XII 
THE RAID 
I 2 I 
The young women and children, shivering with 
fear, and afraid to utter a sound, lest a piteous 
cry or an appeal of any kind be answered with 
a swift knife-thrust or a brutal smash with a rifle- 
butt, stand herded together, surrounded by a ring 
of warriors. Those of the old men and women 
who have failed to make good their escape are 
lying stark and stiff at the doors of their huts! 
Time is passing swiftly, and as those who have 
fled will carry the news to neighbouring villages 
and return as quickly as possible with succour, 
it behoves the raiders to make all haste with 
their booty back to their fastnesses in the hills. 
The captives, guarded strongly on all sides, are 
therefore, hustled and hurried along without rest, 
day or night, the laggards and weaklings being 
mercilessly flogged with whips made of hippo¬ 
potamus hide. A stronger body of raiders follows 
up to guard the rear and frustrate any attempt 
on the part of pursuing villagers to regain their 
wives and children, many of whom will never 
again set eyes on home and kith and kin. 
All of a sudden, a male captive, whose mental 
suffering is keener than any physical pain that 
human hands can inflict on him, falls out. 
‘ Meme siwaesi, bwana wae, nemechoka, unguvu 
simequeisha! ’ he cries. (I am unfit, my master, I 
am done, my strength is utterly finished!) 
