With Flashlight and Rifle -* 



are not among- the choicest delights of African travelling, 

 especially as in the use of firearms under these conditions it 

 is scarcely possible to avoid wounding, or even killing some 

 of one's own people. Most of the attacks from the Masai 

 went oft in the same way, and almost without exception 

 in the night time. 



But I have never witnessed the sight of a Masai warrior 



o 



with his spear and shield boldly defying European firearms 

 in open warfare. Earlier travellers had this experience 

 before the time of the cattle-plague. 



Shortly before the night-attack I had an unpleasant 

 encounter in rather odd circumstances with a large number 

 of armed Masai warriors in full war-kit. At some little 

 distance from my camp I had dug a pit, which I had covered 

 with a roof, earth-coloured, and something like a tent in 

 shape ; I had laid a carcase near it, and then, completely 

 alone, I had taken my place in this contrivance so as to get 

 some photographs of vultures in their attack on the carcase. 

 For some hours I had been waiting in my sun-baked, 

 narrow, uncomfortable habitation, when suddenly I had a 

 strange experience. To my utter amazement I suddenly 

 saw quite close to me a great number of Masai warriors in 

 full war-paint, therefore on the war-path ; and, drawn by 

 curiosity, approaching my lair, which they had espied with 

 their sharp eyes. So as not to expose myself to the 

 clanger of having my hiding-place pierced with a spear, 

 I had intended to appear suddenly from the depths and go 

 to meet the warriors, knowing that they would instantly 

 take flight. But on looking back through an opening 

 which had been made in my lair, I saw a lot of my soldiers 



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