June 10, 1971
Arriving at Rungwa, we embarked onto our steamers, some thirty
bearers gathered by our falthful and trusty gun bearer, Akimbo.
He was Instantly recognlzed by hls tall, handsome figger, his
imperlal bearing, hls plercing black eyes and hls tan, double
breasted blazer wlth an "A" emblazoned over hls heart.
I was rather embarrassed to realize, however, that he didn't
easlly recognize me. As Akimbo was speaklng wlth
his spear bearer,
Spiro, I gently sldled up along side of them to hear what was
being sald. (Splro was speaking: "I say, Aklmbo, which of these
blighters do you suppose is Sir Orkie?"
"Rather hard to say Spiro, all these white chaps look alike to
me.
"Well," sald Spiro, "I suppose we'd better find out so we'll be
assured of getting paid before doing anything and by the way,
a request was just received from Vootie Central to provide Urrd
wlth a house here at Rungwa as a home base of operations. How
about the hut next to yours?"
"Look, Spiro, normally I wouldn't mind who moves in next to me
but you know how it is with real estate values and all these
days. My hut is worth about 20,000 coconuts as it is and unfurnished
at that. If I agreed to Orkie moving in along side, I probably
couldn't sell for ten tse-tse flies. You let one move in and there
goes the whole neighborhood. How about that tree house up by the
escarpment?"
"No, no," said Spiro, "That place is wlthin swinging distance of
Tarzan's digs and you know how he is."
"Well," finalized Akimbo, "I guess that just leaves the raised
ranch lean-to over in the swamp of the man eating mosquitoes."
"You mean the one across the quicksand from the Peace Corps camp?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's it."
"Hm! Still a little hlgh class but then, we don't want to shake up
Vootie so, O.K.")
I couldn't make out their dialect so I decided upon a direct
approach: "I say, mboto gwanda atua ephemera ngwandl bwana ugashl!"
"Ass!" They muttered in unison. Recognized at last, I was content.
