THE LION DANCE 



two phrases; or rather the same phrase in two such 

 different intonations that they seemed to convey 

 quite separate meanings. 



"Ka soompeele?" he cried with a strongly appeal- 

 ing interrogation. 



" Ka soompeele f " he repeated with the downward 

 inflection of decided affirmation. 



And the bent men, their dark bodies gleaming in 

 the firelight, stamping in rhythm every third step, 

 chorused in a deep rumbling bass: 



"Goom zoop! goom zoop!" 



Thus they advanced; circled between us and the 

 fire, and withdrew to the half darkness, where tire- 

 lessly they continued the same reiterations. 



Hardly had they withdrawn when another group 

 danced forward in their places. These were the 

 Kikuyus. They had discarded completely their 

 safari clothes, and now came forth dressed out in 

 skins, in strips of white cloth, with feathers, shells 

 and various ornaments. They carried white wands 

 to represent spears, and they sang their tribal lion song. 

 A soloist delivered the main argument in a high wav- 

 ering minor and was followed by a deep rumbling 

 emphatic chorus of repetition, strongly accented so 

 that the sheer rhythm of it was most pronounced: 



"An-gee a Ka ga 

 An-gee a Ka ga 



191 



