376 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



towards the Tana, and as I rode along at the 

 head of the safari, I was much surprised to see a 

 white man with an escort of natives in war dress 

 coming along towards me. On approaching nearer 

 I discovered that he was an old acquaintance of 

 mine whom I had met at Fort Hall a couple of years 

 previously. He had heard news at his boma at 

 Embu that a European was coming down, and he 

 had sallied out in hot haste to see who it was who 

 had broken the local taboo by marching through this 

 dangerous country. 



He told me that my guide was mistaken as to the 

 bridge over the Tana, as none existed to his know- 

 ledge, and that the nearest way to Nairobi from our 

 present position was through his boma at Embu. 



When Mukera discovered that he was found 

 out, he disappeared off into the jungle without 

 asking for any reward for his services. I have often 

 wondered what his game was in misleading us as he 

 did, I can only imagine that he was told by his 

 people to guide us beyond the borders of their district 

 and then decamp on the first opportunity. 



Next day, after a march of fifteen miles, we 

 reached Embu, and as we dined that evening with 

 a pleasant party under the hospitable roof of the 

 District Commissioner, I felt more relieved than I 

 can express to realise that we were back once more 

 within reach of civilisation. 



