JOSIAH 



hamwe, is whispered into the right ear during the shaking 

 of hands and thus impHes unity of purpose. 



The whole ceremony has a tremendous effect upon the 

 simple and impetuous heart of the African warrior, and 

 while it is true that at first he did not quite grasp the 

 significance of doing one good deed each day, he did ap- 

 pear to be genuinely troubled should he fail to fulfil this 

 part of his promise. 



The idea of performing one unselfish act every day in 

 the service of others was entirely new to the thoughtless 

 pleasure loving warrior, and he did not quickly under- 

 stand the idea underlying this pledge. This was evidenced 

 when, some days after the first big initiation ceremony 

 had taken place, a number of the new initiates came to 

 my camp. I had been out all day in the saddle, riding 

 round forest reserves, and had just returned, and very 

 tired, was enjoying afternoon tea when Ramazini, my 

 head boy, came to announce that a number of Morans 

 were wanting to see me. Too weary to attend to further 

 business I dismissed the matter, as I thought, when I 

 told my boy "Kesho," meaning to-morrow. I was, there- 

 fore, somewhat surprised on going out into my com- 

 pound after tea to find thirty or forty of the Watu wa 

 Miti still waiting. 



""What do you want?" I demanded. "Were you not 

 told to come to-morrow? No more shauris ^ to-day." 



One stalwart spoke up for the rest with winning frank- 

 ness. "Bwana, we have come to ask you to help us to 



^ Shauris — business. 



43 



