BILL 143 
The next day Bill came to me and said that he 
wanted to quit and go back to Nairobi. I satisfied 
myself that it was not the incident of the day before 
that had brought him to this frame of mind, but he 
admitted that he was scared and tired. In other 
words, the pace had been too hot for him. It was a 
case of nerves, and he was worn out. I persuaded 
him to stay, telling him that he need not go with me 
on elephant trails for a week. I would take the other 
boys and he could just stay in camp to loaf and rest. 
But the next morning, when I was preparing to go, 
Bill was on the job and would not be left behind. He 
told Mrs. Akeley that he was not afraid for himself 
but was afraid for his Bwana. So we continued our 
elephant work at an easier pace than before. 
The Wakikuyus (to give them their full name) 
are an agricultural people, and one does not normally 
look among them for gun-bearers or hunters. They 
are a comparatively mild and gentle race, and thus 
Bill was quite an exceptional individual. Bill was 
always on the job, and if it were not for the two occa- 
sions of which I have told, I would be able to say that 
he is one human being whom I have never seen tired. 
Bill never was and never will be completely tamed. 
His loyalty to the master in whom he believes and 
for whom he has an affection is unbounded, and I 
firmly believe that Bill would go into certain death 
for such a master. He has an independence that 
frequently gets him into trouble. He does not like 
to take orders from any one of his own colour. The 
Somalis and the Swahilis, associated with Bill, were 
