324 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



A number of Masai women visited us, laughing 

 and joking with Billy in their quizzically humor- 

 ous fashion. Just as we were sitting down at 

 table an Englishman wandered out of the greenery 

 and approached. He was a small man with a 

 tremendous red beard, wore loose garments and 

 tennis shoes, and strolled up, his hands in his 

 pockets and smoking a cigarette. This was V., 

 a man of whom we had heard. A member of a 

 historical family, officer in a crack English regi- 

 ment, he had resigned everything to come into 

 this wild country. Here he had built a boma, 

 or enclosed compound, and engaged himself in 

 acquiring Masai sheep in exchange for beads, wire, 

 and cloth. Obviously the profits of such trans- 

 actions could not be the temptation. He liked 

 the life, and he liked his position of influence 

 with these proud and savage people. Strangely 

 enough, he cared little for the sporting possibilities 

 of the country, though of course he did a little 

 occasional shooting ; but was quite content with 

 his trading, his growing knowledge of and inti- 

 macy with the Masai, and his occasional tre- 

 mendous journeys. To the casual and infre- 

 quent stranger his attitude was reported most 

 uncertain. 



We invited him to tea, which he accepted, and 



