A TRYING WAIT 



kept guard over them, and the rest came in to help me. 

 Thorn branches were cut down and spread freely over 

 the open ground between the zariba and the bush in 

 order to check the anticipated attack. 



When all was completed, a long and trying wait 

 ensued. The sun beat down mercilessly upon the 

 camp ; there was no sign of life or movement, save 

 when some little cloud of dust stirred in a sudden gust 

 of wind, which died away almost before it could be 

 felt, or when a vulture sailed overhead in slow and 

 solemn flight. An oppressive silence brooded over 

 the bush — there was no sound to betray the presence 

 of the enemy or to herald the return of the scouts. 

 At length a little group of men came into sight : they 

 were the young Maghabul, and they brought with 

 them two prisoners, both of the Aulehan tribe, fully 

 armed with rifles and plenty of ammunition, in addi- 

 tion to their customary equipment. The rifles had 

 been taken from them, and they were brought up to 

 me unarmed. I questioned them at length with regard 

 to their suspicious behaviour, but their answers were un- 

 satisfactory. They said that they were merely travel- 

 ling through the country to see if there was water and 

 pasture, that there were nine of them, all armed, and 

 that they had run away because they thought I was 

 the District Commissioner from Moyale and would take 

 away their rifles. They denied that they had spoken 

 to my syce, although they were confronted with him, 

 but acknowledged that they had followed our trail for 

 the last two days. As I had been travelling very 

 hard myself I suppose they had started too late to catch 

 me up before 1 had overtaken the friendly Maghabul. 



As it was now growing dark I determined to hold 

 them prisoners until next day, when I would release 



196 



