xix THROUGH SAMBURU LAND 253 



melancholy-looking vultures look down on the life- 

 less scene. 



Unfortunately during our journey along the Guaso 

 Nyiro B.'s health had not improved, and I now found 

 myself placed in a very awkward and unpleasant 

 predicament. I did not wish my companions to 

 come any further with me on my journey; yet on 

 account of B.'s state of health I could not possibly 

 leave him behind in a strange country, without a 

 doctor and with no knowledge of the natives or of 

 the language. We were now absolutely in the grip 

 of the nyika, so, all things considered, I decided that 

 it was best that we should travel on together as far 

 as Marsabit, where I hoped he would quickly recover 

 in the cool highlands. 



After dusk I was sitting in my camp chair 

 thinking over all these things. The rising moon 

 shed a faint light and made our tent and camp 

 look very weird amidst its desolate surroundings, 

 when suddenly I was startled by the ping of a bullet 

 as it sped past my ear, and the report of a rifle which 

 instantly followed. Shouting out "Who fired?" I 

 sprang to my feet and, rushing in the direction of 

 the sound, discovered my rascally gun-bearer with 

 a rifle in his hand. I instantly seized and dis- 

 armed him, and demanded an explanation as to why 

 he wanted to shoot me. He trembled all over and 

 said that it was an accident, as the cartridge had 



