i6o ACROSS LAI KIP I A 



We saw no more natives that day except an old invalid, 

 who came for medicine, bringing with him a few bananas as a 

 present. His wants were satisfied, and he was sent back with 

 the message that our prisoner would not be released until as 

 much food as we wanted had been brought in. Twice during 

 the night we heard natives creeping through the grass close to 

 camp, but the attack which we all expected was not delivered. 



It drizzled with rain all night, but Mwini kept us awake 

 and in good spirits with his merry songs. Next morning the 

 invalids returned to camp. They came alone, so the rule of 

 "no food, no medicine" was rigidly enforced, and they went 

 sadly away. The cretin stayed with us, and I gave him a lump 

 of salt, which he licked and enjoyed immensely ; he tried to do 

 some trade with us, offering a rotten potato in exchange for a 

 rifle, and a banana rind for a spade ; finally he tried to run 

 away with the thermometer screen. The rest of the day was 

 spent in a three-cornered quarrel between two parties of natives 

 and ourselves. The situation several times looked serious, but 

 the Kikuyu knew that if they attacked us the son of their chief 

 would be the first to suffer. 



At last the natives sent a deputation to say they wanted to 

 make friends again. The deputies came to us with the slow- 

 ness befitting their dignity as messengers of peace ; but they 

 returned much more quickly. The temptation of an empty 

 meat tin and some broken bottles was too great ; they seized 

 the coveted articles and fled. 



A number of women had come down with loads of food, 

 which they intended to sell us, as soon as the quarrel should 

 have been made up. They dropped their goods in terror, and 

 ran away with the men. We collected their loads and carried 

 them into camp, amid the wails of the women, who had stopped 

 on a hillock a few hundred yards away. As soon as they had 

 recovered from their fright they came to beg for their loads of 

 food, as they said they had no right to bring them down. We 

 allowed them to come into camp to identify their bundles, and 

 told them that if they would persuade their friends to sell us 

 what we wanted next day, they should be paid for what we 

 had confiscated. Otherwise we should take it away with us, 

 and they would get nothing. 



The plan answered ; the women used their influence, and 



