AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



r 

 We impressed on them emphatically they must stay 



put, and went after, in turn, the Baganda, the 



Wakamba, the Swahilis, the Kavirondo, the Kikuyu. 



When we had them grouped, we went over them 



individually. We punched their chests, we ran over 



all their joints, we examined their feet, we felt their 



muscles. Our victims stood rigidly at inspection, 



but their numerous friends surrounded us closely, 



urging the claims of the man to our notice. It was 



rather confusing, but we tried to go at it as though 



we were alone in a wilderness. If the man passed 



muster we motioned him to a rapidly growing group. 



When we had finished, we had about sixty men 

 segregated. Then we went over this picked lot 

 again. This time we tried not only to get good 

 specimens, but to mix our tribes. At last our count 

 of twenty-nine was made up, and we took a deep 

 breath. But to us came one of them complaining 

 that he was a Monumwezi, and that we had picked 



only three Monumwezi, and We cut him short. 



His contention was quite correct. A porter tent 

 holds five, and it does not do to mix tribes. Re- 

 organization! Cut out two extra Kavirondos, and 

 include two more Monumwezi. ''Bass! finished 1" 

 Now go get your effects. We start immediately. 



As quickly as it had filled, the street cleared. 

 The rejected dove back into their huts, the newly 



138 



