“You don’t need to fear anything more happening,” he told Mr. Holton. “This elephant smash-up was the first to bother us this year. Go ahead and sit on the cowcatcher.”
The naturalist took hope from the trainman’s words and decided to risk it. For, if the truth be known, he and Mr. Lewis were as anxious as the boys to ride at the front of the locomotive.
Ten minutes later they were speeding along toward Lake Victoria, following the wrecking train.
Nothing more happened until they reached Nairobi, the halfway point on the way to the lake. Here their journey aboard this train came to an end, and they were forced to wait for another.
The next morning they were again on their journey, this time aboard another train, the engine of which did not have the convenient cowcatcher seat. But Bob and Joe didn’t mind. They became so absorbed in the unusual sights about them that they completely forgot it.
A short distance from Nairobi they got their first glimpse of really primitive natives. A group of blacks, led by one big fellow who was undoubtedly the chief, waved a friendly greeting as the train passed.
“Did you notice their teeth?” asked Joe, when the natives had been left behind.
“Yeah. They were filed to sharp points. And did you see their hair?”
“Hair? That’s a good one,” laughed Joe. “They didn’t have any. Was every bit shaved off.”