CHAP. VIII NECESSITY KNOWS NO LAW 145 



some of the contents stolen. Our supplies were so limited 

 that this was a serious offence against the whole caravan. We 

 could not, however, detect the thief, though the sentry who 

 was on »guard at the time was accused by the men. He was 

 of course responsible ; but I hoped that he had committed the 

 minor offence of being asleep on guard, and that the only 

 reason why he was suspected was that he had served for several 

 years in the Zanzibar police. Later on, however, he was de- 

 graded to the ranks for another act of theft, so probably the 

 men's suspicions were not unjust. 



Anxiety about the success of our march across Laikipia 

 was increased by the behaviour of the guide. That I could 

 find my way across without a guide, provided I had plenty of 

 time, I never doubted ; but with our limited supply of food 

 delays might be fatal, and the usual rules of mountaineering 

 were no help in finding one's way up such cliffs as those before 

 us. Just before sunset I walked up to a terrace beside the 

 camp, in order to sketch the scarp face of Laikipia. The 

 guide came up. I pointed out to him a gap in the skyline, 

 and asked by a sign whether that was the pass by which we 

 were to ascend on to the plateau. He looked steadily at it 

 for a few minutes ; a cold shudder shook his whole frame, an 

 expression of anguish came over his face, and without answer- 

 ing my inquiry he strolled slowly down the slope to camp. 

 His look was one never to be forgotten. It told of a heart- 

 broken submission to a cruel fate, like that of a dying antelope 

 when it has realised the hopelessness of escape and the use- 

 lessness of further struggle. Whether his agony was due to 

 some recollection of the past, or to a dread of the cruel fate 

 which did befall him, I could not tell. But it indicated such 

 disinclination to face again the perils of Laikipia that, in spite 

 of our sympathy with the guide, he spent that night tied to my 

 tent pole. 



