116 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CHAP. 
In presenting this to Lesiat, I impressed upon him that 
the most I could hope to do was to give more power to his 
elbow. I disclaimed all pretensions to make an elephant- 
slayer of a duffer. Confidence, I told him, was the main thing, 
and particularly enjoined upon him the importance of getting 
close before striking. On my starting for the coast, we parted 
with mutual expressions of goodwill, and he most earnestly 
wished me God-speed and a safe return. 
The men I had sent for, to Laiju, had not returned by the 
time I wanted to start, and I had to send fresh messengers 
after them. In the meantime we moved the ivory, etc., across 
the Seya, making several journeys, and camped at a large rock 
pool. We were nearly out of meal, and depending on meat 
alone for food, so the non-arrival of the expected porters 
caused me some anxiety. I had just made provision for some 
time by shooting two rhinos one morning, when the men 
arrived. They brought bad news. On the return journey of 
the party which had brought my last supply of meal, its 
members had disregarded my instructions, which were, first, 
to keep together, and secondly, to avoid passing through 
Embe, unless escorted by some of my Mthara friends—for I 
distrusted the natives of the former district. They had, instead, 
made a short cut over the hills, leaving Mthara to the right, 
had straggled about in twos and threes—or even one man 
alone—with the result that four had been murdered. The 
Embe people seemed to have imagined that some disaster 
must have overtaken us, that I was dead, and that these 
scattered remnants of the caravan—as they supposed them— 
would be an easy prey. This was a sad damper to my spirits, 
and I felt that I had a difficult and distasteful task imposed 
on me by this misfortune : come what might, it would be my 
duty to endeavour to avenge the murder of my men before 
returning to the coast. As for their companions, their grief 
was short-lived. When a comrade is killed, porters are 
dismayed at first, and appear overcome with dejection. The 
