454 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT chap. 



explaining the state of affairs. If it is not your work, 

 bring back the men ; I shall forget to-day's behaviour, 

 and all shall be as before. If, on the contrary, it is 

 your plan to go to the coast, it is not your place to 

 run away secretly like a slave. You are a freeman, 

 and the headman of this expedition, and should give 

 your reasons for going to the coast, and leaving me, 

 a European, in the desert. 



"I do not know why you go. If there is a reason 

 for your going, why do you not tell it me? Perhaps 

 we can arrange matters." 



I then had with me in the camp seven Somali, 

 eleven Soudanese, one Galla and one Masai interpre- 

 ter (Hassan), my two tent-boys, George's tent-boy, the 

 cook (a cousin of Hamidi), and one solitary porter. 

 This porter was found alone in his tent, shortly after 

 the other men had deserted. I told him jokingly 

 that he was stupid to remain behind with me, as it 

 was better for him at once to follow the rest of the 

 porters. He declined to do this, saying that he did 

 not join the expedition for fun, but for the sake of 

 pay, which he knew he should not get if he deserted. 

 Those remaining behind, one and all, denied that 

 they had had the slightest knowledge of the intended 

 desertion, and stated that the first intimation they 

 received of it was when the men left the zeriba. 



I now began to turn over in my mind everything 

 which related to the present state of affairs, and de- 

 cided that even now it was possible for me to push 

 on and accomplish something. It was unlikely that 

 the deserters would take with them the donkeys at 

 Ukambani. I had twenty-six men in camp, and at 



