032 IN BRIGHTEST AFRICA 
the savages, even though they were people of whom 
Bill knew nothing, than any one I know of. 
During that first six months’ apprenticeship Bill 
was always busy. When there was nothing to do 
about camp he would borrow some of Heller’s traps 
and set them for jackals, or he would be poking about 
the bush looking for lizards or snakes that we might 
want for the collections. Months passed, and Bill 
was an inconspicuous member of our little army of 
followers. We were camped on the top of the 
Aberdare; Cuninghame and I were returning from a 
fruitless four days on elephant trails. As we neared 
camp we saw Mrs. Akeley come out on the road ahead 
of us, with Alli acting as gun-bearer. An elephant 
had passed a few hundred yards from camp and she 
had come out to the road in the hope of getting a shot 
asit crossed. A little farther on toward camp we met 
Bill, stripped to the waist, carrying my 8 mm. rifle 
and a pocket of 6 mm. cartridges. If there was 
anything doing Bill had to be in it. 
A few weeks later on, our wanderings took us into 
Kikuyu country and near to Bill’s native village. 
He sent for his ““mamma,” to whom he wanted to 
give some of his earnings. So his mother came to 
camp and Bill introduced her. He led me out to 
where she was leaning against a rock, and pointing 
to her said, ““mamma.” She was a young shenzie 
woman of the usual type, dressed in a leather skirt 
and bead and brass ornaments. 
One day Bill had the sulks and was scolded for not 
doing something that he had been told to do. He 
