In Wildest Africa -»> 



themselves, like the men, excellent guardians and attendants 

 of their herds. 



In th(t neighbourhood of the Masai kraals the wild 

 animals of the plain mingled freely with the tame cattle 

 of the Masai, knowing well that the Masai folk would 

 not shoot them. The wild animals were exposed only 

 to the attacks of the Wanclorobo. lUit these latter bare 

 themselves very shyly in the presence of their over-lords, 

 the IMasai, and went off to far distant hunting grounds, 

 so that the wild animals were hardly ever disturbed by 

 a hunter. 



The young Masai warriors also began to devote 

 themselves to hunting for ivory. With great courage, 

 and often with no small display of dexterity, they killed 

 a laro-e number of elephants, allured bv the high prices 

 offered by the caravans. But they kept the beautiful 

 tusks carefully hidden, buried in the earth till the moment 

 when they had successfully arranged a sale. The buried 

 treasure was easy to conceal. At the place where the 

 tusks were put away the grass was set on fire and burned 

 up over a considerable area, and then nt) eye could 

 distinguish the slightest indication of the lunded treasure. 



The Elmoran also made use of a method of hunting 

 which is employed in other parts of .Africa, namely, to slip 

 quietly up to an elephant, and with a single powerfully 

 delivered sword-cut sever the tendon Achilles. P)Ut tew 

 indeed wert; daring enough to attempt this, and these were 

 strono-. brave, and well-trained w.irriors. .Such an exploit 

 won for them high respect among their comrades of 



the clan. 



70 



