THE TOPI CAMP. 385 



crowned the peak like a chaplet. Outside it sat a 

 number of elders sunning themselves, and several 

 smiling., good-natured young women, probably 

 the spoiled darlings of these plutocrats. One 

 of these damsels spake Swahili, so we managed 

 to exchange compliments. They told us exactly 

 when and how the lion had gone. Three nimble 

 old gentlemen accompanied us when we left. 

 They were armed with spears ; and they dis- 

 played the most extraordinary activity, skip- 

 ping here and there across the ravines and 

 through the brush, casting huge stones into 

 likely cover, and generally making themselves 

 ubiquitous. However, we did not come up with 

 the lion. 



In our clinic that evening appeared one of 

 the men claiming to suffer from rheumatism. I 

 suspected him, and still suspect him, of malinger- 

 ing in advance in order to get out of the hard 

 work we must soon undertake, but had no 

 means of proving my suspicion. However, I 

 decided to administer asperin. We possessed 

 only the powdered form of the drug. I dumped 

 about five grains on his tongue, and was about 

 to proffer him the water with which to wash 

 it down when he inhaled sharply ! I do not 



know the precise effect of asperin in the wind- 



13 



