Part 34 (1/2)

They were out in the open on short good grazing The Greeks' tent was pitched We could see their mules, like brown insects, tied under a tree, and the cattle dotted here and there, so

”At last!” said Brown ”Boys, they're ourthe Greeks and the Goa to! When we've done that, if you'll all come back with me I'll send to Nairobi for an extra jar of Irish whisky, and we'll have a spree at Lumbwa that'll make the fall of Rome sound like a Sunday-school picnic! We're in Gerht There's not a white man for a hundredbehind There's nobody to carry tales or prevent! I'enerate

I don't hold with too , but--”

”There'll be no dirty work, if that's what you mean,” said Will quietly

Brown stared hard at hi 'e or shoot cattle thieves in the States I said there'll be no dirty work, that's all”

”Shall we rest a while, and co?” I proposed

”Forward!” snorted Brown ”Why d'you want to wait?”

”Forward it is!” agreed Will ”When we get a bit closer we'll stop and hold council of war”

”One minute!” said I ”Tellthe whole countryside, looking for so none They had chosen their ca place very wisely fro to be taken by surprise Far away over to our right, appearing and disappearing as I watched them, were a number of tiny black dots in sort of wide half-er dots contained within the semicircle

”Cattle!” exploded Brown

”And men!” added Will

”Black men!” said I ”Black men with spears!”

”Masai!” said Kazimoto excitedly He had far the keenest eyes of all of us

We were silent for several er in that land knows about the feats and bravery of the Masai, who alone of all tribes did not fear the Arabs, and who terrorized a quarter of a continent before the British came and broke their power

”Mbaia cabisa!”that the developht to know

He explained it was a raid The Masai, in accordance with time-honored custoes of Ger back the plundered cattle None can drive cattle as Masai can They can take leg-weary beasts by the tail andthe next until they all go like the wind For food they drink hot blood, opening a vein in a beast's neck and closing it again when they have had their fill Their only luggage is a spear Their only speed-li to On a raid three hundred and sixty

Just now they did not see es in their rear, and ell informed as to the disposition of the nearest German forces There were probably no Gerraph in all those parts To notify Muanza by runner and Bagamoyo on the coast froamoyo would have to wire the station at Kilimanjaro, and there was no earthly chance of Ger them before they could reach British East

Nor was there any treaty provision between British and Ger over raiders The Gerreement for reasons best known to themselves The fact that they were far the heaviest losers by the lack of reciprocal police arrangements was due to the fact that most of the Masai lived in British East The Masai would have raided across either border with supre spear and kill!” reov'ment's done,” said Brown ”Just one It has kept those rascals froive ato his rifle So did Will and I

”Now this here is ht,” he explained ”Them's my cattle They're all the wealth I own in the world If I lose 'e in life for a drunkard liketo do but take a mean white's job You chaps just wait here and watch while I 'tend to my own affairs”

”Exactly!” Will answered dryly ”I've a hundred rounds in h”

While weour loads and porters in a safe place and giving the boys orders, I sao things happen First, the Masai became aware of the little Greek enca at their reare of the Masai