WINGED DEATH 209 



sands and thousands of unfortunate fathers "die" 

 throughout the dark continent, for one reason or an- 

 other, and to suit almost any case. 



My boy, Juma, was absorbing the high points of 

 the conversation and tliis is probably where he got 

 the idea which he sprung on me a few days later. 

 Juma had some education, so he went into the thing 

 with refinements. His father not only died but he 

 had a telegram handed to me teUing of the sad event 

 and requesting that I break the news to Juma I So 

 imagine my surprise when a few days later I met his 

 father face to face in Nairobi, accompanied by the 

 son whom I had just a few days previously sent home 

 so he could attend the funeral I When I inquired of 

 Juma how many fathers he had or whether the medi- 

 cine man had brought this one back to life, he just 

 grinned sheepishly and made no reply. There was 

 nothing to say I 



After these two sudden deaths, I lined up my re- 

 maining boys and took a census on the paternal situa- 

 tion, finding to my great satisfaction that there were 

 only two more fathers left to "die." 



Pishi promised to meet me in Nairobi within six 

 weeks' time. I doubted that he would do this, because, 

 if what he said was true, he was now a wealthy man 

 and it would never again be necessary for him to labor 

 day after day opening cans with a dull can opener. 



After bumping our way into Eldoret it required a 

 few days to make repairs, such as putting new leaves 

 in springs and in having a dentist recement my bridge 

 work which had been jarred loose at the same time 

 the springs broke. Between Eldoret and Eldama 

 Ravine, which is some sixty miles eastward, a person 



