158 WAR: CAMPAIGNING IN EAST AFRICA 



road as obstacles to any British motors, we col- 

 lared him and took him along with us, the most 

 wretched-looking prisoner you ever saw. We 

 camped that night about a mile from Kwedi Boma, 

 and in the middle of the night our prisoner came 

 alongside me. I could hear him stirring about, 

 and on my asking him what was the matter, 

 u Please/' he said, " can I go home and say my 

 prayers ? " This was about i a.m., so he was 

 told rather forcibly that he could not. Two days 

 afterwards we got Lewis, who had a bad attack 

 of fever, sent to the hospital at Handeni, whilst 

 Brown and I worked round, and finally joined up 

 with our column at a place afterwards known as 

 Shell Camp. We had been away nineteen days. 



We left Shell Camp about June 24 on what 

 proved to be the longest and last trip we three 

 were to make together. There were practically 

 no rations obtainable, the whole column living 

 from hand to mouth on what was brought up 

 daily from the rear. All we could rake up was 

 half a bag of posho, eight tins of bully beef, and a 

 couple of pounds of coffee, but we knew we should 

 manage somehow, for if " old soldiers never die," 

 neither do " old bushmen ever starve." Taking 

 with us a mule each, two pack-mules, and four 

 I.D. askaris, we soon got clear of the column and 

 worked round, cutting the Handeni road, which 

 the enemy was still using, for they had a big 

 camp a few miles below where we crossed it ; 

 parties of their askaris, who had been cattle raiding 



