220 WAR : CAMPAIGNING IN EAST AFRICA 



the 22nd, we had to go back a short way on our 

 own track to try and find another way round ; 

 it was rough country, and we ran into a party 

 of the enemy whom the natives had brought and 

 were guiding along our tracks. The country 

 was pretty thick with patches of bamboo, and 

 both sides could hear their opponents farther than 

 they could see them. I could hear quite distinctly 

 the German whites talking rapidly together. 

 When the firing started, a large number of our 

 askaris at once slipped away to the rear ; in fact 

 they bolted, and, seeing them run, all our thirty 

 porters, of course, threw down their loads and 

 also ran into the bush. Thirteen askaris, how- 

 ever, stuck to Lewis and myself, and to save our- 

 selves from being surrounded, we also were soon 

 obliged to retreat. As we retired we had the 

 pleasure of seeing our abandoned loads scattered 

 here and there through the bush. 



It was not exactly a bright episode, especially 

 as I doubt if the enemy were more than a small 

 force — perhaps three or four whites and forty 

 askaris, judging by the size of the camps we saw 

 some weeks later. The only two men who came 

 out with flying colours were our two " personal 

 boys " : Lewis's boy " Hammond/' when the 

 porters started to clear, pounced on two who had 

 loads of Lewis's, one a roll of blankets and the 

 other his tin box, and actually bullied them into 

 sticking to their loads and to following him when 

 he too made off into the bush ; and as he luckily 



