212 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



their names and sent them off to Myeru's with two of 

 my own. Shortly after Memba Sasa came to me with 

 the startling news that a white man had arrived at the 

 sultanas. The only possible white man would be the 

 German official at Musoma or Ikoma, both many days' 

 travel distant, and I had never heard of their coming 

 this far in. This was decidedly awkward after my 

 recent bluff. Here I had been threatening in the name 

 of the German Government; and behold! the German 

 Government was on hand to repudiate me and resent 

 my unauthorized use of it ! I got out my glasses and 

 tried to get a sight of the man, but could only make 

 out his figure. I had Ali get out the one bottle of 

 whiskey and the box of German cigars. 



At the end of half an hour a young fellow with a 

 wide hat and a green tie walked down the path. I 

 hobbled out to meet him. We eyed each other curiously. 



"How are you?" said I at last. 



At the English he brightened perceptibly and re- 

 turned my greetings. I suggested refreshments and 

 led the way. He told me he had lost his safari two 

 days before and asked if I had seen it. With him only 

 a bow-and-arrow savage carrying — a bicycle! After 

 a lot of sparring it developed that my man was not a 

 German official at all but a fugitive trying to escape 

 from such officials over the British border. He had 

 killed illegally three elephants near Kilimanjaro — a 

 two months * journey to the east — and had been dodg- 



