= 
134 THE: LAND’ OF THE LION 
I leave the subject, let me say one thing more about these 
dark skinned fellow helpers of a day. Invite them to 
your big central fire in the evening, and as you all draw 
round the welcome blaze, have an interpreter up and talk 
to them. How many interesting things you will hear, 
about them, their plans, their hopes, their discontents and 
wrongs, and, some none less interesting things you may 
learn, about yourself, and your fellow countrymen. The na- 
tive helper, when he is employed, is often, in sefari life, shoved 
to one side as soon as his bit of information has been had 
from him. In your camp he is almost sure to be without 
kith or kin, unless he has bargained for a companion of 
his tribe, to bear him company. Remember, you are his 
host. It will indeed pay any traveller well to take some 
time and pains to draw these casual companions out, 
make them feel at home, and let them see you are not 
visiting their country simply and solely to get something 
that is partly theirs, at as little cost to yourself as it may 
be had. 
I remember three Massai, we once had, to guide us to 
a thickly wooded haunt of buffalo, where other sportsmen 
had met with success. Our start from the government boma 
was not very auspicious. We had with some difficulty 
procured a tent for them, the rains just then were very heavy, 
The tent did not weigh, poles and all, more than ten pounds, 
but they promptly refused to carry it. (Massai will seldom 
carry any load but a gun.) Well, we started without the 
tent, for all the porters were loaded. Soon after camping, 
some four hours out, the downpour commenced. Where- 
upon the three came and wanted to know where they were 
to go out of the rain. We arranged a shelter for them 
beside the loads, under a big ground sheet. Next day, 
close to our second camp we found a Massai munyata * 
* Temporary village —wattle houses daubed with cow dung, built in a circle usually depended 
by a high thorn fence. 
