236 
ON SAFARI 
among the wiry grass; yet unless distinguished and 
avoided a great tearing laceration of hand or fore-arm 
results; and wounds in this climate are slow in healing. 
Without insisting too much on the heat—which on 
the equator goes without saying—one short conversa¬ 
tion may be recorded. It was just before “lights-out,” 
and the morrow’s plans had been arranged.—No. 1. 
“Let’s make a special effort to-morrow.” No. 2. “All 
right; but . . . isn’t it rather hot for special efforts ? ” 
It was. 
One evening on Stony Athi, a Wakamba porter 
was seized with a severe illness beyond our power to 
diagnose, though we tried to treat it to the best of our 
judgment. The poor man was evidently in terrible 
pain, rolling on the ground. Next day we had arranged 
to send him to the railway under escort; but, apparently 
in delirium, he bolted, taking the open veld. We sent 
out search-parties, but failed to find a trace of him; 
probably he had found a grave in the hyena’s maw. 
During January there occurred an outbreak of 
“plague” in Nairobi, and a quarantine cordon (against 
natives only) was drawn around the capital. Con¬ 
sequently, when, on February 6, we finally left the 
fiery veld of Athi, we had to leave the safari encamped 
three miles out, W- and I going on into the town. 
Next morning word reached us that a mutiny had 
broken out in our camp. On riding out we found that 
these simple savages had broken into our stores— 
particularly into a case that contained our few bottles 
of whisky—with obvious results. Amidst much heavy 
lying, we ascertained the main facts, and the retribution 
that followed was summary and effectual. 
