i 9 4 THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



full the disadvantage and delay caused by my tank 

 trains, a native from some remote corner of the 

 plains with nothing by way of dress but a small 

 piece of cowhide thrown over his left shoulder- 

 came to my tent door one day and squatted down 

 on his heels in the native fashion. On being asked 

 his business, " I have heard," he replied, "that the 

 Great Master wants water ; I can show it to him." 

 This was good news, if it could be relied upon ; so 

 I questioned him closely, and ascertained that some 

 time previously exactly how long ago I could not 

 gather he had been in the locality on a raiding 

 expedition and had succeeded in finding water. I 

 asked if the place was far away, and got the reply 

 in Swahili: " M'bali kidogo " (" A little distance"). 

 Now, I had had experience of M^bali kidogo before ; 

 it is like the Irishman's "mile and a bit." So I 

 decided to start very early next morning on a search 

 for this pond for such my informant described it 

 to be. In the meantime the poor fellow, who 

 appeared starving there was a sore famine among 

 the natives of the district at the time was given 

 food and drink, and made a ravenous meal. In the 

 evening I had a long talk with him in broken 

 Swahili round the camp fire, and obtained some 

 insight into many of the strange and barbarous 

 customs of the Masai, to which interesting tribe he 

 belonged. 



