THROUGH WILD EUROPE 213 



We were quite a formidable party as we rode out 

 in the morning. Marco, of course, followed us 

 perched on top of the big pack-saddle, but as the 

 horse we had hired for him was not up to the 

 combined weight, I had presently to dismount, and 

 to ride his groggy-looking beast, while my old 

 friend the black, Shaitan, was allotted the heavy 

 pack, plus Marco, under which he did the long day's 

 journey over rough country with perfect ease. Then 

 there were three other pack-horses with the tents, 

 each in charge of a man, the Baron and myself, and 

 two suwarries ; mounted zaptiehs or gens d'armes, 

 with their rifles and bayonets. These we engaged 

 ostensibly for our protection, but really so as to 

 guard against the possibility of the natives getting 

 into trouble with the local authorities for assisting us 

 on the journey, and to show them that we were 

 acting with the permission of the governor. For as 

 last year the head-man of the village had been 

 imprisoned for giving us hospitality for a night, the 

 natives everywhere would naturally be very un- 

 willing to assist us, and might even oppose our 

 progress if they thought we were engaged in 

 anything underhand or against the Government. 



This time we struck out a new route which we 

 imagined would be shorter, and hoped to do the 

 whole journey in one day. As it happened, how- 

 ever, the advantage we had gained in actual distance 



