CHAP, VI BLUFF loi 



probably have completely ruined the whole expedition. There 

 was nothing for it but to put on a bold front and answer defiance 

 with defiance. So, as soon as they repeated their refusal of 

 permission to proceed, and again ordered us to return to the 

 coast, I told them that we were going on, even though we had 

 to fight our way through the lot of them. I warned them 

 that if any harm befell us it would be the worse for them, for 

 a great caravan of brave soldiers was even then approaching 

 their country from Uganda. I said that the men in this 

 caravan were more in number than there were papyrus stems 

 around Lake Naivasha, that they would sweep upon their 

 country, kill all the El-Moran, eat up all the cattle, and drive 

 the elders and women and children out into the deserts, where 

 not even their slaves, the Wanderobbo, could manage to live. 

 This little speech had been translated by Ramathan during the 

 night, and I had learnt it by heart. The Masai replied by 

 driving their women and cattle back to the kraals, and it looked 

 most uncomfortably like a fight. At about a quarter to ten 

 the rain stopped, and a few minutes later we started north 

 across the plain. When the elders saw that we were deter- 

 mined to go, they became more friendly. As the first man 

 moved out of camp the chief came up and for the first time 

 held out a " knobkerry," cut from a rhinoceros horn, for me to 

 shake. I of course shook it, glad of this expression of friendli- 

 ness, though quite aware that if it stopped at this it meant 

 nothing. But as I walked down the slope from the camp after 

 the men, he came up again, and this time not only held out his 

 knobkerry, but as I shook one end, he shook the other. After 

 walking a few yards he repeated this more vigorously. Then 

 at last he held out his hand ; we shook hands, at first coldly, 

 and then more cordially. Finally, after we had walked a couple 

 of hundred yards, we repeated the process and the chief spat 

 upon me, a salutation which I returned with perhaps unnecessary 

 vigour. I had been warned that whenever Masai retire from a 

 conference without spitting the spit of peace, squalls ma}' be 

 expected. I was therefore much relieved when this friendly 

 rite had been performed. 



We marched northwards ov^er the plain beside the lake. 

 We were followed by a crowd of El-Moran, who seemed at first 

 disposed to be fairly friendly. But as soon as they had passed 



