The tents began to come down, and I saw three figures that might be the Greeks and the Goanese holding a consultation near the tree.
"And now," remarked Will, "I begin to see the humor in this comedy.
Which are we--allies of the Greeks or of the Masai?
Are we to help the Greeks get away with Brown's cattle, or help the Masai steal 'em from the Greeks?
Are your cattle all branded, Brown ?" "You blooming well bet they are!" "Masai know enough to alter a brand ?" "Never heard o' their doing it." "Then if the Masai get away with them to British East, if you can find 'em you can claim 'em, eh ?" "Claim 'em in court wi' the whole blooming tribe o' Masai--more'n a quarter of a million of 'em--all on hand to swear they bought 'em from me; an' the British gov'ment takin' sides with the black men, as it always does?
Oh, yes! It sounds easy, that does!" "But if the Greeks get away with 'em," argued Will, "you've no chance of recovering at all." "I'll not take sides with Masai--even against Greeks!" Brown answered grimly, and Will laughed.
"If we attack the Greeks first," I said, "perhaps they'll run.

We're nearer to them than the Masai are.

The Masai, will have to corral their own cattle before they can leave them to raid a new lot.

We can open fire at long range to begin with.

If that scares the Greeks away, then we can round up Brown's cattle and drive them back northward.