Part 30 (2/2)
Southward into Gero; there was apparently no law against travel in that direction On our way to the hotel we passed Coutlass, striding along s to himself, headed toward the office from which we had just coet an ao where he daovernhed, but Will proved et a enough for that He did not ask for leave to go anywhere for the simple reason that his movements depended wholly on ours--a fact that developed later
At the hotel there was a pleasant surprise for us A squarely built, snub-nosed native, not very dark skinned but very ugly--his right ear slit, and al--without any of the brass or iron wire ornaments that most of the natives of the land affect, but possessed of a Harris tweed shooting jacket and, of all unexpected things, boots that he carried slung by the laces fro with a note addressed to Fred tied in a cleft stick
It does not pay to wax enthusiastic over natives, even when one suspects they bring good news We took the letter from him, told hi Fred tore the letter open and read it aloud to us
”Herewith ood to hier in Nairobi, and it seeood job simply because he could make me comfortable for the remainder of a week So, as there happened to be ae special train going up I begged leave for hiun-bearer He never funks, but reloads coolly under theconditions He has his limitations, of course, but I have found hi to you with confidence
”And by the way: he has been to Mount Elgon withfor buried ivory, but he knohere the caves are in which anything ood luck, Yours truly, ”F Courtney”
For the moment we felt likeout to look the acquisition over But Will checked us
”Recall what Courtney said about a dog?” he asked ”We can't all own him!”
Fred sat down ”Ex-missionaries own dice,” he announced ”That's how they come to be ex! You'll find them in the little box on the shelf, Will We'll throw a a the coon in and have him choose”
So I went out and felt teive him a hint that he elcome But it is a fatal mistake to make a ”soft” impression on even the best natives at the start
”Karibu!” I said gruffly when I had looked hi one of the six dozen Swahili words I knew as yet [Karibu, enter, come in]
He arose with the unlabored ease that I have since learned to look for in all natives worth e; and followed me indoors Will and Fred were seated in judicial attitudes, and I took a chair beside them
”What is your name?” demanded Fred
”Kazimoto”
”Um-m! That means 'Work-like-the-devil' Let us hope you live up to it Your forood character”
”Why not, bwana? My spirit is good”
”Do you ork?”
”Yes”
”How et?”
”Sijui!”
”Don't say sijui!” I cut in, reschen's method
”Six rupees a month and posho,” he said promptly Posho means rations, or money in lieu of rations