In Wildest Africa -^ 



hood of the stream, and that they had encamped for the 

 night in a mouldering old kraal in the thorn-thicket, and 

 it was while slumbering peacefully in this that they were 

 disturbed by my Askari. Scattered all over the place 

 were goods and chattels of various descriptions which they 

 had left behind them in their hasty flight, and which I 

 now had carefully collected together. From their nature 

 I concluded that the Masai were making for some place 

 at a considerable distance, and that there was, therefore, 

 no danger of unpleasant consequences. I returned to my 

 camp to reassure my people, and at once got some of my 

 Masai friends, who had been with me for a long time, to 

 go after the fugitives and bring them back. That was 

 the only way to effect an understanding — any other 

 messengers would have failed in the mission. 



Towards midday my Masai returned to camp with 

 some thirty of the spear-armed warriors and a number 

 of their women-folk. I gave them back their belongings, 

 together with a present by way of amende for their fright. 

 This they accepted with equanimity after the manner of 

 all natives. Then they took their departure, the incident 

 being thus happily terminated without bloodshed. 



Curiously enough, Orgeich had had a somewhat similar 

 encounter with Masai a short time before. He had been 

 for a turn in the neighbourhood of the camp, and was 

 coming back in the dark along a rhinoceros-track. When 

 he had got to within a quarter of an hour's walk of the 

 camp, there was a sudden clatter right in front of him, 

 and in the uncertain moonlight he descried a band of 

 armed Masai. Remembering the recent night-encounter 



652 



