54 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



exasperating, hot work. About two miles down I 

 struggled through a particularly dense thicket — and 

 came out plop! on an old bean field and easy walking! 

 The mountains had let go of us at last ! 



It certainly felt good to stride out upright and im- 

 impeded by thorns or hills or both. We went down 

 the old bean field, crossed the river again, and struck 

 across another bean field. High up on the side of the 

 mountain we finally made out a native village; its 

 scattered roofs so much like the gray rocks about them 

 that for a long time none of us distinguished them. 

 Here an old man met us, and signalled us to follow him. 

 He turned at right angles through the field out onto a 

 broad path, led us past a second dam, and up to a little 

 open patch among the scrub. Here were some trees. 

 He seemed to think that a good place for us to camp. 

 We agreed with him; in the first place, because we were 

 tired, and, in the second place, because we wanted to 

 get into communication with his people. 



A half hour's work cleared us a shady room in the 

 thicket, surrounded by a thorn boma. By this time a 

 dozen savages were in camp. They call themselves the 

 Wasonzi and are unacquainted with whites. They 

 resemble the Kikuyus somewhat, only they are better 

 built, wear a negligent skin around the shoulder, and 

 are armed exclusively with bows and arrows and short 

 swords. Their expression is alert and intelligent, and 

 they are most eager to be friendly and answer all our 



