THE LAND OF FOOTPRINTS 



faces against their mothers. The mothers looked scan- 

 dalized, and hypocritically astounded, and mortified. 

 They made remarks, still in an unknown language, 

 but which much past experience enabled me to 

 translate very readily: 



"I don't know what has got Into little Willie," 

 was the drift of it. " I have never known him to act 

 this way before. Why, only yesterday I was saying 

 to his father that it really seemed as though that 

 child never cried " 



It made me feel quite friendly and at home. 



Now at last came two marvellous and magnificent 

 personages before whom the women and children 

 drew back to a respectful distance. These potentates 

 squatted down and smiled at us engagingly. Evi- 

 dently this was a really important couple, so we 

 called up Simba, who knew the language, and had a 

 talk. 



They were old men, straight, and very tall, with 

 the hawk-faced, high-headed dignity of the true 

 aristocrat. Their robes were voluminous, of some 

 short-haired skins, beautifully embroidered. Around 

 their arms were armlets of polished buffalo horn. 

 They wore most elaborate ear ornaments, and long 

 carved marquise rings extending well beyond the 

 first joints of the fingers. Very fine old gentlemen. 

 They were quite unarmed. 



232 



