Part 15 (1/2)

(C) THE CHIEFS

We left Meru well observed by a very large audience, ht of our safari boys, who love to show off We had acquired fourteen ht to twelve years These had been fitted out by their ery Soed blankets, which they had already learned to twist turban wise around their heads; others had ragged old jerseys reaching to their knees, or the wrecks of full-grown undershi+rts; one or two even sported baggy breeches a dozen sizes too large Each carried his little load, proudly, atop his head like a real porter, sufurias or cooking pots, the ss of potio, and the like

Inside a ether and with the saanization of their own Thenceforth they marched in a compact little company, under orders of their ”headht and proud and tireless Of course we inspected their loads to see that they were not required to carry too th; but, I a

In fact, the toto brigade was treated very well indeed M'ganga especially took great interest in their education and welfare One of a, very benign and didactic, seated on a chop box and holding forth to a seround before hi camp totos had several clearly defined duties: they ood places for theirstones, theywood and start fires, they must fill the sufurias ater and set the to the pitching of the bwana's camp The rest of the tiht odd jobs, or watched most attentively while his master showed hiht hireat pains with their totos and to try hard to teach them

Also at Meru we had acquired two cocks and four hens of the ridiculously small native breed These rode atop the loads: their feet were tied to the cords and there they swayed and teetered and balanced all day long, apparently quite happy and interested At each new ca around a the tents They lent our temporary quarters quite a settled air of domesticity We named the cocks Gaston and Alphonse and somehoas rather fine, in the blackness before dawn, to hear these little birds crowing stout-heartedly against the great African wilderness Neither Gaston, Alphonse nor any of their harem were killed and eaten by their owners; but seemed rather to fulfil the function of household pets

Along the jungle track we e native safari cooods for the Indian trader They carried their burdens on their backs byover the top of the head; our own ”tump line” method The labour seerinned at us, and jokedthe way, every once in a while, we caarcane, yams, bananas, and the like With these our boys did a brisk trade Little paths led es to greet us Everybody was most friendly and cheerful, thanks to Horne's personal influence Two years before this sae came the headmen or chiefs They all wanted to shake hands-the ordinary citizen never drea to that honour-and they all spat carefully into their pal; for ordinary village headnity to draw rein Once only we broke over this rule That was in the case of an old fellohite hair who led up in the shrubbery that he could not get to us He was so frantic with disappointment that we made an exception and waited

About three miles out, we lost one of our newly acquired totos Reason: an exasperated parent who had followed fro The latter was dragged off howling

Evidently he, like some of his civilized cousins, had ”run away to join the circus” As nearly as we could get at it, the rest of the totos, as well as the nine additional we picked up before we quitted the jungle, had all come with their parents' consent In fact, we soon discovered that we could buy any aood sound totos, not house broke however, for an average of half a rupee (16-1/2 cents) apiece

The road was very es that star-fish out from Mt Kenia We would climb down steep trails from 200 to 800 feet (measured by aneroid), cross an excellentwater, and clirades It was very hard work, especially for men with loads; and it would have been impossible on account of the heat were it not for the numerous streanificent forest; on the crests was the jungle, and occasionally an outlook over extended views The birds and the strange tropical big-leaved trees were a constant delight-exotic and strange

Billy was in a heaven of joy, for her specialty in Africa was plants, seeds and bulbs, for her California garden She had syces, gunbearers and tent boys all cli about

This idiosyncracy of Billy's puzzled our boys hugely At first they tried telling her that everything was poisonous; but when that did not work, they resigned the like Meoni used of their own accord to hunt up and bring in seeds and blossoms They did not in the least understand what it was for; and it used to puzzle theely until out of sheer pity for their uneasiness, I implied that the Memsahib collected ”medicine” That was rational, so the wrinkled brow of care was sot her native name of ”Beebee Kooletta”-”The Lady Who Says: Go Get That” For in Africa every whitethe native people If you would get news of your friends, you nomens-their ohite man names will not do at all For exao toof the latter is a os, and hoppings around Therefore I translate myself (most appropriately) as the Master who Makes Merry On the other hand, Billy, with true feminine indirectness, insists that it means ”The Master who Shouts and Howls” I leave it to any fair we , lithe, withblade of his spear, bound around with a red strip to signify his office, slanting across his shoulder; his buffalo hide shi+eld slung fro stuck in a cleft stick and carried proudly before him as a priest carries a cross to the heathen-in the pictures He inging along at a brisk pace, but on seeing us drew up and gave us a smart military salute

At one point where the path went level and straight for so in an absolute solitude Suddenly frole on either side and about fifty yards ahead of us leaped a dozen wo narroooden shi+elds painted white and brown These they clashed together, shrieked shrilly, and charged down on us at full speed When within a few yards of our horses noses they came to a sudden halt, once more clashed their shi+elds, shrieked, turned and scuttled away as fast as their legs could carry theed back at us again Thus advancing and retreating, shrieking high, hitting the wooden shi+elds with resounding crash, they preceded our slow advance for a half nal unperceived by us they vanished abruptly into the jungle Once more we rode forward in silence and in solitude Why they did it I could not say

Of this tissue were our days made At noon our boys plucked us each two or three banana leaves which they spread down for us to lie on Then we dozed through the hot hours in great coreen trees, or to peer idly into the tangled jungle

At two o'clock or a little later ould arouse ourselves reluctantly andus an hour before

In this country of the direct track we did not attempt to accompany our men

The end of the day'swhere we could pitch cae, so that the boys had sohed by the cleared space Soain we enjoyed a broad outlook One such in especial took in the ht, a treht ahead, and a great drop to a plain with other and distant mountains to the left It was as fine a panoraine

Our tents pitched, and ourselves washed and refreshed, we gave audience to the resident chief, who had probably been waiting With this potentate we conversed affably, after the usual expectoratorial cere a mere woman, did not always come in for this; but nevertheless she loves,”

and kept the orders with our boys for basins of hot water to be waiting always behind our tents After the usual polite exchanges we informed the chief of our needs-firewood, perhaps, milk, a sheep or the like These he furnished When we left we made him a present of a few beads, a knife, a blanket or such according to the value of his contribution

Toof our many experiences, for each man differed radically from every other in his conceptions of cereood deal of an event, always, and each chief, according to his tes up properly And in that attempt certain basic traits of huest relief Thus there are three points of view to take in running any spectacle: that of the star perforer, or the truly artistic We encountered well-marked specimens of each I will tell you about thehly; and in the exposition of his knowledge he showed incidentally how truly basic are the principles of stagecraft anywhere

We were seated under a tree near the banks of a strea our lunch

Before us appeared two tall and slender youths, wreathed in s, and most attentive to the s from our recumbent positions, whereupon they made preparation to squat down beside us

”Are you sultans?” we demanded sternly, ”that you attempt to sit in Our Presence,” and we lazily kicked the nearest

Not at all abashed, but favourably impressed with our transcendent iracefully on their spears and entered into conversation After a few trifles of airy persiflage they got down to business

”This,” said they, indicating the tiny flat, ”is the most beautiful place to camp in all the mountains”

We doubted it

”Here is excellent water”