THE CARRIERS ON STRIKE 



' and, so great is the power of the sun out there, it would 

 ^ have been diflncult to see that there had been more 

 than a mere shower. The damaged provisions were 

 5 almost the only proof. 



It was just after the downpour that another small 



' safari filed into our camp, going in the opposite 



; direction to that in which we were bound. As is the 



' way with natives, each party wanted to learn all about 



'■ the other. One of the first questions was nattirally 



! as to our destination. (My boy Mahomed acted as 



^ -.terpreter.) I answered that we intended to cross over 



' the Aberdare range, and make for a point t^'o days' 



irek beyond Nveri. The moment this had been 



translated great excitement broke out, everybody 



talking and shouting at once. 



I was not long in discovering the cause of this. 

 The safari, it appeared, had just come from that 

 district, and were faU of blood-curdling accounts of 

 the Uons there. My carriers would not go with me, 

 Mahomed declared. When I ureed that there were 

 lions ever^'v^'here he shook his head : these particular 

 lions were ver\' bad ones, well-known man-eaters. The 

 ho3^ were sorry to disappoint me, but would be more 

 iOrr>^ to be eaten. According to the other porters 

 a Hon had actually stalked into the camp, picked up 

 a boy who was asleep inside one of the tents, and 

 walked off with him before anything could be done 

 to save him. My fellows were quite cenain that 



175 



