lyo UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



that food seemed to make his stomach swell. I treated him for 

 the indigestion and flatulence, and after a few days he declared 

 he was cured, and he ceased to come to me. Suddenly one 

 night I was called out of bed to see him, as he was said to be 

 dying. I did not stop to dress, but on reaching his hut found 

 life already extinct. A post-mortem examination would have 

 been considered desecration bv his subjects. I told the Major, 

 however, that I felt convinced that chief Amara was poisoned. 



This made Major Thurston watch for a clue, and he found 

 out that one of the disloyal sub-chiefs had received a present 

 of three cows from ex-king Kabarega as payment for having 

 brought about the death of chief Amara. A punitive expedi- 

 tion followed, in which the sub-chief was killed and his village 

 destroyed. In the meanwhile Major Thruston proclaimed 

 Ajaka, the infant son of Amara, to be chief in succession to his 



THE INFANT AJAKA, THE YOUNGEST CHIEF IN UNYORO. 



father. Chief Amara left two sons, both of them little boys, 

 who are half-brothers ; of these Ajaka is the eldest. Major 

 Thruston appointed Msoga, a nephew of Amara, to be regent 

 during Ajaka's minority ; but as Msoga is only a lad, the autho- 

 rity of Kiza, who was Amara's most trusted and confidential 

 adviser, has been considerablv increased. 



