THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 233 



steel beads over one shoulder, spear and shield, and 

 anklets made to ring like bells at every step — a fine, 

 proud wild creature. He jingled away in front of me 

 and led me to camp under a big tree by the only 

 waterhole. I asked my savage for eggs, and sat down 

 to cool off. Noon sun very fierce in this country. 



Our camp was on a gentle slope of the hill and about 

 200 feet above the plain that extended for miles. We 

 could sit in the shade and watch the game herds at 

 leisure. Was all prepared to get a picture of my 

 savage when he should return with the eggs, but he 

 came back rigged like a scarecrow in tattered old 

 khaki ! Cuninghame made the trip quite well, and shot 

 a topi near camp, but was quite done up. 



Askaris are out hereabouts collecting hut tax for the 

 German Government. They count the huts in each 

 village, lay out a stick for each hut, do them up in a 

 bundle, and carry them out to the official at Shirati. 

 The latter then calls in the sultans, produces the bundles 

 of sticks, and says: 



"Here are twenty- two sticks — sixty-six rupees mar- 

 amoja or I'll collect from your cattle.'' There is said 

 never to be any dispute as to the tally. 



At four o 'clock Cuninghame and I got our chairs out 

 in the shade, unlimbered our glasses, and amused our- 

 selves by scanning the plain below. Some topi and a 

 single wildebeeste were grazing about 500 yards be- 

 low. Suddenly they all scattered off at a great speed. 



