ot leave them at home?"

"Because if M'Kunje and M'Pua remain they would instigate the Wahimas
to kill Kali upon his return, but if we take them with us Kali will be
able to watch them."

Stas meditated for a while and said:

"Perhaps you are right; nevertheless, do not lose sight of them, day or
night, for they have a wicked look."

"Kali will have bamboo sticks," the young negro replied.

The caravan proceeded. Stas at the last moment ordered the guard, armed
with Remingtons, to close the procession, as they were men chosen by
him, and most reliable. During the drills, which lasted quite long,
they had become attached in a certain degree to this young commander,
and at the same time, as the nearest to his august person, they
regarded themselves as something better than the others. At present
they were to watch over the whole caravan and seize those who should
take a fancy to desert. It was to be foreseen that when the hardships
and dangers began deserters would not be lacking.

But the first day everything proceeded in the best possible manner. The
negroes with the burdens on their heads, each one armed with a bow and
a few smaller javelins or so-called assagais, extended in a long
serpentine column amidst the jungle. For some time they skirted along
the southern shore of the lake over the level ground, but as the lake
was surrounded on all sides by high peaks they had to climb mountains
when they turned to the east. The old Samburus, who knew that locality,
claimed that the caravan would have to cross high passes between the
mountains which they called Kullal and Inro, after which they would
enter into the Ebene country, lying south of Borani. Stas understood
that they could not go directly east for he remembered that Mombasa was
situated a few degrees beyond the equator and therefore considerably
south of that unknown lake. Possessing a few compasses which Linde
left, he did not fear that he would stray from the proper road.

The first night they lodged upon a wooded hill. With the coming of
darkness a few scores of camp-fires blazed, at which the negroes
roasted dried meat and ate a dough of manioc roots, picking it out of
the utensils with their fingers. After appeasing their hunger and
thirst they were gossiping among themselves as to where the "Bwana
kubwa" would lead them and what they would receive from him for it.
Some sang, squatting and stirring up the fire, while all talked so long
and so loudly th