82 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



"I hope the hwana will excuse me. A sick donkey fell 

 through my tent upon my head." 



We forgave him ! The sick donkey died. 



After a long shauri we found two men who knew the 

 Masai route through the mountains and engaged them 

 to pilot Vanderweyer's men and donkeys back to the 

 homa. With them we sent all our trophies, our riding 

 saddles, and the syce. We went over Vanderweyer 's 

 beasts very thoroughly for symptoms of fly, and kept 

 with us six that seemed likely to die anyway.* Dowdi 

 left us without many regrets, I think. 



The men spent the day trading with the savages. 

 Each brought out an unexpected little store of beads 

 and entered into bargains for milk, vegetables, fruit, 

 etc. They have also started the fashion of unravelling 

 the sleeves of their jerseys, and with the yarn weaving 

 lanyards. Gave Ali some beads and snuff, and with them 

 he bought us enough yams, green beans, and a sort of 

 squash to last us a fortnight. Amused myself wander- 

 ing around and listening to the bargaining. Overheard 

 this, delivered in a voice of scorn : 



"You might sell that to the white men, but not to 

 me!'' 



Then he turned and discovered me at his shoulder! 



Some of them have caught quite a lot of fish which 

 they are drying on sticks. Memba Sasa started a 



*A11 six died; and when we returned to Nairobi we found that of those 

 we sent back, nineteen were lost. Old Sendeu's hostility had cost us dear. 



