134 THE LAND OF THE LION 



I leave the subject, let me say one thing more about these 

 dark skinned fellow helpers of a day. Invite them to 

 your big central fire in the evening, and as you all draw 

 round the welcome blaze, have an interpreter up and talk 

 to them. How many interesting things you will hear, 

 about them, their plans, their hopes, their discontents and 

 wrongs, and, some none less interesting things you may 

 learn, about yourself, and your fellow countrymen. The na- 

 tive helper, when he is employed, is often, in sefari life, shoved 

 to one side as soon as his bit of information has been had 

 from him. In your camp he is almost sure to be without 

 kith or kin, unless he has bargained for a companion of 

 his tribe, to bear him company. Remember, you are his 

 host. It will indeed pay any traveller well to take some 

 time and pains to draw these casual companions out, 

 make them feel at home, and let them see you are not 

 visiting their country simply and solely to get something 

 that is partly theirs, at as little cost to yourself as it may 

 be had. 



I remember three Massai, we once had, to guide us to 

 a thickly wooded haunt of buffalo, where other sportsmen 

 had met with success. Our start from the government boma 

 was not very auspicious. We had with some difficulty 

 procured a tent for them, the rains just then were very heavy, 

 The tent did not weigh, poles and all, more than ten pounds, 

 but they promptly refused to carry it. (Massai will seldom 

 carry any load but a gun.) Well, we started without the 

 tent, for all the porters were loaded. Soon after camping, 

 some four hours out, the downpour commenced. Where- 

 upon the three came and wanted to know where they were 

 to go out of the rain. We arranged a shelter for them 

 beside the loads, under a big ground sheet. Next day, 

 close to our second camp we found a Massai munyata * 



* Temporary village ^wattle houses daubed with cow dung, built in a circle usually depended 

 by a high thorn fence. 



