328 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT chap. 



from our camp, to wash some of the donkey saddles, 

 suddenly appeared, breathless from running, and said 

 that a large war party of Rendile was approaching the 

 camp. With all despatch, Lieutenant von Hohnel and 

 I attired ourselves, and ran forward with twenty men. 

 Upon reaching the brow of a low hill, we saw before 

 us three horsemen armed with long spears, and almost 

 concealed in a thick growth of dhum palms. In their 

 rear we could discern more horsemen, many camels, 

 and a large body of foot warriors. We halted. 



Between our position and the palms, which served 

 to conceal the Rendile force, there stretched a little 

 plain, and over that plain the three horsemen can- 

 tered slowly to and fro. Upon seeing us, they shouted 

 to their companions behind, amidst the trees, and 

 then cried to us: " Serian ! " (Peace). Knowing that 

 Lieutenant von Hohnel and the men with him, who 

 were the best shots in the caravan, would be perfectly 

 able to cover my advance, I went forward, accompa- 

 nied by two of the Somali and a Masai interpreter, 

 to talk to the three mounted Rendile. 



They permitted me to approach to within fifty 

 yards, but at first no nearer. When I reached that 

 distance, they waved their hands for me to keep off, 

 and when I advanced, they would retreat. Finally, 

 after shouting, " Serian ! " I inquired their purpose in 

 coming. They replied that they were a hunting-party 

 of the Rendile in search of giraffe, and said that the 

 camels they had brought with them were for the purpose 

 of carrying back the meat of such animals as they slew. 

 They did not attempt, however, to explain the presence 

 of the large body of foot warriors, some 200 in number. 



