But As
He Could Not Speak A Word Of Swahili, We Had
Also To Engage An Interpreter, An Excellent, Cheery
Fellow of the same tribe named Landaalu; and he
in his turn possessed a kinsman who insisted on
coming too,
Although he was no earthly use to us.
Our route took us through the Solai Swamp, over
the Multilo and Subu Ko Lultian ranges, and
across many unexpected rivers and streamlets.
On our first march I noticed that Uliagurma,
our kirongozi (guide), was suffering extremely,
though uncomplainingly, from earache, so I told
him to come to me when we got to camp and
I would see what I could do for him. Strange
to say, my doctoring proved most successful, and
Uliagurma was so grateful that he spread my
fame as a "medicine-man" far and wide among
the natives wherever we trekked. The
consequence was that men, women and children in
every state of disease and crippledom came and
besieged our camps, begging for some of the
magical dawa (medicine). I used to do what I
could, and only hope I did not injure many of
them; but it was heartrending to see some of the
quite hopeless cases I was expected to cure.
After we had climbed the Subu Ko Lultian
and got a footing on the plateau, we pitched our
camp on the banks of the Angarua river, where
we found a big Masai kraal, the inhabitants of
which seemed much astonished at our sudden
appearance in their neighbourhood. They were
very friendly, however, and visited our camp in
swarms an hour or so after our arrival. Riding
my pony and accompanied by Landaalu as
interpreter, and my gun-bearer Juma, I returned
their call in the afternoon, when the elmorani
(warriors) gave for my entertainment an
exhibition of the gymnastic exercises which they
practise regularly in order more particularly to
strengthen their legs and render them supple.
After the performance I asked if there was any
game about and was told that some might be
found a few miles to the north of the kraal; so
I set out at once with Landaalu and Juma to
try my luck. It was a perfect afternoon, and
no sooner had I cleared the belt of scrub which
grew round the kraal, when by the aid of my
glasses I saw a herd of zebra and other game
away in the distance, feeding peacefully on the
rolling prairie. I made my way steadily towards
them, and noticed as I went that a couple of
eland were gradually drawing away from the rest
of the herd. I marked these for my own, and
carefully noting the direction they were taking,
I dismounted and made a detour round a rise
so as to lie in wait for them and cut them off.
My plan succeeded admirably, for the two fine
animals continued to come straight towards me
without suspicion, feeding quietly by the way.
When they got to within eighty yards or so, I
picked out the bigger head and was only waiting
for him to make a slight turn before pulling the
trigger, when bang went the heavy rifle of one of
my companions about half a mile away. In an
instant the two eland had bounded off, and I
decided not to risk a shot, in the hope that they
would soon settle down again and give me another
chance.
Mentally blessing my friend for firing at this
untimely moment, I watched them make for a
belt of wood about a mile further on, hoping
against hope that they would remain on the near
side of it. No such luck, however, for they
plunged into it and were quickly swallowed up
out of my sight. Running to my pony, which
Landaalu had dexterously brought up, I galloped
in the direction of the spot in the trees where
the eland had disappeared; but imagine my
vexation when I found that I had to pull up
sharp on the edge of a nasty-looking swamp,
which at first sight appeared too boggy and
treacherous to attempt to cross. I rode up and
down it without being able to find anything like
a really safe crossing place, so in desperation I at
last determined to take the risk of crossing it
along an old rhino path where the reeds were
flattened down. My pony floundered bravely
through, and eventually succeeded in getting
safely to the other side. I then made my way
cautiously through the belt of trees, and was
relieved to find that it was only half a mile or
so broad. I dismounted as I neared the further
side, and, tying my pony to a tree, crept quietly
forward, expecting to see the eland not far off;
but to my disappointment there was no trace of
game of any kind on the whole wide stretch of
country that met my view. I therefore tried
another direction, and, taking a half turn to
my left, made my way carefully through some
open glades to the top of a little rise not
far off.
The sight that now met my eyes fairly took
my breath away; for there, not three hundred
yards off and stalking placidly along at a slow
walk, was a herd of fully a hundred eland of all
ages and sizes. The rear of the column was
brought up by a magnificent old bull, and my
heart jumped for joy as I watched him from the
shelter of the bushes behind which I lay
concealed. The next thing to be done was to decide
on a plan of attack, and this had to be thought of
without loss of time, for the wind was blowing
from me almost in the direction of the eland,
who would certainly scent me very soon if I
did not get away. Quickly noting the
direction in which they were moving, I saw that
if all went well they ought to pass close to a
little hillock about a mile or so off; and if I
were very sharp about it, I thought I could make
a circuit through the wood and be on this rise,
in a good position for both wind and cover,
before the herd could reach it.
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