"I blush with shame," he would cry, "when I think of England's
attitude in that matter."
We pointed out that the dispute had been amicably settled by the
best minds of the time, had passed between the covers of history,
and had given way in immediate importance to several later
topics.
"This vacillating policy," he swept on, "annoys me. For my part,
I should like to see so firm a stand taken on all questions that
in any part of the world, whenever a man, and wherever a man,
said 'I am an Englishman? everybody else would draw back!'"
He was an incredible person. However, I was glad to see him; he
and a few others of his kind have consoled me for a number of
Americans I have met abroad. Lady A., with the tolerant
philosophy of her class, seemed merely amused. I have often since
wondered how this ill-assorted partnership turned out.
Two other neighbours of ours dropped in once or twice-twenty-six
miles on bicycles, on which they could ride only a portion of the
distance. They had some sort of a ranch up in the Ithanga Hills;
and were two of the nicest fellows one would want to meet,
brimful of energy, game for anything, and had so good a time
always that the grumpiest fever could not prevent every one else
having a good time too. Once they rode on their bicycles forty
miles to Nairobi, danced half the night at a Government House
ball, rode back in the early morning, and did an afternoon's
plowing! They explained this feat by pointing out most
convincingly that the ground was just right for plowing, but they
did not want to miss the ball!
Occasionally a trim and dapper police official would drift in on
horseback looking for native criminals; and once a safari came
by. Twelve miles away was the famous Kamiti Farm of Heatly, where
Roosevelt killed his buffalo; and once or twice Heatly himself, a
fine chap, came to see us. Also just before I left with Duirs for
a lion hunt on Kapiti, Lady Girouard, wife of the Governor, and
her nephew and niece rode out for a hunt. In the African fashion,
all these people brought their own personal servants. It makes
entertaining easy. Nobody knows where all these boys sleep; but
they manage to tuck away somewhere, and always show up after a
mysterious system of their own whenever there is anything to be
done.
We stayed at Juja a little over three weeks. Then most
reluctantly said farewell and returned to Nairobi in preparation
for a long trip to the south.
XXIX. CHAPTER THE LAST
With our return from Juja to Nairobi for a breathing space, this
volume comes to a logical conclusion. In it I have tried to give
a fairly comprehensive impression-it could hardly be a picture
of so large a subject-of a portion of East Equatorial Africa,
its animals, and its people.
