THE SURVEY CONTINUED 137 



nightfall, I returned to Ndivva to inquire about the three 

 sheep which had been stolen. The chief said that they had 

 been taken by some very bad men who lived in a village a 

 Uttle way ofi and robbed and raided the whole country round. 

 He offered, however, to go with the one remaining soldier 

 and try to get back the sheep. When this had been agreed 

 to, I went on to the hill above Abila and at nightfall descended 

 to the village itself. Just after my arrival, the soldier who 

 had gone in quest of the sheep came running in. He had 

 had to flee for his hfe, which according to his own account 

 he had only just managed to save. The people of the village 

 had shot a great many arrows at him and had caught and 

 beaten the new king. Messages also came from the same 

 quarter that they would treat me and my party as they had 

 done three soldiers whom they had captured and killed 

 a little time before. 



The two soldiers left to guard the subtense also arrived 

 in an excited frame of mind, saying that all the Marragi 

 were gathering together to attack us. It was obvious that 

 something must be done if the work was to be carried through, 

 and also, had I passed over all these insults and threats 

 and attempted to leave the country on account of them, the 

 Marragi would have thought that we were afraid, followed 

 us up and probably annihilated the whole party amid the 

 long grass or millet, where we should have been helpless. 

 It seemed to me that the only chance was to appear before 

 the village of the ringleaders next day in hopes that they 

 might be taken by surprise and give in. Directly after dawn 

 therefore, I went up the hill and finished my observations ; 

 then, after lunch called the carriers together and told them 



