A SHIFTY LEIBON 397 



at this time of night by saying that a man of his importance 

 would have to bring a big following, if any, and as difficulties 

 might have arisen through the thoughtlessness of his men he 

 had come unattended in the darkness. The Count answered 

 quietly that he would have known how to deal with those 

 thoughtless men, and that if they had misbehaved themselves 

 they might have gone home with broken heads. Lekibes, 

 however, received some handsome presents, as we were not 

 only anxious that all should go peaceably and well with the 

 men left behind in camp, but also to get guides for ourselves, 

 and an elkonono, or smith, to make some Masai spears for us 

 in our own camp. Lekibes promised us everything we asked, 

 as well as two cows he had forgotten to bring with him in his 

 hurry, and sure enough he appeared in camp the next morning 

 with a big train, including twenty-one women, all, he told us, 

 his own property, the guides, and the elkonono. The cows 

 were not there even now, but the Leibon said they would 

 come later. He proved himself a very cute fellow in the nego- 

 tiations which followed. ■ He wanted to be paid in advance for 

 the guides he had brought with him, and said we were quite safe 

 in giving him their wages now, for £ Lekibes, the great Leibon, 

 vouched for them.' Of course we would not agree to this, and 

 replied that he could not expect us to trust him, as he 

 evidently felt very little confidence in us. It was just the same 

 with the elkonono, who, he said, could make the spears in 

 Lekibes' bumba, which of course meant that he would take the 

 material for them away, and that we should never set eyes on 

 it again. We were determined that the spears should be made 

 in our camp and under our supervision, to which Lekibes 

 finally appeared to agree, but he and his smith went off and 

 we never saw guides or elkonono again. 



I must add a few words here about the native smiths or 

 elkonono, whom Joseph Thomson and H. H. Johnston both 



