58 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER ch. 
what to do. Immediately on seeing me, the girl, 
with a courage born of desperation, tore herself free 
of her captors and, flinging herself on her knees at 
my feet, tearfully entreated :— 
‘ Bwana, don’t let them take me for I am no 
slave girl, but a free-born Mahometan. Yesterday 
morning, they seized my mother and me from our 
village, and are now going to make slaves of us. 
I’ll be your slave if you wish, but I’d far rather die 
than go with these shenzis (heathens).’ 
‘ Be quiet,’ roared one of the party of raiders, a 
big, rough-looking Yao, running up to the terrified 
girl and seizing her by the arm. Turning to me he 
exclaimed, ‘ Bwana, this is my slave,’ and with 
these words, attempted to drag the shrieking woman 
away. Instantly, I struck him on the jaw with the 
butt of my rifle, felling him senseless to the ground, 
and covering their leader with my rifle, gave him to 
understand that unless he at once dropped his gun 
I would send a bullet through his brain. Cowed by 
my threat and determined manner, he quietly laid 
his weapon on the ground, and turning to my men, 
inquired of what tribe I was. Upon my men in¬ 
forming him that I was an Englishman, his whole 
demeanour underwent a complete change; his 
insolent bearing vanished, and he came up and 
greeted me in a friendly way, saying, ‘Yambo, 
bwana?’ (How do you do, master?) Telling his 
