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Updated: May 21, 2025
Was Mavrouki my gun bearer, or even my cook, that he should come to my tent? Mavrouki was a porter, and if you wished to kill Mavrouki you would wait by the porters' camp." He said these words slowly, without emphasis, in almost a detached manner. By the murmur he knew that this amazing reasoning had, as usual, struck the men with deep astonishment. The African native is a simple creature.
"Then at night you waited, and you speared Mavrouki with the shenzi spear, and you left it in his back, for you said to yourself, 'men will think a shenzi has done this thing. Then you went quietly to your fire, and cooked potio, and your own spear was all the time where the askaris were lying." Kingozi paused. He knew without Cazi Moto's whispered assurance that every shot had told.
Over against us, and across several low swells of grass and scrub-grown hills, was a range of mountains. Here, Mavrouki claimed, dwelt roan antelope. We settled down quite happily. The country round about was full of game; the weather was cool, the wide sweeps of country, the upward fling of mountains and buttes were much like some parts of our great West.
Finally we came upon Mavrouki and Simba under a bush. From them, in whispers, we learned that the buffalo were karibu sana-very near; that they had fed this far, and were now lying in the long grass just ahead. Leaving the men, we now continued our forward movement on hands and knees, in single file.
One day we all set out to make our discoveries: F., B., and I with our gunbearers, Memba Sasa, Mavrouki, and Simba, and ten porters to bring in the trophies, which we wanted very much, and the meat, which the men wanted still more. We rode our horses, and the syces followed. This made quite a field force-nineteen men all told.
Certainly, unlike most cats, they did not mind getting their feet wet, for they crossed the stream four times. At last the twining paths in the shoulder-high grass fanned out separately. We counted. "You were right, Mavrouki," said I, "there were eight." At the end of each path was a beaten-down little space where evidently the beasts had been lying down.
This brought him to his knees for an instant; but he was immediately afoot again. Billy had, with great good sense and courage, continued to lie absolutely flat within a few yards of the beast, Mavrouki and I had kept low, and C. and the men were out of sight. The buffalo therefore had seen none of his antagonists. He charged at a guess, and guessed wrong.
It was a simple bit of deduction, but to these simpler minds it seemed miraculous. "Why did you wish to kill me?" he demanded. The Nubian, taken completely by surprise, began to chatter with fright. "I did not wish to kill you, bwana. I wished to kill Mavrouki." "That is a lie," said Kingozi equably. "Why should you wait for Mavrouki near my tent?
On the other hand, his present attitude-half away from me-was not favourable; nor, in my exposed position dared I move to a better place. There seemed nothing better than to wait; so wait we did. Mavrouki crouched close at my elbow, showing not the faintest indication of a desire to be anywhere but there. The buffalo browsed for a minute or so; then swung slowly broadside on.
Each day Memba Sasa and I went in one direction, while Mavrouki and Kongoni took another line. We looked carefully for signs, but found none fresher than the month before. Plenty of other game made the country interesting; but we were after a shy and valuable prize, so dared not shoot lesser things.
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