IN THE JUNGLE 



red fez, khaki shirt, and short breeches, bare knees 

 and feet, spiral puttees, and a broad red sash of 

 webbing. One of these soldiers assigned us a place 

 to camp. We directed our safari there, and then 

 immediately rode over to pay our respects to the 

 Commissioner. 



The latter, Horne by name, greeted us with the 

 utmost cordiality, and offered us cool drinks. Then 

 we accompanied him to a grand shauri or council 

 of chiefs. 



Horne was a little chap, dressed in flannels and 

 a big slouch hat, carrying only a light rawhide whip, 

 with very little of the dignity and "side" usually 

 considered necessary in dealing with wild natives. 

 The post at Meru had been established only two 

 years, among a people that had always been very 

 difficult, and had only recently ceased open hos- 

 tilities. Nevertheless in that length of time Home's 

 personal influence had won them over to positive 

 friendliness. He had, moreover, done the entire con- 

 struction work of the post itself; and this we now 

 saw to be even more elaborate than we had at first 

 realized. Irrigating ditches ran in all directions 

 brimming with clear mountain water; the roads 

 and paths were rounded, graded and gravelled; the 

 houses were substantial, well built and well kept; 

 fences, except of course the rustic, were whitewashed ; 



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