Part 31 (1/2)

”Don't you rather fancy yourself?” suggested Fred with a perfectly straight face

”Say two dollars a month all told!” Will whispered to un-bearer!” the native answered ”My spirit is good I aun-bearer!”

”We happen to want a headman,” answered Fred ”Have you ever been headman?”

”Would you like to be?”

”Yes”

”Are you able?”

”Surely”

”Choose, then Which of us would you like to work for?”

”You!” he answered proue of every one of us to ask him instantly why, but that would have been too rank indiscretion It never pays to seem curious about a native's personal reasons, and it was many weeks before we knehy he had made up his mind in advance to choose Fred and not either of us for his master

His choice made, and the offer of his services accepted, he took over Fred forthwith--demanded his keys--found out which our roos and transferred the best of our things into Fred's bag and the worst of his into ours--remade Fred's bed after aone of e for Fred's old ones--cleaned Fred's guns thoroughly after carefully abstracting the oil and waste fro the boots and replaced them with Fred's knotted ones--sharpened Fred's razors and shaved hi destruction of its once artistic edge)--and departed in the direction of the bazaar

He returned at the end of an hour and a half with aof about twenty, arrayed in blankets of every ie of dirtiness

”You wanting cook,” he announced ”These threecook”

He waved three nondescripts to the front, and we chose a tall Swahili because he grinned better than the others ”Although,” as Fred re is more than anybody knows” The man, whose name was Juma, turned out to be an execrable cook, but as he never left off grinning under any circuine circumstances worse than those arred with later on) we never had the heart to dismiss him

After that, Will and I selected a servant apiece ere destined forever to ar on Kazi Fred the best end of everything Mine was a Baganda who called himself Matches, presumably because his real name was unpronounceable

Will chose a Malindi boy nae in order, fix, e, mend--no end of an ominous name!) They were both outclassed from the start by Kazimoto, but to add to the handicap he insisted that since he was a headman he would need some one to help look after Fred at times when other duties would monopolize his attention He himself picked out an imp of mischief whose tribe I never ascertained, but who called himself Simba (lion), and there and then Simba departed up-stairs to steal for Fred whatever was left of value aot used to the idea of once e apiece to wait on us when Kazi of porters and a Goanese railway clerk We had left our tents and heavy baggage checked at the station, but had said nothing about them to our new headman; however, he had made inquiries and worked out a plan on his own account The railway clerk asked to knohether he should let Kazis

”Why?”' deood!” announced Kazimoto ”No place for boys Heap too ht,” said Fred, and then and there paid our baggage charges

Presently Brown of Luht hours in the little corrugated iron bar run by a Goanese in the bazaar, caround, and viewed Kazi our tents He asked questions, but could get no infor?” he dee of the opportunity and exae of Ger mood that made at one moment a very well of inforarrulous ass

”Co o' me t' Lumbas his final word on the matter ”I'll put you on a road nobody knows an' nobody, uses!”

We spent that night under canvas and talked the matter out The usual way to reach Lu leave to ride on that, for as yet, no passenger trains were running regularly on the western section of the line But there was no rule against traveling anywhere south of the equator, and it was our purpose tothe wiser