CHAPTER XIII 



BOYS, INSECTS, AND CHICKENS 



Boys and their vagaries — caterpillars hold up a train — puff 

 adders — butterflies and ants — chickens. 



In Africa one develops an African temper ; it may 

 be due partly to the heat, but chiefly I am sure to 

 the constant annoyance of one's boys. One hundred 

 and twenty Kikuyu coolies were engaged to work 

 in the Lines, and by the end of twelve days hardly 

 any were left of them — they ran away regardless of 

 losing their pay. My Kikuyu outside boys had 

 been giving me trouble in that way. I engaged a 

 nice intelligent boy named Masharia and gave him 

 a kanzu, vest and loin cloth, and some food as an 

 extra, he appeared so willing and even anxious to 

 learn table and house work ; but, without a hint as 

 to the reason, he ran away after a few days. Next 

 came Wareroo, who very soon made off, as I ob- 

 jected to his sleeping most of the day. The day 

 I engaged Wareroo I engaged also the Akamba boy 

 I mentioned in a previous chapter. His head was 

 shaved, except for a little bit the shape of a tooth- 

 brush on his forehead, and he was very like a prize 



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