A NATIVE, COUNCIL OF WAR. 125 
fight them. Here was an opportunity not to be lost; so 
Fred, Dodson, and I, taking with us a few boys as a guard, 
walked over to see any sport that might be going on. The 
noise had subsided when we reached the people, whom we 
found seated in the form of a square, a hundred yards 
across. ~There must have been nearly a thousand warriors 
there with their spears and shields, making a most pictur- 
esque scene in the bright moonlight. 
We sat down cross-legged among them as a place was 
quickly made for us, and then absolute silence was pre- 
served for a long time. When this was becoming almost 
painful, a tall man walked erect into the middle of the 
square, planted his spear down in an emphatic manner, 
stood first on one leg and then on the other, pulled up his 
spear again, and then, after walking all around the enclo- 
sure, stopped and remained pensive for some time. We 
could only make out that he acted in this way to impress 
his audience, and to make them keener for the news when 
it finally came. He now called loudly, three times, 
“ Yaweromer,’ “ Yaweromer,” “ Yaweromer,” which means, 
“T have news;” and then, with pauses after every sentence, 
lasting sometimes a half-minute, he told his story. 
“Three days I slept down there,” pointing down the 
river. ‘I took some cattle to sell at Geledi. The people of 
Rer Hammer came in war. I was sent to tell you to make 
ready, lest they come upon you. The Rer Hammer have 
many people in their following, Ogadens and Adones. 
Yesterday spies came to me with the news that we must 
either get ready at once and come to war, or stop and be 
crushed, as the people from the other side are crossing the 
river and joining in the war. If you do not look sharp you 
will be annihilated.” 
A low murmur went around the assembled crowd on the 
conclusion of this speech, and presently another orator ad- 
