CH. XI] ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS 273 



gatliered again, menacing and mighty — for the promise 

 of the bow was never kept, and ever the clouds returned 

 after the rani. Once as I rode facing Kenia the clouds 

 tore asunder, to right and left, and the mountain towered 

 between while across its base was flung a radiant arch. 

 But almost at once the many-coloured glory was 

 dinnned ; for in splendour and terror the storm strode 

 in front, and shrouded all things from sight in thunder- 

 shattered sheets of rain. 



These days alone in the wilderness went by very 

 pleasantly, and, as it was for not too long, I thoroughly 

 enjoyed being entirely by myself, so far as white men 

 were concerned. By this time I had become really 

 attached to my native followers, who looked after my 

 interest and comfort in every way ; and in return I kept 

 them su])plied with plenty of food, saw that they were 

 well clothed, and forced them to gather enough firewood 

 to keep their tents dry and warm at night — for cold, 

 rainy weather is always hard upon them. 



Ali, my ftiithful head tent-boy, and Shemlani, his 

 assistant — poor Bill the Kikuyu had left because of an 

 intricate row with his fellows — were both, as they 

 proudly informed me, Arabs. On the East African 

 coast the so-called Arabs almost all have native blood 

 in them and speak Swahili — the curious, newly-created 

 language of the descendants of the natives whom the 

 Arabs originally enslaved, and who themselves may 

 have in their veins a little Arab blood ; in fact, the 

 dividing line between Swahili and Arab becomes 

 impracticable for an outsider to draw where, as is 

 generally the case, it is patent that the blood of both 

 races is mixed to a degree at which it is only possible 

 to guess. Ali spoke some English ; and he and Shem- 

 lani were devoted and efhcient servitors. Bakhari, the 



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