272 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



on his return he dived into his little back room 

 where the periodic tinkling of his praying bell 

 for some time marked his gratitude for having 

 escaped the " bad men." 



The bell ceased. Several times he came to the 

 door, eyed us timidly, and bolted back into the 

 darkness. Finally he approached to within ten 

 feet, twisted his hands and giggled in a most 

 deprecating fashion. 



" What is the use of this killing game ? " he 

 gabbled as rapidly as he could. " Man should not 

 destroy what man cannot first create." After 

 which he giggled again and fled. 



His conscience, evidently, had driven him to 

 this defiance of our high mightinesses against 

 his sense of politeness and his fears. 



About this time my boy Mohammed and the 

 cook drifted in. They reported that they had left 

 the safari not far back. Our hopes of supper and 

 blankets rose. They declined, however, with the 

 gathering darkness, and were replaced by wrath 

 against the faithless ones. Memba Sasa, in spite 

 of his long day, took a gun and disappeared in 

 the darkness. He did not get back until nine 

 o'clock, when he suddenly appeared in the door- 

 way to lean the gun in the corner, and to an- 

 nounce, " Hap ana safari." 



