Evening star., 1924-07-27

|HE news of the attack on
Hyde-Eakers post at Sobat
by the Nandi tribe reached
Il me at Kisumu the evening of
the day that it was made. / had
just marched in on foot from Mu-
mias, having Travelled forty-four
miles during the broiling hot day.
Tired as l then was. got together
all my available men and took train
from kisumu for Muhoroni, a depot
on the Uganda railway that was sit
uated about twelve miles from Sobat
The little government post at Sobat
was halfway up the Nandi escarp-
ment and in full view of Muhoroni.
Fortunately, there was q telegraph
line from Sobat to Muhoroni, and so
Hyde Baker had been able to send in
the news to Kisumu and Nairobi be-
fore the Nandi cut the wires
I arrived at Muhoroni about mid
night, and Immediately detrained my
little force of eighty East African po-
licemen and my beloved machine gun.
l started off for Sobat within Is min
utes Of our being detrained. / could
hear occasional rife fire from the
hills. and SO knew that the meager
garrison of twenty-fivs policemen was
still holding out. I had been unable
TO obtain any information from the
frightened Indian staff at the Muho-
roni railroad depot, beyond that they
had heard desultory rifle fire all day
and had seen nothing OF the Nandi
warriors.
ioh Il
as l took the native path that led to-
ward Sobat. The first part Of the
journey was over tree-covered grass
plains, but we were soon in the foot
hills The ascent to Sobat was steep
and I was feeling very tired. I led
the small force, who trailed along in
single file behind me, and so was
able to check the pace to suit my
convenience.
Shortly after we reached the foot
hills I began to hear the calls Of the
Nandi warriors all around US. They
were initiating the cries of a night
owl, and it was done in a very realis-
tic manner. But 1 knew-and so did
my men-that it was the Nandi. We
advanced with the utmost silence and
as swiftly as we could.
We had been marching through the
foothills for about fifteen minutes
when the moon disappeared behind a
black bank of clouds. A few min
utes later we were being deluEed by
a torrential downpour Of rain. We
were soon soaked to the skin, but I
took comfort in the fact that so were
the Nandi warriors. I hoped 1t would
dampen their warlike instincts enough
to keep them from attacking US as
We approached Sobat
+ **
CHoRTLY after the rain began the
~ firing from Sobat post ceased en-
tirely. 1 suspected that this simply
tended to prove that the rain had
forced the Nandi to withdraw from
the attack and that. therefore, we
were in time to relieve the little gar
rison.
Then, above the sound the OF the
heavy rainstorm, recommended the
Iisht-owl calls Of the Nandi. They
were now coming from all sides Of US
and were very much nearer than when
we had first heard them. I began to
now we must be within a couple of
miles or so Of Sobat and that the
Nandi were most probably withdraw
ing from Sobat and making their
way in our direction toward some
secret rendezvous in the hill in our
immediate neighborhood. But we
could see absolutely nothing in that
inky blackness of night or through
the heavy sheets Of rain.
Suddenly 1 was thrown heavily to
the ground and felt my face being
forced into the mud. A heavy body
was sitting on my back and others
able to move. though I struggled
hard to escape from that vise-like
hold. Finally I ceased struggling.
I could hear the night-owl calls
growing ever closer, and also the
sound of my men withdrawing
around me. Then I heard the quite
unmistakable sound Of the rifles be-
ing loaded. At that moment II dawned
upon me what had happened.
My native policemen. whose eyes
and ears were better attuned to night
bushwork than mine, had seen the
Nandi warriors close at hand and
had thrown me down and covered my
body with their own so as to keep
mo protected from the spears should
the Nandi attack us. They must have
thrown themselves on the ground in
a circle about me, ready to drive OF
the warriors with their rihefre in
case Of an attack. But. although /
very much appreciated this loyal So
licitude for my personal safety. yet
! would have preferred that they did
not rub my nose and mouth into the
liquid mud, as they were now doing
quite unintentionally.
Ten minutes or more must have
passed before I was allowed to strug-
gle free from the friendly embrace
of my native policemen. I stood up
and wiped the mud from my face,
and cursed the native sergeant ma
jor in my best Kiswahili for the in
dignity that he had placed upon me.
But there was no real anger in that
cursing. On the contrary, I was
really very proud Of my men for
what they had done.
Seryt. Maj. Ayenda- a fne. up
standing figure Of . Kavirondo tribes
man. saiuted stiffiy and looked apol-
ogeeicaliy toward me.
II am sorry Bwamba Mkubwa (bis
chief)," he said in his deep gutter.1
voice, But I thought the Nandi were
attackiaR-and / did not want you
- ret hurt" And taen We both
laughed.
WE could no longer hear an,