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IN AFRICA 
camp-fire of a safari is usually in front of the tents 
of the msungu, or white people, and around it 
in the evening the msungu discuss the adventures 
of the day and the plans for the morrow. Each 
night Abdi, the neapara or head-man, comes up to 
get his instructions for the next morning, and soon 
afterward Abdullah, the cook, appears and waits 
for his orders for the breakfast hour. 
Abdullah is the color of night, and no one ever 
sees him approach or go away. He simply appears 
and often stands only a few feet away before any 
one is aware of his presence. And even after he 
speaks, one sees only a row of white teeth looming 
up five feet above the ground. If any important 
matters are to be adjusted it is usually at the camp¬ 
fire that the things are settled. If punishment is 
to be meted out to a transgressor, it is there that 
the trial is held and judgment rendered. 
Well, on this night as we sat talking by the camp¬ 
fire, Abdi, our head-man, suddenly appeared and 
squatted down. Soon after up came Askar, who 
also squatted down, and we knew that we were in 
for some unusual sort of a shauri. It was then 
that Askar told of the strange mystery of the 
mountain. 
“Askar says,” spoke Abdi, interpreting Askar’s 
imperfect English, “that up in the mountain there 
is a big door and a great cave. He went up with a 
Frenchman, and the guides refused to go. Then 
the Frenchman threatened to kill them if they 
would not go. They were frightened, because all 
