A MASAI SCARE. 
185 
out all night, and having got about half-way, discovered 
a force of some four hundred natives making straight 
for our camp. Knowing that the Masai (oh, that bogey 
word Masai! by this time we were quite sick of hear¬ 
ing them mentioned) had been reported close, their 
gun-bearers naturally concluded the force must be a 
contingent despatched to demand liongo, and urged 
an immediate return to make all necessary preparation 
for their reception at the camp. 
I in the meantime had gone out in the same direc¬ 
tion, but somewhat to their left, and on ascending a 
small hill met this imposing force face to face as they 
were coming up the other side. There was no time 
to shirk them, so putting a bold face on the matter, 
though uncertain whether they were hostile or not, 
I halted my men, and signed to the strangers to do 
the same; I then advanced half-way to meet their 
leader, and was somewhat relieved to find he was only 
the chief of a large caravan of Mandara’s men re¬ 
turning from collecting salt in the country of the 
W’Arusha, a big tribe of degenerate Masai. After 
shaking hands and commissioning them to bear my 
salaams to Mandara, we parted with mutual expres¬ 
sions of goodwill, and I continued my search for 
game, but with the result of seeing only a few zebra, 
hartebeest, and water-buck. 
On returning to camp I found it in an active 
and excited condition. Sentries on the look-out were 
posted on every ant-heap, and Martin had served out 
extra ammunition and three days’ rations to all the 
