TRAVELLING UNDER DIFFICULTIES 



One of the condemned chiefs, Meli, did not wait until 

 the board platform of his gallows was drawn from under 

 him; calling out to the commandant, " Kwaheri Bwana," 

 he removed the support himself, and met his death like 

 a warrior, fearlessly. 



And again, four years later, in the fall of 1903, I 

 was travelling in the steppe far beyond the Kilimanjaro 

 with a caravan of one hundred and twenty men. My 

 armament consisted of thirty breech-loading rifles. Al- 

 most on the very spot where I was encamped, Masai- 

 El Morane had, a year before, massacred a caravan 

 consisting of three Greek traders and their carriers and 

 had appropriated the cattle. I was, therefore, not very 

 much pleased when the spearmen came in considerable 

 numbers to my camp. When I limited the visitors to 

 ten at a time, they all disappeared. I knew they had 

 no grudge against me personally, and were only after 

 my cattle, but I determined to be very watchful. On 

 August 20th my caravan proceeded on a forced march. 

 Towards evening we pitched our tents on the hilly 

 ground of the steppe. Around our ninety head of cattle 

 I had a close fence constructed out of the thorny branch- 

 es of acacia and terminalia. The baggage was put to- 

 gether; my carriers stretched themselves out near by 

 and soon were soundly sleeping. My armed guards 

 were asleep near a special fire, and the sentinels made 

 their rounds faithfully. I could depend on their watch- 

 fulness and went to sleep. 



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