. + +The Somalis are a clan by themselves. A few of them condescend to +domestic service, but the most prefer the free life of traders, horse +dealers, gunbearers, camel drivers, labour go-betweens, and similar +guerrilla occupations. They are handsome, dashing, proud, treacherous, +courageous, likeable, untrustworthy. They career around on their high, +short-stirruped saddles; they saunter indolently in small groups; they +hang about the hotel hoping for a dicker of some kind. There is nothing +of the savage about them, but much of the true barbarism, with the +barbarian's pride, treachery, and love of colour. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[8] Native farmlets, generally temporary. + +[9] White cotton cloth. + + + + +XVI. + +RECRUITING. + + +To the traveller Nairobi is most interesting as the point from which +expeditions start and to which they return. Doubtless an extended stay +in the country would show him that problems of administration and +possibilities of development could be even more absorbing; but such +things are very sketchy to him at first. + +As a usual thing, when he wants porters he picks them out from the +throng hanging around the big outfitters' establishments. Each man is +then given a blanket--cotton, but of a most satisfying red--a tin water +bottle, a short stout cord, and a navy blue jersey. After that ceremony +he is yours. + +But on the occasion of one three months' journey into comparatively +unknown country we ran up against difficulties. Some two weeks before +our contemplated start two or three cases of bubonic plague had been +discovered in the bazaar, and as a consequence Nairobi was quarantined. +This meant that a rope had been stretched around the infected area, that +the shops had been closed, and that no native could--officially--leave +Nairobi. The latter provision affected us; for under it we should be +unable to get our bearers out. + +As a matter of fact, the whole performance--unofficially--was a farce. +Natives conversed affably at arm's length across the ropes; hundreds +sneaked in and out of town at will; and from the rear of the infected +area I personally saw beds, chests, household goods, blankets, and +clothes passed to friends outside the ropes. When this latter condition +was reported, in my presence, to the medical officers, they replied that +this was a matter for police cognizance! But the brave outward show of +ropes, disinfectants, gorgeous sentries--in front--and official +inspection went solemnly on. Great, even in Africa, is the god of red +tape. + +Our only possible plan, in the circumstances, was to recruit the men +outside the town, to camp them somewhere, march them across country to a +way station, and there embark them. Our goods and safari stores we +could then ship out to them by train. + +Accordingly we rode on bicycles out to the Swahili village. + +This is, as I have said, composed of large "beehive" houses thatched +conically with straw. The roofs extend to form verandas beneath which +sit indolent damsels, their hair divided in innumerable tiny parts +running fore and aft like the stripes on a water melon; their figured +'Mericani garments draped gracefully. As befitted the women of +plutocrats, they wore much jewellery, some of it set in their noses. +Most of them did all of nothing, but some sat half buried in narrow +strips of bright-coloured tissue paper. These they were pasting together +like rolls of tape, the coloured edges of the paper forming concentric +patterns on the resultant discs--an infinite labour. The discs, when +completed, were for insertion in the lobes of the ears. + +When we arrived the irregular "streets" of the village were nearly +empty, save for a few elegant youths, in long kanzuas, or robes of +cinnamon colour and spotless white, on their heads fezzes or turbans, in +their hands slender rattan canes. They were very busy talking to each +other, and of course did not notice the idle beauties beneath the +verandas. + +Hardly had we appeared, however, when mysteriously came forth the +headman--a bearded, solemn, Arab-like person with a phenomenally ugly +face but a most pleasing smile. We told him we wanted porters. He +clapped his hands. To the four young men who answered this summons he +gave a command. From sleepy indolence they sprang into life. To the four +cardinal points of the compass they darted away, running up and down the +side streets, beating on the doors, screaming at the tops of their lungs +the word "Cazi"[10] over and over again. + +The village hummed like a wasps' nest. Men poured from the huts in +swarms. The streets were filled; the idle sauntering youths were +swamped, and sunk from view. Clamour and shouting arose where before had +been a droning silence. The mob beat up to where we stood, surrounding +us, shouting at us. From somewhere some one brought an old table and two +decrepit chairs, battered and rickety in themselves, but symbols of +great authority in a community where nobody habitually used either. Two +naked boys proudly took charge of our bicycles. + +We seated ourselves. + +"Fall in!" we yelled. + +About half the crowd fell into rough lines. The rest drew slightly to +one side. Nobody stopped talking for a single instant. + +We arose and tackled our job. The first part of it was to segregate the +applicants into their different tribes. + +"Monumwezi hapa!" we yelled; and the command was repeated and repeated +again by the headman, by his four personal assistants, by a half-dozen +lesser headmen. Slowly the Monumwezi drew aside. We impressed on them +emphatically they must stay thus, and went after, in turn, the Baganda, +the Wakamba, the Swahilis, the Kavirondo, the Kikuyu. When we had them +grouped, we went over them individually. We punched their chests, we ran +over all their joints, we examined their feet, we felt their muscles. +Our victims stood rigidly at inspection, but their numerous friends +surrounded us closely, urging the claims of the man to our notice. It +was rather confusing, but we tried to go at it as though we were alone +in a wilderness. If the man passed muster we motioned him to a rapidly +growing group. + +When we had finished we had about sixty men segregated. Then we went +over this picked lot again. This time we tried not only to get good +specimens, but to mix our tribes. At last our count of twenty-nine was +made up, and we took a deep breath. But to us came one of them +complaining that he was a Monumwezi, and that we had picked only three +Monumwezi, and--We cut him short. His contention was quite correct. A +porter tent holds five, and it does not do to mix tribes. +Reorganization! Cut out two extra Kavirondos, and include two more +Monumwezi. "Bass! finished! Now go get your effects. We start +immediately." + +As quickly as it had filled, the street cleared. The rejected dived back +into their huts, the newly enlisted carriers went to collect their +baggage. Only remained the headman and his fierce-faced assistants, and +the splendid youths idling up and down--none of them had volunteered, +you may be sure--and the damsels of leisure beneath the porticos. Also +one engaging and peculiar figure hovering near. + +This individual had been particularly busy during our recruiting. He had +hustled the men into line, he had advised us for or against different +candidates, he had loudly sung my praises as a man to work for, +although, of course, he knew nothing about me. Now he approached, +saluted, smiled. He was a tall, slenderly-built person, with +phenomenally long, thin legs, slightly rounded shoulders, a forward +thrust, keen face, and remarkably long, slim hands. With these he +gesticulated much, in a right-angled fashion, after the manner of +Egyptian hieroglyphical figures. He was in no manner shenzi. He wore a +fez, a neat khaki coat and shorts, blue puttees and boots. Also a belt +with leather pockets, a bunch of keys, a wrist watch, and a seal ring. +His air was of great elegance and social ease. We took him with us as +C.'s gunbearer. He proved staunch, a good tracker, an excellent hunter, +and a most engaging individual. His name was Kongoni, and he was a +Wakamba. + +But now we were confronted with a new problem: that of getting our +twenty-nine chosen ones together again. They had totally disappeared. In +all directions we had emissaries beating up the laggards. As each man +reappeared carrying his little bundle, we lined him up with his +companions. Then when we turned our backs we lost him again; he had +thought of another friend with whom to exchange farewells. At the long +last, however, we got them all collected. The procession started, the +naked boys proudly wheeling our bikes alongside. We saw them fairly +clear of everything, then turned them over to Kongoni, while we returned +to Nairobi to see after our effects. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[10] Work. + + + + +PART IV. A LION HUNT ON KAPITI. + + + + +XVII. + +AN OSTRICH FARM AT MACHAKOS. + + +This has to do with a lion hunt on the Kapiti Plains. On the veranda at +Nairobi I had some time previous met Clifford Hill, who had invited me +to visit him at the ostrich farm he and his cousin were running in the +mountains near Machakos. Some time later, a visit to Juja Farm gave me +the opportunity. Juja is only a day's ride from the Hills'. So an +Africander, originally from the south, Captain D., and I sent across a +few carriers with our personal effects, and ourselves rode over on +horseback. + +Juja is on the Athi Plains. Between the Athi and Kapiti Plains runs a +range of low mountains around the end of which one can make his way as +around a promontory. The Hills' ostrich farm was on the highlands in the +bay on the other side of the promontory. + +It was towards the close of the rainy season, and the rivers were up. +We had to swim our horses within a half-mile of Juja, and got pretty +wet. Shortly after crossing the Athi, however, five miles on, we emerged +on the dry, drained slopes from the hills. Here the grass was long, and +the ticks plentiful. Our horses' legs and chests were black with them; +and when we dismounted for lunch we ourselves were almost immediately +alive with the pests. In this very high grass the game was rather +scarce, but after we had climbed by insensible grades to the shorter +growth we began to see many hartebeeste, zebra, and gazelles, and a few +of the wildebeeste, or brindled gnus. Travel over these great plains and +through these leisurely low hills is a good deal like coastwise +sailing--the same apparently unattainable landmarks which, nevertheless, +are at last passed and left astern by the same sure but insensible +progress. Thus we drew up on apparently continuous hills, found wide +gaps between them, crossed them, and turned to the left along the other +side of the promontory. About five o'clock we came to the Hills'. + +The ostrich farm is situated on the very top of a conical rise that +sticks up like an island close inshore to the semicircle of mountains in +which end the vast plains of Kapiti. Thus the Hills have at their backs +and sides these solid ramparts and face westward the immensities of +space. For Kapiti goes on over the edge of the world to unknown, +unguessed regions, rolling and troubled like a sea. And from that +unknown, on very still days, the snowy peak of Kilimanjaro peers out, +sketched as faintly against the sky as a soap bubble wafted upward and +about to disappear. Here and there on the plains kopjes stand like +islands, their stone tops looking as though thrust through the smooth +prairie surface from beneath. To them meandered long, narrow ravines +full of low brush, like thin, wavering streaks of gray. On these +kopjes--each of which had its name--and in these ravines we were to hunt +lions. + +We began the ascent of the cone on which dwelt our hosts. It was one of +those hills that seem in no part steep, and yet which finally succeed in +raising one to a considerable height. We passed two ostrich herds in +charge of savages, rode through a scattered native village, and so came +to the farm itself, situated on the very summit. + +The house consisted of three large circular huts, thatched neatly with +papyrus stalks, and with conical roofs. These were arranged as a +triangle, just touching each other; and the space between had been +roofed over to form a veranda. We were ushered into one of these +circular rooms. It was spacious and contained two beds, two chairs, a +dresser, and a table. Its earth floor was completely covered by the +skins of animals. In the corresponding room, opposite, slept our hosts; +while the third was the living and dining room. A long table, raw-hide +bottomed chairs, a large sideboard, bookcases, a long easy settee with +pillows, gun racks, photographs in and out of frames, a table with +writing materials, and books and magazines everywhere--not to speak of +again the skins of many animals completely covering the floor. Out +behind, in small, separate buildings, laboured the cook, and dwelt the +stores, the bath-tub, and other such necessary affairs. + +As soon as we had consumed the usual grateful lime juice and sparklets, +we followed our hosts into the open air to look around. + +On this high, airy hill top the Hills some day are going to build them a +real house. In anticipation they have laid out grounds and have planted +many things. In examining these my California training stood by me. Out +there, as here, one so often examines his own and his neighbours' +gardens, not for what they are but for what they shall become. His +imagination can exalt this tiny seedling to the impressiveness of +spreading noontime shade; can magnify yonder apparent duplicate to the +full symmetry of a shrub; can ruthlessly diminish the present importance +of certain grand and lofty growths to its true status of flower or +animal. So from a dead uniformity of size he casts forward in the years +to a pleasing variation of shade, of jungle, of open glade, of flowered +vista; and he goes away full of expert admiration for "X.'s bully +garden." With this solid training beneath me I was able on this occasion +to please immensely. + +From the house site we descended the slope to where the ostriches and +the cattle and the people were in the late sunlight swarming upward from +the plains pastures below. These people were, to the chief extent, +Wakamba, quite savage, but attracted here by the justness and fair +dealing of the Hills. Some of them farmed on shares with the Hills, the +white men furnishing the land and seed, and the black men the labour; +some of them laboured on wage; some few herded cattle or ostriches; some +were hunters and took the field only when, as now, serious business was +afoot. They had their complete villages, with priests, witch doctors, +and all; and they seemed both contented and fond of the two white men. + +As we walked about we learned much of the ostrich business; and in the +course of our ten days' visit we came to a better realization of how +much there is to think of in what appears basically so simple a +proposition. + +In the nesting time, then, the Hills went out over the open country, +sometimes for days at a time, armed with long high-power telescopes. +With these fearsome and unwieldy instruments they surveyed the country +inch by inch from the advantage of a kopje. When thus they discovered a +nest, they descended and appropriated the eggs. The latter, hatched at +home in an incubator, formed the nucleus of a flock. + +Pass the raising of ostrich chicks to full size through the difficulties +of disease, wild beasts, and sheer cussedness. Of the resultant thirty +birds or so of the season's catch, but two or three will even promise +good production. These must be bred in captivity with other likely +specimens. Thus after several years the industrious ostrich farmer may +become possessed of a few really prime birds. To accumulate a proper +flock of such in a new country is a matter of a decade or so. Extra +prime birds are as well known and as much in demand for breeding as any +blood horse in a racing country. Your true ostrich enthusiast, like the +Hills, possesses trunks full of feathers not good commercially, but +intensely interesting for comparison and for the purposes of prophecy. +While I stayed with them came a rumour of a very fine plucking a distant +neighbour had just finished from a likely two-year-old. The Hills were +manifestly uneasy until one of them had ridden the long distance to +compare this newcomer's product with that of their own two-year-olds. +And I shall never forget the reluctantly admiring shake of the head with +which he acknowledged that it was indeed a "very fine feather!" + +But getting the birds is by no means all of ostrich farming, as many +eager experimenters have discovered to their cost. The birds must have a +certain sort of pasture land; and their paddocks must be built on an +earth that will not soil or break the edges of the new plumes. + +And then there is the constant danger of wild beasts. When a man has +spent years in gathering suitable flocks, he cannot be blamed for wild +anger when, as happened while I was in the country, lions kill sixty or +seventy birds in a night. The ostrich seems to tempt lions greatly. The +beasts will make their way through and over the most complicated +defences. Any ostrich farmer's life is a constant warfare against them. +Thus the Hills had slain sixty-eight lions in and near their farm--a +tremendous record. Still the beasts continued to come in. My hosts +showed me, with considerable pride, their arrangements finally evolved +for night protection. + +The ostriches were confined in a series of heavy corrals, segregating +the birds of different ages. Around the outside of this group of +enclosures ran a wide ring corral in which were confined the numerous +cattle; and as an outer wall to this were built the huts of the Wakamba +village. Thus to penetrate to the ostriches the enterprising lion would +have to pass both the people, the cattle, and the strong thorn and log +structures that contained them. + +This subject brings me to another set of acquaintances we had already +made--the dogs. + +These consisted of an Airedale named Ruby; two setters called Wayward +and Girlie; a heavy black mongrel, Nero; ditto brindle, Ben; and a +smaller black and white ditto, Ranger. They were very nice friendly +doggy dogs, but they did not look like lion hunters. Nevertheless, Hill +assured us that they were of great use in the sport, and promised us +that on the following day we should see just how. + + + + +XVIII + +THE FIRST LIONESS. + + +At an early hour we loaded our bedding, food, tents, and camp outfit on +a two-wheeled wagon drawn by four of the humpbacked native oxen, and +sent it away across the plains, with instructions to make camp on a +certain kopje. Clifford Hill and myself, accompanied by our gunbearers +and syces, then rode leisurely down the length of a shallow brushy canon +for a mile or so. There we dismounted and sat down to await the arrival +of the others. These--including Harold Hill, Captain D., five or six +Wakamba spearmen, our own carriers, and the dogs--came along more +slowly, beating the bottoms on the off chance of game. + +The sun was just warming, and the bees and insects were filling the air +with their sleepy droning sounds. The hillside opposite showed many +little outcrops of rocks so like the hills of our own Western States +that it was somewhat difficult to realize that we were in Africa. For +some reason the delay was long. Then suddenly all four of us +simultaneously saw the same thing. A quarter-mile away and on the +hillside opposite a magnificent lioness came loping easily along through +the grass. She looked very small at that distance, like a toy, and quite +unhurried. Indeed, every few moments she paused to look back in an +annoyed fashion over her shoulder in the direction of the row behind +her. + +There was nothing to do but sit tight and wait. The lioness was headed +exactly to cross our front; nor, except at one point, was she at all +likely to deviate. A shallow tributary ravine ran into our own about two +hundred yards away. She might possibly sneak down the bed of this. It +seemed unlikely. The going was bad, and in addition she had no idea as +yet that she had been sighted. Indeed, the chances were that she would +come to a definite stop before making the crossing, in which case we +would get a shot. + +"And if she does go down the donga," whispered Hill, "the dogs will +locate her." + +Sitting still while things approach is always exciting. This is true of +ducks; but when you multiply ducks by lions it is still more true. We +all crouched very low in the grass. She leapt without hesitation into +the ravine--and did not emerge. + +This was a disappointment. We concluded she must have entered the stream +bottom, and were just about to move when Memba Sasa snapped his fingers. +His sharp eyes had discovered her sneaking along, belly to the ground, +like the cat she was. The explanation of this change in her gait was +simple. Our companions had rounded the corner of the hill and were +galloping in plain view a half-mile away. The lioness had caught sight +of them. + +She was gliding by, dimly visible, through thick brush seventy yards +distant. Now I could make out a tawny patch that faded while I looked; +now I could merely guess at a melting shadow. + +"Stir her up," whispered Hill. "Never mind whether you hit. She'll sneak +away." + +At the shot she leaped fully out into the open with a snarl. Promptly I +planted a Springfield bullet in her ribs. She answered slightly to the +hit, but did not shift position. Her head up, her tail thrashing from +side to side, her ears laid back, she stood there looking the landscape +over carefully point by point. She was searching for us, but as yet +could not locate us. It was really magnificent. + +I attempted to throw in another cartridge, but because of my desire to +work the bolt quietly, in order not to attract the lioness's attention, +I did not pull it back far enough, and the cartridge jammed in the +magazine. As evidence of Memba Sasa's coolness and efficiency, it is to +be written that he became aware of this as soon as I did. He thrust +the.405 across my right side, at the same time withdrawing the +Springfield on the left. The motion was slight, but the lioness caught +it. Immediately she dropped her head and charged. + +For the next few moments, naturally, I was pretty intent on lions. +Nevertheless a corner of my mind was aware of Memba Sasa methodically +picking away at the jammed rifle, and paying no attention whatever to +the beast. Also I heard Hill making picturesque remarks about his +gunbearer, who had bolted with his second gun. + +The lioness charged very fast, but very straight, about in the tearing, +scrambling manner of a terrier after a thrown ball. I got in the first +shot as she came, the bullet ranging back from the shoulder, and Hill +followed it immediately with another from his.404 Jeffrey. She growled +at the bullets, and checked very slightly as they hit, but gave no other +sign. Then our second shots hit her both together. The mere shock +stopped her short, but recovering instantly, she sprang forward again. +Hill's third shot came next, and perceptibly slowed and staggered, but +did not stop her. By this time she was quite close, and my own third +shot reached her brain. She rolled over dead. + +Decidedly she was a game beast, and stood more hammering than any other +lion I killed or saw killed. Before the final shot in the brain she had +taken one light bullet and five heavy ones with hardly a wince. Memba +Sasa uttered a loud grunt of satisfaction when she went down for good. +He had the Springfield reloaded and cocked, right at my elbow. + +Hill's gunboy hovered uncertainly some distance in the rear. The sight +of the charging lioness had been too much for him and he had bolted. He +was not actually up a tree; but he stood very near one. He lost the gun +and acquired a swift kick. + +Our friends and the men now came up. The dogs made a great row over the +dead lioness. She was measured and skinned to accompaniment of the usual +low-hummed chantings. We had with us a small boy of ten or twelve years +whose job it was to take care of the dogs and to remove ticks. In fact +he was known as the Tick Toto. As this was his first expedition afield, +his father took especial pains to smear him with fat from the lioness. +This was to make him brave. I am bound to confess the effect was not +immediate. + + + + +XIX. + +THE DOGS. + + +I soon discovered that we were hunting lions with the assistance of the +dogs; not that the dogs were hunting lions. They had not lost any lions, +not they! My mental pictures of the snarling, magnificent king of beasts +surrounded by an equally snarling, magnificent pack vanished into thin +air. + +Our system was to cover as much likely country as we could, and to let +the dogs have a good time. As I have before indicated, they were +thoroughly doggy dogs, and interested in everything--except able-bodied +lions. None of the stick-at-your-heels in their composition. They ranged +far and wide through all sorts of cover, seeking what they could find in +the way of porcupines, mongoose, hares, birds, cats, and whatever else +should interest any healthy-minded dog. If there happened to be any +lions in the path of these rangings, the dogs retired rapidly, +discreetly, and with every symptom of horrified disgust. If a dog came +sailing out of a thicket, ki-yi-ing agitatedly, and took up his +position, tail between his legs, behind his master, we knew there was +probably a lion about. Thus we hunted lions with dogs. + +But in order to be fair to these most excellent canines, it should be +recorded that they recovered a certain proportion of their nerve after a +rifle had been fired. They then returned warily to the--not +attack--reconnaissance. This trait showed touching faith, and was a real +compliment to the marksmanship of their masters. Some day it will be +misplaced. A little cautious scouting on their part located the wounded +beast; whereupon, at a respectful distance, they lifted their voices. As +a large element of danger in case of a wounded lion is the uncertainty +as to his whereabouts, it will be seen that the dogs were very valuable +indeed. They seemed to know exactly how badly hit any animal might +happen to be, and to gauge their distance accordingly, until at last, +when the quarry was hammered to harmlessness, they closed in and began +to worry the nearly lifeless carcass. By this policy the dogs had a lot +of fun hunting on their own hook, preserved their lives from otherwise +inevitable extinction, and were of great assistance in saving their +masters' skins. + +One member of the pack, perhaps two, were, however, rather pathetic +figures. I refer to the setters, Wayward and Girlie. Ranger, Ruby, Ben, +and Nero scampered merrily over the landscape after anything that +stirred, from field mice to serval cats. All was game to their catholic +tastes; and you may be sure, in a country like Africa, they had few dull +moments. But Wayward and Girlie had been brought up in a more exclusive +manner. Their early instincts had been supplemented by a rigorous early +training. Game to them meant birds, and birds only. Furthermore, they +had been solemnly assured by human persons in whom they had the utmost +confidence, that but one sequence of events was permissible or even +thinkable in the presence of game. The Dog at first intimation by scent +must convey the fact to the Man, must proceed cautiously to locate +exactly, must then stiffen to a point which he must hold staunchly, no +matter how distracting events might turn out, or how long an interval +might elapse. The Man must next walk up the birds; shoot at them, +perhaps kill one, then command the Dog to retrieve. The Dog must on no +account move from his tracks until such command is given. All the affair +is perfectly simple; but quite inflexible. Any variation in this +procedure fills the honest bird dog's mind with the same horror and +dismay experienced by a well-brought-up young man who discovers that he +has on shoes of the wrong colour. It isn't done, you know. + +Consider, then, Wayward and Girlie in a country full of game birds. They +quarter wide to right, then cross to left, their heads high, their +feather tails waving in the most approved good form. When they find +birds they draw to their points in the best possible style; stiffen +out--and wait. It is now, according to all good ethics, up to the Man. +And the Man and his companions go right on by, paying absolutely no +attention either to the situation or one's own magnificent piece of +work! What is one to conclude? That our early training is all wrong? +that we are at one experience to turn apostate to the settled and only +correct order of things? Or that our masters are no gentlemen? That is a +pretty difficult thing, an impossible thing, to conclude of one's own +master. But it leaves one in a fearful state mentally; and one has no +idea of what to do! + +Wayward was a perfect gentleman, and he played the game according to +the very best traditions. He conscientiously pointed every bird he could +get his nose on. Furthermore he was absolutely staunch, and held his +point even when the four non-bird dogs rushed in ahead of him. The +expression of puzzlement, grief, shock, and sadness in his eyes deepened +as bird after bird soared away without a shot. Girlie was more +liberal-minded. She pointed her birds, and backed Wayward at need, but +when the other dogs rushed her point, she rushed too. And when we swept +on by her, leaving her on point, instead of holding it quixotically, as +did Wayward, until the bird sneaked away, she merely waited until we +were out of sight, and then tried to catch it. Finally Captain D. +remarked that, lions or no lions, he was not going to stand it any +longer. He got out a shotgun, and all one afternoon killed grouse over +Wayward, to the latter's intense relief. His ideals had been +rehabilitated. + + + + +XX. + +BONDONI. + + +We followed many depressions, in which might be lions, until about three +o'clock in the afternoon. Then we climbed the gently-rising long slope +that culminated, far above the plains, in the peak of a hill called +Bondoni. From a distance it was steep and well defined; but, like most +of these larger kopjes, its actual ascent, up to the last few hundred +feet, was so gradual that we hardly knew we were climbing. At the summit +we found our men and the bullock cart. There also stood an oblong +blockhouse of stone, the walls two feet thick and ten feet high. It was +entered only by a blind angle passage, and was strong enough, +apparently, to resist small artillery. This structure was simply an +ostrich corral, and bitter experience had shown the massive construction +absolutely necessary as adequate protection, in this exposed and +solitary spot, against the lions. + +We had some tea and bread and butter, and then Clifford Hill and I set +out afoot after meat. Only occasionally do these hard-working settlers +get a chance for hunting on the plains so near them; and now they had +promised their native retainers that they would send back a treat of +game. To carry this promised luxury, a number of the villagers had +accompanied the bullock wagon. As we were to move on next day, it became +very desirable to get the meat promptly while still near home. + +We slipped over to the other side, and by good fortune caught sight of a +dozen zebras feeding in scrub half-way down the hill. They were out of +their proper environment up there, but we were glad of it. Down on our +tummies, then, we dropped, and crawled slowly forward through the high, +sweet grasses. We were in the late afternoon shadow of the hill, and we +enjoyed the mild skill of the stalk. Taking advantage of every cover, +slipping over into little ravines, lying very flat when one of the +beasts raised his head, we edged nearer and nearer. We were already well +within range, but it amused us to play the game. Finally, at one hundred +yards, we came to a halt. The zebra showed very handsome at that range, +for even their smaller leg stripes were all plainly visible. Of course +at that distance there could be small chance of missing, and we owned +one each. The Wakamba, who had been watching eagerly, swarmed down, +shouting. + +We dined just at sunset under a small tree at the very top of the peak. +Long bars of light shot through the western clouds; the plain turned +from solid earth to a mysterious sea of shifting twilights; the buttes +stood up, wrapped in veils of soft desert colours; Kilimanjaro hung +suspended like a rose-coloured bubble above the abyss beyond the world. + + + + +XXI. + +RIDING THE PLAINS. + + +From the mere point of view of lions, lion A hunting was very slow work +indeed. It meant riding the whole of long days, from dawn until dark, +investigating miles of country that looked all alike and in which we +seemed to get nowhere. One by one the long billows of plain fell behind, +until our camp hill had turned blue behind us, and we seemed to be out +in illimitable space, with no possibility, in an ordinary lifetime, of +ever getting in touch with anything again. What from above had looked as +level as a floor now turned into a tremendously wide and placid ground +swell. As a consequence we were always going imperceptibly up and up and +up to a long-delayed sky-line, or tipping as gently down the other side +of the wave. From crest to crest of these long billows measured two or +three miles. The vertical distance in elevation from trough to top was +perhaps not over fifty to one hundred feet. + +Slowly we rode along the shallow grass and brush ravines in the troughs +of the low billows, while the dogs worked eagerly in and out of cover, +and our handful of savages cast stones and shouted. Occasionally we +divided forces, and beat the length of a hill, two of us lying in wait +at one end for the possible lion, the rest sweeping the sides and +summits. Many animals came bounding along, but no lions. Then Harold +Hill, unlimbering a huge, many-jointed telescope, would lie flat on his +back, and sight the fearsome instrument over his crossed feet, in a +general bird's-eye view of the plains for miles around. While he was at +it we were privileged to look about us, less under the burden of +responsibility. We could make out the game as little, light-coloured +dots and speckles, thousands upon thousands of them, thicker than cattle +ever grazed on the open range, and as far as the eye could make them +out, and then a glance through our glasses picked them up again for mile +after mile. Even the six-power could go no farther. The imagination was +left the vision of more leagues of wild animals even to the half-guessed +azure mountains--and beyond. I had seen abundant game elsewhere in +Africa, but nothing like the multitudes inhabiting the Kapiti Plains at +that time of year. In other seasons this locality is comparatively +deserted. + +The glass revealing nothing in our line, we rode again to the lower +levels, and again took up our slow, painstaking search. + +But although three days went by in this manner without our getting a +glimpse of lions, they were far from being days lost. Minor adventure +filled our hours. What elsewhere would be of major interest and strange +and interesting experience met us at every turn. The game, while +abundant, was very shy. This had nothing to do with distrust of hunters, +but merely with the fact that it was the season of green grass. We liked +to come upon animals unexpectedly, to see them buck-jump and cavort. + +Otherwise we rode in a moving space cleared of animals, the beasts +unobtrusively giving way before us, and as unobtrusively closing in +behind. The sun flashed on the spears of savages travelling single file +across the distance. Often we stopped short to gaze upon a wild and +tumbled horizon of storm that Gustave Dore might have drawn. + +The dogs were always joyously routing out some beast, desirable from +their point of view, and chasing it hopelessly about, to our great +amusement. Once they ran into a giant porcupine-about the size a setter +would be, with shorter legs-which did not understand running away. They +came upon it in a dense thicket, and the ensuing row was unholy. They +managed to kill the porcupine among them, after which we plucked barbed +quills from some very grieved dogs. The quills were large enough to make +excellent penholders. The dogs also swore by all canine gods that they +wouldn't do a thing to a hyena, if only they could get hold of one. They +never got hold of one, for the hyena is a coward. His skull and teeth, +however, are as big and powerful as those of a lioness; so I do not know +which was luckier in his avoidance of trouble--he or the dogs. + +Nor from the shooting standpoint did we lack for sport. We had to shoot +for our men, and we occasionally needed meat ourselves. It was always +interesting, when such necessities arose, to stalk the shy buck and do +long-range rifle practice. This shooting, however, was done only after +the day's hunt was over. We had no desire to spoil our lion chances. + +The long circle towards our evening camp always proved very long indeed. +We arrived at dusk to find supper ready for us. As we were old +campaigners we ate this off chop boxes as tables, and sat on the ground. +It was served by a Wakamba youth we had nicknamed Herbert Spencer, on +account of his gigantic intellect. Herbert meant well, but about all he +succeeded in accomplishing was a pathetically wrinkled brow of care and +scared eyes. He had never been harshly treated by any of us, but he +acted as though always ready to bolt. If there were twenty easy right +methods of doing a thing and one difficult wrong method, Herbert would +get the latter every time. No amount of experience could teach him the +logic of our simplest ways. One evening he brought a tumbler of mixed +water and condensed milk. Harold Hill glanced into the receptacle. + +"Stir it," he commanded briefly. + +Herbert Spencer obeyed. We talked about something else. Some five or ten +minutes later one of us noticed that Herbert was still stirring, and +called attention to the fact. When the latter saw our eyes were on him +he speeded up until the spoon fairly rattled in the tumbler. Then, when +he thought our attention had relaxed again, he relaxed also his +efforts--the spoon travelled slower and slower in its dreamy circle. We +amused ourselves for some time thus. Then we became so weak from +laughter that we fell backward off our seats, and some one gasped a +command that Herbert cease. + +I am afraid, after a little, that we rather enjoyed mildly tormenting +poor Herbert Spencer. He tried so hard, and looked so scared, and was so +unbelievably stupid! Almost always he had to pick his orders word by +word from a vast amount of high-flown, unnecessary English. + +"O Herbert Spencer," the command would run, "if you would condescend to +bend your mighty intellect to the lowly subject of maji, and will snatch +time from your profound cerebrations to assure its being moto sans, I +would esteem it infinite condescension on your part to let pesi pesi." + +And Herbert, listening to all this with a painful, strained intensity, +would catch the six-key words, and would falter forth a trembling "N'dio +bwana." + +Somewhere down deep within Herbert Spencer's make up, however, was a +sense of moral duty. When we finally broke camp for good, on the great +hill of Lucania, Herbert Spencer, relieved from his job, bolted like a +shot. As far as we could see him he was running at top speed. If he had +not possessed a sense of duty, he would have done this long ago. + +We camped always well up on some of the numerous hills; for, although +anxious enough to find lions in the daytime, we had no use for them at +all by night. This usually meant that the boys had to carry water some +distance. We kept a canvas bath-tub full for the benefit of the dogs, +from which they could drink at any time. This necessary privilege after +a hard day nearly drove Captain D. crazy. It happened like this: + +We were riding along the slope of a hillside, when in the ravine, a half +mile away and below us, we saw something dark pop up in sight and then +down again. We shouted to some of the savage Wakamba to go and +investigate. They closed in from all sides, their long spears poised to +strike. At the last moment out darted, not an animal, but a badly +frightened old man armed with bow and arrow. He dashed out under the +upraised spears, clasped one of the men around the knees, and implored +protection. Our savages, their spears ready, glanced over their +shoulders for instruction. They would have liked nothing better than to +have spitted the poor old fellow. + +We galloped down as fast as possible to the rescue. With reluctance our +spearmen drew back, releasing their prize. We picked up his scattered +bows and arrows, restored them to him, and uttered many reassurances. He +was so badly frightened that he could not stand for the trembling of his +knees. Undoubtedly he thought that war had broken out, and that he was +the first of its unconscious victims. After calming him down, we told +him what we were doing, and offered to shoot him meat if he cared to +accompany us. He accepted the offer with joy. So pleased and relieved +was he, that he skipped about like a young and nimble goat. His hunting +companion, who all this time had stood atop of a hill at a safe +distance, viewed these performances with concern. Our captive shouted +loudly for him to come join us and share in the good fortune. Not he! He +knew a trap when he saw one! Not a bit disturbed by the tales this man +would probably carry back home, our old fellow attached himself to us +for three days! + +Near sundown, to make our promise good, and also to give our own men a +feast, I shot two hartebeeste near camp. + +The evening was beautiful. The Machakos Range, miles distant across the +valley, was mantled with thick, soft clouds. From our elevation we could +see over them, and catch the glow of moonlight on their upper surfaces. +We were very tired, so we turned in early and settled ourselves for a +good rest. + +Outside our tent the little "Injun fire" we had built for our own +comfort died down to coals. A short distance away, however, was a huge +bonfire around which all the savages were gathered. They squatted +comfortably on their heels, roasting meat. Behind each man was planted +his glittering long-bladed spear. The old man held the place of honour, +as befitted his flirtation with death that morning. Everybody was +absolutely happy--a good fire, plenty of meat, and strangers with whom +to have a grand "shauri." The clatter of tongues was a babel, for almost +every one talked at once and excitedly. Those who did not talk crooned +weird, improvised chants, in which they detailed the doings of the camp. + +We fell very quickly into the half doze of too great exhaustion. It +never became more than a half doze. I suppose every one who reads this +has had at some time the experience of dropping asleep to the +accompaniment of some noise that ought soon to cease--a conversation in +the next room, singing, the barking of a dog, the playing of music, or +the like. The fact that it ought soon to cease, permits the falling +asleep. When, after an interval, the subconsciousness finds the row +still going on, inexcusable and unabated, it arouses the victim to +staring exasperation. That was our case here. Those natives should have +turned in for sleep after a reasonable amount of pow-wow. They did +nothing of the kind. On the contrary, I dragged reluctantly back to +consciousness and the realization that they had quite happily settled +down to make a night of it. I glanced across the little tent to where +Captain D. lay on his cot. He was staring straight upward, his eyes wide +open. + +After a few seconds he slipped out softly and silently. Our little fire +had sunk to embers. A dozen sticks radiated from the centre of coals. +Each made a firebrand with one end cool to the grasp. Captain D. hurled +one of these at the devoted and unconscious group. + +It whirled through the air and fell plunk in the other fire, scattering +sparks and coals in all directions. The second was under way before the +first had landed. It hit a native with similar results, plus astonished +and grieved language. The rest followed in rapid-magazine-fire. Every +one hit its mark fair and square. The air was full of sparks exploding +in all directions. The brush was full of Wakamba, their blankets +flapping in the breeze of their going. The convention was adjourned. +There fell the sucking vacuum of a great silence. Captain D., breathing +righteous wrath, flopped heavily and determinedly down on his cot. I +caught a faint snicker from the tent next door. + +Captain D. sighed deeply, turned over, and prepared to sleep. Then one +of the dogs uprose--I think it was Ben--stretched himself, yawned, +approached deliberately, and began to drink from the canvas bath-tub +just outside. He drank--lap, lap, lap, lap--for a very long time. It +seemed incredible that any mere dog--or canvas bath-tub--could hold so +much water. The steady repetition of this sound long after it should +logically have ceased was worse than the shenzi gathering around the +fire. Each lap should have been the last, but it was not. The shenzi +convention had been abated with firebrands, but the dog was strictly +within his rights. The poor pups had had a long day with little water, +and they could hardly be blamed for feeling a bit feverish now. At last +Ben ceased. Next morning Captain D. claimed vehemently that he had drunk +two hours forty-nine minutes and ten seconds. With a contented sigh Ben +lay down. Then Ruby got up, shook herself, and yawned. A bright idea +struck her. She too went over and had a drink. After that I, personally, +went to sleep. But in the morning I found Captain D. staring-eyed and +strung nearly to madness, trying feverishly to calculate how seven dogs +drinking on an average of three hours apiece could have finished by +morning. When Harold Hill innocently asked if he had slept well, the +captain threw the remaining but now extinct firebrand at him. + +One of the safari boys, a big Baganda, had twisted his foot a little, +and it had swelled up considerably. In the morning he came to have it +attended to. The obvious treatment was very hot water and rest; but it +would never do to tell him so. The recommendation of so simple a remedy +would lose me his faith. So I gave him a little dab of tick ointment +wrapped in a leaf. + +"This," said I, "is most wonderful medicine; but it is also most +dangerous. If you were to rub it on your foot or your hand or any part +of you, that part would drop off. But if you wash the part in very hot +water continuously for a half hour, and then put on the medicine, it is +good, and will cure you very soon." I am sure I do not know what they +put in tick ointment; nor, for the purpose, did it greatly matter. That +night, also, Herbert Spencer reached the climax of his absurdities. The +chops he had cooked did not quite suffice for our hunger, so we +instructed him to give us some of the leg. By this we meant steak, of +course. Herbert Spencer was gone so long a time that finally we went to +see what possibly could be the matter. We found him trying desperately +to cook the whole leg in a frying-pan! + + + + +XXII. + +THE SECOND LIONESS. + + +Now our luck changed most abruptly. We had been riding since early +morning over the wide plains. By and by we came to a wide, shallow, +flood-water course carpeted with lava boulders and scant, scattered +brush. Two of us took one side of it, and two the other. At this we were +just within hailing distance. The boys wandered down the middle. + +Game was here very abundant, and in this broken country proved quite +approachable. I saw one Grant's gazelle head, in especial, that greatly +tempted me; but we were hunting lions, and other shooting was out of +place. Also the prospects for lions had brightened, for we were +continually seeing hyenas in packs of from three to six. They lay among +the stones, but galloped away at our approach. The game paid not the +slightest attention to these huge, skulking brutes. One passed within +twenty feet of a hartebeeste; the latter hardly glanced at him. As the +hyena is lazy as well as cowardly, and almost never does his killing, we +inferred a good meat supply to gather so many of them in one place. From +a tributary ravine we flushed nineteen! + +Harold Hill was riding with me on the right bank. His quick eye caught a +glimpse of something beyond our companions on the left side. A glance +through the glasses showed me that it was a lion, just disappearing over +the hill. At once we turned our horses to cross. It was a heavy job. We +were naturally in a tremendous hurry; and the footing among those +boulders and rounded rocks was so vile that a very slow trot was the +best we could accomplish. And that was only by standing in our stirrups, +and holding up our horses' heads by main strength. We reached the +sky-line in time to see a herd of game stampeding away from a depression +a half-mile away. We fixed our eyes on that point, and a moment later +saw the lion or lioness, as it turned out, leap a gully and come out the +other side. + +The footing down this slope, too, was appalling, consisting mainly of +chunks of lava interspersed with smooth, rounded stones and sparse tufts +of grass. In spite of the stones we managed a sort of stumbling gallop. +Why we did not all go down in a heap I do not know. At any rate we had +no chance to watch our quarry, for we were forced to keep our eyes +strictly to our way. When finally we emerged from that tumble of rocks, +she had disappeared. + +Either she had galloped out over the plains, or she had doubled back to +take cover in the ravine. In the latter case she would stand. Our first +job, therefore, was to determine whether she had escaped over the open +country. To this end we galloped our horses madly in four different +directions, pushing them to the utmost, swooping here and there in wide +circles. That was an exhilarating ten minutes until we had surmounted +every billow of the plain, spied in all directions, and assured +ourselves beyond doubt that she had not run off. The horses fairly flew, +spurning the hard sod, leaping the rock dikes, skipping nimbly around +the pig holes, turning like cow-ponies under pressure of knee and rein. +Finally we drew up, converged, and together jogged our sweating horses +back to the ravine. There we learned from the boys that nothing more had +been seen of our quarry. + +We dismounted, handed our mounts to their syces, and prepared to make +afoot a clean sweep of the wide, shallow ravine. Here was where the dogs +came in handy. We left a rearguard of two men, and slowly began our +beat. + +The ravine could hardly be called a ravine; rather a shallow depression +with banks not over a foot high, and with a varying width of from two to +two hundred feet. The grass grew very patchy, and not very high; in +fact, it seemed hardly tall enough to conceal anything as large as a +lioness. We men walked along the edge of this depression, while the dogs +ranged back and forth in its bottom. + +We had gone thus a quarter-mile when one of the rearguard came running +up. + +"Bwana," said he, "we have seen the lioness. She is lying in a patch of +grass. After you had passed, we saw her raise her head." + +It seemed impossible that she should have escaped both our eyes and the +dogs' noses, but we returned. The man pointed out a thin growth of +dried, yellow grass ten feet in diameter. Then it seemed even more +incredible. Apparently we could look right through every foot of it. The +man persisted, so we advanced in battle array. At thirty yards Captain +D. saw the black tips of her ears. We all looked hard, and at last made +her out, lying very flat, her head between her paws. Even then she was +shadowy and unreal, and, as I have said, the cover did not look thick +enough to conceal a good-sized dog. + +As though she realized she had been sighted, she at this moment leapt to +her feet. Instantly I put a.405 bullet into her shoulder. Any other lion +I ever saw or heard of would in such circumstances and at such a +distance immediately have charged home. She turned tail and ran away. I +missed her as she ran, then knocked her down with a third shot. She got +up again, but was immediately hit by Captain D.'s.350 Magnum and brought +to a halt. The dogs, seeing her turn tail and hearing our shots, had +scrambled madly after her. We dared not shoot again for fear of hitting +one of them, so we dashed rapidly into the grass and out the other side. +Before we could get to her, she had sent Ruby flying through the air, +and had then fallen over dead. Ruby got off lucky with only a deep gash +the length of her leg. + +This was the only instance I experienced of a wounded lion showing the +white feather. She was, however, only about three-quarters grown, and +was suffering from diarrhoea. + + + + +XXIII. + +THE BIG LION. + + +The boys skinned her while we ate lunch. Then we started several of them +back towards camp with the trophy, and ourselves cut across country to a +small river known as the Stony Athi. There we dismounted from our +horses, and sent them and the boys atop the ridge above the stream, +while we ourselves explored afoot the hillside along the river. + +This was a totally different sort of country from that to which we had +been accustomed. Imagine a very bouldery hillside planted thickly with +knee-high brambles and more sparsely with higher bushes. They were not +really brambles, of course, but their tripping, tangling, spiky +qualities were the same. We had to force our way through these, or step +from boulder to boulder. Only very rarely did we get a little rubbly +clear space to walk in, and then for only ten or twenty feet. We tried +in spaced intervals to cover the whole hillside. It was very hard work. +The boys, with the horses, kept pace with us on the sky-line atop, and +two or three hundred yards away. + +We had proceeded in this fashion for about a mile, when suddenly, and +most unexpectedly, the biggest lion I ever saw leapt straight up from a +bush twenty-five yards in front of me, and with a tremendous roar +vanished behind another bush. I had just time to throw up the.405 +shotgun-fashion and let drive a snapshot. Clifford Hill, who was ten +yards to my right, saw the fur fly, and we all heard the snarl as the +bullet hit. Naturally we expected an instant charge, but, as things +turned out, it was evident the lion had not seen us at all. He had leapt +at the sight of our men and horses on the sky-line, and when the bullet +hit he must have ascribed it to them. At any rate, he began to circle +through the tangled vines in their direction. + +From their elevation they could follow his movements. At once they set +up howls of terror and appeals for help. Some began frantically to run +back and forth. None of them tried to run away; there was nowhere to go! +The only thing that saved them was the thick and spiky character of the +cover. The lion, instead of charging straight and fast, was picking an +easy way. + +We tore directly up hill as fast as we were able, leaping from rock to +rock, and thrusting recklessly through the tangle. About half-way up I +jumped to the top of a high, conical rock, and thence by good luck +caught sight of the lion's great yellow head advancing steadily about +eighty yards away. I took as good a sight as I could and pulled trigger. +The recoil knocked me clear off the boulder, but as I fell I saw his +tail go up and knew that I had hit. At once Clifford Hill and I jumped +up on the rock again, but the lion had moved out of sight. By this time, +however, the sound of the shots and the smell of blood had caused the +dogs to close in. They did not, of course, attempt to attack the lion, +nor even to get very near him, but their snarling and barking showed us +the beast's whereabouts. Even this much is bad judgment on their part, +as a number of them have been killed at it. The thicket burst into an +unholy row. + +We all manoeuvred rapidly for position. Again luck was with me, for +again I saw his great head, the mane standing out all around it; and +for the second time I planted a heavy bullet square in his chest. This +stopped his advance; he lay down. His head was up and his eyes glared, +as he uttered the most reverberating and magnificent roars and growls. +The dogs leapt and barked around him. We came quite close, and I planted +my fourth bullet in his shoulder. Even this was not enough. It took a +fifth in the same place to finish him, and he died at last biting great +chunks of earth. + +The howls from the hill top ceased. All gathered to marvel at the lion's +immense size. He measured three feet nine inches at the shoulder, and +nine feet eleven inches between stakes, or ten feet eleven inches along +contour. This is only five inches under record. We weighed him +piecemeal, after a fashion, and put him between 550 and 600 pounds. + +But these are only statistics, and mean little unless a real attempt is +made to visualize them. As a matter of fact, his mere height--that of a +medium-size zebra-was little unless accented by the impression of his +tremendous power and quickness. + +We skinned him, and then rode four long hours to camp. We arrived at +dark, and at once set to work preparing the trophy. A dozen of us +squatted around the skin, working by lantern light. Memba Sasa had had +nothing to eat since before dawn, but in his pride and delight he +refused to touch a mouthful until the job was finished. Several times we +urged him to stop long enough for even a bite. He steadily declined, and +whetted his knife, his eyes gleaming with delight, his lips crooning one +of his weird Monumwezi songs. At eleven o'clock the task was done. Then +I presented Memba Sasa with a tall mug of coffee and lots of sugar. He +considered this a great honour. + + + + +XXIV. + +THE FIFTEEN LIONS. + + +Two days before Captain D. and I were to return to Juja we approached, +about eleven o'clock in the morning, a long, low, rugged range of hills +called Lucania. They were not very high, but bold with cliffs, buttes, +and broken rocky stretches. Here we were to make our final hunt. + +We led our safari up to the level of a boulder flat between two deep +canons that ran down from the hills. Here should be water, so we +gathered under a lone little tree, and set about directing the simple +disposition of our camp. Herbert Spencer brought us a cold lunch, and we +sat down to rest and refreshment before tackling the range. + +Hardly had we taken the first mouthfuls, however, when Memba Sasa, +gasping for breath, came tearing up the slope from the canon where he +had descended for a drink. "Lions!" he cried, guardedly. "I went to +drink, and I saw four lions. Two were lying under the shade, but two +others were playing like puppies, one on its back." + +While he was speaking a lioness wandered out from the canon and up the +opposite slope. She was somewhere between six and nine hundred yards +away, and looked very tiny; but the binoculars brought us up to her with +a jump. Through them she proved to be a good one. She was not at all +hurried, but paused from time to time to yawn and look about her. After +a short interval, another, also a lioness, followed in her footsteps. +She too had climbed clear when a third, probably a full-grown but still +immature lion, came out, and after him the fourth. + +"You were right," we told Memba Sasa, "there are your four." + +But while we watched, a fifth, again at the spaced interval, this time a +maned lion, clambered leisurely up in the wake of his family; and after +him another, and another, and yet another! We gasped, and sat down, the +better to steady our glasses with our knees. There seemed no end to +lions. They came out of that apparently inexhaustible canon bed one at a +time and at the same regular intervals; perhaps twenty yards or so +apart. It was almost as though they were being released singly. Finally +we had _fifteen_ in sight. + +It was a most magnificent spectacle, and we could enjoy it unhurried by +the feeling that we were losing opportunities. At that range it would be +silly to open fire. If we had descended to the canon in order to follow +them out the other side, they would merely have trotted away. Our only +chance was to wait until they had disappeared from sight, and then to +attempt a wide circle in order to catch them from the flank. In the +meantime we had merely to sit still. + +Therefore we stared through our glasses, and enjoyed to the full this +most unusual sight. There were four cubs about as big as setter dogs, +four full-grown but immature youngsters, four lionesses, and three male +lions. They kept their spaced, single file formation for two-thirds the +ascent of the hill--probably the nature of the ground forced them to +it--and then gradually drew together. Near the top, but still below the +summit, they entered a jumble of boulders and stopped. We could make out +several of them lying down. One fine old yellow fellow stretched himself +comfortably atop a flat rock, in the position of a bronze lion on a +pedestal. We waited twenty minutes to make sure they were not going to +move. Then, leaving all our men except the gunbearers under the tree, we +slipped back until out of sight, and began to execute our flank +movement. The chances seemed good. The jumble of boulders was surrounded +by open country, and it was improbable the lions could leave it without +being seen. We had arranged with our men a system of signals. + +For two hours we walked very hard in order to circle out of sight, down +wind, and to gain the other side of the ridge back of the lions. We +purposed slipping over the ridge and attacking from above. Even this was +but a slight advantage. The job was a stiff one, for we might expect +certainly the majority to charge. + +Therefore, when we finally deployed in skirmish order and bore down on +that patch of brush and boulders, we were braced for the shock of +battle. We found nothing. Our men, however, signalled that the lions had +not left cover. After a little search, however, we discovered a very +shallow depression running slantwise up the hill and back of the cover. +So slight it was that even the glasses had failed to show it from below. +The lions had in all probability known about us from the start, and +were all the time engaged in withdrawing after their leisurely fashion. + +Of course we hunted for them; in fact, we spent two days at it; but we +never found trace of them again. The country was too hard for tracking. +They had left Lucania. Probably by the time we had completed our two +hours of flanking movement they were five miles away. The presence of +cubs would account for this. In ordinary circumstances we should have +had a wonderful and exciting fight. But the sight of those fifteen great +beasts was one I shall never forget. + +After we had hunted Lucania thoroughly we parted company with the Hills, +and returned to Juja Farm. + + + + +PART V. + +THE TSAVO RIVER. + + + + + + +XXV. + +VOI. + + +Part way up the narrow-gauge railroad from the coast is a station called +Voi. On his way to the interior the traveller stops there for an evening +meal. It is served in a high, wide stone room by white-robed Swahilis +under command of a very efficient and quiet East Indian. The voyager +steps out into the darkness to look across the way upon the outlines of +two great rounded hills against an amethyst sky. That is all he ever +sees of Voi, for on the down trip he passes through it about two o'clock +in the morning. + +At that particularly trying hour F. and I descended, and attempted, by +the light of lanterns, to sort out twenty safari boys strange to us, and +miscellaneous camp stores. We did not entirely succeed. Three men were +carried on down the line, and the fly to our tent was never seen again. + +The train disappeared. Our boys, shivering, crept into corners. We took +possession of the dak-bungalow maintained by the railroad for just such +travellers as ourselves. It was simply a high stone room, with three +iron beds, and a corner so cemented that one could pour pails of water +over one's self without wetting the whole place. The beds were supplied +with mosquito canopies and strong wire springs. Over these we spread our +own bedding, and thankfully resumed our slumbers. + +The morning discovered to us Voi as the station, the district +commissioner's house on a distant side hill, and a fairly extensive East +Indian bazaar. The keepers of the latter traded with the natives. +Immediately about the station grew some flat shady trees. All else was +dense thorn scrub pressing close about the town. Opposite were the tall, +rounded mountains. + +Nevertheless, in spite of its appearance, Voi has its importance in the +scheme of things. From it, crossing the great Serengetti desert, runs +the track to Kilimanjaro and that part of German East Africa. The +Germans have as yet no railroad; so they must perforce patronize the +British line thus far, and then trek across. As the Kilimanjaro +district is one rich in natives and trade, the track is well used. Most +of the transport is done by donkeys--either in carts or under the pack +saddle. As the distance from water to water is very great, the journey +is a hard one. This fact, and the incidental consideration that from fly +and hardship the mortality in donkeys is very heavy, pushes the freight +rates high. And that fact accounts for the motor car, which has been my +point of aim from the beginning of this paragraph. + +The motor car plies between Voi and the German line at exorbitant rates. +Our plan was to have it take us and some galvanized water tanks out into +the middle of the desert and dump us down there. So after breakfast we +hunted up the owner. + +He proved to be a very short, thick-set, blond German youth who +justified Weber and Fields. In fact, he talked so exactly like those +comedians that my task in visualizing him to you is somewhat lightened. +If all, instead of merely a majority of my readers, had seen Weber and +Fields that task would vanish. + +We explained our plan, and asked him his price. + +"Sefen hundert and feefty rupees,"[11] said he uncompromisingly. + +He was abrupt, blunt, and insulting. As we wanted transportation very +much--though not seven hundred and fifty rupees' worth--we persisted. He +offered an imperturbable take-it-or-leave-it stolidity. The motor truck +stood near. I said something technical about the engine; then something +more. He answered these remarks, though grudgingly. I suggested that it +took a mighty good driver to motor through this rough country. He +mentioned a particular hill. I proposed that we should try the station +restaurant for beer while he told me about it. He grunted, but headed +for the station. + +For two hours we listened to the most blatant boasting. He was a great +driver; he had driven for M., the American millionaire; for the Chinese +Ambassador to France; for Grand-Duke Alexis; for the Kaiser himself! We +learned how he had been the trusted familiar of these celebrities, how +on various occasions--all detailed at length--he had been treated by +them as an equal; and he told us sundry sly, slanderous, and disgusting +anecdotes of these worthies, his forefinger laid one side his nose. +When we finally got him worked up to the point of going to get some +excessively bad photographs, "I haf daken myself!" we began to have +hopes. So we tentatively approached once more the subject of +transportation. + +Then the basis of the trouble came out. One Davis, M.P. from England, +had also dealt with our friend. Davis, as we reconstructed him, was of +the blunt type, with probably very little feeling of democracy for those +in subordinate positions, and with, most certainly, a good deal of +insular and racial prejudice. Evidently a rather vague bargain had been +struck, and the motor had set forth. Then ensued financial wranglings +and disputes as to terms. It ended by useless hauteur on Davis's part, +and inexcusable but effective action by the German. For Davis found +himself dumped down on the Serengetti desert and left there. + +We heard all this in excruciatingly funny Weberandfieldese, many times +repeated. The German literally beat his breast and cried aloud against +Davis. We unblushingly sacrificed a probably perfectly worthy Davis to +present need, and cried out against him too. + +"Am I like one dog?" demanded the German fervently. + +"Certainly not," we cried with equal fervour. We both like dogs. + +Then followed wearisomely reiterated assurances that we, at least, knew +how a gentleman should be treated, and more boasting of proud +connections in the past. But the end of it was a bargain of reasonable +dimensions for ourselves, our personal boys, and our loads. Under plea +of starting our safari boys off we left him, and crept, with shattered +nerves, around the corner of the dak-bungalow. There we lurked, busy at +pretended affairs, until our friend swaggered away to the Hindu +quarters, where, it seems, he had his residence. + +About ten o'clock a small safari marched in afoot. It had travelled all +of two nights across the Thirst, and was glad to get there. The single +white man in charge had been three years alone among the natives near +Kilimanjaro, and he was now out for a six months' vacation at home. Two +natives in the uniform of Sudanese troops hovered near him very +sorrowful. He splashed into the water of the dak-bungalow, and then +introduced himself. We sat in teakwood easy-chairs and talked all day. +He was a most interesting, likeable, and cordial man, at any stage of +the game. The game, by means of French vermouth--of all +drinks!--progressed steadily. We could hardly blame him for celebrating. +By the afternoon he wanted to give things away. So insistent was he that +F. finally accepted an ebony walking-stick, and I an ebony knife inset +with ivory. If we had been the least bit unscrupulous, I am afraid the +relatives at home would have missed their African souvenirs. He went out +_via_ freight car, all by himself, seated regally in a steamer chair +between two wide-open side doors, one native squatted on either side to +see that he did not lurch out into the landscape. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[11] Fifty pounds. + + + + +XXVI. + +THE FRINGE-EARED ORYX. + + +At ten o'clock the following morning we started. On the high front seat, +under an awning, sat the German, F., and I. The body of the truck was +filled with safari loads, Memba Sasa, Simba Mohammed, and F.'s boy, +whose name I have forgotten. The arrangement on the front seat was due +to a strike on the part of F. + +"Look here," said he to me, "you've got to sit next that rotter. We want +him to bring us back some water from the other side, and I'd break his +neck in ten minutes. You sit next him and give him your motor car +patter." + +Therefore I took the middle seat and played chorus. The road was not a +bad one, as natural mountain roads go; I have myself driven worse in +California. Our man, however, liked to exaggerate all the difficulties, +and while doing it to point to himself with pride as a perfect wonder. +Between times he talked elementary mechanics. + +"The inflammation of the sparkling plugs?" was one of his expressions +that did much to compensate. + +The country mounted steadily through the densest thorn scrub I have ever +seen. It was about fifteen feet high, and so thick that its penetration, +save by made tracks, would have been an absolute impossibility. Our road +ran like a lane between two spiky jungles. Bold bright mountains cropped +up, singly and in short ranges, as far as the eye could see them. + +This sort of thing for twenty miles--more than a hard day's journey on +safari. We made it in a little less than two hours; and the breeze of +our going kept us reasonably cool under our awning. We began to +appreciate the real value of our diplomacy. + +At noon we came upon a series of unexpectedly green and clear small +hills just under the frown of a sheer rock cliff. This oasis in the +thorn was occupied by a few scattered native huts and the usual squalid +Indian dukka, or trading store. At this last our German friend stopped. +From under the seat he drew out a collapsible table and a basket of +provisions. These we were invited to share. Diplomacy's highest triumph! + +After lunch we surmounted our first steep grade to the top of a ridge. +This we found to be the beginning of a long elevated plateau sweeping +gently downward to a distant heat mist, which later experience proved a +concealment to snowcapped Kilimanjaro. This plateau also looked to be +covered with scrub. As we penetrated it, however, we found the bushes +were more or less scattered, while in the wide, shallow dips between the +undulations were open grassy meadows. There was no water. Isolated +mountains or peaked hills showed here and there in the illimitable +spaces, some of them fairly hull down, all of them toilsomely distant. +This was the Serengetti itself. + +In this great extent of country somewhere were game herds. They were +exceedingly migratory, and nobody knew very much about them. One of the +species would be the rare and localized fringe-eared oryx. This beast +was the principal zoological end of our expedition; though, of course, +as always, we hoped for a chance lion. Geographically we wished to find +the source of the Swanee River, and to follow that stream down to its +joining with the Tsavo. About half-past one we passed our safari boys. +We had intended to stop and replenish their canteens from our +water-drums; but they told us they had encountered a stray and +astonishing shower, and did not need more. We left them trudging +cheerfully across the desert. They had travelled most of the night +before, would do the same in the night to come, and should reach our +camping-place about noon of the next day. + +We ourselves stopped about four o'clock. In a few hours we had come a +hard three days' march. Over the side went our goods. We bade the German +a very affectionate farewell; for he was still to fill our drums from +one of the streams out of Kilimanjaro and deliver them to us on his +return trip next day. We then all turned to and made camp. The scrub +desert here was exactly like the scrub desert for the last sixty miles. + +The next morning we were up and off before sunrise. In this job time was +a very large element of the contract. We must find our fringe-eared oryx +before our water supply gave out. Therefore we had resolved not to lose +a moment. + +The sunrise was most remarkable--lace work, flat clouds, with burnished +copper-coloured clouds behind glowing through the lace. We admired it +for some few moments. Then one of us happened to look higher. There, +above the sky of the horizon, apparently suspended in mid-air half-way +to the zenith, hung like delicate bubbles the double snow-cloud peaks of +Kilimanjaro. Between them and the earth we could apparently see clear +sky. It was in reality, of course, the blue-heat haze that rarely leaves +these torrid plains. I have seen many mountains in all parts of the +world, but none as fantastically insubstantial; as wonderfully lofty; as +gracefully able to yield, before clouds and storms and sunrise glows, +all the space in infinity they could possibly use, and yet to tower +above them serene in an upper space of its own. Nearly every morning of +our journey to come we enjoyed this wonderful vision for an hour or so. +Then the mists closed in. The rest of the day showed us a grayish sky +along the western horizon, with apparently nothing behind it. + +In the meantime we were tramping steadily ahead over the desert; +threading the thorn scrub, crossing the wide shallow grass-grown swales; +spying about us for signs of game. At the end of three or four miles we +came across some ostrich and four hartebeeste. This encouraged us to +think we might find other game soon, for the hartebeeste is a gregarious +animal. Suddenly we saw a medium-sized squat beast that none of us +recognized, trundling along like a badger sixty yards ahead. Any +creature not easily identified is a scientific possibility in Africa. +Therefore we fired at once. One of the bullets hit his foreleg paw. +Immediately this astonishing small creature turned and charged us! If +his size had equalled his ferocity, he would have been a formidable +opponent. We had a lively few minutes. He rushed us again and again, +uttering ferocious growls. We had to step high and lively to keep out of +his way. Between charges he sat down and tore savagely at his wounded +paw. We wanted him as nearly perfect a specimen as possible, so tried to +rap him over the head with a club. Owing to remarkably long teeth and +claws, this was soon proved impracticable; so we shot him. He weighed +about fifty pounds, and we subsequently learned that he was a honey +badger, an animal very rarely captured. + +We left the boys to take the whole skin and skull of this beast, and +strolled forward slowly. The brush ended abruptly in a wide valley. It +had been burnt over, and the new grass was coming up green. We gave one +look, and sank back into cover. + +The sparse game of the immediate vicinity had gathered to this fresh +feed. A herd of hartebeeste and gazelle were grazing, and five giraffe +adorned the sky-line. But what interested us especially was a group of +about fifty cob-built animals with the unmistakable rapier horns of the +oryx. We recognized them as the rarity we desired. + +The conditions were most unfavourable. The cover nearest them gave a +range of three hundred yards, and even this would bring them directly +between us and the rising sun. There was no help for it, however. We +made our way to the bushes nearest the herd, and I tried to align the +blurs that represented my sights. At the shot, ineffective, they raced +to the right across our front. We lay low. As they had seen nothing they +wheeled and stopped after two hundred yards of flight. This shift had +brought the light into better position. Once more I could define my +sights. From the sitting position I took careful aim at the largest +buck. He staggered twenty feet and fell dead. The distance was just 381 +paces. This shot was indeed fortunate, for we saw no more fringe-eared +oryx. + + + + +XXVII. + +ACROSS THE SERENGETTI. + + +We arrived in camp about noon, almost exhausted with the fierce heat and +a six hours' tramp, to find our German friend awaiting us. By an irony +of fate the drums of water he had brought back with him were now +unnecessary; we had our oryx. However, we wearily gave him lunch and +listened to his prattle, and finally sped him on his way, hoping never +to see him again. + +About three o'clock our men came in. We doled out water rations, and +told them to rest in preparation for the morrow. + +Late that night we were awakened by a creaking and snorting and the +flash of torches passing. We looked out, to see a donkey transport +toiling slowly along, travelling thus at night to avoid the terrific day +heats. The two-wheeled carts with their wild and savage drivers looked +very picturesque in the flickering lights. We envied them vaguely their +defined route that permitted night travel, and sank to sleep. + +In the morning, however, we found they had left with us new +responsibilities in the shape of an elderly Somali, very sick, and down +with the fever. This was indeed a responsibility. It was manifestly +impossible for us to remain there with him; we should all die of thirst. +It was equally impossible to take him with us, for he was quite unfit to +travel under the sun. Finally, as the best solution of a bad business, +we left him five gallons of water, some food, and some quinine, together +with the advice to rest until night, and then to follow his companions +along the beaten track. What between illness and wild beasts his chances +did not look very good, but it was the best we could do for him. This +incident exemplifies well the cruelty of this singular people. They +probably abandoned the old man because his groans annoyed them, or +because one of them wanted to ride in his place on the donkey cart.[12] + +We struck off as early as possible through the thorn scrub on a compass +bearing that we hoped would bring us to a reported swamp at the head of +the Swanee River. The Swanee River was one of the sources of the Tsavo. +Of course this was guesswork. We did not know certainly the location of +the swamp, its distance from us, nor what lay between us and it. +However, we loaded all our transportable vessels with water, and set +forth. + +The scrub was all alike; sometimes thinner, sometimes thicker. We +marched by compass until we had raised a conical hill above the horizon, +and then we bore just to the left of that. The surface of the ground was +cut by thousands of game tracks. They were all very old, however, made +after a rain; and it was evident the game herds venture into this +country only when it contains rainwater. After two hours, however, we +did see one solitary hartebeeste, whom we greeted as an old friend in +desolation. Shortly afterwards we ran across one oribi, which I shot for +our own table. + +At the end of two hours we sat down. The safari of twenty men was a very +miscellaneous lot, consisting of the rag-tag-and-bobtail of the bazaars +picked up in a hurry. They were soft and weak, and they straggled badly. +The last weakling--prodded along by one of our two askaris--limped in +only at the end of half an hour. Then we took a new start. + +The sun was by now up and hot. The work was difficult enough at best, +but the weight of the tropics was now cast in the scale. Twice more +within the next two hours we stopped to let every one catch up. Each +time this required a longer interval. In the thorn it was absolutely +essential to keep in touch with every member of the party. A man once +lost would likely remain so, for we could not afford to endanger all for +the sake of one. + +Time wore on until noon. Had it not been for a thin film of haze that +now overspread the sky, I think the sun would have proved too much for +some of the men. Four or five straggled so very badly that we finally +left them in charge of one of our two askaris, with instructions to +follow on as fast as they could. In order to make this possible, we were +at pains to leave a well-marked trail. + +After this fashion, slowly, and with growing anxiety for some of the +men, we drew up on our landmark hill. There our difficulties increased; +the thorn brush thickened. Only by a series of short zigzags, and by +taking advantage of every rhino trail going in our direction, could we +make our way through it at all; while to men carrying burdens on their +heads the tangle aloft must have been fairly maddening. So slow did our +progress necessarily become, and so difficult was it to keep in touch +with everybody, that F. and I finally halted for consultation. It was +decided that I should push on ahead with Memba Sasa to make certain that +we were not on the wrong line, while F. and the askaris struggled with +the safari. + +Therefore I took my compass bearing afresh, and plunged into the scrub. +The sensation was of hitting solid ground after a long walk through +sand. We seemed fairly to shoot ahead and out of sight. Whenever we came +upon earth we marked it deeply with our heels; we broke twigs downwards, +and laid hastily-snatched bunches of grass to help the trail we were +leaving for the others to follow. This, in spite of our compass, was a +very devious track. Besides, the thorn bushes were patches of spiky aloe +coming into red flower, and the spears of sisal. + +After an hour's steady, swift walking the general trend of the country +began to slope downwards. This argued a watercourse between us and the +hills around Kilimanjaro. There could be no doubt that we would cut it; +the only question was whether it, like so many desert watercourses, +might not prove empty. We pushed on the more rapidly. Then we caught a +glimpse through a chance opening, of the tops of trees below us. After +another hour we suddenly burst from the scrub to a strip of green grass +beyond which were the great trees, the palms, and the festooned vines of +a watercourse. Two bush bucks plunged into the thicket as we approached, +and fifteen or twenty mongooses sat up as straight and stiff as so many +picket pins the better to see us. + +For a moment my heart sank. The low undergrowth beneath the trees +apparently swept unbroken from where we stood to the low bank opposite. +It was exactly like the shallow, damp but waterless ravines at home, +filled with black berry vines. We pushed forward, however, and found +ourselves looking down on a smooth, swift flowing stream. + +It was not over six feet wide, grown close with vines and grasses, but +so very deep and swift and quiet that an extraordinary volume of water +passed, as through an artificial aqueduct. Furthermore, unlike most +African streams, it was crystal clear. We plunged our faces and wrists +in it, and took long, thankful draughts. It was all most grateful after +the scorching desert. The fresh trees meeting in canopy overhead were +full of monkeys and bright birds; festooned vines swung their great +ropes here and there; long heavy grass carpeted underfoot. + +After we had rested a few minutes we filled our empty canteens, and +prepared to start back for our companions. But while I stood there, +Memba Sasa--good, faithful Memba Sasa--seized both canteens and darted +away. + +"Lie down!" he shouted back at me, "I will go back." + +Without protest--which would have been futile anyway--I sank down on the +grass. I was very tired. A little breeze followed the watercourse; the +grass was soft; I would have given anything for a nap. But in wild +Africa a nap is not healthy; so I drowsily watched the mongooses that +had again come out of seclusion, and the monkeys, and the birds. At the +end of a long time, and close to sundown, I heard voices. A moment later +F., Memba Sasa, and about three-quarters of the men came in. We all, +white and black, set to work to make camp. Then we built smudges and +fired guns in the faint hope of guiding in the stragglers. As a matter +of fact we had not the slightest faith in these expedients. Unless the +men were hopelessly lost they should be able to follow our trail. They +might be almost anywhere out in that awful scrub. The only course open +to them would be to climb thorn trees for the night. Next day we would +organize a formal search for them. + +In the meantime, almost dead from exhaustion, we sprawled about +everywhere. The men, too dispirited even to start their own camp-fires, +sat around resting as do boxers between rounds. Then to us came Memba +Sasa, who had already that day made a double journey, and who should +have been the most tired of all. + +"Bwana," said he, "if you will lend me Winchi,[13] and a lantern, I will +bring in the men." + +We lent him his requirements, and he departed. Hours later he returned, +carefully leaned "Winchi" in the corner of the tent, deposited the +lantern, and stood erect at attention. + +"Well, Memba Sasa," I inquired. + +"The men are here." + +"They were far?" + +"Very far." + +"Verna, Memba Sasa, assanti sana."[14] + +That was his sole--and sufficient--reward. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[12] I have just heard that this old man survived, and has been singing +our praises in Nairobi as the saviour of his life. + +[13] His name for the.405 Winchester. + +[14] "Very good, Memba Sasa, thanks very much." + + + + +XXVIII. + +DOWN THE RIVER. + + +Relieved now of all anxiety as to water, we had merely to make our way +downstream. First, however, there remained the interesting task of +determining its source. + +Accordingly next day we and our gunbearers left the boys to a +well-earned rest, and set out upstream. At first we followed the edge of +the river jungle, tramping over hard hot earth, winding in and out of +growths of thorn scrub and brilliant aloes. We saw a herd of impallas +gliding like phantoms; and as we stood in need of meat, I shot at one of +them but missed. The air was very hot and moist. At five o'clock in the +morning the thermometer had stood at 78 degrees; and by noon it had +mounted to 106 degrees. In addition the atmosphere was filled with the +humidity that later in the day was to break in extraordinary deluges. +We moved slowly, but even then our garments were literally dripping wet. + +At the end of three miles the stream bed widened. We came upon +beautiful, spacious, open lawns of from eighty to one hundred acres +apiece, separated from each other by narrow strips of tall forest trees. +The grass was high, and waved in the breeze like planted grain; the +boundary trees resembled artificial wind-breaks of eucalyptus or +Normandy poplar. One might expect a white ranch house beyond some low +clump of trees, and chicken runs, and corrals. + +Along these apparent boundaries of forest trees our stream divided, and +divided again, so that we were actually looking upon what we had come to +seek--the source of the Swanee branch of the Tsavo River. In these +peaceful, protected meadows was it cradled. From them it sprang full +size out into the African wilderness. + +A fine impalla buck grazed in one of these fields. I crept as near him +as I could behind one of the wind-break rows of trees. It was not very +near, and for the second time I missed. Thereupon we decided two things: +that we were not really meat hungry, and that yesterday's hard work was +not conducive to to-day's good shooting. + +Having thus accomplished the second object of our expedition, we +returned to camp. From that time begins a regular sequence of events on +which I look back with the keenest of pleasure. The two constant factors +were the river and the great dry country on either side. Day after day +we followed down the one, and we made brief excursions out into the +other. Each night we camped near the sound of the swift running water, +where the winds rustled in the palms, the acacias made lacework across +the skies, and the jungle crouched in velvet blackness close to earth +like a beast. + +Our life in its routine was regular; in its details bizarre and full of +the unexpected. Every morning we arose an hour before day, and ate by +lantern light and the gleam of fires. At the first gray we were afoot +and on the march. F. and I, with our gunbearers, then pushed ahead down +the river, leaving the men to come along as fast or as slowly as they +pleased. After about six hours or so of marching, we picked out a good +camp site, and lay down to await the safari. By two o'clock in the +afternoon camp was made. Also it was very hot. After a light lunch we +stripped to the skin, lay on our cots underneath the mosquito canopies, +and tried to doze or read. The heat at this time of day was blighting. +About four o'clock, if we happened to be inspired by energy, one or the +other of us strolled out at right angles to the stream to see what we +could see. The evening was tepid and beautiful. Bathed and pyjama-clad +we lolled in our canvas chairs, smoking, chatting or listening to the +innumerable voices of the night. + +Such was the simple and almost invariable routine of our days. But +enriching it, varying it, disguising it even--as rain-squalls, sunshine +cloud shadow, and unexpected winds modify the landscape so well known +from a study window--were the incredible incidents and petty adventures +of African travel. + +The topography of the river itself might be divided very roughly into +three: the headwater country down to its junction with the Tsavo the +palm-elephant-grass stretch, and the gorge and hill district just before +it crosses the rail road. + +The headwater country is most beautiful The stream is not over ten feet +wide, but very deep, swift, and clear. It flows between defined banks +and is set in a narrow strip of jungle. In places the bed widens out to +a carpet of the greenest green grass sown with flowers; at other places +it offers either mysterious thickets, spacious cathedrals, or snug +bowers. Immediately beyond the edge of this river jungle begins the +thorn scrub, more or less dense. Distant single mountains or buttes +serve as landmarks in a brush-grown, gently rising, strongly rolling +country. Occasional alluvial flats draw back to low cliffs not over +twenty feet high. + +After the junction of the Tsavo, palms of various sorts replace to a +large extent the forest trees. Naturally also the stream widens and +flows more slowly. Outside the palms grow tall elephant-grass and bush. +Our marching had generally to be done in the narrow, neutral space +between these two growths. It was pleasant enough, with the river +snatching at the trailing branches, and the birds and animals rustling +away. Beyond the elephant-grass flats low ridges ran down to the river, +varying in width, but carrying always with them the dense thorn. Between +them ran recesses, sometimes three or four hundred acres in extent, high +with elephant-grass or little trees like alders. So much for the +immediate prospect on our right as we marched. Across the river to our +left were huge riven mountains, with great cliffs and canons. As we +followed necessarily every twist and turn of the river, sometimes these +mountains were directly ahead of us, then magically behind, so that we +thought we had passed them by. But the next hour threw them again across +our trail. The ideal path would, of course, have cut across all the +bends and ridges; but the thorn of the ridges and the elephant-grass of +the flats forbade it. So we marched ten miles to gain four. + +After days of struggle and deception we passed those mountains. Then we +entered a new type of country where the Tsavo ran in canons between +hills. The high cliffs often towered far above us; we had to pick our +way along narrow river ledges; again the river ran like a trout stream +over riffles and rapids, while we sauntered along cleared banks beneath +the trees. Had we not been making a forced march under terrific heat at +just that time, this last phase of the river might have been the +pleasantest of all. + +Throughout the whole course of our journey the rhinoceros was the most +abundant of the larger animals. The indications of old tracks proved +that at some time of the year, or under some different conditions, great +herds of the more gregarious plains antelope and zebra visited the +river, but at the time of our visit they were absent. The rhinoceroses, +however, in incredible numbers came regularly to water. Paradoxically, +we saw very few of them, and enjoyed comparative immunity from their +charges. This was due to the fact that their habits and ours swung in +different orbits. The rhinoceros, after drinking, took to the hot, dry +thorn scrub in the low hills; and as he drank at night, we rarely +encountered him in the river bottoms where we were marching. This was +very lucky, for the cover was so dense that a meeting must necessarily +be at close quarters. Indeed these large and truculent beasts were +rather a help than a hindrance, for we often made use of their wide, +clear paths to penetrate some particularly distressing jungle. However, +we had several small adventures with them: just enough to keep us alert +in rounding corners or approaching bushes--and nine-tenths of our travel +was bushes and corners. The big, flat footsteps, absolutely fresh in the +dust, padded methodically ahead of us down the only way until it seemed +that we could not fail to plump upon their maker around the next bend. +We crept forward foot by foot, every sense alert, finger on trigger. +Then after a time the spoor turned off to the right, towards the hills. +We straightened our backs and breathed a sigh of relief. This happened +over and over again. At certain times of year also elephants frequent +the banks of the Tsavo in considerable numbers We saw many old signs, +and once came upon the fresh path of a small herd. The great beasts had +passed by that very morning. We gazed with considerable awe on limbs +snatched bodily from trees; on flat-topped acacias a foot in diameter +pulled up by the roots and stood up side down; on tree trunks twisted +like ropes. + +Of the game by far the most abundant were the beautiful red impalla. We +caught glimpses of their graceful bodies gliding in and out of sight +through the bushes; or came upon them standing in small openings, their +delicate ears pointed to us. They and the tiny dikdik furnished our +table; and an occasional water-buck satisfied the men. One day we came +on one of the latter beasts sound asleep in a tiny open space. He was +lying down, and his nose rested against the earth just like a very old +family horse in a paddock. + +Besides these common species were bush-buck wart-hog, lesser kudu, +giraffe, and leopard. The bush-buck we jumped occasionally quite near at +hand. They ducked their heads low and rushed tearingly to the next +cover. The leopard was heard sighing every night, and saw their pad +marks next day; but only twice did we catch glimpses of them. One +morning we came upon the fresh-killed carcass of a female lesser kudu +from which, evidently, we had driven the slayer. + +These few species practically completed the game list. They were +sufficient for our needs; and the lesser kudu was a prize much desired +for our collection. But by far the most interesting to me were the +smaller animals, the birds, and the strange, innumerable insects. + +We saw no natives in the whole course of our journey. + +The valley of the river harboured many monkeys. They seemed to be of two +species, blue and brown, but were equally noisy and amusing. They +retired ahead of our advance with many remarks, or slipped past us to +the rear without any comments whatever. When we made camp they retired +with indignant protests, and when we had quite settled down they +returned as near as they dared. + +One very hot afternoon I lay on my canvas cot in the open, staring +straight upward into the overarching greenery of the trees. This is a +very pleasant thing to do. The beautiful up-spreading, outstretching of +the tree branches and twigs intrigue the eye; the leaves make +fascinating, hypnotically waving patterns against a very blue sky; and +in the chambers and galleries of the upper world the birds and insects +carry on varied businesses of their own. After a time the corner of my +eye caught a quick movement far to the left and in a shadow. At once I +turned my attention that way. After minute scrutiny I at length made out +a monkey. Evidently considering himself quite unobserved, he was slowly +and with great care stalking our camp. Inch by inch he moved, taking +skilful advantage of every bit of cover, flattening himself along the +limbs, hunching himself up behind bunches of leaves, until he had gained +a big limb directly overhead. There he stretched flat, staring down at +the scene that had so strongly aroused his curiosity. I lay there for +over two hours reading and dozing. My friend aloft never stirred. When +dusk fell he was still there. Some time after dark he must have regained +his band, for in the morning the limb was vacant. + +Now comes the part of this story that really needs a witness, not to +veracity perhaps, but to accuracy of observations. Fortunately I have F. +About noon next day the monkey returned to his point of observation. He +used the same precautions as to concealment; he followed his route of +the day before; he proceeded directly to his old conning tower on the +big limb. It did not take him quite so long to get there, for he had +already scouted out the trail. _And close at his heels followed two +other monkeys_! They crawled where he crawled; they crouched where he +crouched; they hid where he hid; they flattened themselves out by him on +the big limb, and all three of them passed the afternoon gazing down on +the strange and fascinating things below. Whether these newcomers were +part of the first one's family out for a treat, or whether they were +Cook's Tourists of the Jungle in charge of my friend's competence as a +guide, I do not know. + +Farther down the river F. and I stopped for some time to watch the +crossing of forty-odd of the little blue monkeys. The whole band +clambered to near the top of a tall tree growing by the water's edge. +There, one by one, they ran out on a straight overhanging limb and cast +themselves into space. On the opposite bank of the river, and leaning +well out, grew a small springy bush. Each monkey landed smash in the +middle of this, clasped it with all four hands, swayed alarmingly, +recovered, and scampered ashore. It was rather a nice problem in +ballistics this, for a mistake in calculation of a foot in distance or +a pound in push would land Mr. Monkey in the water. And the joke of it +was that directly beneath that bush lay two hungry-looking crocodiles! +As each tiny body hurtled through the air I'll swear a look of hope came +into the eyes of those crocs. We watched until the last had made his +leap. There were no mistakes. The joke was against the crocodiles. + +We encountered quite a number of dog-faced baboons. These big apes +always retreated very slowly and noisily. Scouts in the rearguard were +continually ascending small trees or bushes for a better look at us, +then leaping down to make disparaging remarks. One lot seemed to show +such variation in colour from the usual that we shot one. The distance +was about two hundred and fifty yards. Immediately the whole band--a +hundred or so strong--dropped on all fours and started in our direction. +This was rather terrifying. However, as we stood firm, they slowly came +to a halt at about seventy yards, barked and chattered for a moment, +then hopped away to right and left. + + + + +XXIX. + +THE LESSER KUDU. + + +About eight o'clock, the evening of our first day on the Swanee, the +heat broke in a tropical downpour. We heard it coming from a long +distance, like the roar of a great wind. The velvet blackness, star +hung, was troubled by an invisible blurring mist, evidenced only through +a subtle effect on the subconsciousness. Every leaf above us, in the +circle of our firelight, depended absolutely motionless from its stem. +The insects had ceased their shrilling; the night birds their chirping; +the animals, great and small, their callings or their stealthy rustling +to and fro. Of the world of sound there remained only the crackling of +our fires, the tiny singing of the blood in our ears, and that far-off +portentous roar. Our simple dispositions were made. Trenches had been +dug around the tents; the pegs had been driven well home; our stores had +been put in shelter. We waited silently, puffing away our pipes. + +The roaring increased in volume. Beneath it we began to hear the long, +rolling crash of thunder. Overhead the stars, already dimmed, were +suddenly blotted from existence. Then came the rain, in a literal +deluge, as though the god of floods had turned over an entire reservoir +with one twist of his mighty hand. Our fire went out instantly; the +whole world went out with it. We lay on our canvas cots unable to see a +foot beyond our tent opening; unable to hear anything but the insistent, +terrible drumming over our heads; unable to think of anything through +the tumult of waters. As a man's body might struggle from behind a +waterfall through the torrents, so our imaginations, half drowned, +managed dimly to picture forth little bits--the men huddled close in +their tiny tents, their cowled blankets over their heads. All the rest +of the universe had gone. + +After a time the insistent beat and rush of waters began to wear through +our patience. We willed that this wracking tumult should cease; we +willed it with all the force that was in us. Then, as this proved vain, +we too humped our spiritual backs, cowled our souls with patience, and +waited dumbly for the force of the storm to spend itself. Our faculties +were quite as effectually drowned out by the unceasing roar and crash of +the waters as our bodily comfort would have been had we lacked the +protection of our tent. + +Abruptly the storm passed. It did not die away slowly in the diminuendo +of ordinary storms. It ceased as though the reservoir had been tipped +back again. The rapid _drip_, _drip_, _drip_ of waters now made the +whole of sound; all the rest of the world lay breathless. Then, inside +our tent, a cricket struck up bravely. + +This homely, cheerful little sound roused us. We went forth to count +damages and to put our house in order. The men hunted out dry wood and +made another fire; the creatures of the jungle and the stars above them +ventured forth. + +Next morning we marched into a world swept clean. The ground was as +smooth as though a new broom had gone over it. Every track now was +fresh, and meant an animal near at hand. The bushes and grasses were +hung with jewels. Merry little showers shook down from trees sharing a +joke with some tiny wind. White steam rose from a moist, fertile-looking +soil. The smell of greenhouses was in the air. Looking back, we were +stricken motionless by the sight of Kilimanjaro, its twin peaks +suspended a clean blue sky, fresh snow mantling its shoulders. + +This day, so cheeringly opened, was destined to fulfil its promise. In +the dense scrub dwell a shy and rare animal called the lesser kudu +specimens of which we greatly desired. The beast keeps to the thickest +and driest cove where it is impossible to see fifty yards ahead but +where the slightest movement breaks the numberless dry interlacements of +which the place seems made. To move really quietly one could not cover +over a half-mile in an hour. As the countryside extends a thousand +square miles or more, and the lesser kudu is rare, it can be seen that +hunting them might have to be a slow and painful process. We had twice +seen the peculiar tracks. + +On this morning, however, we caught a glimpse of the beast itself. A +flash of gray, with an impression of the characteristic harness-like +stripes--that was all. The trail, in the ground, was of course very +plain. I left the others and followed it into the brush. As usual the +thorn scrub was so thick that I had to stoop and twist to get through it +at all, and so brittle that the least false move made a crackling like a +fire. The rain of the night before had, however, softened the _debris_ +lying on the ground. I moved forward as quickly as I could, half +suffocated in the steaming heat of the dense thicket. After three or +four hundred yards the beast fell into a walk, so I immediately halted. +I reasoned that after a few steps at this gait he would look back to see +whether or not he was followed. If his scouting showed him nothing he +might throw off suspicion. After ten minutes I crept forward again. The +spoor showed my surmises to be correct, for I came to where the animal +had turned, behind a small bush, and had stood for a few minutes. Taking +up the tracks from this point, I was delighted to find that the kudu had +forgotten its fear, and was browsing. At the end of five minutes more of +very careful work, I was fortunate enough to see it, feeding from the +top of a small bush thirty-five yards away. The raking shot from the +Springfield dropped it in its tracks. + +It proved to be a doe, a great prize of course, but not to be compared +with the male. We skinned her carefully, and moved on, delighted to have +the species. + +Our luck was not over, however. At the end of six hours we picked our +camp in a pretty grove by the swift-running stream. There we sat down +to await the safari. The tree-tops were full of both the brown and blue +monkeys, baboons barked at us from a distance, the air was musical with +many sweet birds. Big thunder-clouds were gathering around the horizon. + +The safari came in. Mohammed immediately sought us out to report, in +great excitement, that he had seen five kudu across the stream. He +claimed to have watched them even after the safari had passed, and that +they had not been alarmed. The chance was slight that the kudu could be +found, but still it was a chance. Accordingly we rather reluctantly gave +up our plans for a loaf and a nap. Mohammed said the place was an hour +back; we had had six hours march already. However, about two o'clock we +set out. Before we had arrived quite at the spot we caught a glimpse of +the five kudu as they dashed across a tiny opening ahead of us. They had +moved downstream and crossed the river. + +It seemed rather hopeless to follow them into that thick country once +they had been alarmed, but the prize was great. Therefore Memba Sasa and +I took up the trail. We crept forward a mile, very quiet, very +tense--very sweaty. Then simultaneously, through a chance opening and a +long distance away, we caught a patch of gray with a single transverse +white stripe. There was no chance to ascertain the sex of the beast, nor +what part of its anatomy was thus exposed. I took a bull's eye chance on +that patch of gray; had the luck to hit it in the middle. The animal +went down. Memba Sasa leapt forward like a madman; I could not begin to +keep pace with him. When I had struggled through the thorn, I found him +dancing with delight. + +"Monuome, bwana! buck, master!" he cried as soon as he saw me, and made +a spiral gesture in imitation of the male's beautiful corkscrew horns. + +While the men prepared the trophy, F. and I followed on after the other +four to see what they would do, and speedily came to the conclusion that +we were lucky to land two of the wily beasts. The four ran compactly +together and in a wide curve for several hundred yards. Then two faced +directly back, while the other two, one on either side, made a short +detour out and back to guard the flanks. + +We did not get back to camp until after dark. A tremendous pair of +electric storms were volleying and roaring at each other across the +space of night; leopards were crying; a pack of wild dogs were barking +vociferously. The camp, as we approached it, was a globe of light in a +bower of darkness. The fire, shining and flickering on the under sides +of the leaves, lent them a strangely unreal stage-like appearance; the +porters, their half-naked bodies and red blankets catching the blaze, +roasted huge chunks of meat over little fires. + +We ate a belated supper in comfort, peace, and satisfaction. Then the +storms joined forces and fell upon us. + + + + +XXX. + +ADVENTURES BY THE WAY. + + +We journeyed slowly on down the stream. Interesting things happened to +us. The impressions of that journey are of two sorts: the little +isolated details and the general background of our day's routine, with +the gray dawn, the great heats of the day, the blessed evening and its +fireflies; the thundering of heaven's artillery, and the downpour of +torrents; the hot, high, crackling thorn scrub into which we made +excursions; the swift-flowing river with its palms and jungles; +outleaning palms trailing their fronds just within the snatch of the +flood waters; wide flats in the embrace of the river bends, or extending +into the low hills, grown thick with lush green and threaded with +rhinoceros paths; the huge sheer cliff mountains over the way; distant +single hills far down. The mild discomfort of the start before daylight +clearly revealed the thorns and stumbling blocks; the buoyant +cheerfulness of the first part of the day, with the grouse rocketing +straight up out of the elephant grass, the birds singing everywhere, and +the beasts of the jungle still a-graze at the edges; the growing weight +of the sun, as though a great pressing hand were laid upon the +shoulders; the suffocating, gasping heat of afternoon, and the; +gathering piling black and white clouds; the cool evening in pyjamas +with the fireflies flickering; among the bushes, the river singing, and +little; breezes wandering like pattering raindrops in the dry palm +leaves--all these, by repetition of main elements, blend in my memory to +form a single image. To be sure each day the rock pinnacles over the way +changed slightly their compass bearings, and little variations of +contour lent variety to the procession of days. But in essentials they +were of one kin. + +But here and there certain individual scenes and incidents stand out +clearly and alone. Without reference to my notebook I could not tell you +their chronological order, nor the days of their happening. They +occurred, without correlation. + +Thus one afternoon at the loafing hour, when F. was sound asleep under +his mosquito bar, and I in my canvas chair was trying to catch the +breeze from an approaching deluge, to me came a total stranger in a +large turban. He was without arms or baggage of any sort, an alien in a +strange and savage country. + +"Jambo, bwana m'kubwa (greeting, great master)!" said he. + +"Jambo," said I, as though his existence were not in the least +surprising, and went on reading. This showed him that I was indeed a +great master. + +After a suitable interval I looked up. + +"Wataka neenee (what do you want)?" I demanded. + +"Nataka sema qua heri (I want to say good-bye)," said this astonishing +individual. + +I had, until that moment, been quite unaware of his existence. As he had +therefore not yet said "How do you do," I failed to fathom his reasons +for wanting to say "good-bye." However, far be it from me to deny any +one innocent pleasure, so I gravely bade him good-bye, and he +disappeared into the howling wilderness whence he had come. + + * * * * * + +One afternoon we came upon two lemurs seated gravely side by side on a +horizontal limb ten feet up a thorn tree. They contemplated us with the +preternatural gravity of very young children, and without the slightest +sign of fear. We coveted them as pets for Billy, but soon discovered +that their apparent tameness was grounded on good, solid common sense. +The thorns of that thorn tree! We left them sitting upright, side by +side. + +A little farther on, and up a dry earthy hillside, a medium-sized beast +leapt from an eroded place fairly under my feet and made off with a +singularly familiar kiyi. It was a strange-looking animal, apparently +brick red in colour. When I had collected myself I saw it was a wild +dog. It had been asleep in a warm hollow of red clay, and had not +awakened until I was fairly upon it. We had heard these beasts nearly +every night, but this was the first we had seen. Some days later we came +upon the entire pack drinking at the river. They leapt suddenly across +our front eighty yards away, their heads all turned towards us +truculently, barking at us like so many watch dogs. They made off, but +not as though particularly alarmed. + + * * * * * + +One afternoon I had wounded a good wart-hog across the river, and had +gone downstream to find a dry way over. F., more enthusiastic, had +plunged in and promptly attacked the wart-hog. He was armed with the +English service revolver shooting the.455 Ely cartridge. It is a very +short, stubby bit of ammunition. I had often cast doubt on its driving +power as compared to the.45 Colt, for example. F., as a loyal +Englishman, had, of course, defended his army's weapon. When I reached +the centre of disturbance I found that F. had emptied his revolver three +times--eighteen shots--into the head and forequarters of that wart-hog +without much effect. Incidentally the wart-hog had given him a good +lively time, charging again and again. The weapon has not nearly the +shock power of even our.38 service--a cartridge classified as too light +for serious business. + + * * * * * + +One afternoon I gave my shotgun to one of the porters to carry afield, +remarking facetiously to all and sundry that he looked like a gunbearer. +After twenty minutes we ran across a rhinoceros. I spent some time +trying to manoeuvre into position for a photograph of the beast. +However, the attempt failed. We managed to dodge his rush. Then, after +the excitement had died, we discovered the porter and the shotgun up a +tree. He descended rather shamefaced. Nobody said anything about it. A +half-hour later we came upon another rhinoceros. The beast was visible +at some distance, and downhill. Nevertheless the porter moved a little +nearer a tree. This was too much for Memba Sasa. All the rest of the +afternoon he "ragged" that porter in much the same terms we would have +employed in the same circumstances. + +"That place ahead," said he, "looks like a good place for rhinoceros. +Perhaps you'd better climb a tree." + +"There is a dikdik; a bush is big enough to climb for him." + +"Are you afraid of jackals, too?" + + * * * * * + +The fireflies were our regular evening companions. We caught one or two +of them for the pleasure of watching them alternately igniting and +extinguishing their little lamps. Even when we put them in a bottle they +still kept up their performance bravely. + +But besides them we had an immense variety of evening visitors. Beetles +of the most inconceivable shapes and colours, all sorts of moths, and +numberless strange things--leaf insects, walking-stick insects (exactly +like dry twigs), and the fierce, tall, praying mantis with their mock +air of meekness and devotion. Let one of the other insects stray within +reach and their piety was quickly enough abandoned! One beetle about +three-eighths of an inch across was oblong in shape and of pure +glittering gold. His wing covers, on the other hand, were round and +transparent. The effect was of a jewel under a tiny glass case. Other +beetles were of red dotted with black, or of black dotted with red; they +sported stripes, or circles of plain colours; they wore long, slender +antennae, or short knobby horns; they carried rapiers or pinchers, long +legs or short. In fact they ran the gamut of grace and horror, so that +an inebriate would find here a great rest for the imagination. + +After we had gone to bed we noticed more pleasantly our cricket. He +piped up, you may remember, the night of the first great storm. That +evening he took up his abode in some fold or seam of our tent, and there +stayed throughout all the rest of the journey. Every evening he tuned up +cheerfully, and we dropped to sleep to the sound of his homelike piping. +We grew very fond of him, as one does of everything in this wild and +changing country that can represent a stable point of habitude. + +Nor must I forget one evening when all of a sudden out of the darkness +came a tremendous hollow booming, like the beating of war drums or the +bellowing of some strange great beast. At length we identified the +performer as an unfamiliar kind of frog! + + + + +XXXI. + +THE LOST SAFARI. + + +We were possessed of a map of sorts, consisting mostly of wide blank +spaces, with an occasional tentative mountain, or the probable course of +streams marked thereon. The only landmark that interested us was a +single round peak situated south of our river and at a point just before +we should cross the railroad at Tsavo Station. There came a day when, +from the top of a hill where we had climbed for the sake of the outlook, +we thought we recognized that peak. It was about five miles away as the +crow flies. + +Then we returned to camp and made the fatal mistake of starting to +figure. We ought to cover the distance, even with the inevitable twists +and turns, in a day; the tri-weekly train passed through Tsavo the +following night; if we could catch that we would save a two days' wait +for the next train. You follow the thought. We arose very early the +next morning to get a good start on our forced march. + +There is no use in spinning out a sad tale. We passed what we thought +must be our landmark hill just eleven times. The map showed only one +butte; as a matter of fact there were dozens. At each disappointment we +had to reconstruct our theories. It is the nature of man to do this +hopefully--Tsavo Station must be just around the _next_ bend. We marched +six hours without pause; then began to save ourselves a little. By all +the gods of logical reasoning we _proved_ Tsavo just beyond a certain +fringe of woods. When we arrived we found that there the river broke +through a range of hills by way of a deep gorge. It was a change from +the everlasting scrub, with its tumbling waters, its awful cliffs, its +luxuriant tropical growths; but it was so much the more difficult to +make our way through. Beyond the gorge we found any amount of hills, +kopjes, buttes, sugar loaves, etc., each isolated from its fellows, each +perfectly competent to serve as the map's single landmark. + +We should have camped, but we were very anxious to catch that train; and +we were convinced that now, after all that work, Tsavo could not be far +away. It would be ridiculous and mortifying to find we had camped +almost within sight of our destination! + +The heat was very bad and the force of the sun terrific. It seemed to +possess actual physical weight, and to press us down from above. We +filled our canteens many times at the swift-running stream, and emptied +them as often. By two o'clock F. was getting a little wobbly from the +sun. We talked of stopping, when an unexpected thunder shower rolled out +from behind the mountains, and speedily overcast the entire heavens. +This shadow relieved the stress. F., much revived, insisted that we +proceed. So we marched and passed many more hills. + +In the meantime it began to rain, after the whole-hearted tropical +fashion. In two minutes we were drenched to the skin. I kept my matches +and notebook dry by placing them in the crown of my cork helmet. After +the intense heat this tepid downpour seemed to us delicious. + +And then, quite unexpectedly, of course, we came around a bend to make +out through the sheets of rain the steel girders of the famous Tsavo +bridge.[15] + +We clambered up a steep, slippery bank to the right-of-way, along which +we proceeded half a mile to the station. This consisted of two or three +native huts, a house for the East Indian in charge, and the station +building itself. The latter was a small frame structure with a narrow +floorless veranda. There was no platform. Drawing close on all sides was +the interminable thorn scrub. Later, when the veil of rain had been +drawn aside, we found that Tsavo, perched on a hillside, looked abroad +over a wide prospect. For the moment all we saw was a dark, dismal, +dripping station, wherein was no sign of life. + +We were beginning to get chilly, and we wanted very much some tea, fire, +a chance to dry, pending the arrival of our safari. We jerked open the +door and peered into the inky interior. + +"Babu!" yelled F., "Babu!" + +From an inner back room came the faint answer in most precise English,-- + +"I can-not come; I am pray-ing." + +There followed the sharp, quick tinkle of a little bell--the Indian +manner of calling upon the Lord's attention. + +We both knew better than to hustle the institutions of the East; so we +waited with what patience we had, listening to the intermittent +tinkling of the little bell. At the end of fully fifteen minutes the +devotee appeared. He proved to be a mild, deprecating little man, very +eager to help, but without resources. He was a Hindu, and lived mainly +on tea and rice. The rice was all out, but he expected more on the night +train. There was no trading store here. He was the only inhabitant. +After a few more answers he disappeared, to return carrying two pieces +of letter paper on which were tea and a little coarse native sugar. +These, with a half-dozen very small potatoes, were all he had to offer. + +It did not look very encouraging. We had absolutely nothing in which to +boil water. Of course we could not borrow of our host; caste stood in +the way there. If we were even to touch one of his utensils, that +utensil was for him defiled for ever. Nevertheless, as we had eaten +nothing since four o'clock that morning, and had put a hard day's work +behind us, we made an effort. After a short search we captured a savage +possessed of a surfuria, or native cooking pot. Memba Sasa scrubbed this +with sand. First we made tea in it, and drank turn about, from its wide +edge. This warmed us up somewhat. Then we dumped in our few potatoes and +a single guinea fowl that F. had decapitated earlier in the day. We +ate; and passed the pot over to Memba Sasa. + +So far, so good; but we were still very wet, and the uncomfortable +thought would obtrude itself that the safari might not get in that day. +It behoved us at least to dry what we had on. I hunted up Memba Sasa, +whom I found in a native hut. A fire blazed in the middle of the floor. +I stooped low to enter, and squatted on my heels with the natives. +Slowly I steamed off the surface moisture. We had rather a good time +chatting and laughing. After a while I looked out. It had stopped +raining. Therefore I emerged and set some of the men collecting +firewood. Shortly I had a fine little blaze going under the veranda roof +of the station. F. and I hung out our breeches to dry, and spread the +tails of our shirts over the heat. F. was actually the human chimney, +for the smoke was pouring in clouds from the breast and collar of his +shirt. We were fine figures for the public platform of a railway +station! + +We had just about dried off and had reassumed our thin and scanty +garments, when the babu emerged. We stared in drop-jawed astonishment. +He had muffled his head and mouth in a most brilliant scarf, as if for +zero weather; although dressed otherwise in the usual pongee. Under one +arm he carried a folded clumsy cotton umbrella; around his waist he had +belted a huge knife; in his other hand he carried his battle-axe. I mean +just that--his battle-axe. We had seen such things on tapestries or in +museums, but did not dream that they still existed out of captivity. +This was an Oriental looking battle-axe with a handle three feet long, a +spike on top, a spike out behind, and a half-moon blade in front. The +babu had with a little of his signal paint done the whole thing, blade +and all, to a brilliant window-shutter green. + +As soon as we had recovered our breath, we asked him very politely the +reason for these stupendous preparations. It seemed that it was his +habit to take a daily stroll just before sunset, "for the sake of the +health," as he told us in his accurate English. + +"The bush is full of bad men," he explained, "who would like to kill me; +but when they see this axe and this knife they say to each other, 'There +walks a very bad man. We dare not kill him.'" + +He marched very solemnly a quarter-mile up the track and back, always in +plain view. Promptly on his return he dived into his little back room +where the periodic tinkling of his praying bell for some time marked his +gratitude for having escaped the "bad men." + +The bell ceased. Several times he came to the door, eyed us timidly, and +bolted back into the darkness. Finally he approached to within ten feet, +twisted his hands and giggled in a most deprecating fashion. + +"What is the use of this killing game?" he gabbled as rapidly as he +could. "Man should not destroy what man cannot first create." After +which he giggled again and fled. + +His conscience, evidently, had driven him to this defiance of our high +mightinesses against his sense of politeness and his fears. + +About this time my boy Mohammed and the cook drifted in. They reported +that they had left the safari not far back. Our hopes of supper and +blankets rose. They declined, however, with the gathering darkness, and +were replaced by wrath against the faithless ones. Memba Sasa, in spite +of his long day, took a gun and disappeared in the darkness. He did not +get back until nine o'clock, when he suddenly appeared in the doorway to +lean the gun in the corner, and to announce, "Hapana safari." + +We stretched ourselves on a bench and a table--the floor was +impossible--and took what sleep we could. In the small hours the train +thundered through, the train we had hoped to catch! + +FOOTNOTES: + +[15] This is the point at which construction was stopped by man-eating +lions. See Patterson's "The Man-eaters of Tsavo." + + + + +XXXII. + +THE BABU. + + +We stretched ourselves stiffly in the first gray of dawn, wondering +where we could get a mouthful of breakfast. On emerging from the station +a strange and gladsome sight met our eyes--namely, chop boxes and gun +cases belonging to some sportsman not yet arrived. Necessity knows no +law; so we promptly helped ourselves to food and gun-cleaning +implements. Much refreshed, we lit our pipes and settled ourselves to +wait for our delinquents. + +Shortly after sunrise an Indian track inspector trundled in on a handcar +propelled by two natives. He was a suave and corpulent person with a +very large umbrella and beautiful silken garments. The natives upset the +handcar off the track, and the newcomer settled himself for an enjoyable +morning. He and the babu discussed ethics and metaphysical philosophy +for three solid hours. Evidently they came from different parts of +India, and their only common language was English. Through the thin +partition in the station building we could hear plainly every word. It +was very interesting. Especially did we chortle with delight when the +inspector began one of his arguments somewhat as follows:-- + +"Now the two English who are here. They possess great sums of +wealth"--F. nudged me delightedly--"and they have weapons to kill, and +much with which to do things, yet their savage minds--" + +It was plain, rank, eavesdropping, but most illuminating, thus to get at +first hand the Eastern point of view as to ourselves; to hear the +bloodless, gentle shell of Indian philosophy described by believers. +They discussed the most minute and impractical points, and involved +themselves in the most uncompromising dilemmas. + +Thus the gist of one argument was as follows: "All sexual intercourse is +sin, but the race must go forward by means of sexual intercourse; +therefore the race is conceived in sin and is sinful; but it is a great +sin for me, as an individual, not to carry forward the race, since the +Divine Will decrees that in some way the race is necessary to it. +_Therefore_ it would seem that man is in sin whichever way you look at +it--" + +"But," interposes the inspector firmly but politely, "is it not possible +that sexual sin and the sin of opposing Divine Will may be of balance in +the spirit, so that in resisting one sort a man acquires virtue to +commit the other without harm--" And so on for hours. + +At twelve-thirty the safari drifted in. Consider that fact and what it +meant. The plain duty of the headman was, of course, to have seen that +the men followed us in the day before. But allowing, for the sake of +argument, that this was impossible, and that the men had been forced by +the exhaustion of some of their number to stop and camp, if they had +arisen betimes they should have completed the journey in two hours at +most. That should have brought them in by half-past seven or eight +o'clock. But a noon arrival condemned them without the necessity of +argument. They had camped early, had risen very, very late, and had +dawdled on the road. + +We ourselves gave the two responsible headmen twenty lashes apiece; then +turned over to them the job of thrashing the rest. Ten per man was the +allotment. They expected the punishment; took it gracefully. Some even +thanked us when it was over! The babu disappeared in his station. + +About an hour later he approached us, very deprecating, and handed us a +telegram. It was from the district commissioner at Voi ordering us to +report for flogging "porters on the Tsavo Station platform." + +"I am truly sorry, I am truly sorry," the babu was murmuring at our +elbows. + +"What does this mean?" we demanded of him. + +He produced a thick book. + +"It is in here--the law," he explained. "You must not flog men on the +station platform. It was my duty to report." + +"How did we know that? Why didn't you tell us?" + +"If you had gone there"--he pointed ten feet away to a spot exactly like +all other spots--"it would have been off the platform. Then I had +nothing to say." + +We tried to become angry. + +"But why in blazes couldn't you have told us of that quietly and +decently? We'd have moved." + +"It is the law" He tapped his thick book. + +"But we cannot be supposed to know by heart every law in that book. Why +didn't you warn us before reporting?" we insisted. + +"I am truly sorry," he repeated. "I hope and trust it will not prove +serious. But it is in the book." + +We continued in the same purposeless fashion for a moment or so longer. +Then the babu ended the discussion thus,-- + +"It was my duty. I am truly sorry. Suppose I had not reported and should +die to-day, and should go to heaven, and God should ask me, 'Have you +done your duty to-day?' what should I say to Him?" + +We gave it up; we were up against Revealed Religion. + +So that night we took a freight train southward to Voi, leaving the babu +and his prayer-bell, and his green battle-axe and his conscience alone +in the wilderness. We had quite a respect for that babu. + +The district commissioner listened appreciatively to our tale. + +"Of course I shall not carry the matter further," he told us, "but +having known the babu, you must see that once he had reported to me I +was compelled to order you down here. I am sorry for the inconvenience." + +And when we reflected on the cataclysmic upheaval that babu would have +undergone had we not been summoned after breaking one of The Laws in the +Book, we had to admit the district commissioner was right. + + + + + + +PART VI. + +IN MASAILAND. + + + + + + +XXXIII. + +OVER THE LIKIPIA ESCARPMENT. + + +Owing to an outbreak of bubonic plague, and consequent quarantine, we +had recruited our men outside Nairobi, and had sent them, in charge of +C., to a little station up the line. + +Billy and I saw to the loading of our equipment on the train, and at two +o'clock, in solitary state, set forth. Our only attendants were Mohammed +and Memba Sasa, who had been fumigated and inoculated and generally +Red-Crossed for the purpose. + +The little narrow-gauge train doubled and twisted in its climb up the +range overlooking Nairobi and the Athi Plains. Fields of corn grew so +tall as partially to conceal villages of round, grass-thatched huts with +conical roofs; we looked down into deep ravines where grew the +broad-leaved bananas; the steep hillsides had all been carefully +cultivated. Savages leaning on spears watched us puff heavily by. +Women, richly ornamented with copper wire or beads, toiled along bent +under loads carried by means of a band across the top of the head.[16] +Naked children rushed out to wave at us. We were steaming quite +comfortably through Africa as it had been for thousands of years before +the white man came. + +At Kikuyu Station we came to a halt. Kikuyu Station ordinarily embarks +about two passengers a month, I suppose. Now it was utterly swamped with +business, for on it had descended all our safari of thirty-nine men and +three mules. Thirty of the thirty-nine yelled and shrieked and got in +the wrong place, as usual. C. and the train men and the stationmaster +and our responsible boys heaved and tugged and directed, ordered, +commanded. At length the human element was loaded to its places and +locked in. Then the mules had to be urged up a very narrow gang-lank +into a dangerous-looking car. Quite sensibly they declined to take +chances. We persuaded them. The process was quite simple. Two of the men +holding the ends at a safe distance stretched a light strong cord across +the beasts' hind legs, and sawed it back and forth. + +We clanged the doors shut, climbed aboard, and the train at last +steamed on. Now bits of forest came across our way, deep, shaded, with +trailing curtain vines, and wide leaves as big as table tops, and high, +lush, impenetrable undergrowth full of flashing birds, fathomless +shadows, and inquisitive monkeys. Occasionally we emerged to the edge of +a long oval meadow, set in depressions among hills, like our Sierra +meadows. Indeed so like were these openings to those in our own wooded +mountains that we always experienced a distinct shock of surprise as the +familiar woods parted to disclose a dark solemn savage with flashing +spear. + +We stopped at various stations, and descended and walked about in the +gathering shadows of the forest. It was getting cool. Many little things +attracted our attention, to remain in our memories as isolated pictures. +Thus I remember one grave savage squatted by the track playing on a sort +of mandoline-shaped instrument. It had two strings, and he twanged these +alternately, without the slightest effort to change their pitch by +stopping with his fingers. He bent his head sidewise, and listened with +the meticulous attention of a connoisseur. We stopped at that place for +fully ten minutes, but not for a second did he leave off twanging his +two strings, nor did he even momentarily relax his attention. + +It was now near sundown. We had been climbing steadily. The train +shrieked twice, and unexpectedly slid out to the edge of the Likipia +Escarpment. We looked down once more into the great Rift Valley. + +The Rift Valley is as though a strip of Africa--extending half the +length of the continent--had in time past sunk bodily some thousands of +feet, leaving a more or less sheer escarpment on either side, and +preserving intact its own variegated landscape in the bottom. We were on +the Likipia Escarpment. We looked across to the Mau Escarpment, where +the country over which our train had been travelling continued after its +interruption by the valley. And below us were mountains, streams, +plains. The westering sun threw strong slants of light down and across. + +The engine shut off its power, and we slid silently down the rather +complicated grades and curves of the descent. A noble forest threw its +shadows over us. Through the chance openings we caught glimpses of the +pale country far below. Across high trestle bridges we rattled, and +craned over to see the rushing white water of the mountain torrents a +hundred feet down. The shriek of our engine echoed and re-echoed +weirdly from the serried trunks of trees and from the great cliffs that +seemed to lift themselves as we descended. + +We debarked at Kijabe[17] well after dark. It is situated on a ledge in +the escarpment, is perhaps a quarter-mile wide, and includes nothing +more elaborate than the station, a row of Indian dukkas, and two houses +of South Africans set back towards the rise in the cliffs. A mile or so +away, and on a little higher level, stand the extensive buildings of an +American mission. It is, I believe, educational as well as sectarian, is +situated in one of the most healthful climates of East Africa, and is +prosperous. + +At the moment we saw none of these things. We were too busy getting men, +mules, and equipment out of the train. Our lanterns flared in the great +wind that swept down the defile; and across the track little fires +flared too. Shortly we made the acquaintance of the South Africander who +furnished us our ox teams and wagon; and of a lank, drawling youth who +was to be our "rider." The latter was very anxious to get started, so we +piled all our stores and equipment but those immediately necessary for +the night aboard the great wagon. Then we returned to the dak-bungalow +for a very belated supper. While eating this we discussed our plans. + +These were in essence very simple. Somewhere south of the Great Thirst +of the Sotik a river called the Narossara. Back of the river were high +mountains, and down the river were benches dropping off by thousands of +feet to the barren country of Lake Magahdi. Over some of this country +ranged the Greater Kudu, easily the prize buck of East Africa. We +intended to try for a Greater Kudu. + +People laughed at us. The beast is extremely rare; it ranges over a wide +area; it inhabits the thickest sort of cover in a sheer mountainous +country; its senses are wonderfully acute; and it is very wary. A man +_might_, once in a blue moon, get one by happening upon it accidentally, +but deliberately to go after it was sheer lunacy. So we were told. As a +matter of fact, we thought so ourselves, but Greater Kudu was as good an +excuse as another. + +The most immediate of our physical difficulties was the Thirst. Six +miles from Kijabe we would leave the Kedong River. After that was no +more water for two days and nights. During that time we should be forced +to travel and rest in alternation day and night, with a great deal of +travel and very little rest. We should be able to carry for the men a +limited amount of water on the ox wagon, but the cattle could not drink. +It was a hard, anxious grind. A day's journey beyond the first water +after the Thirst we should cross the Southern Guaso Nyero River.[18] +Then two days should land us at the Narossara. There we must leave our +ox wagon and push on with our tiny safari. We planned to relay back for +porters from our different camps. + +That was our whole plan. Our transport rider's object in starting this +night was to reach the Kedong River, and there to outspan until our +arrival next day. The cattle would thus get a good feed and rest. Then +at four in the afternoon we would set out to conquer the Thirst. After +that it would be a question of travelling to suit the oxen. + +Next morning, when we arose, we found one of the wagon Kikuyus awaiting +us. His tale ran that after going four miles, the oxen had been +stampeded by lions. In the mix-up the dusselboom had been broken. He +demanded a new dusselboom. I looked as wise as though I knew just what +that meant; and told him largely, to help himself. Shortly he departed +carrying what looked to be the greater part of a forest tree. + +We were in no hurry, so we did not try to get our safari under way +before eight o'clock. It consisted of twenty-nine porters, the +gunbearers, three personal boys, three syces, and the cook. Of this lot +some few stand out from the rest, and deserve particular attention. + +Of course I had my veterans, Memba Sasa and Mohammed. There was also +Kongoni, gunbearer, elsewhere described. The third gunbearer was +Marrouki, a Wakamba. He was the personal gunbearer of a Mr. Twigg, who +very courteously loaned him for this trip as possessing some knowledge +of the country. He was a small person, with stripes about his eyes; +dressed in a Scotch highland cap, khaki breeches, and a shooting coat +miles too big for him. His soul was earnest, his courage great, his +training good, his intelligence none too brilliant. Timothy, our cook, +was pure Swahili. He was a thin, elderly individual, with a wrinkled +brow of care. This represented a conscientious soul. He tried hard to +please, but he never could quite forget that he had cooked for the +Governor's safari. His air was always one of silent disapproval of our +modest outfit. So well did he do, however, often under trying +circumstances, that at the close of the expedition Billy presented him +with a very fancy knife. To her vast astonishment he burst into violent +sobs. + +"Why, what is it?" she asked. + +"Oh, memsahib," he wailed, "I wanted a watch!" + +As personal boy Billy had a Masai named Geyeye.[19] The members of this +proud and aristocratic tribe rarely condescend to work for the white +man; but when they do, they are very fine servants, for they are highly +intelligent. Geyeye was short and very, very ugly. Perhaps this may +partly explain his leaving tribal life, for the Masai generally are over +six feet. + +C.'s man was an educated Coast Swahili named Abba Ali. This individual +was very smart. He wore a neatly-trimmed Vandyke beard, a flannel +boating hat, smart tailored khakis, and carried a rattan cane. He was +alert, quick, and intelligent. His position was midway between that of +personal boy and headman. + +Of the rank and file we began with twenty-nine. Two changed their minds +before we were fairly started, and departed in the night. There was no +time to get regular porters; but fortunately a Kikuyu chief detailed two +wild savages from his tribe to act as carriers. These two children of +nature drifted in with pleasant smiles and little else save +knick-knacks. From our supplies we gave them two thin jerseys, reaching +nearly to the knees. Next day they appeared with broad tucks sewed +around the middle! They looked like "My Mama didn't use wool soap." We +then gave it up, and left them free and untrammelled. + +They differed radically. One was past the first enthusiasms and vanities +of youth. He was small, unobtrusive, unornamented. He had no possessions +save the jersey, the water-bottle, and the blanket we ourselves +supplied. The blanket he crossed bandolier fashion on one shoulder. It +hung down behind like a tasselled sash. His face was little and wizened +and old. He was quiet and uncomplaining, and the "easy mark" for all the +rest. We had constantly to be interfering to save him from imposition as +to too heavy loads, too many jobs, and the like. Nearing the close of +the long expedition, when our loads were lighter and fewer, one day C. +spoke up. + +"I'm going to give the old man a good time," said he. "I doubt if he's +ever had one before, or if he ever will again. He's that sort of a meek +damnfool." + +So it was decreed that Kimau[20] should carry nothing for the rest of +the trip, was to do no more work, was to have all he wanted to eat. It +was a treat to see him. He accepted these things without surprise, +without spoken thanks; just as he would have accepted an increased +supply of work and kicks. Before his little fire he squatted all day, +gazing vacantly off into space, or gnawing on a piece of the meat he +always kept roasting on sticks. He spoke to no one; he never smiled or +displayed any obvious signs of enjoyment; but from him radiated a +feeling of deep content. + +His companion savage was a young blood, and still affected by the +vanities of life. His hair he wore in short tight curls, resembling the +rope hair of a French poodle, liberally anointed with castor-oil and +coloured with red-paint clay. His body, too, was turned to bronze by the +same method, so that he looked like a beautiful smooth metal statue come +to life. To set this quality off he wore glittering collars, bracelets, +and ear ornaments of polished copper and brass. When he joined us his +sole costume was a negligent two-foot strip of cotton cloth. After he +had received his official jersey, he carefully tied the cloth over his +wonderful head; nor as far as we knew did he again remove it until the +end of the expedition. All his movements were inexpressibly graceful. +They reminded one somehow of Flaxman's drawings of the Greek gods. His +face, too, was good-natured and likeable. A certain half feminine, wild +grace, combined with the queer effect of his headgear, caused us to name +him Daphne. At home he was called Kingangui. At first he carried his +burden after the fashion of savages--on the back; and kept to the rear +of the procession; and at evening consorted only with old Lightfoot. As +soon as opportunity offered, he built himself a marvellous iridescent +ball of marabout feathers. Each of these he split along the quill, so +that they curled and writhed in the wind. This picturesque charm he +suspended from a short pole in front of his tent. Also, he belonged to +the Kikuyu tribe; he ate no game meat, but confined his diet to cornmeal +porridge. We were much interested in watching Daphne's gradual +conversion from savage ways to those of the regular porter. Within two +weeks he was carrying his load on his head or shoulder, and trying to +keep up near the head of the safari. The charm of feathers disappeared +shortly after, I am sorry to say. He took his share of the meat. Within +two months Daphne was imitating as closely as possible the manners and +customs of his safari mates. But he never really succeeded in looking +anything but the wild and graceful savage he was. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[16] After the fashion of the Canadian tump line. + +[17] Pronounce all the syllables. + +[18] An entirely different stream from that flowing north of Mt. Kenia. + +[19] Pronounce _every_ syllable. + +[20] His official name was Lightfoot, Queen of the Fairies, because of +his ballet-like costume. + + + + +XXXIV. + +TO THE KEDONG. + + +For four hours we descended the valley through high thorn scrub or the +occasional grassy openings. We were now in the floor of the Rift Valley, +and both along the escarpments and in the floor of the great blue valley +itself mountains were all about us. Most of the large ones were +evidently craters; and everywhere were smaller kopjes or buttes, that in +their day had also served as blow holes for subterranean fires. + +At the end of this time we arrived at the place where we were supposed +to find the wagon. No wagon was there. + +The spot was in the middle of a level plain on which grew very scattered +bushes, a great deal like the sparser mesquite growths of Arizona. +Towards the Likipia Escarpment, and about half-way to its base, a line +of trees marked the course of the Kedong River. Beyond that, fairly +against the mountain, we made out a settler's house. + +Leaving Billy and the safari, C. and I set out for this house. The +distance was long, and we had not made half of it before thunder clouds +began to gather. They came up thick and black behind the escarpment, and +rapidly spread over the entire heavens. We found the wagon shortly, +still mending its dusselboom, or whatever the thing was. Leaving +instructions for it to proceed to a certain point on the Kedong River, +we started back for our safari. + +It rained. In ten minutes the dusty plains, as far as the eye could +reach, were covered with water two or three inches deep, from which the +sparse bunches of grasses grew like reeds in a great marshy lake. We +splashed along with the water over our ankles. The channels made by the +game trails offered natural conduits, and wherever there was the least +grade they had become rushing brooks. We found the safari very +bedraggled. Billy had made a mound of valuables, atop which she perched, +her waterproof cape spread as wide as possible, a good deal like a +brooding hen. We set out for the meeting-point on the Kedong. In half an +hour we had there found a bit of higher ground and had made camp. + +As suddenly as they had gathered the storm clouds broke away. The +expiring sun sent across the valley a flood of golden light, that gilded +the rugged old mountain of Suswa over the way. + +"Directly on the other side of Suswa," C. told me, "there is a 'pan' of +hard clay. This rain will fill it, and we shall find water there. We can +take a night's rest, and set off comfortably in the morning." + +So the rain that had soaked us so thoroughly was a blessing after all. +While we were cooking supper the wagon passed us, its wheels and frame +creaking, its great whip cracking like a rifle, its men shrieking at the +imperturbable team of eighteen oxen. It would travel until the oxen +wanted to graze, or sleep, or scratch an ear, or meditate on why is a +Kikuyu. Thereupon they would be outspanned and allowed to do it, +whatever it was, until they were ready to go on again. Then they would +go on. These sequences might take place at any time of the day or night, +and for greater or lesser intervals of time. That was distinctly up to +the oxen; the human beings had mighty little to say in the matter. But +transport riding, from the point of view of the rank outsider, really +deserves a chapter of its own. + + + + +XXXV. + +THE TRANSPORT RIDER. + + +The wagon is one evolved in South Africa--a long, heavily-constructed +affair, with ingenious braces and timbers so arranged as to furnish the +maximum clearance with the greatest facility for substitution in case +the necessity for repairs might arise. The whole vehicle can be +dismounted and reassembled in a few hours; so that unfordable streams or +impossible bits of country can be crossed piecemeal. Its enormous wheels +are set wide apart. The brake is worked by a crank at the rear, like a +reversal of the starting mechanism of a motor car. Bolted to the frame +on either side between the front and rear wheels are capacious +cupboards, and two stout water kegs swing to and fro when the craft is +under way. The net carrying capacity of such a wagon is from three to +four thousand pounds. + +This formidable vehicle, in our own case, was drawn by a team of +eighteen oxen. The biggest brutes, the wheelers, were attached to a +tongue, all the others pulled on a long chain. The only harness was the +pronged yoke that fitted just forward of the hump. Over rough country +the wheelers were banged and jerked about savagely by the tongue; they +did not seem to mind it but exhibited a certain amount of intelligence +in manipulation. + +To drive these oxen we had one white man named Brown, and two small +Kikuyu savages. One of these worked the brake crank in the rear while +the other preceded the lead cattle. Brown exercised general supervision, +a long-lashed whip and Boer-Dutch expletives and admonitions. + +In transport riding, as this game is called, there is required a great +amount of especial skill though not necessarily a high degree of +intelligence. Along the flats all goes well enough, but once in the +unbelievable rough country of a hill trek the situation alters. A man +must know cattle and their symptoms. It is no light feat to wake up +eighteen sluggish bovine minds to the necessity for effort, and then to +throw so much dynamic energy into the situation that the whole eighteen +will begin to pull at once. That is the secret, unanimity; an ox is the +most easily discouraged working animal on earth. If the first three +couples begin to haul before the others have aroused to their effort, +they will not succeed in budging the wagon an inch, but after a moment's +struggle will give up completely. By that time the leaders respond to +the command and throw themselves forward in the yoke. In vain. They +cannot pull the wagon and their wheel comrades too. Therefore they give +up. By this time, perhaps, the lash has aroused the first lot to another +effort. And so they go, pulling and hauling against each other, getting +nowhere, until the end is an exhausted team, a driver half insane, and a +great necessity for unloading. + +A good driver, on the other hand, shrieks a few premonitory Dutch +words--and then! I suppose inside those bovine heads the effect is +somewhat that of a violent electric explosion. At any rate it hits them +all at once, and all together, in response, they surge against their +yokes. The heavily laden wagon creaks, groans, moves forward. The +hurricane of Dutch and the volleys of whip crackings rise to a +crescendo. We are off! + +To perform just this little simple trick of getting the thing started +requires not only a peculiar skill or gift, but also lungs of brass and +a throat of iron. A transport rider without a voice is as a tenor in the +same fix. He may--and does--get so hoarse that it is a pain to hear him; +but as long as he can croak in good volume he is all right. Mere +shouting will not do. He must shriek, until to the sympathetic bystander +it seems that his throat must split wide open. Furthermore, he must +shriek the proper things. It all sounds alike to every one but transport +riders and oxen; but as a matter of fact it is Boer-Dutch, nicely +assorted to suit different occasions. It is incredible that oxen should +distinguish; but, then, it is also incredible that trout should +distinguish the nice differences in artificial flies. + +After the start has been made successfully, the craft must be kept under +way. To an unbiassed bystander the whole affair looks insane. The wagon +creaks and sways and groans and cries aloud as it bumps over great +boulders in the way; the leading Kikuyu dances nimbly and shrills +remarks at the nearest cattle; the tail Kikuyu winds energetically back +and forth on his little handle, and tries to keep his feet. And Brown! +he is magnificent! His long lash sends out a volley of rifle reports, +down, up, ahead, back; his cracked voice roars out an unending stream +of apparent gibberish. Back and forth along the line of the team he +skips nimbly, the sweat streaming from his face. And the oxen plod +along, unhasting, unexcited, their eyes dreamy, chewing the cud of +yesterday's philosophic reflections. The situation conveys the general +impression of a peevish little stream breaking against great calm +cliffs. All this frantic excitement and expenditure of energy is so +apparently purposeless and futile, the calm cattle seem so aloof and +superior to it all, so absolutely unaffected by it. They are going +slowly, to be sure; their gait may be maddeningly deliberate, but +evidently they do not intend to be hurried. Why not let them take their +own speed? + +But all this hullabaloo means something after all. It does its business, +and the top of the boulder-strewn hill is gained. Without it the whole +concern would have stopped, and then the wagon would have to be unloaded +before a fresh start could have been made. Results with cattle are not +shown by facial expression nor by increased speed, but simply by +continuance. They will plod up steep hills or along the level at the +same placid gait. Only in the former case they require especial +treatment. + +In case the wagon gets stuck on a hill, as will occasionally happen, so +that all the oxen are discouraged at once, we would see one of the +Kikuyus leading the team back and forth, back and forth, on the side +hill just ahead of the wagon. This is to confuse their minds, cause them +to forget their failure, and thus to make another attempt. + +At one stretch we had three days of real mountains. N'gombe[21] Brown +shrieked like a steam calliope all the way through. He lasted the +distance, but had little camp-fire conversation even with his beloved +Kikuyus. + +When the team is outspanned, which in the waterless country of forced +marches is likely to be almost any time of the day or night, N'gombe +Brown sought a little rest. For this purpose he had a sort of bunk that +let down underneath the wagon. If it were daytime, the cattle were +allowed to graze under supervision of one of the Kikuyus. If it was +night time they were tethered to the long chain, where they lay in a +somnolent double row. A lantern at the head of the file and one at the +wagon's tail were supposed to discourage lions. In a bad lion country +fires were added to these defences. + +N'gombe Brown thus worked hard through varied and long hours in strict +intimacy with stupid and exasperating beasts. After working hours he +liked to wander out to watch those same beasts grazing! His mind was as +full of cattle as that! Although we offered him reading matter, he never +seemed to care for it, nor for long-continued conversation with white +people not of his trade. In fact the only gleam of interest I could get +out of him was by commenting on the qualities or peculiarities of the +oxen. He had a small mouth-organ on which he occasionally performed, and +would hold forth for hours with his childlike Kikuyus. In the +intelligence to follow ordinary directions he was an infant. We had to +iterate and reiterate in words of one syllable our directions as to +routes and meeting-points, and then he was quite as apt to go wrong as +right. Yet, I must repeat, he knew thoroughly all the ins and outs of a +very difficult trade, and understood, as well, how to keep his cattle +always fit and in good condition. In fact he was a little hipped on what +the "dear n'gombes" should or should not be called upon to do. + +One incident will illustrate all this better than I could explain it. +When we reached the Narossara River we left the wagon and pushed on +afoot. We were to be gone an indefinite time, and we left N'gombe Brown +and his outfit very well fixed. Along the Narossara ran a pleasant shady +strip of high jungle; the country about was clear and open; but most +important of all, a white man of education and personal charm occupied a +trading boma, or enclosure, near at hand. An accident changed our plans +and brought us back unexpectedly at the end of a few weeks. We found +that N'gombe Brown had trekked back a long day's journey, and was +encamped alone at the end of a spur of mountains. We sent native runners +after him. He explained his change of base by saying that the cattle +feed was a little better at his new camp! Mind you this: at the +Narossara the feed was quite good enough, the oxen were doing no work, +there was companionship, books, papers, and even a phonograph to while +away the long weeks until our return. N'gombe Brown quite cheerfully +deserted all this to live in solitude where he imagined the feed to be +microscopically better! + +FOOTNOTES: + +[21] N'gombe = oxen. + + + + +XXXVI. + +ACROSS THE THIRST. + + +We were off, a bright, clear day after the rains. Suswa hung grayish +pink against the bluest of skies. Our way slanted across the Rift Valley +to her base, turned the corner, and continued on the other side of the +great peak until we had reached the rainwater "pan" on her farther side. +It was a long march. + +The plains were very wide and roomy. Here and there on them rose many +small cones and craters, lava flows and other varied evidences of recent +volcanic activity. Geologically recent, I mean. The grasses of the +flowing plains were very brown, and the molehill craters very dark; the +larger craters blasted and austere; the higher escarpment in the +background blue with a solemn distance. The sizes of things were not +originally fitted out for little tiny people like human beings. We +walked hours to reach landmarks apparently only a few miles away. + +In this manner we crept along industriously until noon, by which time we +had nearly reached the shoulder of Suswa, around which we had to double. +The sun was strong, and the men not yet hardened to the work. We had +many stragglers. After lunch Memba Sasa and I strolled along on a route +flanking that of the safari, looking for the first of our meat supply. +Within a short time I had killed a Thompson's gazelle. Some solemn +giraffes looked on at the performance, and then moved off like +mechanical toys. + +The day lengthened. We were in the midst of wonderful scenery. Our +objection grew to be that it took so long to put any of it behind us. +Insensibly, however, we made progress. Suddenly, as it seemed, we found +ourselves looking at the other side of Suswa, and various brand-new +little craters had moved up to take the places of our old friends. At +last, about half-past four, we topped the swell of one of the numerous +and interminable land billows that undulate across all plains countries +here, and saw a few miles away the wagon outspanned. We reached it about +sunset, to be greeted by the welcome news that there was indeed water in +the pan. + +We unsaddled just before dark, and I immediately started towards the +game herds, many of which were grazing a half-mile away. The gazelle +would supply our own larder, but meat for hard-worked man was very +desirable. I shot a hartebeeste, made the prearranged signal for men to +carry meat, and returned to camp. + +Even yet the men were not all in. We took lanterns and returned along +the road, for the long marches under a desert sun are no joke. At last +we had accounted for all but two. These we had to abandon. Next day we +found their loads, but never laid eyes on them again. Thus early our +twenty-nine became twenty-seven. + +About nine o'clock, just as we were turning, a number of lions began to +roar. Usually a lion roars once or twice by way of satisfaction after +leaving a kill. These, however, were engaged in driving game, and hence +trying to make as much noise as possible. We distinguished plainly seven +individuals, perhaps more. The air trembled with the sound as to the +deepest tones of a big organ, only the organ is near and enclosed, while +these vibrations were in the open air and remote. For a few moments the +great salvos would boom across the veld, roll after roll of thunder; +then would ensue a momentary dead silence; then a single voice would +open, to be joined immediately by the others. + +We awoke next day to an unexpected cold drizzle. This was a bit +uncomfortable, from one point of view, and most unusual, but it robbed +the thirst of its terrors. We were enabled to proceed leisurely, and to +get a good sleep near water every night. The wagon had, as usual, pulled +out some time during the night. + +Our way led over a succession of low rolling ridges each higher than its +predecessor. Game herds fed in the shallow valleys between. At about ten +o'clock we came to the foot of the Mau Escarpment, and also to the +unexpected sight of the wagon outspanned. N'gombe Brown explained to us +that the oxen had refused to proceed farther in face of a number of +lions that came around to sniff at them. Then the rain had come on, and +he had been unwilling to attempt the Mau while the footing was slippery. +This sounded reasonable; in fact, it was still reasonable. The grass was +here fairly neck high, and we found a rain-filled water-hole. Therefore +we decided to make camp. C. and I wandered out in search of game. We +tramped a great deal of bold, rugged country, both in canon bottoms and +along the open ridges, but found only a rhinoceros, one bush-buck and a +dozen hartebeeste. African game, as a general rule, avoids a country +where the grass grows very high. We enjoyed, however, some bold and +wonderful mountain scenery, and obtained glimpses through the flying +murk of the vast plains and the base of Suswa. On a precipitous canon +cliff we found a hanging garden of cactus and of looped cactus-like +vines that was a marvel to behold. We ran across the hartebeeste on our +way home. Our men were already out of meat; the hartebeeste of yesterday +had disappeared. These porters are a good deal like the old-fashioned +Michigan lumberjacks--they take a good deal of feeding for the first few +days. When we came upon the little herd in the neck-high grass, I took a +shot. At the report the animal went down flat. We wandered over slowly. +Memba Sasa whetted his knife and walked up. Thereupon Mr. Hartebeeste +jumped to his feet, flirted his tail gaily, and departed. We followed +him a mile or so, but he got stronger and gayer every moment, until at +last he frisked out of the landscape quite strong and hearty. In all my +African experience I lost only six animals hit by bullets, as I took +infinite pains and any amount of time to hunt down wounded beasts. This +animal was, I think, "creased" by too high a shot. Certainly he was not +much injured; but certainly he got a big shock to start with. + +The little herd had gone on. I got down and crawled on hands and knees +in the thick grass. It was slow work, and I had to travel by landmarks. +When I finally reckoned I had about reached the proper place, I stood up +suddenly, my rifle at ready. So dense was the cover and so still the air +that I had actually crawled right into the middle of the band! While we +were cutting up the meat the sun broke through strongly. + +Therefore the wagon started on up the Mau at six o'clock. Twelve hours +later we followed. The fine drizzle had set in again. We were very glad +the wagon had taken advantage of the brief dry time. + +From the top of the sheer rise we looked back for the last time over the +wonderful panorama of the Rift Valley. Before us were wide rounded hills +covered with a scattered small growth that in general appearance +resembled scrub oak. It sloped away gently until it was lost in mists. +Later, when these cleared, we saw distant blue mountains across a +tremendous shallow basin. We were nearly on a level with the summit of +Suswa itself, nor did we again drop much below that altitude. After +five or six miles we overtook the wagon outspanned. The projected +all-night journey had again been frustrated by the lions. These beasts +had proved so bold and menacing that finally the team had been forced to +stop in sheer self-defence. However, the day was cool and overcast, so +nothing was lost. + +After topping the Mau we saw a few gazelle, zebra, and hartebeeste, but +soon plunged into a bush country quite destitute of game. We were +paralleling the highest ridge of the escarpment, and so alternated +between the crossing of canons and the travelling along broad ridges +between them. In lack of other amusement for a long time I rode with the +wagon. The country was very rough and rocky. Everybody was excited to +the point of frenzy, except the wagon. It had a certain Dutch stolidity +in its manner of calmly and bumpily surmounting such portions of the +landscape as happened in its way. + +After a very long, tiresome march we camped above a little stream. +Barring our lucky rain this would have been the first water since +leaving the Kedong River. Here were hundreds of big blue pigeons +swooping in to their evening drink. + +For two days more we repeated this sort of travel, but always with good +camps at fair-sized streams. Gradually we slanted away from the main +ridge, though we still continued cross-cutting the swells and ravines +thrown off its flanks. Only the ravines hour by hour became shallower, +and the swells lower and broader. On their tops the scrub sometimes gave +way to openings of short grass. On these fed a few gazelle of both +sorts, and an occasional zebra or so. We saw also four topi, a beast +about the size of our wapiti, built on the general specifications of a +hartebeeste, but with the most beautiful iridescent plum-coloured coat. +This quartette was very wild. I made three separate stalks on them, but +the best I could do was 360 paces, at which range I missed. + +Finally we surmounted the last low swell to look down a wide and sloping +plain to the depression in which flowed the principal river of these +parts, the Southern Guaso Nyero. Beyond it stretched the immense +oceanlike plains of the Loieta, from which here and there rose isolated +hills, very distant, like lonesome ships at sea. A little to the left, +also very distant, we could make out an unbroken blue range of +mountains. These were our ultimate destination. + + + + +XXXVII. + +THE SOUTHERN GUASO NYERO. + + +The Southern Guaso Nyero, unlike its northern namesake, is a sluggish, +muddy stream, rather small, flowing between abrupt clay banks. Farther +down it drops into great canons and eroded abysses, and acquires a +certain grandeur. But here, at the ford of Agate's Drift, it is +decidedly unimpressive. Scant greenery ornaments its banks. In fact, at +most places they run hard and baked to a sheer drop-off of ten or +fifteen feet. Scattered mimosa trees and aloes mark its course. The +earth for a mile or so is trampled by thousands of Masai cattle that at +certain seasons pass through the funnel of this, the only ford for +miles. Apparently insignificant, it is given to sudden, tremendous +rises. These originate in the rainfalls of the upper Mau Escarpment, +many miles away. It behooves the safari to cross promptly if it can, +and to camp always on the farther bank. + +This we did, pitching our tents in a little opening, between clumps of +pretty flowering aloes and the mimosas. Here, as everywhere in this +country, until we had passed the barrier of the Narossara mountains, the +common horseflies were a plague. They follow the Masai cattle. I can +give you no better idea of their numbers than to tell you two isolated +facts: I killed twenty-one at one blow; and in the morning, before +sunrise, the apex of our tent held a solid black mass of the creatures +running the length of the ridge pole, and from half an inch to two +inches deep! Every pack was black with them on the march, and the wagon +carried its millions. When the shadow of a branch would cross that +slowly lumbering vehicle, the swarm would rise and bumble around +distractedly for a moment before settling down again. They fairly made a +nimbus of darkness. + +After we had made camp we saw a number of Masai warriors hovering about +the opposite bank, but they did not venture across. Some of their women +did, however, and came cheerily into camp. These most interesting people +are worth more than a casual word, so I shall reserve my observations +on them until a later chapter. One of our porters, a big Baganda named +Sabakaki, was suffering severely from pains in the chest that +subsequently developed into pleurisy. From the Masai women we tried to +buy some of the milk they carried in gourds; at first they seemed not +averse, but as soon as they realized the milk was not for our own +consumption, they turned their backs on poor Sabakaki and refused to +have anything more to do with us. + +These Masai are very difficult to trade with. Their only willing barter +is done in sheep. These they seem to consider legitimate objects of +commerce. A short distance from our camp stood three whitewashed round +houses with thatched, conical roofs, the property of a trader named +Agate. He was away at the time of our visit. + +After an early morning, but vain, attempt to get Billy a shot at a +lion[22] we set out for our distant blue mountains. The day was a +journey over plains of great variegation. At times they were covered +with thin scrub; at others with small groves; or again, they were open +and grassy. Always they undulated gently, so from their tops one never +saw as far as he thought he was going to see. As landmark we steered by +a good-sized butte named Donga Rasha. + +Memba Sasa and I marched ahead on foot. In this thin scrub we got +glimpses of many beasts. At one time we were within fifty yards of a +band of magnificent eland. By fleeting glimpses we saw also many +wildebeeste and zebra, with occasionally one of the smaller grass +antelope. Finally, in an open glade we caught sight of something tawny +showing in the middle of a bush. It was too high off the ground to be a +buck. We sneaked nearer. At fifty yards we came to a halt, still +puzzled. Judging by its height and colour, it should be a lion, but try +as we would we could not make out what part of his anatomy was thus +visible. At last I made up my mind to give him a shot from the +Springfield, with the .405 handy. At the shot the tawny patch heaved and +lay still. We manoeuvred cautiously, and found we had killed stone dead +not a lion, but a Bohur reed-buck lying atop an ant hill concealed in +the middle of the bush. This accounted for its height above the ground. +As it happened, I very much wanted one of these animals as a specimen, +so everybody was satisfied. + +Shortly after, attracted by a great concourse of carrion birds, both on +trees and in the air, we penetrated a thicket to come upon a full-grown +giraffe killed by lions. The claw marks and other indications were +indubitable. The carcass had been partly eaten, but was rapidly +vanishing under the attacks of the birds. + +Just before noon we passed Donga Rasha and emerged on the open plains. +Here I caught sight of some Roberts' gazelle, a new species to me, and +started alone in pursuit. They, as usual, trotted over the nearest rise, +so with due precautions I followed after. At the top of that rise I lay +still in astonishment. Before me marched solemnly an unbroken single +file of game, reaching literally to my limit of vision in both +directions. They came over the land swell a mile to my left, and they +were disappearing over another land swell a mile and a half to my right. +It was rigidly single file, except for the young; the nose of one beast +fairly touching the tail of the one ahead, and it plodded along at a +businesslike walk. There were but three species represented--the gnu, +the zebra, and the hartebeeste. I did not see the head of the +procession, for it had gone from sight before I arrived; nor did I ever +see the tail of it either, for the safari appearing inopportunely broke +its continuance. But I saw two miles and a half, solid, of big game. It +was a great and formal trek, probably to new pastures. + +Then I turned my attention to the Roberts' gazelle, and my good luck +downed a specimen at 273 yards. This, with the Bohur reed-buck, made the +second new species for the day. Our luck was not yet over, however. We +had proceeded but a few miles when Kongoni discovered a herd of topi. +The safari immediately lay down, while I went ahead. There was little +cover, and I had a very hard time to get within range, especially as a +dozen zebras kept grazing across the line of my stalks. The topi +themselves were very uneasy, crossing and recrossing and looking +doubtfully in my direction. I had a number of chances at small bucks, +but refused them in my desire to get a shot at the big leader of the +herd. Finally he separated from the rest and faced in my direction at +just 268 yards. At the shot he fell dead. + +For the first time we had an opportunity to admire the wonderful pelt. +It is beautiful in quality, plum colour, with iridescent lights and wavy +"water marks" changing to pearl colour on the four quarters, with black +legs. We were both struck with the gorgeousness of a topi motor-rug made +of three skins, with these pearl spots as accents in the corners. To +our ambitions and hopes we added more topi. + +Our journey to the Narossara River lasted three days in all. We gained +an outlying spur of the blue mountains, and skirted their base. The +usual varied foothill country led us through defiles, over ridges, and +by charming groves. We began to see Masai cattle in great herds. The +gentle humpbacked beasts were held in close formation by herders afoot, +tall, lithe young savages with spears. In the distance and through the +heat haze the beasts shimmered strangely, their glossy reds and whites +and blacks blending together. In this country of wide expanses and clear +air we could thus often make out a very far-off herd simply as a speck +of rich colour against the boundless rolling plains. + +Here we saw a good variety of game. Zebras, of course, and hartebeeste; +the Roberts' gazelle, a few topi, a good many of the gnu or wildebeeste +discovered and named by Roosevelt; a few giraffes, klipspringer on the +rocky buttes, cheetah, and the usual jackals, hyenas, etc. I killed one +very old zebra. So ancient was he that his teeth had worn down to the +level of the gums, which seemed fairly on the point of closing over. +Nevertheless he was still fat and sleek. He could not much longer have +continued to crop the grass. Such extreme age in wild animals is, in +Africa at least, most remarkable, for generally they meet violent deaths +while still in their prime. + +About three o'clock of the third afternoon we came in sight of a long +line of forest trees running down parallel with the nearest mountain +ranges. These marked the course of the Narossara, and by four o'clock we +were descending the last slope. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[22] See "The Land of Footprints." + + + + +XXXVIII. + +THE LOWER BENCHES. + + +The Narossara is really only about creek size, but as it flows the whole +year round it merits the title of river. It rises in the junction of a +long spur with the main ranges, cuts straight across a wide inward bend +of the mountains, joins them again, plunges down a deep and tremendous +canon to the level of a second bench below great cliffs, meanders +peacefully in flowery meadows and delightful glades for some miles, and +then once more, and most unexpectedly, drops eighteen hundred feet by +waterfall and precipitous cascade to join the Southern Guaso Nyero. The +country around this junction is some of the roughest I saw in Africa. + +We camped at the spot where the river ran at about its maximum distance +from the mountains. Our tents were pitched beneath the shade of tall and +refreshing trees. + +A number of Masai women visited us, laughing and joking with Billy in +their quizzically humorous fashion. Just as we were sitting down at +table an Englishman wandered out of the greenery and approached. He was +a small man with a tremendous red beard, wore loose garments and tennis +shoes, and strolled up, his hands in his pockets and smoking a +cigarette. This was V., a man of whom we had heard. A member of a +historical family, officer in a crack English regiment, he had resigned +everything to come into this wild country. Here he had built a boma, or +enclosed compound, and engaged himself in acquiring Masai sheep in +exchange for beads, wire, and cloth. Obviously the profits of such +transactions could not be the temptation. He liked the life, and he +liked his position of influence with these proud and savage people. +Strangely enough, he cared little for the sporting possibilities of the +country, though of course he did a little occasional shooting; but was +quite content with his trading, his growing knowledge of and intimacy +with the Masai, and his occasional tremendous journeys. To the casual +and infrequent stranger his attitude was reported most uncertain. + +We invited him to tea, which he accepted, and we fell into +conversation. He and C. were already old acquaintances. The man, I +found, was shy about talking of the things that interested him; but as +they most decidedly interested us also we managed to convey an +impression of our sincerity. Thereafter he was most friendly. His +helpfulness, kindness, and courtesy could not have been bettered. He +lent us his own boy as guide down through the canons of the Narossara to +the Lower Benches, where we hoped to find kudu; he offered store-room to +such of our supplies as we intended holding in reserve; he sent us sheep +and eggs as a welcome variety to our game diet; and in addition he gave +us Masai implements and ornaments we could not possibly have acquired in +any other way. It is impossible to buy the personal belongings of this +proud and independent people at any price. The price of a spear +ordinarily runs about two rupees' worth, when one trades with any other +tribe. I know of a case where a Masai was offered fifty rupees for his +weapon, but refused scornfully. V. acquired these things through +friendship; and after we had gained his, he was most generous with them. +Thus he presented us with a thing almost impossible to get and seen +rarely outside of museums--the Masai war bonnet, made of the mane of a +lion. It is in shape and appearance, though not in colour, almost +exactly like the grenadier's shako of the last century. In addition to +this priceless trophy, V. also gave us samples of the cattle bells, both +wooden and metal, ivory ear ornaments, bead bracelets, steel collars, +circumcision knives, sword belts, and other affairs of like value. But I +think that the _apogee_ of his kindliness was reached when much later he +heard from the native tribes that we were engaged in penetrating the +defiles of the higher mountains. Then he sent after us a swift Masai +runner bearing to us a bottle of whisky and a message to the effect that +V. was afraid we would find it very cold up there! Think of what that +meant; turn it well over in your mind, with all the circumstances of +distance from supplies, difficulty of transportation and all! We none of +us used whisky in the tropics, so we later returned it with a suitable +explanation and thanks as being too good to waste. + +Next morning, under guidance of our friend's boy, we set out for the +Lower Benches, leaving N'gombe Brown and his outfit to camp indefinitely +until we needed him for the return journey. + +The whole lie of the land hereabout is, roughly speaking, in a series of +shelves. Behind us were the high mountains--the Fourth Bench; we had +been travelling on the plateau of the Loieta--the Third Bench; now we +were to penetrate some apparently low hills down an unexpected thousand +feet to the Second Bench. This was smaller, perhaps only five miles at +its widest. Its outer rim consisted also of low hills concealing a drop +of precipitous cliffs. There were no passes nor canons here--the streams +dropped over in waterfalls--and precarious game trails offered the only +chance for descent. The First Bench was a mere ledge, a mile or so wide. +From it one looked down into the deep gorge of the Southern Guaso Nyero, +and across to a tangle of eroded mountains and malpais that filled the +eye. Only far off in an incredible distance were other blue mountains +that marked the other side of the great Rift Valley. + +Our present task was to drop from the Third Bench to the Second. For +some distance we followed the Narossara; then, when it began to drop +into its tremendous gorge, we continued along the hillsides above it +until, by means of various "hogs' backs" and tributary canons, we were +able to regain its level far below. The going was rough and stony, and +hard on the porters, but the scenery was very wild and fine. We met the +river bottom again in the pleasantest oval meadow with fine big trees. +The mountains quite surrounded us, towering imminent above our heads. +Ahead of us the stream broke through between portals that rose the full +height of the ranges. We followed it, and found ourselves on the Second +Bench. + +Here was grass, high grass in which the boys were almost lost to sight. +Behind us the ramparts rose sheer and high, and over across the way were +some low fifty-foot cliffs that marked a plateau land. Between the +plateau and the ranges from which we had descended was a sort of slight +flat valley through which meandered the forest trees that marked the +stream. + +We turned to the right and marched an hour. The river gradually +approached the plateau, thus leaving between it and the ramparts a +considerable plain, and some low foothills. These latter were reported +to be one of the feeding grounds of the greater kudu. + +We made a most delightful camp at the edge of great trees by the stream. +The water flowed at the bottom of a little ravine, precipitous in most +places, but with gently sloping banks at the spot we had chosen. It +flowed rapidly over clean gravel, with a hurrying, tinkling sound. A +broad gravel beach was spread on the hither side of it, like a spacious +secret room in the jungle. Here too was a clear little slope on which to +sit, with the thicket all about, the clean, swift little stream below, +the high forest arches above, and the inquisitive smaller creatures +hovering near. Others had been here before us, the wild things, taking +advantage of the easy descent to drinking water--eland, buffalo, +leopard, and small bucks. The air was almost cloyingly sweet with a +perfume like sage-brush honey. + +Our first task was to set our boys to work clearing a space; the grass +was so high and rank that mere trampling had little effect on it. The +Baganda, Sabakaki, we had been compelled to leave with the ox team. So +our twenty-seven had become twenty-six. + +Next morning C. and I started out very early with one gunbearer. The +direction of the wind compelled us to a two hours' walk before we could +begin to hunt. The high grass was soaked with a very heavy dew, and +shortly we were as wet as though we had fallen into the river. A number +of hornbills and parrots followed us for some distance, but soon left us +in peace. We saw the Roberts' gazelle and some hartebeeste. + +When we had gained a point of vantage, we turned back and began to work +slowly along the base of the mountains. We kept on a general level a +hundred feet or so up their slope, just high enough to give us a point +of overlook for anything that might stir either in the flat plateau +foothills or the plains. We also kept a sharp lookout for signs. + +We had proceeded in this manner for an hour when in an opening between +two bushes below us, and perhaps five hundred yards away, we saw a +leopard standing like a statue, head up, a most beautiful spectacle. +While we watched her through the glasses, she suddenly dropped flat out +of sight. The cause we discovered to be three hartebeeste strolling +sociably along, stopping occasionally to snatch a mouthful, but headed +always in the direction of the bushes behind which lay the great cat. +Much interested, we watched them. They disappeared behind the screen. A +sudden flash marked the leopard's spring. Two badly demoralized +hartebeeste stamped out into the open and away; two only. The kill had +been made. + +We had only the one rifle with us, for we were supposed to be out after +kudu only, and were travelling as light as possible. No doubt the +Springfield would kill a leopard, if the bullet landed in the right +place. We discussed the matter. It ended, of course, in our sneaking +down there; I with the Springfield, and C. with his knife unsheathed. +Our precautions and trepidations were wasted. The leopard had carried +the hartebeeste bodily some distance, had thrust it under a bush, and +had departed. C. surmised it would return towards evening. + +Therefore we continued after kudu. We found old signs, proving that the +beasts visited this country, but nothing fresh. We saw, however, the +first sing-sing, some impalla, some klipspringer, and Chanler's +reed-buck. + +At evening we made a crafty stalk atop the mesa-like foothills to a +point overlooking the leopard's kill. We lay here looking the place over +inch by inch through our glasses, when an ejaculation of disgust from +Kongoni called our attention. There at another spot that confounded +beast sat like a house cat watching us cynically. Either we had come too +soon, or she had heard us and retired to what she considered a safe +distance. There was of course no chance of getting nearer; so I sat +down, for a steadier hold, and tried her anyway. At the shot she leaped +high in the air, rolled over once, then recovered her feet and streaked +off at full speed. Just before disappearing over a slight rise, she +stopped to look back. I tried her again. We concluded this shot a miss, +as the distance and light were such that only sheer luck could have +landed the bullet. However, that luck was with us. Later developments +showed that both shots had hit. One cut a foreleg, but without breaking +a bone, and the other had hit the paunch. One was at 380 paces and the +other at 490. + +We found blood on the trail, and followed it a hundred yards and over a +small ridge to a wide patch of high grass. It was now dark, the grass +was very high, and the animal probably desperate. The situation did not +look good to us, badly armed as we were. So we returned to camp, +resolved to take up the trail again in the morning. + +Every man in camp turned out next day to help beat the grass. C., with +the .405, stayed to direct and protect the men; while I, with the +Springfield, sat down at the head of the ravine. Soon I could hear the +shrieks, rattles, shouts, and whistles of the line of men as they beat +through the grass. Small grass bucks and hares bounded past me; birds +came whirring by. I sat on a little ant hill spying as hard as I could +in all directions. Suddenly the beaters fell to dead silence. Guessing +this as a signal to me that the beast had been seen, I ran to climb a +higher ant hill to the left. From there I discerned the animal plainly, +sneaking along belly to earth, exactly in the manner of a cat after a +sparrow. It was not a woods-leopard, but the plains-leopard, or cheetah, +supposed to be a comparatively harmless beast. + +At my shot she gave one spring forward and rolled over into the grass. +The nearest porters yelled, and rushed in. I ran, too, as fast as I +could, but was not able to make myself heard above the row. An instant +later the beast came to its feet with a savage growl and charged the +nearest of the men. She was crippled, and could not move as quickly as +usual, but could hobble along faster than her intended victim could run. +This was a tall and very conceited Kavirondo. He fled, but ran around in +circles in and out of his excited companions. The cheetah followed him, +and him only, with most single-minded purpose. + +I dared not shoot while men were in the line of fire even on the other +side of the cheetah, for I knew the high-power bullet would at that +range go right on through, and I fairly split my throat trying to clear +the way. It seemed five minutes, though it was probably only as many +seconds, before I got my chance. It was high time. The cheetah had +reared to strike the man down.[23] My shot bowled her over. She jumped +to her feet again, made another dash at the thoroughly scared Kavirondo, +and I killed her just at his coat-tails. + +The cheetahs ordinarily are supposed to be cowards, although their size +and power are equal to that of other leopards. Nobody is afraid of them. +Yet this particular animal charged with all the ferocity and +determination of the lion, and would certainly have killed or badly +mauled my man.[24] To be sure it had been wounded, and had had all night +to think about it. + +In the relief from the tension we all burst into shrieks of laughter; +all except the near-victim of the scrimmage, who managed only a sickly +smile. Our mirth was short. Out from a thicket over a hundred yards away +walked one of the men, who had been in no way involved in the fight, +calmly announcing that he had been shot. We were sceptical, but he +turned his back and showed us the bullet hole at the lower edge of the +ribs. One of my bullets, after passing through the cheetah, had +ricocheted and picked this poor fellow out from the whole of an empty +landscape. And this after I had delayed my rescue fairly to the point of +danger in order to avoid all chance of hurting some one! + +We had no means of telling how deeply the bullet had penetrated; so we +reassured the man, and detailed two men to assist him back to camp by +easy stages. He did not seem to be suffering much pain, and he had lost +little strength. + +At camp, however, we found that the wound was deep. C. generously +offered to make a forced march in order to get the boy out to a +hospital. By hitting directly across the rough country below the benches +it was possible to shorten the journey somewhat, provided V. could +persuade the Masai to furnish a guide. The country was a desert, and the +water scarce. We lined up our remaining twenty-six men and selected the +twelve best and strongest. These we offered a month and a half's extra +wages for the trip. We then made a hammock out of one of the ground +cloths, and the same afternoon C. started. I sent with him four of my +own men as far as the ox-wagon for the purpose of bringing back more +supplies. They returned the next afternoon bringing also a report from +C. that all was well so far, and that he had seen a lion. He made the +desert trip without other casualty than the lost of his riding mule, and +landed the wounded man in the hospital all right. In spite of C.'s +expert care on the journey out, and the best of treatment later, the +boy, to my great distress, died eleven days after reaching the hospital. +C. was gone just two weeks. + +In the meantime I sent out my best trackers in all directions to look +for kudu signs, conceiving this the best method of covering the country +rapidly. In this manner I shortly determined that chances were small +here, and made up my mind to move down to the edge of the bench where +the Narossara makes its plunge. Before doing so, however, I hunted for +and killed a very large eland bull reported by Mavrouki. This beast was +not only one of the largest I ever saw, but was in especially fine coat. +He stood five feet six inches high at the shoulder; was nine feet eight +inches long, without the tail; and would weigh twenty-five hundred +pounds. The men were delighted with this acquisition. I now had fourteen +porters, the three gunbearers, the cook, and the two boys. They +surrounded each tiny fire with switches full of roasting meat; they cut +off great hunks for a stew; they made quantities of biltong, or jerky. + +Next day I left Kongoni and one porter at the old camp, loaded my men +with what they could carry, and started out. We marched a little over +two hours; then found ourselves beneath a lone mimosa tree about a +quarter-mile from the edge of the bench. At this point the stream drops +into a little canon preparatory to its plunge; and the plateau rises +ever so gently in tremendous cliffs. I immediately dispatched the +porters back for another load. A fine sing-sing lured me across the +river. I did not get the sing-sing, but had a good fight with two lions, +as narrated elsewhere.[A] + +In this spot we camped a number of days; did a heap of hard climbing and +spying; killed another lion out of a band of eight;[25] thoroughly +determined that we had come at the wrong time for kudu, and decided on +another move. + +This time our journey lasted five hours, so that our relaying consumed +three days. We broke back through the ramparts, by means of another +pass we had discovered when looking for kudu, to the Third Bench again. +Here we camped in the valley of Lengeetoto. + +This valley is one of the most beautiful and secluded in this part of +Africa. It is shaped like an ellipse, five or six miles long by about +three miles wide, and is completely surrounded by mountains. The +ramparts of the western side--those forming the walls of the Fourth +Bench--rise in sheer rock cliffs, forest crowned. To the east, from +which direction we had just come, were high, rounded mountains. At +sunrise they cut clear in an outline of milky slate against the sky. + +The floor of this ellipse was surfaced in gentle undulations, like the +low swells of a summer sea. Between each swell a singing, clear-watered +brook leapt and dashed or loitered through its jungle. Into the +mountains ran broad upward-flung valleys of green grass; and groves of +great forest trees marched down canons and out a short distance into the +plains. Everything was fresh and green and cool. We needed blankets at +night, and each morning the dew was cool and sparkling, and the sky very +blue. Underneath the forest trees of the stream beds and the canon were +leafy rooms as small as a closet, or great as cathedral aisles. And in +the short brush dwelt rhinoceros and impalla; in the jungles were +buffalo and elephant; on the plains we saw giraffe, hartebeeste, zebra, +duiker; and in the bases of the hills we heard at evening and early +morning the roaring of lions. + +In this charming spot we lingered eight days. Memba Sasa and I spent +most of our time trying to get one of the jungle-dwelling buffalo +without his getting us. In this we were finally successful.[26] Then, as +it was about time for C. to return, we moved back to V.'s boma on the +Narossara; relaying, as usual, the carrying of our effects. At this time +I had had to lay off three more men on account of various sorts of +illness, so was still more cramped for transportation facilities. As we +were breaking camp a lioness leaped to her feet from where she had been +lying under a bush. So near was it to camp that I had not my rifle +ready. She must have been lying there within two hundred yards of our +tents, watching all our activities. + +We drew into V.'s boma a little after two o'clock. The man in charge of +our tent did not put in an appearance until next day. Fortunately V. had +an extra tent, which he lent us. We camped near the river, just outside +the edge of the river forest. The big trees sent their branches out over +us very far above, while a winding path led us to the banks of the river +where was a dingle like an inner room. After dark we sat with V. at our +little camp fire. It was all very beautiful--the skyful of tropical +stars, the silhouette of the forest shutting them out, the velvet +blackness of the jungle flickering with fireflies, the purer outlines of +the hilltops and distant mountains to the left, the porters' tiny fires +before the little white tents; and in the distance, from the direction +of V.'s boma, the irregular throb of the dance drum and the occasional +snatch of barbaric singing borne down on the night wind from where his +Wakambas were holding an n'goma. A pair of ibis that had been ejected +when we made camp contributed intermittent outraged and raucous squawks +from the tiptop of some neighbouring tree. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[23] This is an interesting fact--that she reared to strike instead of +springing. + +[24] It must be remembered that this beast had the evening before killed +a 350-pound hartebeeste with ease. + +[25] "The Land of Footprints." + +[26] "The Land of Footprints." + + + + +XXXIX. + +NOTES ON THE MASAI. + + +It is in no way my intention to attempt a comprehensive description of +this unique people. My personal observation is, of course, inadequate to +that task, and the numerous careful works on the subject are available +to the interested reader. + +The southern branch of the race, among whom we were now travelling, are +very fine physically. Men close to seven feet in height are not at all +uncommon, and the average is well above six. They are strongly and +lithely made. Their skins are a red-brown or bronze, generally brought +to a high state of polish by liberal anointing. In feature they resemble +more the Egyptian or Abyssinian than the negro cast of countenance. The +women are tall and well formed, with proud, quaintly quizzical faces. +Their expressions and demeanour seem to indicate more independence and +initiative than is usual with most savage women, but whether this is +actually so or not I cannot say. + +On this imposing and pleasing physical foundation your true Masai is +content to build a very slight superstructure of ornament. His ear-lobes +are always stretched to hang down in long loops, in which small medals, +ornaments, decorated blocks of wood, or the like, are inserted. Long, +heavy ovals of ivory, grooved to accommodate the flesh loop, very finely +etched in decorative designs, are occasionally worn as "stretchers." +Around the neck is a slender iron collar, and on the arms are one or two +glittering bracelets. The sword belt is of leather heavily beaded, with +a short dangling fringe of steel beads. Through this the short blade is +thrust. When in full dress the warrior further sports a hollow iron knee +bell, connected with the belt by a string of cowrie shells or beads. +Often is added a curious triangular strip of skin fitting over the +chest, and reaching about to the waist. A robe or short cloak of +short-haired sheepskin is sometimes carried for warmth, but not at all +for modesty. The weapons are a long, narrow-bladed heavy spear, the +buffalo hide shield, the short sword, and the war club or rungs. The +women are always shaven-headed, wear voluminous robes of soft leather, +and carry a great weight of heavy wire wound into anklets and stockings, +and brought to a high state of polish. So extensive are these +decorations that they really form a sort of armour, with breaks only for +the elbow and the knee joints. The married women wear also a great +outstanding collar. + +The Masai are pastoral, and keep immense herds and flocks. Therefore +they inhabit the grazing countries, and are nomadic. Their villages are +invariably arranged in a wide circle, the low huts of mud and wattles +facing inwards. The spaces between the huts are filled in with thick +dense thorn brush, thus enclosing a strong corral, or boma. These +villages are called manyattas. They are built by the women in an +incredibly brief space of time. Indeed, an overchief stopping two days +at one place has been known to cause the construction of a complete +village, to serve only for that period. He then moved on, and the +manyatta was never used again! Nevertheless these low rounded huts, in +shape like a loaf of bread, give a fictitious impression of great +strength and permanency. The smooth and hardened mud resembles masonry +or concrete work. As a matter of fact it is the thinnest sort of a shell +over plaited withies. The single entrance to this compound may be +closed by thorn bush, so that at night, when the lions are abroad, the +Masai and all his herds dwell quite peaceably and safely inside the +boma. Twelve to twenty huts constitute a village. + +When the grass is fed down, the village moves to a new location. There +is some regulation about this, determined by the overchiefs, so that one +village does not interfere with another. Beside the few articles of +value or of domestic use, the only things carried away from an old +village are the strongly-woven shield-shaped doors. These are strapped +along the flanks of the donkeys, while the other goods rest between. A +donkey pack, Masai fashion, is a marvellous affair that would not stay +on ten minutes for a white man. + +The Masai perform no agriculture whatever, nor will they eat game meat. +They have no desire whatever for any of the white man's provisions +except sugar. In fact; their sole habitual diet is mixed cow's blood and +milk--no fruits, no vegetables, no grains, rarely flesh; a striking +commentary on extreme vegetarian claims. The blood they obtain by +shooting a very sharp-pointed arrow into the neck vein of the cow. After +the requisite amount has been drained, the wound is closed and the +animal turned into the herd to recuperate. The blood and milk are then +shaken together in long gourds. Certainly the race seems to thrive on +this strange diet. Only rarely, on ceremonial occasions or when +transportation is difficult, do they eat mutton or goat flesh, but never +beef. + +Of labour, then, about a Masai village, it follows that there is +practically none. The women build the manyattas; there is no cooking, no +tilling of the soil, no searching for wild fruits. The herd have to be +watched by day, and driven in at the fall of night; that is the task of +the boys and the youths who have not gone through with the quadriennial +circumcision ceremonies and become El-morani, or warriors. Therefore the +grown men are absolutely and completely gentlemen of leisure. In +civilization, the less men do the more important they are inclined to +think themselves. It is so here. Socially the Masai consider themselves +several cuts above anybody else in the country. As social superiority +lies mostly in thinking so hard enough--so that the inner belief +expresses itself in the outward attitude and manner--the Masai carry it +off. Their haughtiness is magnificent. Also they can look as unsmiling +and bored as anybody anywhere. Consequently they are either greatly +admired, or greatly hated and feared, as the case happens to be, by all +the other tribes. The Kikuyu young men frankly ape the customs and +ornaments of their powerful neighbours. Even the British Government +treats them very gingerly indeed, and allows these economically useless +savages a latitude the more agricultural tribes do not enjoy. Yet I +submit that any people whose property is in immense herds can more +easily be brought to terms than those who have nothing so valuable to +lose. + +As a matter of fact the white man and the Masai have never had it out. +When the English, a few years since, were engaged in opening the country +they carried on quite a stoutly contested little war with the Wakamba. +These people put up so good a fight that the English anticipated a most +bitter struggle with the Masai, whose territory lay next beyond. To +their surprise the Masai made peace. + +"We have watched the war with the Wakamba," they said, in effect, "and +we have seen the Wakamba kill a great many of your men. But more of your +men came in always, and there were no more Wakamba to come in and take +the places of those who were killed. We are not afraid. If we should war +with you, we would undoubtedly kill a great many of you, and you would +undoubtedly kill a great many of us. But there can be no use in that. We +want the ranges for our cattle; you want a road. Let us then agree." + +The result is that to-day the Masai look upon themselves as an +unconquered people, and bear themselves--_towards the other +tribes_--accordingly. The shrewd common sense and observation evidenced +above must have convinced them that war now would be hopeless. + +This acute intelligence is not at all incompatible with the rather +bigoted and narrow outlook on life inevitable to a people whose ideals +are made up of fancied superiorities over the rest of mankind. Witness, +the feudal aristocracies of the Middle Ages. + +With this type the underlying theory of masculine activity is the +military. Some outlet for energy was needed, and in war it was found. +Even the ordinary necessities of primitive agriculture and of the chase +were lacking. The Masai ate neither vegetable, grain, nor wild game. His +whole young manhood, then, could be spent in no better occupation than +the pursuit of warlike glory--and cows. + +On this rested the peculiar social structure of the people. In perusing +the following fragmentary account the reader must first of all divest +his mind of what he would, according to white man's standards, consider +moral or immoral. Such things must be viewed from the standpoint of the +people believing in them. The Masai are moral in the sense that they +very rigorously live up to their own customs and creeds. Their women are +strictly chaste in the sense that they conduct no affairs outside those +permitted within the tribe. No doubt, from the Masai point of view, we +are ourselves immoral. + +The small boy, as soon as he is big enough to be responsible--and that +is very early in life--is given, in company with others, charge of a +flock of sheep. Thence he graduates to the precious herds of cows. He +wears little or nothing; is armed with a throwing club (a long stick), +or perhaps later a broad-bladed, short-headed spear of a pattern +peculiar to boys and young men. His life is thus over the free open +hills and veld until, somewhere between the ages of eighteen and +twenty-one, the year of the circumcision comes. Then he enters on the +long ceremonies that initiate him into the warrior class. My knowledge +of the details of this subject is limited; for while I had the luck to +be in Masailand on the fourth year, such things are not exhibited +freely. The curious reader can find more on the subject in other books; +but as this is confined to personal experiences I will tell only what I +have myself elicited. + +The youth's shaved head is allowed to grow its hair. He hangs around his +brow a dangling string of bright-coloured bird skins stuffed out in the +shape of little cylinders, so that at a short distance they look like +curls. For something like a month of probation he wears these, then +undergoes the rite. For ten days thereafter he and his companions, their +heads daubed with clay and ashes, clad in long black robes, live out in +the brush. They have no provision, but are privileged to steal what they +need. At the end of the ten days they return to the manyattas. A +three-day n'goma, or dance, now completes their transformation to the +El-morani class. It finishes by an obscene night dance, in the course of +which the new warriors select their partners. + +For ten or twelve years these young men are El-morani. They dwell in a +separate manyatta. With them dwell promiscuously all the young unmarried +women of the tribe. There is no permanent pairing off, no individual +property, no marriage. Nor does this constitute flagrant immorality, +difficult as it may be for us to see that fact. The institution, like +all national institutions, must have had its origin in a very real need +and a very practical expediency. The fighting strength of the tribe must +be kept up, and by the young and vigorous stock. On the other hand, +every man of military age must be foot free to serve in the constant +wars and forays. This institution is the means. And, mind you, +unchastity in the form of illicit intercourse outside the manyatta of +the El-morani, whether with her own or another tribe, subjects the women +to instant death. + +The El-morani in full fighting rig are imposing. They are, as I have +explained, tall and of fine physique. The cherished and prized weapon is +the long, narrow-bladed spear. This is five and six feet long, with a +blade over three feet by as many inches, and with a long iron shoe. In +fact, only a bare hand-hold of wood is provided. It is of formidable +weight, but so well balanced that a flip cast with the wrist will drive +it clear through an enemy. A short sword and a heavy-headed war club +complete the offensive weapons. The shield is of buffalo hide, oval in +shape, and decorated with a genuine heraldry, based on genealogy. A +circlet of black ostrich feathers in some branches surrounds the face +and stands high above the head. In the southern districts the warriors +wear two single black ostrich plumes tied one either side the head, and +slanting a little backwards. They walk with a mincing step, so that the +two feathers bob gently up and down like the waving of the circus +equestrienne's filmy skirts. + +Naturally the Masai with the Zulu were the most dreaded of all the +tribes of Africa. They were constantly raiding in all directions as far +as their sphere of operations could reach, capturing cattle and women as +the prizes of war. Now that the white man has put a stop to the +ferocious intertribal wars, the El-morani are out of a job. The military +organization is still carried on as before. What will happen to the +morals of the people it would be difficult to say. The twelve years of +imposed peace have not been long enough seriously to deteriorate the +people; but, inevitably, complete idleness will tell. Either the people +must change their ideals and become industrious--which is extremely +unlikely--or they will degenerate. + +As a passing thought, it is a curious and formidable fact that the +prohibition of intertribal wars and forays all through East Central +Africa had already permitted the population to increase to a point of +discomfort. Many of the districts are becoming so crowded as to +overflow. What will happen in the long run only time can tell--famines +are weakening things, while war at least hardens a nation's fibre. This +is not necessarily an argument for war. Only everywhere in the world the +white man seems, with the best of intentions, to be upsetting natural +balances without substituting anything for them. We are better at +preventing things than causing them. + +At the age of thirty, or thereabout, the El-morani becomes an Elder. He +may now drink and smoke, vices that in the Spartan days of his military +service were rigorously denied him. He may also take a wife or wives, +according to his means, and keep herds of cattle. His wives he purchases +from their parents, the usual medium of payment being cows or sheep. The +young women who have been living in the El-morani village are considered +quite as desirable as the young virgins. If there are children, these +are taken over by the husband. They are considered rather a +recommendation than a detriment, for they prove the girl is fruitful. + +Relieved of all responsibility, the ex-warrior now has full leisure to +be a gentleman. He drinks a fermented liquor made from milk; he takes +snuff or smokes the rank native tobacco; he conducts interminable +diplomatic negotiations; he oversees minutely the forms of ceremonials; +he helps to shape the policies of his manyatta, and he gives his +attention to the accumulation of cows. + +The cow is the one thing that arouses the Masai's full energies. He will +undertake any journey, any task, any danger, provided the reward +therefor is horned cattle. And a cow is the one thing he will on no +account trade, sell, destroy. A very few of them he milks, and a very +few of them he periodically bleeds; but the majority, to the numbers of +thousands upon thousands, live uselessly until they die of old age. They +are branded, generally on the flanks or ribs, with strange large brands, +and are so constantly handled that they are tamer and more gentle than +sheep. I have seen upwards of a thousand head in sole charge of two old +women on foot. These ancient dames drove the beasts in a long file to +water, then turned them quite easily and drove them back again. Opposite +our camp they halted their charges and came to make us a long visit. The +cattle stood in their tracks until the call was over; not one offered +even to stray off the baked earth in search of grasses. + +The Masai cattle king knows his property individually. Each beast has +its name. Some of the wealthier are worth in cattle, at settler's +prices, close to a hundred thousand dollars. They are men of importance +in their own council huts, but they lack many things dear to the savage +heart simply because they are unwilling to part with a single head of +stock in order to procure them. + +In the old days forays and raids tended more or less to keep the stock +down. Since the White Man's Peace the herds are increasing. In the +country between the Mau Escarpment and the Narossara Mountains we found +the feed eaten down to the earth two months before the next rainy +season. In the meantime the few settlers are hard put to it to buy +cattle at any price wherewith to stock their new farms. The situation is +an anomaly which probably cannot continue. Some check will have +eventually to be devised, either limiting the cattle, or compelling an +equitable sale of the surplus. Certainly the present situation +represents a sad economic waste--of the energies of a fine race +destined to rust away, and of the lives of tens of thousands of valuable +beasts brought into existence only to die of old age. If these matchless +herders and cattle breeders could be brought into relation with the +world's markets everybody would be the better. + +Besides his sacred cattle the Masai raises also lesser herds of the +hairy sheep of the country. These he used for himself only on the rare +occasions of solitary forced marches away from his herds, or at the +times of ceremony. Their real use is as a trading medium--for more +cattle! Certain white men and Somalis conduct regular trading +expeditions into Masailand, bringing in small herds of cows bought with +trade goods from the other tribes. These they barter with the Masai for +sheep. In Masai estimation a cow is the most valuable thing on earth, +while a sheep is only a medium of exchange. With such notions it is easy +to see that the white man can make an advantageous exchange, in spite of +the Masai's well-known shrewdness at a bargain. Each side is satisfied. +There remains only to find a market for the sheep--an easy matter. A +small herd of cows will, in the long run, bring quite a decent profit. + +The Masai has very little use for white man's products. He will trade +for squares of cloth, beads of certain kinds and in a limited quantity, +brass and iron wire of heavy gauge, blankets and sugar. That, barring +occasional personal idiosyncrasy, is about all. For these things he will +pay also in sheep. Masai curios are particularly difficult to get hold +of. I rather like them for their independence in that respect. I +certainly should refuse to sell my tennis shoes from my feet merely +because some casual Chinaman happened to admire them! + +The women seem to occupy a position quite satisfactory to themselves. To +be sure they do the work; but there is not much work! They appear to be +well treated; at least they are always in good spirits, laughing and +joking with each other, and always ready with quick repartee to remarks +flung at them by the safari boys. They visited camp freely, and would +sit down for a good lively afternoon of joking. Their expressions were +quizzical, with a shy intelligent humour. In spite of the apparent +unabashed freedom of their deportment they always behaved with the +utmost circumspection; nor did our boys ever attempt any familiarity. +The unobtrusive lounging presence in the background of two warriors +with long spears may have had something to do with this. + +The Masai government is centred in an overlord or king. His orders +seemed to be implicitly obeyed. The present king I do not know, as the +old king, Lenani, had just died at an advanced age. In former days the +traveller on entering Masailand was met by a sub-chief. This man planted +his long spear upright in the ground, and the intending traveller flung +over it coils of the heavy wire. A very generous traveller who +completely covered the spear then had no more trouble. One less lavish +was likely to be held up for further impositions as he penetrated the +country. This tax was called the honga. + +The Masai language is one of the most difficult of all the native +tongues. In fact, the white man is almost completely unable even to +pronounce many of the words. V., who is a "Masai-man," who knows them +intimately, and who possesses their confidence, does not pretend to talk +with them in their own tongue, but employs the universal Swahili. + + + + +XL. + +THROUGH THE ENCHANTED FOREST. + + +We delayed at V.'s boma three days, waiting for C. to turn up. He +maintained a little force of Wakamba, as the Masai would not take +service. The Wakamba are a hunting tribe, using both the spear and the +poisoned arrow to kill their game. Their bows are short and powerful, +and the arrows exceedingly well fashioned. The poison is made from the +wood of a certain fat tree, with fruit like gigantic bologna sausages. +It is cut fine, boiled, and the product evaporated away until only a +black sticky substance remains. Into this the point of the arrow is +dipped; and the head is then protected until required by a narrow strip +of buckskin wound around and around it. I have never witnessed the +effects of this poison; but V. told me he had seen an eland die in +twenty-two minutes from so slight a wound in the shoulder that it ran +barely a hundred yards before stopping. The poison more or less loses +its efficiency, however, after the sticky, tarlike substance has dried +out. + +I offered a half-rupee as a prize for an archery competition, for I was +curious to get a view of their marksmanship. The bull's-eye was a piece +of typewriter paper at thirty paces.[27] This they managed to puncture +only once out of fifteen tries, though they never missed it very widely. +V. seemed quite put out at this poor showing, so I suppose they can +ordinarily do better; but I imagine they are a good deal like our +hunting Indians--poor shots, but very skilful at stalking close to a +beast. + +Our missing porter, with the tent, was brought in next afternoon by +Kongoni, who had gone in search of him. The man was a big, strong +Kavirondo. He was sullen, and merely explained that he was "tired." This +excuse for a five hours' march after eight days' rest! I fined him eight +rupees, which I gave Kongoni, and ordered him twenty-five lashes. Six +weeks later he did the same trick. C. allotted him fifty lashes, and had +him led thereafter by a short rope around the neck. He was probably +addicted to opium. This was the only man to be formally kibokoed on the +whole trip--a good testimony at once to C.'s management, the +discrimination we had used in picking them out, and the settled +reputations we had by now acquired. + +After C.'s return we prepared to penetrate straight back through the +great rampart of mountains to the south and west. + +We crossed the bush-grown plains, and entered a gently rising long canon +flanked on either side by towering ranges that grew higher and higher +the farther we proceeded. In the very centre of the mountains, +apparently, this canon ended in a small round valley. There appeared to +be no possible exit, save by the way we had come, or over the almost +perpendicular ridges a thousand feet or more above. Nevertheless, we +discovered a narrow ravine that slanted up into the hills to the left. +Following it we found ourselves very shortly in a great forest on the +side of a mountain. Hanging creepers brushed our faces, tangled vines +hung across our view, strange and unexpected openings offered themselves +as a means through which we could see a little closer into the heart of +mystery. The air was cool and damp and dark. The occasional shafts of +sunlight or glimpses of blue sky served merely to accentuate the soft +gloom. Save that we climbed always, we could not tell where we were +going. + +The ascent occupied a little over an hour. Then through the tree trunks +and undergrowth we caught the sky-line of the crest. When we topped this +we took a breath, and prepared ourselves for a corresponding descent. +But in a hundred yards we popped out of the forest to find ourselves on +a new level. The Fourth Bench had been attained. + +It was a grass country of many low, rounded hills and dipping valleys, +with fine isolated oaklike trees here and there in the depressions, and +compact, beautiful oaklike groves thrown over the hills like blankets. +Well-kept, green, trim, intimate, it should have had church spires and +gray roofs in appropriate spots. It was a refreshment to the eye after +the great and austere spaces among which we had been dwelling, repose to +the spirit after the alert and dangerous lands. The dark-curtained +forest seemed, fancifully, an enchantment through which we had gained to +this remote smiling land, nearest of all to the blue sky. + +We continued south for two days; and then, as the narrative will show, +were forced to return. We found it always the same type; pleasant sleepy +little valleys winding around and between low hills crowned with soft +groves and forests. It was for all the world like northern Surrey, or +like some of the live oak country of California. Only this we soon +discovered: in spite of the enchantment of the magic-protecting forest, +the upper benches too were subject to the spell that lies over all +Africa. These apparently little valleys were in reality the matter of an +hour's journey to cross; these rounded hills, to all seeming only two +good golf strokes from bottom to top, were matters of serious climbing; +these compact, squared groves of oaklike trees were actually great +forests of giants in which one could lose one's self for days, in which +roamed herds of elephant and buffalo. It looked compact because we could +see all its constituent elements. As a matter of fact, it was neat and +tidy; only we were, as usual, too small for it. + +At the end of two hours' fast marching we had made the distance, say, +from the clubhouse to the second hole. Then we camped in a genuinely +little grove of really small trees overlooking a green valley bordered +with wooded hills. The prospect was indescribably delightful; a sort of +Sunday-morning landscape of groves and green grass and a feeling of +church bells. + +Only down the valley, diminished by distance, all afternoon Masai +warriors, in twos and threes, trooped by, mincing along so that their +own ostrich feathers would bob up and down, their spears held aslant. + +We began to realize that we were indeed in a new country when our noon +thermometer registered only 66 degrees, and when at sunrise the +following morning it stood at 44 degrees. To us, after eight months +under the equator, this was bitter weather! + +FOOTNOTES: + +[27] Eight by ten and a half inches. + + + + +XLI. + +NAIOKOTUKU. + + +Next morning we marched on up the beautiful valley through shoulder-high +grasses wet with dew. At the end of two hours we came to the limit of +Leyeye's knowledge of the country. It would now be necessary to find +savage guides. + +Accordingly, while we made camp, C., with Leyeye as interpreter, +departed in search of a Masai village. So tall and rank grew the grass, +that we had to clear it out as one would clear brushwood in order to +make room for our tents. + +Several hours later C. returned. He had found a very large village; but +unfortunately the savages were engaged in a big n'goma which could not +be interrupted by mere business. However, the chief was coming to make a +friendly call. When the n'goma should be finished, he would be +delighted to furnish us with anything we might desire. + +Almost on the heels of this the chief arrived. He was a fine old savage, +over six feet tall, of well proportioned figure, and with a shrewd, +intelligent face. The n'goma had him to a limited extent, for he +stumbled over tent ropes, smiled a bit uncertainly, and slumped down +rather suddenly when he had meant to sit. However, he stumbled, smiled, +and slumped with unassailable dignity. + +From beneath his goatskin robe he produced a long ornamented gourd, from +which he offered us a drink of fermented milk. He took our refusal +good-naturedly. The gourd must have held a gallon, but he got away with +all of its contents in the course of the interview; also several pints +of super-sweetened coffee which we doled out to him a little at a time, +and which he seemed to appreciate extravagantly. + +Through Leyeye we exchanged the compliments of the day, and, after the +African custom, told each other how important we were. Our visitor +turned out to be none other than the brother of Lenani, the paramount +chief of all the Masai. I forget what I was, either the brother of King +George or the nephew of Theodore Roosevelt--the only two white men +_every_ native has heard of. It may be that both of us were mistaken, +but from his evident authority over a very wide district we were +inclined to believe our visitor. + +We told him we wanted guides through the hills to the southward. He +promised them in a most friendly fashion. + +"I do not know the white man," said he. "I live always in these +mountains. But my brother Lenani told me ten years ago that some day the +white man would come into my country. My brother told me that when the +white man came travelling in my country I must treat him well, for the +white man is a good friend but a bad enemy. I have remembered my brother +Lenani's words, though they were spoken a long time ago. The white man +has been very long in coming; but now he is here. Therefore I have +brought you milk to-day, and to-morrow I will send you sheep; and later +I will send young men who know the hills to take you where you wish to +go." + +We expressed gratification, and I presented him with a Marble fish +knife. The very thin blade and the ingenious manner in which the two +halves of the handle folded forward over it pleased him immensely. + +"No one but myself shall ever use this knife," said he. + +He had no pockets, but he tucked it away in his armpit, clamped the +muscles down over it, and apparently forgot it. At least he gave it no +further attention, used his hands as usual, but retained it as securely +as in a pocket. + +"To-morrow," he promised at parting, "very early in the morning, I will +send my own son and another man to guide you; and I will send a sheep +for your meat." + +We arose "very early," packed our few affairs, picked out four +porters--and sat down to wait. Our plan was to cruise for five days with +as light and mobile an outfit as possible, and then to return for fresh +supplies. Billy would take charge of the main camp during our absence. +As advisers, we left her Abba Ali, Memba Sasa, and Mohammed. + +At noon we were still waiting. The possibility of doing a full day's +journey was gone, but we thought we might at least make a start. At one +o'clock, just as we had about given up hope, the Masai strolled in. They +were beautiful, tall, straight youths, finely formed, with proud +features and a most graceful carriage. In colour they were as though +made of copper bronze, with the same glitter of high lights from their +fine-textured skins. Even in this chilly climate they were nearly naked. +One carried a spear, the other a bow and arrow. + +Joyously we uprose--and sat down again. We had provided an excellent +supply of provisions for our guides; but on looking over the lot they +discovered nothing--absolutely nothing--that met their ideas. + +"What _do_ they want?" we asked Leyeye in despair. + +"They say they will eat nothing but sheep," he reported. + +We remembered old Naiokotuku's promise of sending us sheep, sneered +cynically at the faith of savages, and grimly set forth to see what we +could buy in the surrounding country. But we wronged the old man. Less +than a mile from camp we met men driving in as presents not one, but +_two_ sheep. So we abandoned our shopping tour and returned to camp. By +the time one of the sheep had been made into mutton it was too late to +start. The Masai showed symptoms of desiring to go back to the village +for the night. This did not please us. We called them up, and began +extravagantly to admire their weapons, begging to examine them. Once we +had them in our hands we craftily discoursed as follows:-- + +"These are beautiful weapons, the most beautiful we have ever seen. +Since you are going so spend the night in our camp, and since we greatly +fear that some of our men might steal these beautiful weapons, we will +ourselves guard them for you carefully from theft until morning." + +So saying, we deposited them inside the tent. Then we knew we had our +Masai safe. They would never dream of leaving while the most cherished +of their possessions were in hostage. + + + + +XLII. + +SCOUTING IN THE ELEPHANT FOREST. + + +Here we were finally off at dawn. It was a very chilly, wet dawn, with +the fog so thick that we could see not over ten feet ahead. We had four +porters, carrying about twenty-five pounds apiece of the bare +necessities, Kongoni, and Leyeye. The Masai struck confidently enough +through the mist. We crossed neck-deep grass flats--where we were +thoroughly soaked--climbed hills through a forest, skirted apparently +for miles an immense reed swamp. As usual when travelling strange +country in a fog, we experienced that queer feeling of remaining in the +same spot while fragments of near-by things are slowly paraded by. When +at length the sun's power cleared the mists, we found ourselves in the +middle of a forest country of high hills. + +Into this forest we now plunged, threading our way here and there where +the animal trails would take us, looking always for fresh elephant +spoor. It would have been quite impossible to have moved about in any +other fashion. The timber grew on hillsides, and was very lofty and +impressive; and the tropical undergrowth grew tall, rank, and +impenetrable. We could proceed only by means of the kind assistance of +the elephant, the buffalo, and the rhinoceros. + +Elephant spoor we found, but none made later than three weeks before. +The trails were broad, solid paths through the forest, as ancient and +beaten as though they had been in continuous use for years. Unlike the +rhino and buffalo trails, they gave us head room and to spare. The great +creatures had by sheer might cut their way through the dense, tough +growth, leaving twisted, splintered, wrecked jungle behind them, but no +impediment. + +By means of these beautiful trails we went quietly, penetrating farther +and farther into the jungle. Our little procession of ten made no noise. +If we should strike fresh elephant tracks, thus would we hunt them, with +all our worldly goods at our backs, so that at night we could camp right +on the trail. + +The day passed almost without incident. + +Once a wild crash and a snort told of a rhinoceros, invisible, but very +close. We huddled together, our rifles ready, uncertain whether or not +the animal would burst from the leafy screen at our very faces. The +Masai stood side by side, the long spear poised, the bow bent, fine, +tense figures in bronze. + +Near sundown we found ourselves by a swift little stream in the bottom +of a deep ravine. Here we left the men to make camp, and ourselves +climbed a big mountain on the other side. It gave us a look abroad over +a wilderness of hills, forested heavily, and a glimpse of the landfall +far away where no white man had ever been. This was as far south as we +were destined to get, though at the time we did not know it. Our plan +was to push on two days more. Near the top of the ridge we found the +unmistakable tracks of the bongo. This is interesting to zoologists in +that it extends the southward range of this rare and shy beast. + +Just at dark we regained our camp. It was built California fashion--for +the first and last time in Africa: blankets spread on canvas under the +open sky and a gipsy fire at our feet, over which I myself cooked our +very simple meal. As we were smoking our pipes in sleepy content, +Leyeye and the two Masai appeared for a shauri. Said the Masai,-- + +"We have taken you over the country we know. There are elephants there +sometimes, but there are no elephants there now. We can take you +farther, and if you wish us to do so, we will do so; but we know no more +of the country than you do. But now if we return to the manyatta +to-morrow, we can march two hours to where are some Wanderobo; and the +Wanderobo know this country and will take you through it. If it pleases +you, one of us will go get the Wanderobo, and the other will stay with +you to show good faith." + +We rolled our eyes at each other in humorous despair. Here at the very +beginning of the reconnaissance we had run against the stone wall of +African indirectness and procrastination. And just as we thought we had +at last settled everything! + +"Why," we inquired, "were not the Wanderobo sent at first, instead of +yourselves?" + +"Because," they replied, with truly engaging frankness, "our chief, +Naiokotuku, thought that perhaps we might find elephant here in the +country we know; and then we should get for ourselves all the presents +you would give for finding elephant. But the elephant are not here now, +so the Wanderobo will get part of the present." + +That was certainly candid. After some further talk we decided there was +no help for it; we must return to camp for a new start. + +At this decision the Masai brightened. They volunteered to set off early +with Leyeye, to push ahead of us rapidly, and to have the Wanderobo in +camp by the time we reached there. We concealed somewhat cynical smiles, +and agreed. + +The early start was made, but when we reached camp we found, not the +Wanderobo, but Leyeye and the Masai huddled over a fire. This was +exasperating, but we could not say much. After all, the whole matter was +no right of ours, but a manifestation of friendship on the part of +Naiokotuku. In the early afternoon the sky cleared, and the ambassadors +departed, promising faithfully to be back before we slept. We spent the +day writing and in gazing at the vivid view of the hillside, the forest, +and the distant miniature prospect before us. Finally we discovered what +made it in essence so strangely familiar. In vividness and clarity--even +in the crudity of its tones--it was exactly like a coloured photograph! + +Of course the savages did not return that evening, nor did we really +expect them. Just as a matter of form we packed up the next morning, and +sat down to wait. Shortly before noon Leyeye and the Masai returned, +bringing with them two of the strange, shy, forest hunters. + +But by this time we had talked things over thoroughly. The lure of the +greater kudu was regaining the strength it had lost by a long series of +disappointments. We had not time left for both a thorough investigation +of the forests and a raid in the dry hills of the west after kudu. +Mavrouki said he knew of a place where that animal ranged. So we had +come to a decision. + +We called the Masai and Wanderobo before us. They squatted in a row, +their spears planted before them. We sat in canvas chairs. Leyeye +standing, translated. The affair was naturally of the greatest +deliberation. In the indirect African manner we began our shauri. + +We asked one simple question at a time, dealing with one simple phase of +the subject. This phase we treated from several different points of +view, in order to be absolutely certain that it was understood. To these +questions we received replies in this manner:-- + +"Yes, the Wanderobo told us," they knew the forest; they knew how to go +about in the forest; they understood how to find their way in the +forest. They knew the elephant; they had seen the elephant many times in +the forest; they knew where the elephant ranged in the forest--and so on +through every piece of information we desired. It is the usual and only +sure way of questioning natives. + +Thus we learned that the elephant range extended south through the +forests for about seven days' travel; that at this time of year the +beasts might be anywhere on that range. This confirmed our decision. +Then said we to Leyeye:-- + +"Tell the Masai that the bwana m'kubwa is most pleased with them, and +that he is pleased with the way they have worked for him, and that he is +pleased with the presents they have brought him. Tell them that he has +no goods here with him, but that he has sent men back to the boma of +bwana Kingozi[28] for blankets and wire and cloth, and when those men +return he will make a good present to these Masai and to Naiokotuku, +their chief. + +"Tell the Wanderobo that the bwana m'kubwa is pleased with them, and +that he thanks them for coming so far to tell him of the elephant, and +that he believes they have told him the truth. Tell them the bwana +m'kubwa will not fight the elephant now, because he has not the time, +but must go to attend to his affairs. But later, when two years have +gone, he will make another safari, and will come back to this country, +and will again ask these men to lead him out where he can fight the +elephant. And in the meantime he will give them rupees with which to pay +their hut tax to the Government." + +After various compliments the sitting rose. Then we packed up for a few +hours' march. In a short time we passed the chief's village. He came out +to say good-bye. A copper bronze youth accompanied him, lithe as a +leopard. + +"My men have told me your words," said he. "I live always in these +mountains, and my young men will bring me word when you return. I am +glad the white men have come to see me. I shall have the Wanderobo ready +to take you to fight the elephant when you return." + +He then instructed the young man to accompany us for the purpose of +bringing back the presents we had promised. We shook hands in farewell, +and so parted from this friendly and powerful chief. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[28] V.'s native name--the Master with the Red Beard. + + + + +XLIII. + +THE TOPI CAMP. + + +At the next camp we stayed for nearly a week. + +The country was charming. Mountains surrounded the long ellipse, near +one edge of which we had pitched our tents. The ellipse was some ten +miles long by four or five wide, and its surface rolled in easy billows +to a narrow neck at the lower end. There we could just make out in the +far distance a conical hill partly closing the neck. Atop the hill was a +Masai manyatta, very tiny, with indistinct crawling red and brown +blotches that meant cattle and sheep. Beyond the hill, and through the +opening in the ellipse, we could see to another new country of hills and +meadows and forest groves. In this clear air they were microscopically +distinct. No blue of atmosphere nor shimmer of heat blurred their +outlines. They were merely made small. + +Our camp was made in the open above a tiny stream. We saw wonderful +sunrises and sunsets, and always spread out before us was the sweep of +our plains and the unbroken ramparts that hemmed us in. From these +mountains meandered small stream-ways marked by narrow strips of trees +and brush, but the most of the valley was of high green grass. +Occasional ant hills ten feet tall rose conical from the earth; and the +country was pleasingly broken and modelled, so that one continually +surmounted knolls, low, round ridges, and the like. Of such conditions +are surprises made. + +The elevation here was some 7,000 feet, so that the nights were cold and +the days not too warm. Our men did not fancy this change of weather. A +good many of them came down with the fever always latent in their +systems, and others suffered from bronchial colds. + +At one time we had down sick eleven men out of our slender total. +However, I believe, in spite of these surface symptoms, that the cold +air did them good. It certainly improved our own appetites and staying +power. + +In the thirty or forty square miles of our valley were many herds of +varied game. We here for the first time found Neuman's hartebeeste. The +type at Narossara, and even in Lengetto, was the common Coke's +hartebeeste, so that between these closely allied species there +interposes at this point only the barriers of a climb and a forest. +These animals and the zebra were the most plentiful of the game. The +zebra were brilliantly white and black, with magnificent coats. +Thompson's and Roberts' gazelles were here in considerable numbers, +eland, Roosevelt's wildebeeste, giraffe, the smaller grass antelopes, +and a fair number of topi. In the hills we saw buffalo sign, several +cheetah, and heard many lions. + +It had been our first plan that C. should return immediately to V.'s +boma after supplies, but in view of the abundance of game we decided to +wait over a day. We much desired to get four topi, and this seemed a +good chance to carry some of them out. Also we wished to decide for +certain whether or not the hartebeeste here was really of the Neuman +variety. + +We had great luck. Over the very first hill from camp we came upon a +herd of about a dozen topi, feeding on a hill across the way. I knocked +down the first one standing at just 250 paces. The herd then split and +broke to right and left. By shooting very carefully and steadily I +managed to kill three more before they were out of range. The last shot +was at 325 paces. In all I fired seven shots, and hit six times. This +was the best shooting I did in Africa--or anywhere else--and is a +first-rate argument for the Springfield and the high velocity, +sharp-pointed bullet. + +Overjoyed at our luck in collecting these animals so promptly, so near +camp, and at a time so very propitious for handling the trophies, we set +to the job of skinning and cutting up. The able-bodied men all came out +from camp to carry in the meat. They appeared, grinning broadly, for +they had had no meat since leaving the Narossara. C. and I saw matters +well under way, and then went on to where I had seen a cheetah the day +before. Hardly were we out of sight when two lions sauntered over the +hill and proceeded to appropriate the meat! The two men in charge +promptly withdrew. A moment later a dozen porters on their way out from +camp topped the hill and began to yell at the lions. The latter then +slowly and reluctantly retreated. + +We were very sorry we had not stayed. The valley seemed populated with +lions, but in general they were, for some reason, strictly nocturnal. +By day they inhabited the fastnesses of the mountain ranges. We never +succeeded in tracing them in that large and labyrinthine country; nor at +any time could we induce them to come to kills. Either their natural +prey was so abundant that they did not fancy ready-killed food; or, what +is more likely, the cold nights prevented the odour of the carcasses +from carrying far. We heard lions every night; and every morning we +conscientiously turned out before daybreak to crawl up to our bait +through the wet, cold grass, but with no results. That very night we +were jerked from a sound sleep by a tremendous roar almost in camp. So +close was it that it seemed to each of us but just outside the tent. We +came up all standing. The lion, apparently, was content with that +practical joke, for he moved off quietly. Next morning we found where +the tracks had led down to water, not ten yards away. + +We spent the rest of that day spying on the game herds. It is +fascinating work, to lie belly down on a tall ant hill, glasses steadied +by elbows, picking out the individual animals and discussing them +low-voiced with a good companion. C. and I looked over several hundred +hartebeeste, trying to decide their identity. We were neither of us +familiar with the animal, and had only recollections of the book +distinctions. Finally I picked out one that seemed to present the most +marked characteristics--and missed him clean at 280 yards. Then I took +three shots at 180 yards to down a second choice. The poor shooting was +forgotten, however, in our determination that this was indeed Neumanii. + +A vain hunt for lions occupied all the next day. The third morning C. +started for the boma, leaving Billy and me to look about us as we +willed. Shortly after he had departed a delegation of Masai came in, +dressed in their best, and bearing presents of milk. Leyeye was summoned +as interpreter. + +The Masai informed us that last night a lion had leapt the thorn walls +of their boma, had pressed on through the fires, had seized a +two-year-old steer, and had dragged the beast outside. Then the pursuit +with spears and firebrands had become too hot for him, so that he had +dropped his victim and retired. They desired (_a_) medicine for the +steer, (_b_) magic to keep that lion away, (_c_) that I should assist +them in hunting the lion down. + +I questioned them closely, and soon discovered both that the lion must +have been very bold, and also that he had received a pretty lively +reception. Magic to keep him away seemed like a safe enough proposition, +for the chances were he would keep himself away. + +Therefore I filled a quart measure with clear water, passed my hand +across its untroubled surface--and lo! it turned a clear bright pink! + +Long-drawn exclamations of "Eigh! Eigh!" greeted this magic, performed +by means of permanganate crystals held between the fingers. + +"With this bathe the wounds of your steer. Then sprinkle the remainder +over your cattle. The lion will not return," said I. Then reflecting +that I was to be some time in the country, and that the lion might get +over his scare, I added, "The power of this magic is three days." + +They departed very much impressed. A little later Memba Sasa and I +followed them. The manyatta was most picturesquely placed atop the +conical hill at the foot of the valley. From its elevation we could see +here and there in the distance the variegated blotches of red and white +and black that represented the cattle herds. Innumerable flocks of sheep +and goats, under charge of the small boys and youths, fed nearer at +hand. The low smooth-plastered huts, with their abattis of thorn bush +between, crowned the peak like a chaplet. Outside it sat a number of +elders sunning themselves, and several smiling, good-natured young +women, probably the spoiled darlings of these plutocrats. One of these +damsels spake Swahili, so we managed to exchange compliments. They told +us exactly when and how the lion had gone. Three nimble old gentlemen +accompanied us when we left. They were armed with spears; and they +displayed the most extraordinary activity, skipping here and there +across the ravines and through the brush, casting huge stones into +likely cover, and generally making themselves ubiquitous. However, we +did not come up with the lion. + +In our clinic that evening appeared one of the men claiming to suffer +from rheumatism. I suspected him, and still suspect him, of malingering +in advance in order to get out of the hard work we must soon undertake, +but had no means of proving my suspicion. However, I decided to +administer asperin. We possessed only the powdered form of the drug. I +dumped about five grains on his tongue, and was about to proffer him the +water with which to wash it down--when he inhaled sharply! I do not know +the precise effect of asperin in the windpipe, but it is not pleasant. +The boy thought himself bewitched. His eyes stuck out of his head; he +gasped painfully; he sank to the ground; he made desperate efforts to +bolt out into the brush. By main strength we restrained him, and forced +him to swallow the water. Little by little he recovered. Next night I +missed him from the clinic, and sent Abba Ali in search. The man assured +Abba Ali most vehemently that the medicine was wonderful, that every +trace of rheumatism had departed, that he never felt better in his life, +and that (important point) he was perfectly able to carry a load on the +morrow. + + + + +XLIV. + +THE UNKNOWN LAND. + + +C. returned the next day from V.'s boma, bringing more potio and some +trade goods. We sent a good present back to Naiokotuku, and prepared for +an early start into the new country. + +We marched out of the lower end of our elliptical valley towards the +miniature landscape we had seen through the opening. But before we +reached it we climbed sharp to the right around the end of the +mountains, made our way through a low pass, and so found ourselves in a +new country entirely. The smooth, undulating green-grass plains were now +superseded by lava expanses grown with low bushes. It was almost exactly +like the sage-brush deserts of Arizona and New Mexico--the same coarse +sand and lava footing, the same deeply eroded barrancas, the same +scattered round bushes dotted evenly over the scene. We saw here very +little game. Across the way lay another range of low mountains clothed +darkly with dull green, like the chaparral-covered coast ranges of +California. In one place was a gunsight pass through which we could see +other distant blue mountains. We crossed the arid plain and toiled up +through the notch pass. + +The latter made very difficult footing indeed, for the entire surface of +the ground was covered with smooth, slippery boulders and rocks of iron +and quartz. What had so smoothed them I do not know, for they seemed to +be ill-placed for water erosion. The boys with their packs atop found +this hard going, and we ourselves slipped and slid and bumped in spite +of our caution. + +Once through the pass we found ourselves overlooking a wide prospect of +undulating thorn scrub from which rose occasional bushy hills, solitary +buttes, and bold cliffs. It was a thick-looking country to make a way +through. + +Nevertheless somewhere here dwelt the Kudu, so in we plunged. The rest +of the day--and of days to follow--we spent in picking a way through the +thorn scrub and over loose rocks and shifting stones. A stream bed +contained an occasional water hole. Tall aloes were ablaze with red +flowers. The country looked arid, the air felt dry, the atmosphere was +so clear that a day's journey seemed--usually--but the matter of a few +hours. Only rarely did we enjoy a few moments of open travel. Most of +the time the thorns caught at us. In the mountain passes were sometimes +broad trails of game or of the Masai cattle. The country was harsh and +dry and beautiful with the grays and dull greens of arid-land brush, or +with the soft atmospheric tints of arid-land distances. Game was fairly +common, but rather difficult to find. There were many buffalo, a very +few zebra, leopards, hyenas, plenty of impalla, some sing-sing, a few +eland, abundant wart-hog, Thompson's gazelle, and duiker. We never +lacked for meat when we dared shoot it, but we were after nobler game. +The sheep given us by Naiokotuku followed along under charge of the +syces. + +When we should run quite out of meat, we intended to eat them. We +delayed too long, however. One evening the fool boy tied them to a thorn +bush; one of them pulled back, the thorns bit, and both broke loose and +departed into the darkness. Of course everybody pursued, but we could +not recapture them. Ten minutes later the hyenas broke into the most +unholy laughter. We could not blame them; the joke was certainly on us. + +In passing, the cachinnations of the laughing hyena are rather a series +of high-voiced self-conscious titters than laughter. They sound like the +stage idea of a lot of silly and rather embarrassed old maids who have +been accused by some rude man of "taking notice." This call is rarely +used; indeed, I never heard it but the once. The usual note is a sort of +moaning howl, impossible to describe, but easy to recognize. + +Thus we penetrated gradually deeper and deeper into this wild country; +through low mountains, over bush-clad plains, into thorn jungles, down +wide valleys, over hill-divided plateaus. Late in the afternoon we would +make camp. Sometimes we had good water; more often not. In the evening +the throb of distant drums and snatches of intermittent wailing song +rose and fell with the little night breezes. + + + + +XLV. + +THE ROAN. + + +Our last camp, before turning back, we pitched about two o'clock one +afternoon. Up to this time we had marched steadily down wide valleys, +around the end of mountain ranges, moving from one room to the other of +this hill-divided plateau. At last we ended on a slope that descended +gently to water. It was grown sparingly with thorn trees, among which we +raised our tents. Over against us, and across several low swells of +grass and scrub-grown hills, was a range of mountains. Here, Mavrouki +claimed, dwelt roan antelope. + +We settled down quite happily. The country round about was full of game; +the weather was cool, the wide sweeps of country, the upward fling of +mountains and buttes were much like some parts of our great West. Almost +every evening the thunderstorms made gorgeous piled effects in the +distance. At night the lions and hyenas roared or howled, and some of +the tiny fever owls impudently answered them back. + +Various adventures came our way, some of which have been elsewhere +narrated. Here we killed the very big buffalo that nearly got Billy.[29] +In addition, we collected two more specimens of the Neuman's +hartebeeste, and two Chanler's reed buck. + +But Mavrouki's glowing predictions as to roan were hardly borne out by +facts. According to him the mountains simply swarmed with them--he had +seen thirty-five in one day, etc. Of course we had discounted this, but +some old tracks had to a certain extent borne out his statement. + +Lunch time one day, however, found us on top of the highest ridge. Here +we hunted up a bit of shade, and spent two hours out of the noon sun. +While we lay there the sky slowly overcast, so that when we aroused +ourselves to go on, the dazzling light had softened. As time was getting +short, we decided to separate. Memba Sasa and Mavrouki were to go in one +direction, while C., Kongoni and I took the other. + +Before we started I remarked that I was offering two rupees for the +capture of a roan. + +We had not gone ten minutes when Kongoni turned his head cautiously and +grinned back at us. + +"My rupees," said he. + +A fine buck roan stood motionless beneath a tree in the valley below us. +He was on the other side of the stream jungle, and nearly a mile away. +While we watched him, he lay down. + +Our task now was to gain the shelter of the stream jungle below without +being seen, to slip along it until opposite the roan, and then to +penetrate the jungle near enough to get a shot. The first part of this +contract seemed to us the most difficult, for we were forced to descend +the face of the hill, like flies crawling down a blackboard, plain for +him to see. + +We slid cautiously from bush to bush; we moved by imperceptible inches +across the numerous open spaces. About half-way down we were arrested by +a violent snort ahead. Fifteen or twenty zebras nooning in the brush +where no zebras were supposed to be, clattered down the hill like an +avalanche. We froze where we were. The beasts ran fifty yards, then +wheeled, and started back up the hill, trying to make us out. For twenty +minutes all parties to the transaction remained stock still, the zebras +staring, we hoping fervently they would decide to go down the valley and +not up it, the roan dozing under his distant tree. + +By luck our hopes were fulfilled. The zebra turned downstream, walking +sedately away in single file. When we were certain they had all quite +gone, we resumed our painful descent. + +At length we dropped below the screen of trees, and could stand upright +and straighten the kinks out of our backs. But now a new complication +arose. The wind, which had been the very basis of our calculations, +commenced to chop and veer. Here it blew from one quarter, up there on +the side hill from another, and through the bushes in quite another +direction still. Then without warning they would all shift about. We +watched the tops of the grasses through our binoculars, hoping to read +some logic into the condition. It was now four o'clock--our stalk had +thus far consumed two hours--and the roan must soon begin to feed. If we +were going to do anything, we must do it soon. + +Therefore we crept through a very spiky, noisy jungle to its other edge, +sneaked along the edge until we could make out the tree, and raised +ourselves for a look. Through the glass I could just make out the +roan's face stripe. He was still there! + +Quite encouraged, I instantly dropped down and crawled to within range. +When again I raised my head the roan had disappeared. One of these +aggravating little side puffs of breeze had destroyed our two hours' +work. + +The outlook was not particularly encouraging. We had no means of telling +how far the animal would go, nor into what sort of country; and the hour +was well advanced toward sunset. However, we took up the track, and +proceeded to follow it as well as we could. That was not easy, for the +ground was hard and stony. Suddenly C. threw himself flat. Of course we +followed his example. To us he whispered that he thought he had caught a +glimpse of the animal through an opening and across the stream bed. We +stalked carefully, and found ourselves in the middle of a small herd of +topis, one of which, half concealed in the brush, had deceived C. This +consumed valuable time. When again we had picked up the spoor, it was +agreed that I was to still-hunt ahead as rapidly as I could, while C. +and Kongoni would puzzle out the tracks as far as possible before dark. + +Therefore I climbed the little rocky ridge on our left, and walked +along near its crest, keeping a sharp lookout over the valley +below--much as one would hunt August bucks in California. After two or +three hundred yards I chanced on a short strip of soft earth in which +the fresh tracks of the roan going uphill were clearly imprinted. I +could not without making too much noise inform the others that I had cut +in ahead of them; so I followed the tracks as cautiously and quietly as +I could. On the very top of the hill the roan leapt from cover fifty +yards away, and with a clatter of rocks dashed off down the ridge. The +grass was very high, and I could see only his head and horns, but I +dropped the front sight six inches and let drive at a guess. The guess +happened to be a good one, for he turned a somersault seventy-two yards +away. + +C. and Kongoni came up. The sun had just set. In fifteen minutes it +would be pitch dark. We dispatched Kongoni for help and lanterns, and +turned to on the job of building a signal fire and skinning the trophy. + +The reason for our strangely chopping wind now became apparent. From our +elevation we could see piled thunder-clouds looming up from the west. +They were spreading upward and outward in the swift, rushing manner of +tropic storms; and I saw I must hustle if I was to get my fire going at +all. The first little blaze was easy, and after that I had to pile on +quantities of any wood I could lay my hands to. The deluge blotted out +every vestige of daylight and nearly drowned out my fire. I had started +to help C. with the roan, but soon found that I had my own job cut out +for me, and so went back to nursing my blaze. The water descended in +sheets. We were immediately soaked through, and very cold. The surface +of the ground was steep and covered with loose round rocks, and in my +continuous trips for firewood I stumbled and slipped and ran into thorns +miserably.[30] + +After a long interval of this the lanterns came bobbing through the +darkness, and a few moments later the dim light revealed the shining +rain-soaked faces of our men. + +We wasted no time in the distribution of burdens. C. with one of the +lanterns brought up the rear, while I with the other went on ahead. + +Now as Kongoni had but this minute completed the round trip to camp, we +concluded that he would be the best one to give us a lead. This was a +mistake. He took us out of the hills well enough, and a good job that +was, for we could not see the length of our arms into the thick, rainy +blackness, and we had to go entirely by the slants of the country. But +once in the more open, sloping country, with its innumerable bushy or +wooded ravines, he began to stray. I felt this from the first; but +Kongoni insisted strongly he was right, and in the rain and darkness we +had no way of proving him wrong. In fact I had no reason for thinking +him wrong; I only felt it. This sense of direction is apparently a fifth +wheel or extra adjustment some people happen to possess. It has nothing +to do with acquired knowledge, as is very well proved by the fact that +in my own case it acts only as long as I do not think about it. As soon +as I begin consciously to consider the matter I am likely to go wrong. +Thus many, many times I have back-tracked in the dark over ground I had +traversed but once before, and have caught myself turning out for bushes +or trees I could not see, but which my subconscious memory recalled. +This would happen only when I would think of something besides the way +home. As soon as I took charge, I groped as badly as the next man. It is +a curious and sometimes valuable extra, but by no means to be depended +upon. + +Now, however, as I was following Kongoni, this faculty had full play, +and it assured me vehemently that we were wrong. I called C. up from the +rear for consultation. Kongoni was very positive he was right; but as we +had now been walking over an hour, and camp should not have been more +than three miles from where we had killed the roan, we were inclined +towards my instinct. So we took the compass direction, in order to +assure consistency at least, and struck off at full right angles to the +left. + +So we tramped for a long time. Every few moments Kongoni would want +another look at that compass. It happened that we were now going due +north, and his notion was that the needle pointed the way to camp. We +profoundly hoped that his faith in white man's magic would not be +shattered. At the end of an hour the rain let up, and it cleared +sufficiently to disclose some of the mountain outlines. They convinced +us that we were in the main right; though just where, to the north, camp +now lay was beyond our power to determine. Kongoni's detour had been +rather indeterminate in direction and distance. + +The country now became very rough, in a small way. The feeble light of +our leading lantern revealed only ghosts and phantoms and looming, +warning suggestions of things which the shadows confused and shifted. +Heavily laden men would have found it difficult travelling by prosaic +daylight; but now, with the added impossibility of picking a route +ahead, we found ourselves in all sorts of trouble. Many times we had to +back out and try again. The ghostly flickering tree shapes against the +fathomless black offered us apparently endless aisles that nevertheless +closed before us like the doors of a trap when we attempted to enter +them. + +We kept doggedly to the same general northerly direction. When you are +lost, nothing is more foolish than to make up your mind hastily and +without due reflection; and nothing is more foolish than to change your +mind once you have made it up. That way vacillation, confusion, and +disaster lie. Should you decide, after due consideration of all the +elements of the problem, that you should go east, then east you go, and +nothing must turn you. You may get to the Atlantic Ocean if nothing +else. And if you begin to modify your original plan, then you begin to +circle. Believe me; I know. + +Kongoni was plainly sceptical, and said so until I shut him up with +some rather peremptory sarcasm. The bearers, who had to stumble in the +dark under heavy burdens, were good-natured and joking. This we +appreciated. One can never tell whether or not he is popular with a +native until he and the native are caught in a dangerous or disagreeable +fix. + +We walked two hours as in a treadmill. Then that invaluable though +erratic sixth sense of mine awoke. I stopped short. + +"I believe we've come far enough," I shouted back to C., and fired my +rifle. + +We received an almost immediate answer from a short distance to the +left. Not over two hundred yards in that direction we met our camp men +bearing torches, and so were escorted in triumph after a sixteen-hour +day. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[29] "The Land of Footprints." + +[30] Six months after I had reached home, one of these thorns worked its +way out of the calf of my leg. + + + + +XLVI. + +THE GREATER KUDU. + + +Next morning, in a joking manner, I tried to impress Kongoni with a +sense of delinquency in not knowing better his directions, especially as +he had twice traversed the route. He declined to be impressed. + +"It is not the business of man to walk at night," he replied with +dignity. + +And when you stop to think of it, it certainly is not--in Africa. + +At this camp we lingered several days. The great prize of our journeying +was still lacking, and, to tell the truth, we had about given up hope, +if not our efforts. Almost we had begun to believe our friends in +Nairobi who had scoffed at the uselessness of our quest. Always we +conscientiously looked over good kudu country, hundreds of miles of it, +and always with the same lack of result, or even of encouragement. Other +game we saw in plenty, of a dozen different varieties, large and small; +but our five weeks' search had thus far yielded us only the sight of the +same old, old sign, made many months before. If you had stood with us +atop one of the mountains, and with us had looked abroad on the +countless leagues of rolling brush-clothed land, undulating away in all +directions over a far horizon, you must with us have estimated as very +slight the chances of happening on the exact pin point where the kudu at +that moment happened to be feeding. For the beast is shy, it inhabits +the densest, closest mountain cover, it possesses the keen eyesight and +sense of smell of the bush-dwelling deer and antelope, and more than the +average sense of hearing. There are very few of him. But the chief +discouragement is that arising from his roaming tendencies. Other rare +animals are apt to "use" about one locality, so that once the hunter +finds tracks, new or old, his game is one of patient, skilful search. +The greater kudu, however, seems in this country at least to be a +wanderer. He is here to-day and gone to-morrow. Systematic search seems +as foolish as in the case of the proverbial needle in the haystack. The +only method is to sift constantly, and trust to luck. One cannot catch +fish with the fly in the book, but one has at least a chance if one +keeps it on the water. + +Mavrouki was the only one among us who had the living faith that comes +from having seen the animal in the flesh. That is a curious bit of +hunter psychology. When a man is out after a species new to him, it is +only by the utmost stretch of the imagination that he is able to realize +that such an animal can exist at all. He cannot prefigure it, somehow. +He generally exaggerates to himself the difficulty of making it out, of +approaching it, of getting his shot; until at last, if he happens to +have hunted some time in vain, the beast becomes almost mythical and +unbelievable. Once he has seen the animal, whether he gets a shot or +not, all this vanishes. The strain on faith relaxes. He knows what to +look for, and what to expect; and even if he sees no other specimen for +a month, he nevertheless goes about the business with a certain +confidence. + +One afternoon we had been hunting carefully certain low mountains, and +were headed for camp, walking rather carelessly along the bed of a +narrow, open valley below the bush-covered side hills. The sun had +disappeared behind the ranges, and the dusk of evening was just +beginning to rise like a mist from the deeps of the canons. We had +ceased hunting--it was time to hurry home--and happened not to be +talking only because we were tired. By sheerest idle luck I chanced to +look up to the densely covered face of the mountain. Across a single +tiny opening in the tall brush five or six hundred yards away, I caught +a movement. Still idly I lifted my glasses for a look at what I thought +would prove the usual impalla or sing-sing, and was just in time to +catch the spirals of a magnificent set of horns. It was the greater kudu +at last! + +I gave a little cluck of caution; and instantly, without question, after +the African fashion, the three men ahead of me sank to the ground. C. +looked at me inquiringly. I motioned with my eyes. He raised his glasses +for one look. + +"That's the fellow," he said quietly. + +The kudu, as though he had merely stepped into the opening to give us a +sight of him, melted into the brush. + +It was magnificent and exciting to have seen this wonderful beast after +so long a quest, but by the same token it was not very encouraging for +all that. If we had had all the daylight we needed, and unlimited time, +it would have been quite a feat to stalk the wary beast in that thick, +noisy cover. Now it was almost dark, and would be quite dark within the +half-hour. The kudu had moved out of sight. Whether he had gone on some +distance, or whether he still lingered near the edge of the tiny opening +was another matter to be determined, and to be determined quickly. + +Leaving Kongoni and Mavrouki, C. and I wriggled pantingly up the hill, +as fast and at the same time as cautiously as we could. At the edge of +the opening we came to a halt, belly down, and began eagerly to +scrutinize the brush across the way. If the kudu still lingered we had +to find it out before we ventured out of cover to take up his trail. +Inch by inch we scrutinized every possible concealment. Finally C. +breathed sharp with satisfaction. He had caught sight of the tip of one +horn. With some difficulty he indicated to me where. After staring long +enough, we could dimly make out the kudu himself browsing, from the +tender branch-ends. + +All we could do was to lie low. If the kudu fed on out of sight into the +cover, we could not possibly get a shot; if he should happen again to +cross the opening, we would get a good shot. No one but a hunter can +understand the panting, dry-mouthed excitement of those minutes; five +weeks' hard work hung in the balance. The kudu did neither of these +things; he ceased browsing, took three steps forward, and stood. + +The game seemed blocked. The kudu had evidently settled down for a +snooze; it was impossible, in the situation, to shorten the distance +without being discovered; the daylight was almost gone; we could make +out no trace of him except through our glasses. Look as hard as we +could, we could see nothing with the naked eye. Unless something +happened within the next two minutes, we would bring nothing into camp +but the memory of a magnificent beast. And next day he would probably be +inextricably lost in the wilderness of mountains.[31] + +It was a time for desperate measures, and, to C.'s evident doubtful +anxiety, I took them. Through the glasses the mane of the kudu showed as +a dim gray streak. Carefully I picked out two twigs on a bush fifteen +feet from me, and a tuft of grass ten yards on, all of which were in +line with where the shoulder of the kudu ought to be. Then I lowered my +glasses. The gray streak of the kudu's mane had disappeared in the +blending twilight, but I could still see the tips of the twigs and the +tuft of grass. Very carefully I aligned the sights with these; and, with +a silent prayer to the Red Gods, loosed the bullet into the darkness. + +At the crack of the rifle the kudu leapt into plain sight. + +"Hit!" rasped C. in great excitement. + +I did not wait to verify this, but fired four times more as fast as I +could work the bolt. Three of the bullets told. At the last shot he +crumpled and came rolling down the slope. We both raised a wild whoop of +triumph, which was answered at once by the expectant gunbearers below. + +The finest trophy in Africa was ours! + +FOOTNOTES: + +[31] Trailing for any distance was impossible on account of the stony +soil. + + + + +XLVII. + +THE MAGIC PORTALS CLOSE. + + +It seemed hopeless to try for a picture. Nevertheless I opened wide my +lens, steadied the camera, and gave it a half-second. The result was +fairly good. So much for a high grade lens. We sent Kongoni into camp +for help, and ourselves proceeded to build up the usual fire for signal +and for protection against wild beasts. Then we sat down to enjoy the +evening, while Mavrouki skinned the kudu. + +We looked abroad over a wide stretch of country. Successive low ridges +crossed our front, each of a different shade of slate gray from its +neighbours, and a gray half-luminous mist filled the valley between +them. The edge of the world was thrown sharp against burnished copper. +After a time the moon rose. + +Memba Sasa arrived before the lanterns, out of breath, his face +streaming with perspiration. Poor Memba Sasa! this was almost the only +day he had not followed close at my heels, and on this day we had +captured the Great Prize. No thought of that seemed to affect the +heartiness of his joy. He rushed up to shake both my hands; he examined +the kudu with an attention that was held only by great restraint; he let +go that restrain to shake me again enthusiastically by the hands. After +him, up the hill, bobbed slowly the lanterns. The smiling bearers +shouldered the trophy and the meat, and we stumbled home through the +half shadows and the opalescences of the moonlight. + +Our task in this part of the country was now finished. We set out on the +return journey. The weather changed. A beautiful, bright-copper sunset +was followed by a drizzle. By morning this had turned into a heavy rain. +We left the topi camp, to which we had by now returned, cold and +miserable. C. and I had contributed our waterproofs to protect the +precious trophies, and we were speedily wet through. The grass was long. +This was no warm and grateful tropical rain, but a driving, chilling +storm straight out from the high mountains. + +We marched up the long plain, we turned to the left around the base of +the ranges, we mounted the narrow grass valley, we entered the +forest--the dark, dripping, and unfriendly forest. Over the edge we +dropped and clambered down through the hanging vines and the sombre +trees. By-and-by, we emerged on the open plains below, the plains on the +hither side of the Narossara, the Africa we had known so long. The rain +ceased. It was almost as though a magic portal had clicked after us. +Behind it lay the wonderful secret upper country of the unknown. + + + + +XLVIII. + +THE LAST TREK. + + +Some weeks later we camped high on the slopes of Suswa, the great +mountain of the Rift Valley, only one day's march from the railroad. +After the capture of the kudu Africa still held for us various +adventures--a buffalo, a go of fever, and the like--but the culmination +had been reached. We had lingered until the latest moment, reluctant to +go. Now in the gray dawn we were filing down the slopes of the mountains +for the last trek. A low, flowing mist marked the distant Kedong; the +flames of an African sunrise were revelling in the eastern skies. All +our old friends seemed to be bidding us good-bye. Around the shoulder of +the mountains a lion roared, rumble upon rumble. Two hyenas leapt from +the grass, ran fifty yards, and turned to look at us. + +"Good-bye, simba! good-bye, fice!" we cried to them sadly. + +A little farther we saw zebra, and the hartebeeste, and the gazelles. +One by one appeared and disappeared again the beasts with which we had +grown so familiar during our long months in the jungle. So remarkable +was the number of species that we both began to comment upon the fact, +to greet the animals, to bid them farewell, as though they were +reporting in order from the jungle to bid us God-speed. Half in earnest +we waved our hands to them and shouted our greetings to them in the +native--punda milia, kongoni, pa-a, fice, m'pofu, twiga, simba, +n'grooui, and the rest. Before our eyes the misty ranges hardened and +stiffened under the fierce sun. Our men marched steadily, cheerfully, +beating their loads in rhythm with their safari sticks, crooning under +their breaths, and occasionally breaking into full-voiced chant. They +were glad to be back from the long safari, back from across the Thirst, +from the high, cold country, from the dangers and discomforts of the +unknown. We rode a little wistfully, for these great plains and +mysterious jungles, these populous, dangerous, many-voiced nights, these +flaming, splendid dawnings and day-falls, these fierce, shimmering noons +we were to know no more. + +Two days we had in Nairobi before going to the coast. There we paid off +and dismissed our men, giving them presents according to the length and +faithfulness of their service. They took them and departed, eagerly, as +was natural, to the families and the pleasures from which they had been +so long separated. Mohammed said good-bye, and went, and was sorry; +Kongoni departed, after many and sincere protestations; quiet little +Mavrouki came back three times to shake hands again, and disappeared +reluctantly--but disappeared; Leyeye went; Abba Ali followed the service +of his master, C.; "Timothy" received his present--in which he was +disappointed--and departed with salaams. Only Memba Sasa remained. I +paid him for his long service, and I gave him many and rich presents, +and bade farewell to him with genuine regret and affection. + +Memba Sasa had wives and a farm near town, neither of which possessions +he had seen for a very long while. Nevertheless he made no move to see +them. When our final interview had terminated with the usual "Bags" (It +is finished), he shook hands once more and withdrew, but only to take +his position across the street. There he squatted on his heels, fixed +his eyes upon me, and remained. I went down town on business. Happening +to glance through the office window I caught sight of Memba Sasa again +across the street, squatted on his heels, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on +my face. So it was for two days. When I tried to approach him, he glided +away, so that I got no further speech with him; but always, quietly and +unobtrusively, he returned to where he could see me plainly. He +considered that our interview had terminated our official relations, but +he wanted to see the last of the bwana with whom he had journeyed so +far. + +One makes many acquaintances as one knocks about the world; and once in +a great many moons one finds a friend--a man the mere fact of whose +existence one is glad to realize, whether one ever sees him again or +not. These are not many, and they are of various degree. Among them I am +glad to number this fierce savage. He was efficient, self-respecting, +brave, staunch, and loyal with a great loyalty. I do not think I can +better end this book than by this feeble tribute to a man whose +opportunities were not many, but whose soul was great. + + +THE END + + + + + BOOKS BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE. + + + "_Mr. Stewart Edward White is a Thomas Hardy, so to + speak, of the primeval forests of the Far West, and of the + great rivers that run out of them over the brink of evening. + His large, still novels will live on as a kind of social + history_."--_The Morning Post_. + + + THE LAND OF FOOTPRINTS 2s. net. + + "The best book of travel in Africa that has been published for + many years."--_The Nottingham Daily Express_. + + "It is more than a thrilling story of adventure, for Mr. White + shows that he is a man of broad sympathies and understanding, and + can not only deal successfully with primitive tribes, but really knows + them."--_Punch_. + + + THE CABIN 2s. net. + + "'The Cabin' is a pure delight. We read of a husband and wife + camping out in a little shanty in the heart of a Californian + forest--that is all the story; but around it grows chapter after + chapter of sagacity and fun and insight, and a deep joy in + beauty and living things. And all is given to us as simply and + sincerely as it was lived through and thought through." + --_The Nation_. + + + THE FOREST 1s. net. + + + RULES OF THE GAME 7d. net. + + + THE BLAZED TRAIL 7d. net. + + + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's African Camp Fires, by Stewart Edward White + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AFRICAN CAMP FIRES *** + +***** This file should be named 14451.txt or 14451.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/4/4/5/14451/ + +Produced by Steven Gibbs and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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