nd the chief? Was he the centre of the show, the important leading man,
to the contemplation of whom all these glories led? Not at all! This
particular chief did not have the soul of a leading man, but rather the
soul of a stage manager. Quite forgetful of himself and his part in the
spectacle, his brow furrowed with anxiety, he was flittering from one to
another of the performers. He listened carefully to each singer in turn,
holding his hand behind his ear to catch the individual note, striking
one on the shoulder in admonition, nodding approval at another. He
darted unexpectedly across to scrutinize a warrior, in the chance of
catching a flicker of the eyelid even. Nary a flicker! They did their
stage manager credit, and stood like magnificent bronzes. He even ran
across to peer into our own faces to see how we liked it.

With a sudden crescendo the music stopped. Involuntarily we broke
into handclapping. The old boy looked a bit startled at this, but we
explained to him, and he seemed very pleased. We then accepted formally
the heap of presents, by touching them-and in turn passed over a
blanket, a box of matches, and two needles, together with beads for the
beebees. Then F., on an inspiration, produced his flashlight. This made
a tremendous sensation. The women tittered and giggled and blinked as
its beams were thrown directly into their eyes; the chief's sons grinned
and guffawed; the chief himself laughed like a pleased schoolboy, and
seemed never to weary of the sudden shutting on and off of the switch.
But the trusty Spartan warriors, standing still in their formation
behind their planted spears, were not to be shaken. They glared straight
in front of them, even when we held the light within a few inches of
their eyes, and not a muscle quivered!

"It is wonderful! wonderful!" the old man repeated. "Many Government men
have come here, but none have had anything like that! The bwanas must be
very great sultans!"

After the departure of our friends, we went rather grandly to bed. We
always did after any one had called us sultans.

But our prize chief was an individual named M'booley.* Our camp here
also was on a fine cleared hilltop between two streams. After we had
traded for a while with very friendly and prosperous people M'booley
came in. He was young, tall, straight, with a beautiful smooth lithe
form, and his face was hawklike and cleverly intelligent. He carried
himself with the greatest dignity and simp