Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 4, 2025
The Somali gunbearers were disciples of Allah, and they began to kick at him before he was within eight feet of them. Two of the tent boys were also Mohammedans, but they had to be more circumspect in their hostility.
The gunbearers were fair shots. Of course the chief and his prime minister came in. They were evil-looking savages. To them we paid not the slightest attention, but went about our usual business as though they did not exist. At the end of an hour they of their own initiative greeted us. We did not hear them.
Behind us marched the three gunbearers, all abreast, very military and proud. Then came the porters in single file, the one carrying the folded lion skin leading the way; those bearing the waterbuck trophy and meat bringing up the rear. They kept up an undertone of humming in a minor key; occasionally breaking into a short musical phrase in full voice. We rode an hour.
By this time she was within a short distance of Stephenson, who was obliged to run a few feet and take refuge behind a tree. The gunbearers and porters, who had fled in all directions, thought that Stephenson was caught, but the rhino, passing him with only a small margin of five feet, continued thunderously on her way. In a few yards she slowed down, and when last seen was walking.
Strange, too, it seemed to see tall trees with leaves three or four feet long and half as many wide. We were riding a mile or so ahead of the safari. At first we were accompanied only by our gunbearers and syces. Before long, however, we began to accumulate a following. This consisted at first of a very wonderful young man, probably a chief's son.
The sais is always at hand to hold the mount and is supposed to take care of it after hours. The foregoing members of our personally conducted party, therefore, included: Head-man 1 Gunbearers 4 Askaris 4 Cook 1 Tent Boys 4 Porters 80 Saises 4 "Totos" 20
Our intention was to proceed at right angles to our own little stream until we had reached the forest growth of another, which we could dimly make out eight or ten miles distant. Billy went with us, so there were four a-horseback. Behind us trudged the gunbearers, and the syces, and after them straggled a dozen or fifteen porters. The sun was just up, and the air was only tepid as yet.
"Gunbearers, this man Fundi, when the rhinoceros charged, fired Winchi. Was this the work of a gunbearer?" The three seasoned men looked at each other with shocked astonishment that such depravity could exist. "And being frightened, he gave back Winchi with the exploded cartridge in her. Was that the work of a gunbearer?" "No, bwana," said Fundi humbly.
The platform was comfortable; it only needed hot and cold running water to be a delightful place to spend a tropic night. I shot a hartebeest and had it dragged beneath the tree. Then my two native gunbearers and I made a satisfactory ascent to the platform. We had a thermos bottle filled with hot tea, and some odds and ends in the way of solid refreshments.
There seemed not to be a spear of anything edible, yet we caught the flash of red as a herd of impalla melted away at our rather noisy approach. Near the foot of the hill we dismounted, with orders to all the men but the gunbearers to sit down and make themselves comfortable. Should we need them we could easily either signal or send word.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking