xin THROUGH LAIKIPIA 159 



the house by the music, while others held, more 

 prosaically, that he was after food of some sort. 



The country round Rumuruti is an ideal one for 

 the sportsman, consisting of rolling plain covered 

 with grass, interspersed with bush and forest 

 glades. My companions got some good shooting, 

 and Mrs. B. brought down, among other trophies, 

 a fairly good wart-hog and a very good Grant's 

 gazelle. The game is getting rather shy and 

 scarce in the district, which is partly owing to the 

 number of shooting safaris that pass through, but is 

 mainly due to the vast flocks and herds of the 

 Masai, which eat up the pasturage. 



When we had waited some days at Rumuruti, we 

 moved on a few miles to a small stream called the 

 lam, which flows into the Pes Swamp about five 

 miles to the north of the Boma. Before march- 

 ing, we left word for the Headman to follow on 

 as soon as possible, and also gave Masekondi's 

 wives a small present, as they had very kindly 

 supplied us with fresh milk daily while we were 

 at Rumuruti. The river-bed at our new camp 

 was dry in places, and flowed underneath the 

 surface, as is often the case with East African 

 rivers. What little water remained above ground 

 in some pools proved to be salty, but on this 

 account was in great favour with the Masai, whose 

 cattle thrive on its brackish waters. From the 



