"I don't know what has got into little Willie," was the drift of it. "I
have never known him to act this way before. Why, only yesterday I was
saying to his father that it really seemed as though that child NEVER
cried-"

It made me feel quite friendly and at home.

Now at last came two marvellous and magnificent personages before
whom the women and children drew back to a respectful distance. These
potentates squatted down and smiled at us engagingly. Evidently this was
a really important couple, so we called up Simba, who knew the language,
and had a talk.

They were old men, straight, and very tall, with the hawk-faced,
high-headed dignity of the true aristocrat. Their robes were voluminous,
of some short-haired skins, beautifully embroidered. Around their arms
were armlets of polished buffalo horn. They wore most elaborate ear
ornaments, and long cased marquise rings extending well beyond the first
joints of the fingers. Very fine old gentlemen. They were quite unarmed.

After appropriate greetings, we learned that these were the chief
and his prime minister of a nearby village hidden in the jungle. We
exchanged polite phrases; then offered tobacco. This was accepted.
From the jungle came a youth carrying more bananas. We indicated our
pleasure. The old men arose with great dignity and departed, sweeping
the women and children before them.

We rode on. Our acquired retinue, which had waited at a respectful
distance, went on too. I suppose they must have desired the prestige
of being attached to Our Persons. In the depths of the forest Billy
succumbed to the temptation to bargain, and made her first trade. Her
prize was a long water gourd strapped with leather and decorated with
cowry shells. Our boys were completely scandalized at the price she paid
for it, so I fear the wily savage got ahead of her.

About the middle of the afternoon we sat down to wait for the safari to
catch up. It would never do to cheat our boys out of their anticipated
grand entrance to the Government post at Meru. We finally debouched
from the forest to the great clearing at the head of a most impressive
procession, flags flying, oryx horns blowing, boys chanting and beating
the sides of their loads with the safari sticks. As there happened to be
gathered, at this time, several thousand of warriors for the purpose
of a council, or shauri, with the District Commissioner we had just the
audience to delight our barbaric hearts.

(b)