320 



TO KENIA 



Our old Samaki had indeed known of the present plot and tried 

 to circumvent it by making a detour. It was only the quarrel 

 about the tribute which upset his calculations, and he was so 

 indignant at the native attack that he rushed to the Count and 

 begged him to let his men go on firing. 



Chuma was not at all badly hurt, but he nearly died of 

 fright, although he knew that the other man who had been 

 wounded with an arrow said to have been poisoned had 

 recovered. 



It was most unfortunate that hostilities had broken out, for 

 we still had apparently many days' journey before we could 

 reach the northern frontier of Kikuyuland. We were ex- 

 tremely anxious to make peace with the natives, and great was 

 our relief when very soon after the firing had ceased an old 

 man approached the camp alone, holding up a green bough in 

 token of amity. Of course we let him come in unmolested, and 

 referred him to our guide, who had already received instruc- 

 tions to conclude a league of peace as soon as possible. Half 

 an hour later two small groups of natives appeared, all also 

 carrying green boughs and making professions of friendship. 

 They, too, were welcomed, and a peace shauri was soon in full 

 swing. An agreement was quickly come to, and even before the 

 customary gifts were exchanged the natives flocked into camp 

 with food for sale, so that anyone who had looked on us then 

 would have found it difficult to believe that but a few hours 

 previously we had been in deadly strife with our visitors. 



Even before this untoward incident Count Teleki had given 

 the strictest orders that on no account would any plundering 

 of the natives be allowed. In spite of this some of our men 

 who, in the pursuit of their assailants, had come upon a little 

 lonely group of huts, had set fire to them. We had seen the 

 smoke without guessing what it portended till the culprits 

 came back to camp carrying some lambs. As a punishment 



