ch. xi] ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS 273 
gathered again, menacing and mighty—for the promise 
of the bow was never kept, and ever the clouds returned 
after the rain. Once as I rode facing Kenia the clouds 
tore asunder, to right and left, and the mountain towered 
between while across its base was flung a radiant arch. 
But almost at once the many-coloured glory was 
dimmed ; for in splendour and terror the storm strode 
in front, and shrouded all things from sight in thunder- 
shattered sheets of rain. 
These days alone in the wilderness went by very 
pleasantly, and, as it was for not too long, I thoroughly 
enjoyed being entirely by myself, so far as white men 
were concerned. By this time I had become really 
attached to my native followers, who looked after my 
interest and comfort in every way; and in return I kept 
them supplied with plenty of food, saw that they were 
well clothed, and forced them to gather enough firewood 
to keep their tents dry and warm at night—for cold, 
rainy weather is always hard upon them. 
Ali, my faithful head tent-boy, and Shemlani, his 
assistant—poor Bill the Kikuyu had left because of an 
intricate row with his fellows—were both, as they 
proudly informed me, Arabs. On the East African 
coast the so-called Arabs almost all have native blood 
in them and speak Swahili—the curious, newly-created 
language of the descendants of the natives whom the 
Arabs originally enslaved, and who themselves may 
have in their veins a little Arab blood ; in fact, the 
dividing line between Swahili and Arab becomes 
impracticable for an outsider to draw where, as is 
generally the case, it is patent that the blood of both 
races is mixed to a degree at which it is only possible 
to guess. Ali spoke some English ; and he and Shem¬ 
lani were devoted and efficient servitors. Bakhari, the 
18 
