I04 ACROSS LANDS OF KIKUYU AND MASAI part ii 



probable that it was the small size of my caravan that tempted 

 them to display their innate love of bullying and thieving. 



Although after my conversation with the elder I felt more 

 at ease, I still did not deem it safe to go to sleep. I sat 

 wrapped up in a blanket, with my revolver, shot-gun, and rifle 

 ready loaded on a table beside me. Every half-hour I went 

 round the camp to see that the sentries were awake, and that 

 the fires were burning. We had fortunately lighted fires at 

 a little distance from the camp, and these illuminated a con- 

 siderable space around us. Shortly after midnight, just after 

 returning to my seat beside the fire, I saw the cook spring to 

 his feet in such haste that I guessed there was something 

 wrong ; I threw off my rug, seized my rifle from the table, 

 and looked round. By the light of the outer circle of fire, 

 we could see a party of about twenty Masai creeping up to 

 camp. They were carrying their spears, but not their shields, 

 apparently lest these should make noise that might betray 

 them. The cook and I shouted " Masai," and this, with my 

 order of " Bunduki tiari " (Guns ready), roused the camp. 



The men took their places quietly and quickly, and looked 

 as though they meant fight. Even my tent-boy Philip, whose 

 cowardice was the joke of the camp, went to his station inside 

 my tent and stood ready to serve out ammunition. Several of 

 the men under the Kiringozi, Wadi Hamis, had been told off 

 to climb the small cliff above the camp, to guard that approach, 

 and to be able to fire down at a foe upon the plain. I forgave 

 that surly old grumbler many of his sins, for the pluck with 

 which he led his men to that important post. He found 

 another party of Masai approaching from that side, and at 

 once opened fire, while I discharged four shots over the heads 

 of the men on the plain. As the Masai now saw that there 

 was no chance of a surprise, they turned and fled. I sprang 

 at once to the shelter tent where the Masai elder was supposed 

 to be. But the savage had escaped unnoticed, leaving his 

 goods behind him. He certainly left before the attempted 

 attack, as I had set two men to guard him at the first alarm. 

 His behaviour thus lends some support to the idea that the 

 attack had been planned, and that it was not a mere attempt 

 by a batch of thieves to rush through the camp and seize any 

 objects that they could lay their hands on in the confusion. 



