196 THE RETURN MARCH part ii 



were so drunk that they were easily frustrated. Next day, as 

 we got farther from the Masai frontier, the natives became 

 more friendly. We continued over undulating uplands, com- 

 posed of volcanic rocks. The path led by a pretty waterfall, 

 a pond named Kitui, and then the site of a Suahili camping- 

 place named Chanjega. This was situated beside a cluster of 

 trees which the men called " niamba." They probably belong to 

 a species of dragon-tree or Dracmia^ having small hard fruits, 

 of the consistency of vegetable ivory. 



We camped that night at Thiriati, on the southern frontier of 

 the district of Kornu. Here we said farewell to our two guides. 

 They had reached the southern borders of their own country, and 

 dared go no farther. They said the chief of the next district 

 would do his best to send us back ; but they hoped we should 

 get through. I gave them presents and thanked them for their 

 help. We had become fast friends. The elder brother lyutha 

 was very intelligent ; he knew the country well, and gave me 

 much information, which proved to be reliable whenever I could 

 check it. He had had a very trying time while with us, but 

 had never once lost his temper. What with the hostile chiefs 

 on one side, and me on the other, he was rather between the 

 devil and the deep sea, and I am not sure how he would have 

 applied the simile. We each bluffed and abused him in turn ; 

 but he sat through it with a quiet smile on his face, as if he 

 knew all would come right in the end. He smiled just as 

 serenely when we were chatting together in the evening over 

 the camp fire, as when my clumsy fingers were dressing the 

 ulcers on his legs, or when I was holding my revolver to his 

 head during a threatened attack. I parted from him with 

 greater regret than I did from any other up-country native. 

 As a tribe the Kikuyu are probably as treacherous and fickle 

 as they are represented to be ; but lyutha never forgot he 

 was my blood -brother, or the duties which that relationship 

 entailed. He acted all through with splendid devotion, which 

 amply atoned for the scores of lies he told when under the 

 influence of the counsel of hostile chiefs. 



Next day a deluge of rain made the passage of the river 

 Karati very troublesome. We pressed on, however, to Kithu- 

 Uri, the village of the chief of the district of Maranga. Having 

 heard of our approach, he had sent two men to meet us and to 



