OVER THE LIKIPIA ESCARPMENT. 291 



air was always one of silent disapproval of our 

 modest outfit. So well did he do, however, often 

 under trying circumstances, that at the close of 

 the expedition Billy presented him with a very 

 fancy knife. To her vast astonishment he burst 

 into violent sobs. 



" Why, what is it ? " she asked. 



" Oh, memsahib," he wailed, " I wanted a 

 watch ! " 



As personal boy Billy had a Masai named 

 Gey eye.* The members of this proud and aris- 

 tocratic tribe rarely condescend to work for the 

 white man ; but when they do, they are very 

 fine servants, for they are highly intelligent. 

 Geyeye was short and very, very ugly. Perhaps 

 this may partly explain his leaving tribal life, 

 for the Masai generally are over six feet. 



C.'s man was an educated Coast Swahili named 

 Abba Ali. This individual was very smart. He 

 wore a neatly-trimmed Vandyke beard, a flannel 

 boating hat, smart tailored khakis, and carried a 

 rattan cane. He was alert, quick, and intelli- 

 gent. His position was midway between that of 

 personal boy and headman. 



Of the rank and file we began with twenty- 

 nine. Two changed their minds before we were 



* Pronounce every syllable. 



