ch. xv] NATURALISTS’ DIFFICULTIES 443 
the shenzi by the carcass, he went off to see about the 
wounded cow, but after an hour was forced to give up 
the chase and return, so as to be sure to save the bull’s 
skin. The gun-bearers and another shenzi had by this 
time reached the dead eland; they had only Kermit’s 
canteen of water among them. One of the shenzis was 
at once sent to camp to bring back twenty porters, with 
rope, and plenty of water ; and, with parched mouths, 
Kermit and the gun-bearers began to take off the thick 
hide of the dead bull. Four hours later the porters 
appeared with the ropes and the water, and the thirsty 
men drank gallons ; the porters were loaded with the 
hide, head, and meat; and they marched back to camp 
by moonlight. 
It was no easy job, in that climate, to care for and 
save the three big skins ; but we did it. On the trip 
we had taken, besides our gun-bearers and tent-boys, 
Magi, the sais, and two of our East African skinners, 
Kiboko and Merefu ; they formed in the safari a kind of 
chief-petty-officer’s mess, so to speak. They were all 
devoted to their duties, and they worked equally hard 
whether hunting or caring for the skins ; the day Kermit 
killed his bull he and the gun-bearers and skinners, with 
Magi as a volunteer, worked until midnight at the hide. 
But they had any amount of meat, and we shared our 
sugar and tea with them. On the last evening there 
was nothing to do, and they sat in the brilliant moon¬ 
light in front of their tents, while Kassitura played his 
odd little harp. Kermit and I strolled over to listen; 
and at once Kassitura began to improvise a chant in 
my honour, reciting how the Bwana Makuba had come, 
how he was far from his own country, how he had just 
killed a giant eland, and so on and so on. Meanwhile, 
over many little fires strips of meat were drying on 
