to which N’Dominuki steadfastly refused to lend his aid. From an agreement to attack our supposed surviving porters, to another agreement to attack the Wasungu themselves, should they be alive, was but a step, and an easy step at that. Bei-Munithu was evidently the moving spirit of the combination. He was reported to have said that the Wasungu’s bullets did not hurt, and as he had formerly been the friend of the Wasungu, he was supposed to speak with some authority on the subject. “Even if the Wasungu are not dead,” said this wily old reprobate, “we can just as easily take their goods when they do return. If they are dead, so much the better; and if they are not, they soon will be,” he continued; and in that case the question of the annexation of our goods would have been speedily solved. It seemed that this course was eventually decided upon by the A’kikuyu. Without a doubt things all round looked uncommonly gloomy, the only bright spot in the whole murky aspect being N’Dominuki’s unswerving fidelity. The situation required great firmness and tact in handling, as we wished to get out without further fighting, the Snider ammunition being almost exhausted. On consideration, we determined that if we were compelled to fight, we would make a good fight of it, and punish the enemy as heavily as we knew how, otherwise the next unfortunate safari coming into the district would stand a very poor chance. An incident in connection with the strayed camels occurred at M’thara, which, while it amused us at the time, had its serious side also. When we left M’thara for the Waso Nyiro, we had left an M’Kamba porter, who had injured his leg and was unable to walk, with N’Dominuki. He retained his gun and half a dozen cartridges for protection. When the camels strayed into Embe, some of the inhabitants brought them down to N’Dominuki and offered them for sale. He recognized them as ours, and refused to have anything to do with them. Our gallant M’Kamba, however, demanded that they should be given up to him, as the Wasungu’s representative, which proposal the Wa’Embe treated with scorn. The M’Kamba thereupon brought out his rifle and fired into them, shooting one man through the thigh. The serious side of the question now obtruded itself, inasmuch as it was not an Embe man whom he had so rashly wounded, but a native of M’thara who happened to be standing near; and old N’Dominuki had to pay one of our cows and two of our sheep in order to square the injured man and his indignant friends and relatives!