THE MOUNT ELGON COUNTRY 289 



other little farm-yard where cattle had been housed 

 and where there were many evidences of the thrift 

 and industry of the occupants. Gourds of milk 

 were present in generous numbers, and as one's eyes 

 became accustomed to the semi-darkness all sorts of 

 domestic paraphernalia were revealed. 



Little separate inclosures were fenced off for 

 human tenantry, and the glow of embers gave a 

 pleasant, homelike look to the place. Cavern after 

 cavern extended back into the cliff, a network of 

 them, but how far they went would be hard to tell. 

 Perhaps the cave in all its subterranean ramifica- 

 tions has never been entirely explored. 



We wandered back through some of the caverns, 

 sometimes stooping to get through and sometimes 

 standing beneath domes thirty and forty feet high. 

 And always that queer, mystical light, with exag- 

 gerated shadows and sometimes black darkness 

 ahead, where could be heard the drip, drip, drip of 

 water in invisible lakes. In time of siege the hold- 

 ers of this cave, with granaries filled and with herds 

 of cattle and lakes of water, could hold the place 

 for ever. 



The tenants of the place soon became pleasant 

 and hospitable. Perhaps many of them had never 

 seen white people before, but they sat down and 

 watched us with friendly interest. There were 

 many babies and they were all bright-eyed and 

 rugged looking. 



While we were there the cattle were out on the 

 open hills grazing, but in the evening the long herds 



