A RELUCTANT GUIDE 



dom palms showed very brilliandy. While I was 

 looking round with my glasses, I caught sight of a 

 half-grown rhinoceros about a quarter of a mile away ; 

 he had, however, got our wind, and after staring 

 fixedly in our direction for some seconds, he turned 

 away, and breaking into a fast trot, he soon dis- 

 appeared. My guide now declared that he did not 

 wish to proceed any farther. He said that since 

 Marti was in sight we did not need a guide, but, as I 

 wished to explore the plateau and should be therefore 

 obliged to cross the river, I insisted that he should 

 keep to the promise he made the night before, and 

 accompany me at any rate to a ford I had been told 

 of some three miles to the east of the mountain. He 

 seemed very ill at ease, but at length agreed to do so 

 in return for a considerable sum in cloth and tobacco, 

 which I naturally refused to give him until our 

 arrival. 



We went on again after this discussion, but as we 

 were passing through a narrow belt of bush the guide 

 suddenly bolted in the direction of the river. Though 

 much annoyed I decided not to send any one after him, 

 as I did not wish to waste any more time than I could 

 help, for Marti lay a good twelve miles ahead. I have 

 no idea why he was so anxious to return — so anxious 

 indeed that he was willing to forfeit what must have 

 appeared to him a large sum of money, which he 

 would have earned had he accompanied me but a 

 few miles farther. It is often impossible to follow the 

 working of a native's mind : his life is so bound up 

 with convention and superstition, that his actions are 

 often incomprehensible to us. 



However, I went on again, leading the way over 

 the soft brown earth due west towards Marti. Rain 



237 



