MEMBA SASA 



There he broke the news to Memba Sasa that the 

 great prize had been captured, and he absent! 

 Memba Sasa was hugely delighted, nor did he in any 

 way show what must have been a great disappoint- 

 ment to him. After repeating the news trium- 

 phantly to every one in camp, he came out to where 

 we were waiting, arrived quite out of breath, and 

 grabbed me by the hand in heartiest congratula- 

 tion. 



Memba Sasa went in not at all for personal or- 

 namentation, any more than he allowed his dignity 

 to be broken by anything resembling emotionalism. 

 No tattoo marks, no ear ornaments, no rings nor 

 bracelets. He never even picked up an ostrich 

 feather for his head. On the latter he sometimes wore 

 an old felt hat; sometimes, more picturesquely, an 

 orange-coloured fillet. Khaki shirt, khaki *' shorts," 

 blue puttees, besides his knife and my own accoutre- 

 ments : that was all. In town he was all white clad, 

 a long fine linen robe reaching to his feet; and one of 

 the lacelike skull caps he was so very skilful at mak- 

 ing. 



That will do for a preliminary sketch. If you 

 follow these pages, you will hear more of him; and 

 he is worth it. 



6i 



