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away　towards　the　right…hand　bank；　whither　we　were　rapidly　drifting；　

for　the　rope　by　which　we　were　moored　had　been　severed　with　a　

knife。　　As　soon　as　I　had　realized　this　fact；　I　also　realized　

that　the　scheme　had　been　to　cut　the　boat　loose　so　that　it　should　

drift　on　to　the　right　bank　（as　it　would　have　done　with　the　natural　

swing　of　the　current）；　where　no　doubt　a　party　of　Masai　were　waiting　

to　dig　their　shovel…headed　spears　into　us。　　Seizing　one　paddle　

myself；　I　told　Umslopogaas　to　take　another　（for　the　remaining　

Askari　was　too　frightened　and　bewildered　to　be　of　any　use）；　and　

together　we　rowed　vigorously　out　towards　the　middle　of　the　stream；　

and　not　an　instant　too　soon；　for　in　another　minute　we　should　

have　been　aground；　and　then　there　would　have　been　an　end　of　us。



As　soon　as　we　were　well　out；　we　set　to　work　to　paddle　the　canoe　

upstream　again　to　where　the　other　was　moored；　and　very　hard　and　

dangerous　work　it　was　in　the　dark；　and　with　nothing　but　the　notes　

of　Good's　stentorian　shouts；　which　he　kept　firing　off　at　intervals　

like　a　fog…horn；　to　guide　us。　　But　at　last　we　fetched　up；　and　

were　thankful　to　find　that　they　had　not　been　molested　at　all。　　

No　doubt　the　owner　of　the　same　hand　that　severed　our　rope　should　

have　severed　theirs　also；　but　was　led　away　from　his　purpose　by　

an　irresistible　inclination　to　murder　when　he　got　the　chance；　

which；　while　it　cost　us　a　man　and　him　his　hand；　undoubtedly　saved　

all　the　rest　of　us　from　massacre。　　Had　it　not　been　for　that　ghastly　

apparition　over　the　side　of　the　boat　　an　apparition　that　I　

shall　never　forget　till　my　dying　hour　　the　canoe　would　undoubtedly　

have　drifted　ashore　before　I　realized　what　had　happened；　and　

this　history　would　never　have　been　written　by　me。









CHAPTER　III

THE　MISSION　STATION







We　made　the　remains　of　our　rope　fast　to　the　other　canoe；　and　

sat　waiting　for　the　dawn　and　congratulating　ourselves　upon　our　

merciful　escape；　which　really　seemed　to　result　more　from　the　

special　favour　of　Providence　than　from　our　own　care　or　prowess。　　

At　last　it　came；　and　I　have　not　often　been　more　grateful　to　

see　the　light；　though　so　far　as　my　canoe　was　concerned　it　revealed　

a　ghastly　sight。　　There　in　the　bottom　of　the　little　boat　lay　

the　unfortunate　Askari；　the　sime；　or　sword；　in　his　bosom；　and　

the　severed　hand　gripping　the　handle。　　I　could　not　bear　the　sight；　

so　hauling　up　the　stone　which　had　served　as　an　anchor　to　the　

other　canoe；　we　made　it　fast　to　the　murdered　man　and　dropped　

him　overboard；　and　down　he　went　to　the　bottom；　leaving　nothing　

but　a　train　of　bubbles　behind　him。　　Alas！　when　our　time　comes；　

most　of　us　like　him　leave　nothing　but　bubbles　behind；　to　show　

that　we　have　been；　and　the　bubbles　soon　burst。　　The　hand　of　his　

murderer　we　threw　into　the　stream；　where　it　slowly　sank。　　The　

sword；　of　which　the　handle　was　ivory；　inlaid　with　gold　（evidently　

Arab　work）；　I　kept　and　used　as　a　hunting…knife；　and　very　useful　

it　proved。



Then；　a　man　having　been　transferred　to　my　canoe；　we　once　more　

started　on　in　very　low　spirits　and　not　feeling　at　all　comfortable　

as　to　the　future；　but　fondly　hoping　to　arrive　at　the　'Highlands'　

station　by　night。　　To　make　matters　worse；　within　an　hour　of　sunrise　

it　came　on　to　rain　in　torrents；　wetting　us　to　the　skin；　and　even　

necessitating　the　occasional　baling　of　the　canoes；　and　as　the　

rain　beat　down　the　wind　we　could　not　use　the　sails；　and　had　to　

get　along　as　best　as　we　could　with　our　paddles。



At　eleven　o'clock　we　halted　on　an　open　piece　of　ground　on　the　

left　bank　of　the　river；　and；　the　rain　abating　a　little；　managed　

to　make　a　fire　and　catch　and　broil　some　fish。　　We　did　not　dare　

to　wander　about　to　search　for　game。　　At　two　o'clock　we　got　off　

again；　taking　a　supply　of　broiled　fish　with　us；　and　shortly　afterwards　

the　rain　came　on　harder　than　ever。　　Also　the　river　began　to　get　

exceedingly　difficult　to　navigate　on　account　of　the　numerous　

rocks；　reaches　of　shallow　water；　and　the　increased　force　of　the　

current；　so　that　it　soon　became　clear　to　us　that　we　should　not　

reach　the　Rev。　Mackenzie's　hospitable　roof　that　night　　a　prospect　

that　did　not　tend　to　enliven　us。　　Toil　as　we　would；　we　could　

not　make　more　than　an　average　of　a　mile　an　hour；　and　at　five　

o'clock　in　the　afternoon　（by　which　time　we　were　all　utterly　worn　

out）　we　reckoned　that　we　were　still　quite　ten　miles　below　the　

station。　　This　being　so；　we　set　to　work　to　make　the　best　arrangements　

we　could　for　the　night。　　After　our　recent　experience；　we　simply　

did　not　dare　to　land；　more　especially　as　the　banks　of　the　Tana　

were　clothed　with　dense　bush　that　would　have　given　cover　to　five　

thousand　Masai；　and　at　first　I　thought　that　we　were　going　to　

have　another　night　of　it　in　the　canoes。　　Fortunately；　however；　

we　espied　a　little　rocky　islet；　not　more　than　fifteen　miles　of　

so　square；　situated　nearly　in　the　middle　of　the　river。　　For　this　

we　paddled；　and；　making　fast　the　canoes；　landed　and　made　ourselves　

as　comfortable　as　circumstances　would　permit；　which　was　very　

uncomfortable　indeed。　　As　for　the　weather；　it　continued　to　be　

simply　vile；　the　rain　coming　down　in　sheets　till　we　were　chilled　

to　the　marrow；　and　utterly　preventing　us　from　lighting　a　fire。　　

There　was；　however；　one　consoling　circumstance　about　this　rain；　

our　Askari　declared　that　nothing　would　induce　the　Masai　to　make　

an　attack　in　it；　as　they　intensely　disliked　moving　about　in　the　

wet；　perhaps；　as　Good　suggested；　because　they　hate　the　idea　of　

washing。　　We　ate　some　insipid　and　sodden　cold　fish　　that　is；　

with　the　exception　of　Umslopogaas；　who；　like　most　Zulus；　cannot　

bear　fish　　and　took　a　pull　of　brandy；　of　which　we　fortunately　

had　a　few　bottles　left；　and　then　began　what；　with　one　exception　

　when　we　same　three　white　men　nearly　perished　of　cold　on　the　

snow　of　Sheba's　Breast　in　the　course　of　our　journey　to　Kukuanaland　

　was；　I　think；　the　most　trying　night　I　ever　experienced。　　It　

seemed　absolutely　endless；　and　once　or　twice　I　feared　that　two　

of　the　Askari　would　have　died　of　the　wet；　cold；　and　exposure。　　

Indeed；　had　it　not　been　for　timely　doses　of　brandy　I　am　sure　

that　they　would　have　died；　for　no　African　people　can　stand　much　

exposure；　which　first　paralyses　and　then　kills　them。　　I　could　

see　that　even　that　iron　old　warrior　Umslopogaas　felt　it　keenly；　

though；　in　strange　contrast　to　the　Wakwafis；　who　groaned　and　

bemoaned　their　fate　unceasingly；　he　never　uttered　a　single　complaint。　　

To　make　matters　worse；　about　one　in　the　morning　we　again　heard　

the　owl's　ominous　hooting；　and　had　at　once　to　prepare　ourselves　

for　another　attack；　though；　if　it　had　been　attempted；　I　do　not　

think　that　we　could　have　offered　a　very　effective　resistance。　　

But　either　the　owl　was　a　real　one　this　time；　or　else　the　Masai　

were　themselves　too　miserable　to　think　of　offensive　operations；　

which；　indeed；　they　rarely；　if　ever；　undertake　in　bush　veldt。　　

At　any　rate；　we　saw　nothing　of　them。



At　last　the　dawn　came　gliding　across　the　water；　wrapped　in　wreaths　

of　ghostly　mist；　and；　with　the　daylight；　the　rain　ceased；　and　

then；　out　came　the　glorious　sun；　sucking　up　the　mists　and　warming　

the　chill　air。　　Benumbed；　and　utterly　exhausted；　we　dragged　ourselves　

to　our　feet；　and　went　and　stood　in　the　bright　rays；　and　were　

thankful　for　them。　　I　can　quite　understand　how　it　is　that　primitive　

people　become　sun　worshippers；　especially　if　their　conditions　

of　life　render　them　liable　to　exposure。



In　half　an　hour　more　we　were　once　again　making　fair　progress　

with　the　help　of　a　good　wind。　　Our　spirits　had　returned　with　

the　sunshine；　and　we　were　ready　to　laugh　at　difficulties　and　

dangers　that　had　been　almost　crushing　on　the　previous　day。



And　so　we　went　on　cheerily　till　about　eleven　o'clock。　　Just　as　

we　were　thinking　of　halting　as　usual；　to　rest　and　try　to　shoot　

something　to　eat；　a　sudden　bend　in　the　river　brought　us　in　sight　

of　a　substantial…looking　European　house　with　a　veranda　round　

it；　splendidly　situated　upon　a　hill；　and　surrounded　by　a　high　

stone　wall　with　a　ditch　on　the　outer　side。　　Right　against　and　

overshadowing　the　house　was　an　enormous　pine；　the　tope　of　which　

we　had　seen　through　a　glass　for　the　last　two　days；　but　of　course　

without　knowing　that　it　marked　the　site　of　the　mission　station。　　

I　was　the　first　to　see　the　house；　and　could　not　restrain　myself　

from　giving　a　hearty　cheer；　in　which　the　others；　including　the　

natives；　joined　lustily。　　There　was　no　thought　of　halting　now。　　

On　we　laboured；　for；　unfortunately；　though　the　house　seemed　

quite　near；　it　was　still　a　long　way　off　by　river；　until　at　last；　

by　one　o'clock；　we　found　ourselves　at　the　bottom　of　the　slope　

on　which　the　building　stood。　　Running　the　canoes　to　the　bank；　

we　disembarked；　and　were　just　hauling　them　up　on　to　the　shore；　

when　we　perceived　three　figures；　dressed　in　ordinary　English…looking　

clothes；　hurrying　down　through　a　grove　of　trees　to　meet　us。



'A　gentleman；　a　lady；　and　a　little　girl；'　ejaculated　Good；　after　

surveying　the　trio　through　his　eyeglass；　'walking　in　a　civilized　

fashion；　through　a　civilized　garden；　to　meet　us　in　this　place。　　

Hang　me；　if　this　isn't　the　most　curious　thing　we　have　seen　yet！'



Good　was　right：　it　certainly　did　seem　odd　and　out　of　place　　

more　like　a　scene　out　of　a　dream　or　an　Italian　opera　than　a　real　

tangible　fact；　and　the　sense　of　unreality　was　not　lessened　when　

we　heard　ourselves　addressed　in　good　broad　Scotch；　which；　however；　

I　cannot　reproduce。



'How　do　you　do；　sirs；'　said　Mr　Mackenzie；　a　grey…haired；　angular　

man；　with　a　kindly　face　and　red　cheeks；　'I　hope　I　see　you　very　

well。　　My　natives　told　me　an　hour　ago　they　spied　two　canoes　with　

white　men　in　them　coming　up　the　river；　so　we　have　just　come　down　

to　meet　you。'



'And　it　is　very　glad　that　we　are　to　see　a　white　face　again；　let　

me　tell　you；'　put　in　the　lady　　a　charming　and　re