l62 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



the natives rose in a body, grasped their arms, and in- 

 dulged in a war-dance, Motio explained that it was use- 

 less to expect any good behaviour from the Wamsara; 

 and added that his advice was for us to return at once 

 to the desert, and endeavour to find some other road 

 back to our camp at Hameye. 



The shortest route to Hameye lay across the Jombeni 

 rano^e, and Motio assured us that our march across this 

 range in our present condition would consume at least 

 three days. He added that, as the mountains were 

 densely populated, it would be absolutely impossible 

 to push across them with our small force, should the 

 natives prove hostile, and that they would so prove he 

 declared himself fully convinced. 



Up to the time of our arrival at Wamsara the 

 behaviour of Motio was all we could desire, hence we 

 were loath to suspect him of treachery; but the fact 

 that he did not warn us of the possibility of a hostile 

 reception at the hands of the people on the mountains 

 forced us to think that whatever were his intentions, 

 his judgment, at least, was not the best in the world. 

 Our first duty was to our caravan and ourselves ; so 

 Lieutenant von Hohnel and I both came to the con- 

 clusion that but one road was open to us, and that it 

 led across the mountains, and through the territory of 

 the Wamsara. With the caravan in its then weakened 

 state, it would be impossible to make a long detour in 

 the desert, and trust to our rifles alone for our supply 

 of food. We weighed the matter carefully, and went 

 to rest that night with our minds fully made up. 



At two o'clock in the morning I had my men 

 awakened, and all preparations were silently made for 



