WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



was struggling against it, as the illness had struck me 

 at a most awkward time. Not only had we been 

 unsuccessful with regard to the main object of our 

 expedition, the spearing of " man-eating " lions, but, 

 owing to the delays, food was running short. Already 

 the natives were on half rations, whilst our own 

 provisions were nearly exhausted. The only meat in 

 camp was one-quarter of buck, which was hanging 

 up outside the tent. 



That afternoon the boys brought the situation home 

 to me in characteristic fashion. A procession came 

 along, headed by my camera porters, Kavirondo, 

 Chumbo, Killinjui and Booby, who were carrying 

 what at first sight appeared to be the corpse of a 

 carrier named Natungo. 



The latter was laid down in front of my tent, whilst 

 the rest grouped themselves round with an air of 

 great solemnity. At first I really thought Natungo 

 was dead, so well did he and the others act. Then 

 Killinjui explained the trouble at great and quite 

 unnecessary length. The acting would become a 

 reahty, there would be corpses, he declared, unless 

 they had more food. They could not possibly survive 

 on half rations. (In their own villages they would 

 probably have considered the amount ample.) As 

 a matter of fact, it was meat they wanted, and at last 

 they got to that point. The sight of that quarter 

 hanging outside the tent had set them longing — meat 



196 



