114 AFRICA SPEAKS 



fairly clean, decided to keep it for ourselves, first hav- 

 ing Kahindi wash it with fresh water. It proved so 

 good that we asked the chief to make some more before 

 our return, so that we could carry it back to camp. 



Like aU chiefs in this district, Kitchamuli was able 

 to carry on a conversation in Swahih, telhng us that 

 the tremendous valley which he overlooked from his 

 village was at the present time ahve with antelope and 

 zebra; that on this account several troops of lions had 

 moved into the district. He was anxious to have us 

 stay and shoot some meat and hons for him. We 

 had no time to hunt Hons, but promised to remain 

 long enough in the morning to kill him a few zebra 

 or topi. 



I guess he was afraid we would forget our promise, 

 because when the first rays of the sun shone into my 

 eyes, I arose up to find I^jtchamuh squatted near the 

 fire talking to Kahindi. He immediately greeted me 

 with, "Jambo, bwana!" After our usual breakfast 

 of herrings and beans, supplemented this morning 

 with butter on our bread. Bud and I salhed forth into 

 the plain below to fulfil our promise to the chief. 

 Game was so abundant that we had httle difficulty and 

 within half an hour had shot two zebra, a wildebeest, 

 and a topi. I noticed that the ever-present scavenger 

 of the veldt was johnny-on-the-job, for hardly had the 

 first zebra kicked liis last, than a large spotted hyena 

 gave a low laugh of satisfaction and darted forth from 

 the nearest donga, as if he took it for granted we had 

 gone to all this trouble for his handsome self. A well 

 placed bullet dissipated all of his high hopes, and when 

 we returned to the village a few days later his skin 

 was adorning a hut wall. 



