Evening star., 1923-06-03

v " HEN we struck a bearing
kNI then across my watch and
= " " located ourselves by an
angle drawn from the dim
shoulder of Essimingor IN the west
and tho white crest of Kilima Marc
boating in the heat haze 120 miles
70 the northeast we focused our at
tAntion on the map.
TITS wrong" said the commissioner
at last, stubbornly. I'VE should have
found water an hour ago." Pointing
to the tiny blue pencil marks that
indicate water holes, Sometimes
dry" ne quoted scornfully. Then
with a hoarse burst of spleen: Every
blasted one has been dry for ninety
eight years."
Certainly the only evidence of
water had been sun -scorched rock
and baked mud cut and scattered by
the spoor of innumerable wild crea-
tures.
The water bottles and chaSuls were
empty, We had covered nearly fifty
miles along a dusty, pebbles strewn
trail fringing the arid Massai steppe
and were footsore and dangerously
dry. Before US was the prospect of
another broad, waterless stretch and
the possibility of our little column
breaking up.
lifted my eyes anxiously to the
resting column of askaris squatting
by the trail. rifles across their knees,
or sitting upright. gazing curiously
at the commissioner and myself;
while the weary porters, stretching to
the rear for almost half mile, lolled
in their stained blankets, impassive
as cattle in the dust.
Old Sergt. kombo, leaning on his
rife, gazed fiercely across the hot,
straw-colored hills of the rolling
steppe, while my orderly, All Bin
sud-. looked with dreamy eyes at
the waiting line of askaris with the
humorous cynicism of one who has
often faced death.
The commissioner rose uncomfort-
ably and put the whistle to his crack
ed lips. The askaris fell in stiffly;
the porters took up their fifty-pound
loads with low grunts; the men of
the baggage and rear guards cursed
listlessly. calling out, "Funga! Fun
ga! Ke-lowse upland the long sim
gle line SnuIIleu loT"dTu III 10"
cloud of dust.
X r
A Ii, by my side. suddenly touched
"A my arm and pointed with his
chin to the westward.
"Kongoni. effendi!"
Floating in the haze a series of
-impalpable spots moved along the
Of This G
sufficient to indicate water, and a
half hour later We came to Msuakini
and found a pool among some sere
sedges. 1t was Shiny and it stunk,
resembling nothing more than a
slough in a pig sty, for an endless
variety of wild creatures had wallow-
ed in 1t. Our unspoken relief and
the craving of our withered corpus
cies overwhelmed the most remote
repugnance.
Pickets were posted; fires lighted;
a kongoni / had shot was cut up and
distributed, and the camp settled COM
fortably for the night.
With daylight we marched to the
place where scattered collection of
huts had taken the name of Maku-
kania-"at the shops" Here we met
B, the assistant political officer.
who had come down to see us from
his red, castlelike bona stuck up on
the roof of the escarpment. He had
a handful of askaris and a Boer ex-
sergeant to control them, and with
these retainers he ruled a district of
over 10000 square miles.
Striding in front of a weather
beaten, angular horse, the assistant |
political officer came along the trail. |
His shorts disclosed a pair of long, |
tan, sinewy legs; his sleeveless tunic
hung from him in patched folds;
peak had been sewed to his khaki
covered tarbush, and this was pulled
down over his eyes. Behind him, In
a red blanket, stalked his gunbearer,
an outlawed Wattaturu chief, an ex-
ceptionally tall and handsome man
with the features and dignity of an
Abyssinian, while at his heels trotted
a grinning Massai child carrying a
shotgun and clad in a cast-off double |
breasted waistcoat which hung to his
knees.
With this picturesque escort We en-
tered the hamlet.
I bought cattle from the head men,
who duly tried to cheat me, but my
askaris were Mussulmans and in
variably disclosed the trick. Ensued
considerable matata when / sum
moned the akidas and they endeav-
ored to placate me with the subtle
reasoning of soothing gifts, includ
ing everything from honey beer to
wives from among the famed beau
ties of Mbugwe. Having seen fair
specimens of the beauties, I held my
own in face of these offers. My
moods, however, were frequently soft
ened by reports that came in of lion,
rhino and elephant spoored and sight
ed upon the slopes of the escarpment
and 1eopards making themselves nut-
sances in the villages.
Once l went on a lion hunt with
the sultani, who was armed only with
spears and shield. Beyond this had
little time for shooting. But one
day a villager came to me with an
account of leopard which visited
the huts each night. All treated the
tale with contempt. but the shenzi
outdid himself, until at last. having
ncthing else to do, decided to visit
the hamlet myself.
It was about seven miles away and
the path cut through a vast papyrus
swamp threaded with deep. smooth
running streams of delicious water
The sun was declining and the escarp-
n9ent swelling out with shadows.
~ ia1