290 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



I knew just what that meant ; and told him 

 largely, to help himself. Shortly he departed 

 carrying what looked to be the greater part of 

 a forest tree. 



We were in no hurry, so we did not try to get 

 our safari under way before eight o'clock. It 

 consisted of twenty-nine porters, the gunbearers, 

 three personal boys, three syces, and the cook. 

 Of this lot some few stand out from the rest, 

 and deserve particular attention. 



Of course I had my veterans, Memba Sasa and 

 Mohammed. There was also Kongoni, gunbearer, 

 elsewhere described. The third gunbearer was 

 Marrouki, a Wakamba. He was the personal 

 gunbearer of a Mr. Twigg, who very courteously 

 loaned him for this trip as possessing some 

 knowledge of the country. He was a small 

 person, with stripes about his eyes; dressed in 

 a Scotch highland cap, khaki breeches, and a 

 shooting coat miles too big for him. His soul 

 was earnest, his courage great, his training good, 

 his intelligence none too brilliant. Timothy, our 

 cook, was pure Swahili. He was a thin, elderly 

 individual, with a wrinkled brow of care. This 

 represented a conscientious soul. He tried hard 

 to please, but he never could quite forget that 

 he had cooked for the Governor's safari. His 



