When John found opportunity to put pen to paper, he wrote, as he said,
"loads" to a school chum about the incidents of the next few days, every
one furnishing a new excitement. Mr. Halliday was so anxious to
accomplish the aim of his journey that he pushed on resolutely each day,
striking camp at earliest dawn, marching with intervals until ten,
resting until three or four, and then going on again until nightfall.
The ground was varied, now a stretch of grass land, now a belt of
forest; here a rapidly flowing stream rushing between high banks covered
with dense vegetation, there a tract of hard volcanic soil so rugged and
hot under the sun's rays that walking was painful. It was only during
the intervals for rest that John was able to indulge his sporting
tastes, and at the same time do service to the commissariat. He caught
some fine fish in the rivers, and wished there had been time to follow
up the hippopotamus tracks he discovered on the banks. He brought down
several water-buck and red congoni with his .303 rifle, and one day was
vastly excited to see a black-maned lion with his lioness cross from one
patch of reeds to another. The sight of other game in wonderful
variety--zebras, leopards, antelopes--became so common that after a time
it ceased to be impressive, and opportunities for shooting them came but
rarely, the country they frequented being flat and open, and their scent
being so keen that it was almost impossible to come within range.
One incident that gave a little excitement was the crossing of the Thika
river. The water was so deep and the current so swift that to ford it
was impossible, and after vainly searching for a shallow part, Mr.
Halliday confessed himself at a loss to know how to proceed. John
suggested that they should fell a tree and throw it across the river as
a bridge, but this would be a somewhat lengthy operation; and Said
Mohammed said it would take less time to construct a raft. This was
accordingly done, by lashing together three dead logs found on the bank;
but Mr. Halliday asked how it was to be prevented from being swept away
by the stream. Coja showed himself to be a man of resource. Taking a
rope between his teeth, he plunged into the river, first looking warily
round to make sure that no crocodiles were in the neighbourhood, and
swam across, the force of the current giving his course an inclination
of sixty degrees. Having reached the other side, he fastened the rope
to a tree, and by aid of this line the raft was ferried over, conveying
now the loads and now the men. One of the Wakamba slipped off when he
was in midstream, and instantly howled that a crocodile was after him;
but Coja called him a liar, sprang after him, and catching him by the
hair, towed him safely to the farther bank.
[Illustration: "One of the Wakamba slipped off when he was in
midstream."]
Hitherto the party had met no natives; but Coja now informed his master
that the people of these parts were very bad, and advised that they
should go slowly, so that no stragglers should be left to be set on and
robbed--if not maltreated or killed. Mr. Halliday was somewhat troubled
at the thought of unfriendly natives between his prospective estate and
the outposts of civilization; but consoled himself with the reflection
that the area of settlements was rapidly enlarging, and the country in
the settled parts being brought thoroughly under control.
The country beyond the Thika river proved to be more difficult than any
that had hitherto been traversed. Bare rocky hills, cut by deep and
dangerous ravines, alternated with stretches of long coarse grass and
dense thorny scrub, impenetrable save by low tunnels made by roaming
hippopotami. As they burrowed painfully through these tunnels, they
were oppressed by the suffocating heat, their clothes were torn by the
thorns, and their skin irritated by the multitudinous insects. It was
like wandering through a complex maze, the hippo paths twisting this way
and that in apparently aimless fashion, though Coja said they were a
clear sign of the neighbourhood of water. After a whole day spent in
this fatiguing march the party came abruptly upon a broad river, flowing
with swift but almost noiseless current between banks clad with noble
palms and every species of tropical vegetation, amid which countless
throngs of monkeys desported themselves, and birds of many colours
darted this way and that like fragments of a rainbow. Mr. Halliday
pitched his camp for the night above the river, and for the first time
the porters surrounded it with a boma--a close fence of thorn bushes,
which they constructed with wonderful celerity. For the first time,
too, a watch was kept, the porters being told off to take turns at
sentry-go. It occurred to Mr. Halliday, waking in the middle of the
night, to see whether the sentry was alert at his post, and he was not
greatly surprised to find him fast asleep. He shook him up and rated
him very soundly, his reprimand being, perhaps, the more impressive
because delivered in a tongue which the man did not understand. Mr.
Halliday slept no more that night, coming to the conclusion that if it
was necessary to keep watch, the porters were not to be entrusted with
the task.
It was next day that the party first encountered the native inhabitants.
They came upon a luxuriant plantation of manioc, and shortly afterwards
saw a number of fierce-looking men, armed with spears, lurking in the
long grass. Mr. Halliday ordered Coja to go forward and explain that he
was a friend, bent on a peaceful errand, and that he would give good
prices for any food the people cared to bring him. One of the natives
ran back to the village, and soon returned with the chief, who presented
a singular appearance in a ragged and stained khaki jacket, and a
dilapidated sun-helmet with an ostrich feather stuck in it at a rakish
angle. It turned out that this was not his usual attire, but had been
hastily donned in honour of the white man.
"He seems a very respectable old guy," said Mr. Halliday to John as the
chief came up with a broad smile. With Coja's aid as interpreter, Mr.
Halliday repeated what had already been said to the men, and as an
earnest of what was to come, presented the chief with a number of
coloured beads, feeling somewhat doubtful whether such trifles were
worth the acceptance of one who, as his dress showed, had already had
some intercourse with Europeans. But the chief showed unmistakable
pleasure, and immediately sent two of his young men to bring wild honey
and gourds of milk for the wasungu. Presently a number of women came,
bearing loads of water-melons and other vegetables, which were very
welcome after the dry fare of the past few days, the vendors being
thoroughly satisfied with a handful of red beads or a short strip of
cloth.
Mr. Halliday had directed the course of his march, under Coja's
guidance, according to instructions and a rough map given him by his
friend Gilmour. The district recommended to him as an excellent site
for his farm lay on high ground to the east of Mount Kenya, and Mr.
Gilmour had marked the exact spot by erecting a post, the top of which
was carved to the shape of a man's head. When Mr. Halliday expressed a
doubt whether the post would still be found after the lapse of several
years, his friend reassured him on the point, declaring that the natives
would not touch it, and unless it had been thrown down by a sportive
rhinoceros, or "collected" as an object of interest by some wandering
European sportsman, it would remain precisely as he had left it. Mr.
Halliday, judging by his sketch-map that he must have nearly reached his
destination, got Coja to ask the natives whether they knew of this post,
and was disappointed with their negative answer. There was nothing for
it but to continue the march. Accordingly he took leave of the friendly
natives, after purchasing considerable quantities of food, and set off.
There was every indication that his goal could not be far distant. The
country was open, the soil a rich red loam, covered with rank rough
pasturage and wild clover, with occasional clumps of woodland. The air
was so cool, except at mid-day, that it was hard to believe they were
within a degree or two of the Equator; but by testing the boiling-point
of water John discovered that the height was five thousand feet above
sea-level, and the temperate climate was explained.
Two days after leaving the native village Mr. Halliday decided to pitch
his camp, and taking that for a centre, to explore the surrounding
country.
"If this isn't the place, it ought to be," he said to John. "I never
saw a finer country for grazing; it's good for three or four sheep an
acre, or I'm a Dutchman, and fruit ought to grow here as well as in
Kent."
"It's rather strange, though," said John, "that there's no game to be
seen. There ought to be plenty."
"That's true. Perhaps they've been killed off by some disease, though I
hope that's not the explanation. We'll maybe find out by and by."
The camp was pitched near a shallow stream, a boma was erected round it,
and next day the travellers set off with Coja and one of the porters,
leaving the rest in charge of the second Swahili.
They waded several small streams, and in the afternoon came to a broad
river which, on consulting his map, Mr. Halliday felt sure was the one
marked as forming the northern boundary of his suggested settlement. But
though they searched its banks for some hours, they failed to discover
the post, and had to return unsuccessful, reaching camp after nightfall.
Next day they set off again in a different direction, so as to strike
the river at a point higher up its course. When they came to it, Coja
pointed to a native village on high ground some distance on the other
side, and suggested that inquiry should be made there. The river could
only be crossed by swimming, and there being no sign of crocodiles, they
plunged in, finding the water deliciously cold. Their approach was
descried from the village, and they were soon met by a group of young
warriors armed with bows and arrows, who, standing at a distance,
demanded who they were and what was their business. Coja shouted in
reply that they had come to make friends with the chief, and had brought
some valuable presents for him. One of the men ran back to the village,
the others remaining on guard, and forbidding the strangers to advance
until the chief arrived.
Some little time elapsed before the chief made his appearance amid a
group of elders. At first he stood suspiciously aloof while Coja
explained the purpose of the white men's visit, but when Mr. Halliday
displayed a strip of coloured cloth, and Coja announced that it was a
gift for the chief, the natives drew a little nearer, and said that they
were willing to be friends if the strangers would not rob them. Coja's
reply to this was that the white men were very good, and would never
dream of robbing their friends, adding that the cloth would be handed to
the chief if he would come and answer a few questions.
"Give it him at once," said Mr. Halliday, "and say there's more if
they'll tell us what we want to know."
The gift of the cloth finally disarmed the chief's suspicions. Looking
very much pleased, he came forward with his men, and said that he was
ready to give what help he could. Mr. Gillespie had warned Mr. Halliday
not to believe too implicitly any statements made by natives, who would
always say what they thought would please; so when, in answer to his
question about a post with a man's head, the chief said that he
certainly knew it, and asked for another piece of cloth, Mr. Halliday
shook his head, promising to give more presents if the chief would lead
him to the landmark. At this the chief looked much troubled, and his
men began to talk eagerly, it being evident from their manner that they
were trying to dissuade him from complying with the white man's request.
Mr. Halliday was at a loss to understand their reluctance until Coja,
after a long colloquy with the chief, announced that they were afraid to
go near the post, which was a terrible devil, for their medicine man had
seen its eyes move, and its mouth grin at him. It had come there
suddenly one day, no one knew how, but they thought it must have sprung
out of the ground, and some of their cattle that grazed around it had
soon afterwards died, so that they were sure it was a devil, and they
had never since allowed their herds to roam in that direction.
"Where is it?" asked Mr. Halliday.
The chief pointed up the river, and said that if the white man had
medicine strong enough to destroy the devil the people would be very
grateful. Mr. Halliday thought he might turn this superstition to good
account. He explained that he had come from the end of the world to
make a home in this country, and the devil had no doubt established
himself on the ground in order to show that it was to be a white man's
property. But now that he had come, the devil's work of guarding the
land was over, and if the chief would promise to be a friendly
neighbour, the devil should be at once destroyed, and a good price
should be paid for the land, since it was clearly a part of the chief's
grazing grounds. The chief gave the promise with alacrity, adding that
he would become the blood brother of any man who should rid the country
of so terrible a creature. Thereupon Mr. Halliday asked him to lead the
way as far as he dared, and he should see for himself that the devil had
no power against the white man's magic.
The chief sent a messenger back to the village with this good news, and
soon a great throng of people came flocking down, men, women, and
children, some blowing rude horns, others beating drums, all in great
excitement. The devil was on the bank of the river from which the white
men had crossed. Having swum back in company with the chief and
half-a-dozen of his men, the travellers marched up the river, the
populace flocking along the other bank, being only occasionally visible
among the trees.
After walking for about half-a-mile, the chief struck away from the
river, and led the way to a saucer-like depression between two ranges of
low hills. It was open grass country for the most part, but at the
further end of the hollow, about three miles away, there was a thick
mass of forest. All at once the chief came to a halt, and, pointing
ahead, declared that the devil was there, and he would go no farther.
Neither Mr. Halliday nor John could distinguish the post among the long
grass, but asking the chief to remain where he stood, they went forward
to search for it. After a few steps they missed Coja, and turning to
look for him, found that he had halted a hundred yards or so from the
chief, being evidently unwilling to face the devil, and at the same time
wishing to appear braver than the natives.
Walking some distance apart, so that they should not miss the post, Mr.
Halliday and his son in a minute or two caught sight simultaneously of
what they sought. A thick knobby post stood among the grass, its top
about a foot above the level of the stalks. The knob had been carved
with some skill to the shape of a face with the mouth wide open.
"We may as well do the job with becoming solemnity," said Mr. Halliday.
"We'll have a shot or two at it before we go near. Range about a
hundred, isn't it?"
"I should think so. Bet you I get most shots in his mouth."
"Considering that our rifles and cartridges are alike, I don't see how
you're going to judge. Anyway, you take first shot."
John fired. A flock of birds rose with a great clatter of wings into
the air, and the group of natives yelled and flung themselves face
downward into the grass, whereupon Coja began to taunt them with
cowardice. A shot from Mr. Halliday followed; then each fired again,
and Mr. Halliday, turning round, declared that the devil was killed, and
walked towards the post. Coja, now thoroughly reassured, ran after him,
the natives following at a distance.
"All four shots in the mouth; the honours are easy," said Mr. Halliday.
"You're a better shot than I thought you, John. We'd better pull the
thing up, hadn't we?"
But they found the post so firmly fixed that they could neither pull it
up nor push it over. It was evidently a case for digging. Having no
implements with them they were obliged to leave it standing; but Mr.
Halliday showed the admiring natives the bullet marks in the mouth, and,
slapping the top of the head, assured them that the devil would do no
more harm. He then gave the chief another strip of cloth and a handful
of beads in reward for his services, and the party returned to the
river, where the happy result of the expedition was announced to the
main body of the villagers, from whom the proceedings had been hidden by
the contour of the ground. The chief wished Mr. Halliday to feast with
him, and afterwards witness a war-dance, and when the invitation was
declined, he insisted on his white friend accepting a small pied goat.
"The pioneer of our stock, John," said Mr. Halliday. "But the chief
must take charge of it until we come up to settle. I don't suppose we
shall see it again."
But in this he was mistaken, for when he came some weeks later to enter
into occupation of his estate, the goat was brought to him with every
mark of respect by a deputation of the villagers.