After a tiring march, with intervals of skirmishing, we reached Munithu with our captures intact. When we reckoned them up, however, they barely covered the value of the trade goods stolen, to say nothing of the expenditure of ammunition and the personal risk entailed in the collection. We were very tired and very hungry, but before eating we dispatched native spies to try to obtain news of the missing men. After lunch we retired for an hour to sleep off the effects of our unusual exertion. FOOTNOTES: [5] Should the reader be inclined to consider my language to be somewhat theatrical, it must be remembered with whom I was dealing. I knew my man, and pointed my remarks accordingly. CHAPTER VII. _RETURN TO M’THARA._ An ivory “shauri”—Death of Sadi ben Heri and his companions—Purchasing ivory—El Hakim and I return to M’thara—A night in the open—George ill—The Wa’M’thara at their old tricks—Return of the Somalis from Chanjai—They refuse to return to Embe—I interview an elephant. In the afternoon Bei-Munithu paid us a visit in order to hear our version of what had happened at G’nainu. He listened attentively to our recital without making any comment. When we had concluded he informed us that he also had sent spies back to G’nainu, as, in addition to our five men, eleven of his own who had accompanied them were missing. We learnt further that the natives of a village about two hours’ march distant wished to sell us a tusk of ivory. We heartened considerably at that, and asked Bei-Munithu to bring the owner along to talk it over. He thereupon withdrew, presently returning with a very aged and decrepit man, who tottered forward by the aid of a staff, whom he introduced to us as the owner of the tusk. We politely begged the venerable gentleman to seat himself, and waited till it pleased him to open negotiations. In a few moments he had collected enough energy to speak, and producing a reed some six feet long, indicated that that was the measurement of the tusk. “Very well,” we said. “It seems a good tusk. How much do you want for it?” After a little thought he remarked that one cow and three sheep would be considered a very fair return. “All right,” said we; “if the tusk is all it is represented to be, we will give even the price asked, in order to save the trouble of a long ‘shauri.’ But first let us see the tusk.”