NAIROBI 
821 
CH. XIl] 
Director of Surveys in the Protectorate, had figured in 
another zebra incident to which only Mark Twain could 
do justice. Captain Smith lived on the outskirts of 
the town, and was much annoyed by the zebras tearing 
through his ground and trampling down his vegetables 
and flowers. So one night, by his direction, his Masai 
servant sallied out and speared a zebra which was 
tangled in a wire fence. But the magistrate, a rigid 
upholder of the letter of the law, fined the Masai for 
killing game without a licence ! (A touch quite worthy 
of comparison with Mark Twain’s account of how, when 
he called for assistance while drowning, he was arrested 
for disturbing the peace.) Captain Smith decided that 
next time there should be no taint of illegality about 
his behaviour, so he got ropes ready, and when the 
zebras returned, he and his attendants again chased 
them toward the wire fences, and tied up one which got 
caught therein ; and then with much difficulty he led it 
down town, put it in the pound , and notified Captain 
Sanderson, the town clerk, what he had done. This 
proceeding was entirely regular, and so was all that 
followed. For seven days the zebra was kept in the 
pound, while the authorities solemnly advertised for a 
highly improbable owner; then it was sold at auction, 
being brought to the sale, bucking, rolling, and fighting, 
securely held by ropes in the hands of various stalwart 
natives, and disposed of to the only bidder for five 
rupees. The Court records are complete. The District 
Court criminal register, under date of February 1, 1909, 
contains the entry of the prosecution by the Crown 
through “Mutwa Wa. Najaka, A.N.” of the Masai for 
44 killing zebra without a licence (under section 4/35 
Game Regulations of April 15, 1906,” and of the in¬ 
fliction of a fine of twenty rupees. The sequel appears 
21 
