132 
THE KILIMA-NJAB 0 EXPEDITION. 
I felt it would be a struggle for supremacy between 
us. They were secretly enraged at my coming, fearing 
to lose their influence over the fickle chief, and seeing 
much hindrance to the slave-trade, which they, the 
ex-slaves, were so profitably organizing. Accordingly, 
from the very first they sought to thwart me, and, 
without resorting to any overt act of malice, intended 
to render my stay in the country impossible. Before 
I had barely occupied my settlement a day they began 
making constant visits to my tent, coolly demanding 
this and that article in the name of Mandara. At 
first I simply declined, but, after one or two refusals, 
their ringleader, an ape-like, shrunken man, marked 
with small-pox, said in a threatening tone, “ I tell you 
wliat, young man (kijana), if you are not more gene¬ 
rous, you will never be able to stop here.” - 1 imme¬ 
diately seized my stick, and jumped after him ; but he 
had gathered up his skirts and fled, followed by his 
companions. At this juncture there was but one 
course to be pursued. I called to me two or three of 
my men, took my walking-stick, and started on the 
road to Mandara’s house. Arriving at his village 
green, I saw his Swahili parasites lolling about, some 
of them affecting to play with much interest a game 
like “ draughts,” called bao, although I saw them 
watching me out of the corners of their eyes. All, 
however, studiously remained indifferent to my ap¬ 
proach, and for a second I paused, irresolute as to how 
I should announce myself to the chief. Then I called 
to the nearest man, who was stooping over one of the 
bao players, and told him quietly to go and tell Man¬ 
dara I desired an interview. He kept his back turned 
to me, shrugged his shoulders, and smiled scornfully 
at his comrades. My temper rose, but, apart from 
