Just then one of the boys came in and reported that everybody
in the Masai camp, with the exception of the two sentries who
were walking up and down in front of the respective entrances,
appeared to be fast asleep. Then the rest of us took the road.
First came the guide, then Sir Henry, Umslopogaas, the Wakwafi
Askari, and Mr Mackenzie's two mission natives armed with long
spears and shields. I followed immediately after with Alphonse
and five natives all armed with guns, and Mr Mackenzie brought
up the rear with the six remaining natives.
The cattle kraal where the Masai were camped lay at the foot
of the hill on which the house stood, or, roughly speaking, about
eight hundred yards from the Mission buildings. The first five
hundred yards of this distance we traversed quietly indeed, but
at a good pace; after that we crept forward as silently as a
leopard on his prey, gliding like ghosts from bush to bush and
stone to stone. When I had gone a little way I chanced to look
behind me, and saw the redoubtable Alphonse staggering along
with white face and trembling knees, and his rifle, which was
at full cock, pointed directly at the small of my back. Having
halted and carefully put the rifle at 'safety', we started again,
and all went well till we were within one hundred yards or so
of the kraal, when his teeth began to chatter in the most aggressive way.
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