Part 12 (1/2)

XVI FUNDI

Fundi, as I have suggested, was built very much on the lines of the marabout stork He was about twenty years old, carried hiht in the eye His total assets when he cay, and an old mesh undershi+rt, ditto ditto To this we added a jersey, a red blanket, and a water bottle At the first opportunity he constructed hihout the first part of the trip he had applied himself to business and carried his load He never made trouble Then he and his companion saw five lions; and the chance Fundi had evidently long been awaiting came to his hand He ran hiauished notice After participating whole-heartedly in the lion dance he and his couished Favour, to the extent of five rupees per Thus far Fundi's history reads just like the history of any ordinary Captain of Industry

Nextthe worthy, we moved on to a new camp When the line-up was called for, lo! there stood Fundi, without a load, but holding firmly my double-barrelled rifle

Evidently he had seized the chance of favour-and the rifle-and intended to be no longer a porter but a second gunbearer

This looked interesting, so we said nothing Fundihe deposited the rifle in the proper place, and set to ith a will at raising the big tent

The day following he tried it again It worked The third day he marched deliberately up past the syce to take his place near , Fundi cal had been said, but Fundi had definitely grasped his chance to rise frolory

That worthy citizen pocketed his five rupees and was never heard froain; I do not even remember his name nor how he looked

I killed a buck of some sort, and Memba Sasa, as usual, stepped forward to attend to the trophy But I stopped hiunbearer, prepare this beast”

He stepped up confidently and set to work I watched hih he made one or two minor mistakes in method

”Have you done this before?” I inquired

”No, bwana”

”How did you learn to do it?”

”I have watched the gunbearers when I was a porter bringing in unbearer would never think of carrying any sort of a burden

This was pleasing, but it would never do, at this stage of the game, to let hiunbearers

”You will bring in meat today also,” said I, for I was indeed a little shorthanded, ”and you will learn how to hter”

When we had reached cafield

”Clean this,” I told hi it after a tiht I catechized hih velocities require very especial treatment-and found hi?”

”Yes, bwana, I watched the gunbearers by the fire, evenings”

Evidently Fundi had been preparing for his chance

Next day, as he walked alongside, I noticed that he had not reht protector, that covers the end of the rifle and is fastened on by a leather thong Immediately I called a halt

”Fundi,” said I, ”do you know that the cover should be in your pocket?

Suppose a rhinoceros juet ti and hand me the rifle?”

He thrust the rifle at ht cover had disappeared!