FOUR ASKARl DESERT US 



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eagerness and much laying together of heads, to discuss how 

 best to manage them all for the further journey. Count Teleki 

 finally decided to leave the iron boat behind at Taveta, as he 

 thought we should scarcely need it in our trip to the north of 

 LakeBaringo. This set twenty-four porters free to carry other 

 loads, and we further reduced our packages by weeding out all 

 not absolutely necessary. 



Our calculations were, however, a good deal thrown out by 

 the death in the last few days of two men, one from fever, the 

 other from dysentery, whilst eight others were so pulled down 

 that we were obliged to leave them behind. We left a letter for 

 Dr. Meyer asking him to take the sick men back to the coast. To 

 wind up our woes, four Askari, experienced men we had set 

 great store by, and three porters went off, taking their weapons 

 with them. After this we had every entrance to Taveta care- 

 fully watched by our faithful Somal ; there was no need for 

 any open threats : our people saw we were thoroughly in 

 earnest and we had no further trouble with fugitives. Whilst 

 one half of the men were busy sewing up the stuffs and beads 

 in rice sacks and rolling up the wire in skins, Count Teleki 

 gave the rest regular lessons in shooting so as to turn to account 

 our superfluous gunpowder. So the days passed by in busy 

 fashion and the time drew near for our departure, much to our 

 own delight, but not to that of the men, who had been jjassing 

 their time in singing and revelry, but now began to wonder 

 where in the world they were going. There was a lot of talk 

 or wasumgumsv, about the proposed route, the Masai and, 

 above all, the Wakikuyu, through whose land we were to pass. 

 It was much too quiet of an evening now, and we missed the 

 cheerful chatter, the loud shouts, the singing, and the dancing, 

 to which we had become accustomed. We would far rather 

 have had that than the earnest discussions which now went on 

 round the fires. 



