58 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



what to do. Immediately on seeing me, the girl, 

 with a courage born of desperation, tore herself free 

 of her captors and, flinging herself on her knees at 

 my feet, tearfully entreated : 



' Bwana, don't let them take me for I am no 

 slave girl, but a free-born Mahometan. Yesterday 

 morning, they seized my mother and me from our 

 village, and are now going to make slaves of us. 

 I'll be your slave if you wish, but I'd far rather die 

 than go with these shenzis (heathens).' 



' Be quiet,' roared one of the party of raiders, a 

 big, rough-looking Yao, running up to the terrified 

 girl and seizing her by the arm. Turning to me he 

 exclaimed, ' Bwana, this is my slave,' and with 

 these words, attempted to drag the shrieking woman 

 away. Instantly, I struck him on the jaw with the 

 butt of my rifle, felling him senseless to the ground, 

 and covering their leader with my rifle, gave him to 

 understand that unless he at once dropped his gun 

 I would send a bullet through his brain. Cowed by 

 my threat and determined manner, he quietly laid 

 his weapon on the ground, and turning to my men, 

 inquired of what tribe I was. Upon my men in- 

 forming him that I was an Englishman, his whole 

 demeanour underwent a complete change ; his 

 insolent bearing vanished, and he came up and 

 greeted me in a friendly way, saying, ' Yambo, 

 bwana?' (How do you do, master?) Telling his 



