IN THE ELEPHANT FOREST. 373 



Leyeye and the two Masai appeared for a shauri. 

 Said the Masai, 



'' We have taken you over the country we 

 know. There are elephants there sometimes, 

 but there are no elephants there now. We 

 can take you farther, and if you wish us to do 

 so, we will do so ; but we know no more of the 

 country than you do. But now if we return to 

 the manyatta to-morrow, we can march two 

 hours to where are some Wanderobo ; and the 

 Wanderobo know this country and will take 

 you through it. If it pleases you, one of us 

 will go get the Wanderobo, and the other will 

 stay with you to show good faith." 



We rolled our eyes at each other in humorous 

 despair. Here at the very beginning of the recon- 

 naissance we had run against the stone wall of 

 African indirectness and procrastination. And 

 just as we thought we had at last settled every- 

 thing ! 



" Why," we inquired, " were not the Wande- 

 robo sent at first, instead of yourselves ? J: 



" Because," they replied, with truly engaging 

 frankness, " our chief, Naiokotuku, thought that 

 perhaps we might find elephant here in the 

 country we know ; and then we should get 

 for ourselves all the presents you would give for 



