peer idly into the tangled jungle.
At two o'clock or a little later we would arouse ourselves reluctantly
and move on. The safari we had dimly heard passing us an hour before.
In this country of the direct track we did not attempt to accompany our
men.

The end of the day's march found us in a little clearing where we could
pitch camp. Generally this was atop a ridge, so that the boys had some
distance to carry water; but that disadvantage was outweighed by the
cleared space. Sometimes we found ourselves hemmed in by a wall of
jungle. Again we enjoyed a broad outlook. One such in especial took in
the magnificent, splintered, snow-capped peak of Kenia on the right, a
tremendous gorge and rolling forested mountains straight ahead, and a
great drop to a plain with other and distant mountains to the left. It
was as fine a panoramic view as one could imagine.

Our tents pitched, and ourselves washed and refreshed, we gave audience
to the resident chief, who had probably been waiting. With this
potentate we conversed affably, after the usual expectoratorial
ceremonies. Billy, being a mere woman, did not always come in for this;
but nevertheless she maintained what she called her "quarantine gloves,"
and kept them very handy. We had standing orders with our boys for
basins of hot water to be waiting always behind our tents. After the
usual polite exchanges we informed the chief of our needs-firewood,
perhaps, milk, a sheep or the like. These he furnished. When we left we
made him a present of a few beads, a knife, a blanket or such according
to the value of his contribution.

To me these encounters were some of the most interesting of our many
experiences, for each man differed radically from every other in his
conceptions of ceremony, in his ideas, and in his methods. Our coming
was a good deal of an event, always, and each chief, according to his
temperament and training, tried to do things up properly. And in
that attempt certain basic traits of human nature showed in the very
strongest relief. Thus there are three points of view to take in running
any spectacle: that of the star performer, the stage manager, or the
truly artistic. We encountered well-marked specimens of each. I will
tell you about them.

The star performer knew his stagecraft thoroughly; and in the exposition
of his knowledge he showed incidentally how truly basic are the
principles of stagecraft anywhere.

We were seated under a tree near the banks