Evening star., 1924-08-03

Foran tnow retired English
army officer) that have been re-
lated previously.
The latest exploit described was
his bold capture of the leader of
the Nandi tribe and, with only
dozen native policemen at his call,
his holding at bay hundreds of
tribesmen. resulting in their sur
render. After a period of routine
police work, he again plunged
into danger, as told by this article,
the concluding one of his present
series.
BY MAI. w. Il. FORAN, F.R.G.S.
ny Y LAST tour of duty as a
nn police officer in East Africa
was spent at kiSumu, on the
Victoria Nyanza, and of all
the posts open to the police in that
country, this offered the most chances
of adventure and action. My first ex-
perienceS with the warlike and un
tutored kisi people have been re-
lated already; but, as l was soon to
discover, the lesson | had given them
earlier was somewhat wasted effort.
a
commissioner, Stafford Northcote, had
built bona government poSt in
the heart of that delightful little
country on the border of Tanganyika
German East Africa before the war;
and had ruled it we'll and wisely with
the aid of some fifty of my native
police.
On my next visit to that section
had marched to kiSii Bona from
karungo, on the Victoria Nyanza. to
inspect my men there. AS l Travelled
through the deep valleys, rich in crops
and pasture, nesting between green
Erasseu hills. it would have been
difficult to conceive a fairer land of
promise and plenty. AS far as the
eye could reach were to be seen
innumerab brown, dome-shaped,
thatch-roofed huts, some almost hid
den from view by tall patches of
maize and matama (milleD.
Vast herds of sleek, glossy coated
cattle and large fiocks of fat tailed
native sheep roamed the valleys and
hillSideS, fattening on the luXuriant
grass. The kisii people everywhere
seemed friendly. Cntamed and un-
civilized. they were mere savage
children of Equatorial, knowing no
god and obeying only the rule of
their high priestess. AS far as
could see, they had no thought about
anything in the world except their
cattle and their crops.
When ! reached kiSii Bona l con-
graduated Northcote on the great
success of his administration of this
new territory that | had helped to
acquire for the British government
l told him how peaceful and contented
All the kisii appeared to be in the
area through which l had marched
on they're peaceful enough" he
laughed, but it is their high
priestess who causes me anxious mo-
ments. She has held aloof and
hroods, with anger in her heart and
deep suspicion, over the curtailing of
her power over the tribe She'll
cause serious trouble YET
Whats her chief grouch?' / asked.
"She doesn't like the idea Of my
increasing influence among the
tribesfolk. for one reason; and she
also diStruSts me for having built a
brick house here"
He shrugged his shoulders
Quaint birds, these people, She
held a secret meeting at her village
people of forgetting her aud giving
allegiance to me. white man. ]
hear she told them that only very
sick people are yellow or white in
color: and. therefore, ] must be dis
Cha III
What are you going to do about
it?" | asked
Nothing at ALL" he laughed Her
people have largely lost their fear
of her, and hold their confidence
She'll learn sense in time.
r HALTED for two days only at
kiSii Bona, for messenger
reached me demanding my return to
kisumu to meet the inspector gen.
eral of police. 1t was with a GER
tain amount of 'nisgiving that I took
my departure, with the fixed deter
mination to double my marches into
Kisumu and report what | had heard
in kisii.
I was not SO optimistic as North
cote. If l had had more than Is
policemen with me, l should have
left reinforcement for his garrison.
! knew only too well that an African
rebellion flares up in a second or two
and without much warning of it's
coming.
The road which 1 followed on my
march to Kisumu took me through
some of the most thickly populated
Of ha iSii
nearcd the scattered manyattas (vil-
lages) the natives. both men and
women. fed into the fields of maize
or up into the hills.
They paused in their fight only to
eye me suspicicusly for second or
two. The tribesmen were all dressed
in their war paint, and many of them
stood upon the surrounding hills with
spears and shields in their hands.
They we're watching my every move
ment ,intently. Enmistakably there
was trouble brewing; and the change
of attitude that had taken place in
two days was most disquieting.
/ frankly did not like the look Of
things at all. Sol sent back a mes
senger to Northcote to tell him which
way the wind was blowing / sug-
gested that he should investigate the
matter, and said that / would hasten
back to Kismu and send him up some
more of my men to strengthen his
garrison.
1 had s0-odd miles to cover be-
fore / could reach kisumu. 1t was a
hard march across a hot and fiat
land. bordering on the Victoria
Nyanza, and through swamps and
marches where the mosquitoes and
draadnd tsafse dr of SleeninR sickness