CHAP, viii A STARVING GUIDE 141 



The one stroke of good luck that befell us at Njemps was 

 enlisting a man who had just crossed Laikipia, and consequently 

 knew the position of the Masai kraals. I had announced the 

 offer of a reward to any one who would bring me a guide. 

 For so long there was no answer to the advertisement, that I 

 began to fear I should have to be my own guide. This was 

 not a very cheerful prospect. One evening, however, a native of 

 Njemps Mkubwa came in to say that an Mkwafi of Laikipia 

 had just arrived in that town, and that he should be brought 

 to me on the morrow. The Njempsian told me that the man 

 was the sole survivor from a kraal of Wakwafi, the members of 

 which had been massacred by the Masai. 



Shortly after my return from shooting next day, the pro- 

 posed guide was brought into camp. My first feeling when I 

 saw him was one of bitter disappointment. I had been told he 

 knew the district extremely well, and that it was only owing to 

 his familiarity with the game tracks that he had succeeded in 

 finding his way to Njemps. But he looked absolutely useless ; 

 I thought he was dying. He was comparatively a young man, 

 certainly not past middle age, but his hair was gray. He was 

 terribly emaciated and seemed to consist of nothing but a mere 

 bag of skin hung over a framework of rather massive bones. 

 When erect he stood six feet four inches high, but he was then 

 bent forward, leaning on a staff. His mouth was open, and 

 his huge bloodshot eyes were fixed on the body of an mpalla 

 that had just been carried into camp. The man who brought 

 him and I both spoke to him, but he did not heed us. I took 

 hold of his wrist, apparently without his being conscious of it. 

 The feeble spasmodic pulse confirmed the suspicion that he 

 was in the last stage of starvation. He told me afterwards 

 that since his escape from Ndoro nine days before, he had eaten 

 nothing but leaves and a few berries. We gave him a seat 

 upon a box, and as solid meat would have killed him, we fed 

 him at short intervals with small doses of beef-tea. In the 

 afternoon he looked better and fell asleep. Next day we told 

 him that we wanted him to guide us over Settima to Ndoro. 

 I offered to feed him on the way, give him as much food as he 

 could carry for the return journey, and pay him well. He said 

 that he coidd not go with us, that the Masai would kill him, 

 and that he would rather die than go on to Laikipia again. 



