As a watchman he is invaluable, as a second
captain or fundi, whose duty it is to bring up stragglers,
he is superexcellent. He is ugly and vain, but he is no coward.
Asmani the guide is a large fellow, standing over six feet, with
the neck and shoulders of a Hercules. Besides being guide, he is
a fundi, sometimes called Fundi Asmani, or hunter. A very
superstitious man, who takes great care of his gun, and talismanic
plaited cord, which he has dipped in the blood of all the animals
he has ever shot. He is afraid of lions, and will never venture
out where lions are known to be. All other animals he regards as
game, and is indefatigable in their pursuit. He is seldom seen
without an apologetic or a treacherous smile on his face. He could
draw a knife across a man's throat and still smile.
Chowpereh is a sturdy short man of thirty or thereabouts; very
good-natured, and humorous. When Chowpereh speaks in his dry Mark
Twain style, the whole camp laughs. I never quarrel with Chowpereh,
never did quarrel with him. A kind word given to Chowpereh is sure
to be reciprocated with a good deed. He is the strongest, the
healthiest, the amiablest, the faithfulest of all. He is the
embodiment of a good follower.
Khamisi is a neat, cleanly boy of twenty, or thereabouts, active,
loud-voiced, a boaster, and the cowardliest of the cowardly.
