ish came and broke their power.

"Mbaia cabisa!" muttered Kazimoto, meaning that the development was
very bad indeed. And he had right to know.

He explained it was a raid. The Masai, in accordance with time-honored
custom, had come from British East to raid the lake-shore villages of
German territory, and were driving back the plundered cattle. None can
drive cattle as Masai can. They can take leg-weary beasts by the tail
and make them gallop, one beast encouraging the next until they all go
like the wind. For food they drink hot blood, opening a vein in a
beast's neck and closing it again when they have had their fill. Their
only luggage is a spear. Their only speed-limit the maximum the cattle
can be stung to. On a raid three hundred and sixty miles in six days
is an ordinary rate of traveling.

Just now they did not seem in much hurry. They had probably butchered
the fighting men of all the villages in their rear, and were well
informed as to the disposition of the nearest German forces. There
were probably no Germans within a hundred miles. There was no
telegraph in all those parts. To notify Muanza by runner and Bagamoyo
on the coast from there by wire would take several days. Then Bagamoyo
would have to wire the station at Kilimanjaro, and there was no earthly
chance of Germans intercepting them before they could reach British
East.

Nor was there any treaty provision between British and German colonial
governments for handing over raiders. The Germans had refused to make
any such agreement for reasons best known to themselves. The fact that
they were far the heaviest losers by the lack of reciprocal police
arrangements was due to the fact that most of the Masai lived in
British East. The Masai would have raided across either border with
supreme indifference.

"Masai not talking. Masai using spear and kill!" remarked Kazimoto.

"One good thing our gov'ment's done," said Brown. "Just one. It has
kept those rascals from owning rifles! But lordy! They've got spears
that give a man the creeps to see!"

He began looking to his rifle. So did Will and I.

"Now this here is my fight," he explained. "Them's my cattle. They're
all the wealth I own in the world. If I lose 'em I'm minded to die
anyhow. There's nothing in life for a drunkard like me with all his
money gone and nothing to do but take a mean white's job. You chaps
just wait here and watch while I 'tend to my own affairs."

"