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, t Monday. Dec. so. ' mu

ltziu-ist-mas in The LandOf The, Mau Mag:

Lonely Settlers On Constant Guard

By YORKE HENDERSON

The Equator lies I few miles to the North. But here. at dawn. on the Great Rift Escarpment the wind is cold; almost as cold as the wind that blows today through fondly-remembered towns and vil- lages back in the home country.

Klnangop M o u n t a in and the peaks of the Aberdares take shape in the growing light. A thousand feet below on the floor of the broad Rift valley a light beams tut from an isolated farmstead.

It is Christmas Day in the morn- rig; still - as it must have been .'hat first Christmas in Palestine nearly two thousand years ago. It is a.Chrlstmas card picture, down '0 the snow gleaming on Mount Kenya.

But for the lonely settlers in heir farms and the Kikuyu people in their mud huts. it is the third Christmas under the panga's sha- dow.

For here. six thousand feet above iea-level. Christmas brings no res- pite in the deadly game of hide- and-seek being played out in the mountain forests. On one side. sold- Lers. police arid loyal tribesmeni an the other. the fanatical Mau Man terrorists uith the wicked; ieavy - bladed knives they call Jangas.

Today of all days the men aril vomen whose names are in this error-haunted land must be vigil- int. The Mau Mau leaders have spurned Christianity for their old 'ribal gods who live above the 'louds in the snows of Mount Ken- 'a And to their scar-faded leader Dedan Kimathi. the idea of a Zhristmastide massacre w o u l d teem a fitting gesture. The propa- ganda value among the simple Kikuyu would be enormous. ;

Kimathi and his men nearly al-l rays make their attacks when :hey think people are off their guard; Sundays, meal - times, the track of dawn.

But though there will be pistols Jeside the plum-pudding at dinner- zime, every Christian in Mau Mau .and w regardless of race - will telebrate Christmas.

In the lonelier farms and kraals they will celebrate quietly, listen- ing all the while for the whispered orders, the rustle of bushes. the padding of bare feet in the dark- ness that mean a Mau Mau am- bush.

when the houscboy brings in the traditional dish of turkey from the kitchen he will give a pre-arranged knock on the dining room door. The hum of conversation stops and the master of the house will go,

istol in hand. to unlock the door. on many terrorist raids have been made via the kitchen.

Then. with doors and windows barricaded, the men and women of the lonely farms will try to re- :reate Christmas as they remem- aer it in Britain.

Christmas day comes in the niddlo of the hot season in Kenya. But. though the temperature may mar into the nineties. dinner will )e a Dickcnsian affair with roast urkcy. plum - pudding with hot Jranciy butler, mince - meat pies. sort and nuts.

The plum - puddings used to be imported specially from Britain. Now they come mainly from an Indian firm in Nairobi, yet they will all sport sprigs of holly, the red berries shrivellcd and lustre- iess after the long hot trip throughi the Mediterranean and the Rcdl Sea.

In the more populous centres of Mau Mau land. in hr-,avily-garrison- ed townships like Fort Hall and Nyeri. Christmas will be I bit raster.

The parties will be gayer and .hey will last longer. There will be zarol - singing at the mission and the young District Officer will iweat behind a cotton-wool beard. playing Santa Claus and trying not in let his revolver bulge through the scarlet robes.

And here, the Christian Kikuyu. well-protected by their own Home Guard armed with bows and ar- rows. will celebrate Sikuku ya Jesus - the holiday of Jesus - in their own way.

Before dawn they will make ai round of the houses in the town- ship carrying banana palm fronds and lanterns and singing carols. "Adeste Fldells" sung in Waklkuyu with a drum background is more impressive than the c o m b I n e d choirs of St. Pauls and Westmin- ster Abbey. It is the more touching when you remember that. like the early Christians. these simple Ki- kuyu are courting death by Pro- fesslng their faith. For though the Home Guard and the police arm- oured cars may deter I Mau Mau raid in force. Dadan Kimathl's Ipies will be there. marking down the faithful for ghastly vengeance.

Last year. at one Fort Hall mis- lion. the congregation had to strain their ears to make out what the African preacher was saying. A couple of days earlier Mau Mau thugs had kicked out his teeth as I taste of what was in store for him if he preached on Christmas- Day.

This year. with Mau Mau hard- prened. there will be no warning; just I swoop at night. then agonls- fng death at the hands of the ter- rorist torturers. ,

For all that. the Kikuyu Christ- .lInI will celebrate Sikuku ya Jesus.

Throughout the day they will hold ngomI'I. the tr I d i t l o in II dances of their tribe. With the drums throbbing. they will dance .-m...:....-m..:m.:

Solution Puxle pan 4

. - . X KIKUYU YOUNGSTEIIS - the children of anti-Mau Mau

loyalists-edance their celebration of Sikuku ya Jesus, the Christmas holiday. But in background are armed security guards.

(Continued from page 4)

On Christmas Day

smashed the car on the nearest telephone pole. The car turned out to be stolen and there were four half-full bottles of gin in the back. The two occupants were both fight- ing di'unk and are now detained."

Mr. Campion took off his spec- tacles and blinked.

"You sugest that there was a connection, do you?" he murmured "Fred and the gin drinkers met at the cross-roads, in fact. Any signs on the car?"

Pussy shrugged his shoulders.

"Our chaps are at work on that now." he said. "The second smash has complicated things I bit, but last time I 'phoned they were hope-. ful."

SIFTING THE FACTS

"But my dear fellow!" Sir Leo was puzzled. "If you can get ex- pert evidence of I collision between the car and the postman your worries are over.

"That is. of course. if the medical evidence permits the theory that the unfortunate fellow picked him- self up and struggled the three hundred yards towards the con- stab1e's house."

Pussy hesitated.

"There's the trouble," he admit- ted. "If that were all we'd be sit- ting pretty. but it's not. and I'll tell you why.

''In that three hundred yards of Benham road, between the cross- ing and the spot where old Fred died. there is a stile which leads to a footpath. Down the footpath. the best part of a quarter of I mile over very rough going, there is one small cottage and at that cottage letters were delivered this morn- ing.

"The doctor says Noakes might have staggered the three hundred yards up the road leaning on his bike. but he puts his foot down and says the other jdurney, over the stile and so on, would have been plain impossible."

"All of which would argue," ob- served Mr. Campion brightly; "that the postman met a car after he came back from the cottage - be- tween the stlle and the policeman'.-i house."

"That's what the C o n stable thought." Pussy's black eyes were snapping. "As soon as he'd tele-

the story of their people. recalling the bloody tribal wars with the lean Massi cattle men from the South and the long-haired men from "behind the mountain." thel Somali raiders.

This is Mau Mau land at Christ- mas. But when the Christmas sun rises there this year it will herald the dawn of better times: for Mau Mau is breaking under the strain and there are signs that by the middle of next year the Emergency

will be ended.

phoned for help he slipped down to the cottage to see if Noakes had called there.

"When he found he had he searched the road. He was mysti- fied though bccause both he and his missus had been at their win- dow for an hour watching for the mail and they hadn't seen a vehicle of any sort go by either way.

"If a car did hit the postman where he fell it must have turned and gone back afterwards."

Lco 'frowned at him. "What about the other witnesses? Did they see any second car?"

"No," said Pussy. "As I see it it's a proper mystery, a kind of not very nice miracle. and those two beauties are going to get away with murder on the strength of it. Whatever our fellows find on the car they'll never get past the doc- tor."

Mr. Campion got up sadly. The sleet was beating on the windows. He nodded to the Chief Constable.

"I fear we shall have to see that footpath before it gels utterly dark. you know. In this weather condi- tions may have changed by to- morrow."

Leo sighed. "On Christmas day in the morning!" he quoted bitter- ly. "Perhapsryou're right."

' They stopped their dreary jour- ney at the Benham police station to pick up the constable.

They inspected the cross-roads and the bend and the spot where the saloon car had come to grief.

By the time they reached the stile the world was grey and freez- ing.

AWIKWARD CLIMB

Mr. Campion negotiated the stile and the Chief Constable followed him with some difficulty. It was an awkward climb and the path below was narrow and slippery. It wound out into the mist before them. apparently without end.

The procession slid and scram- bled on in silence foil what seemed a imile only to encounter a second stile and a plank bridge over a stream followed by a brief area oi what appeared to be simple bog. As he struggled out of it Pussy pushed back his dripping hat and gazed at the constable.

"You're not having a game, I suppose?" he inquired briefly.

-'No sir, no." He pointed to I hump in the near distance.

"Good Heavens!" Leo regarded its desolation with dismay. "Does anybody really live there?"

"Oh. yes sir. An old widow lady. Mrs. Fyson's the name."

"Alone?" he was aghast. old?"

"I don't rightly know, sir. Quite old. Over seventy-five must be."

Leo stopped in his tracks and I silence fell on the company.

Campion broke the spell.

"How

mIn." be and firmly. evidence completely

perhaps we should drop Ieetthe householder." Leo shiver-ed in," he objected. Superintendent .

plan was obstinate. right with you. Super?"

Pussy waved them on. "If you have to dig for us we shall be just Ibout here," he slid cheer- fully. "I'm over my ankles now. What I place! Does Inybody ever come here except the postman, constable?"

Campion took Leo'I arm and led him firmly round to the front of the cottage. Leo hung back. His repugnance was Is apparent as the cold.

"I hate this." he muttered. "Go on. Knock if you must."

Mr. Campion obeyed. At once the door was opened very wide.

A little old woman stood before him.

"Oh dear." she said unexpected- ly, and her voice was friendly.

"It's lovely to see them all up there Igain. it's one of the real joys of Christmas. isn't it? Mes- sages from people you love and who love you and all so pretty, too."

"Did you come down bright and early to meet the postman?" The Chief Constable's question was dis- Irmingly innocent, but she looked ashamed and dropped her eyes.

"I wasn't up! Wasn't it dread- ful? I was late this morning.

"In fact I was only just picking the letters off the mat there when the policeman called. He helped me gather them. the nice boy. There were such a lot. I lay lazily in bed this mprning thinking of them instead of moving."

"Still you heard them come." Leo was very satisfied. "And you knew they were there."

"Oh yes." She rounded content. "I knew they were there. May I offer you a cup of tea? I'm wait- ing for my party . .. just I wo- man and her dear greedy little boy; they won't be long. In fact when I heard your knock, I thought they were he... already." Mr. Campion. who had risen to inspect the display on the mantel- shelf more closely. helped her to move the.kettle so that it should not boll too soon.

The cards were splendid. There were nearly 30 of them In all, and the envelopes which had con- tained them were packed in a neat bundle and tucked behind the clock.

The written messages were Ill warm and personal, all breathing the outspoken joy of the season: "The very best to you Darling from All at The Limes." "To dear Auntie from Little Phil." "Love and Memories. Edith and Ted." "There is no wish like the old wish. Warm regards. George." "For dearest Mother." "Cheerio. Lots of love. Just off. Writing. Take care of yourself. Sonny." "For dear little Agnes with love from US ALL."

POINTED GUESTION

Mr. Campion stood before them for a long tlm: but at length he turned away.

Something had happened. It had suddenly become very still in the house. The old lady had lost her smile and there was warlness in her eyes.

"Tell me." Campion spoke very gently. "What do you do? Do you put them all down there on tha mat in their envelopes before you go to bed on Christmas Eve?"

While the point of his question and the enormity of it was dawn- ing upon Leo. there was silence. It was breathless and unbearable until old Mrs. Fyion pierced it with I laugh of genuine nIugbti-

ness.

"Well." she said devastatingly, "It does make it more fun." She glanced back It Leo whose hand- some face was growing staadilv

more and more IcIrlet. "Doesn't

L LET" nunxrs

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"Definitely no walk for I dying

"Doctor's convincing. don't you think? Now we're here. in and

"We can't all get "Perhaps the

"No. You and I will go," Cam- "ls that all

two crooks for doing In poor ofd Noakes.

"A real bit of luck Mr. Campion was here." he added generously. II he aquelched on 1” -h the mud. "The old girl was Just cheer- ing herself up and you fell for it. ah. constable?

"Oh. don't worry. There's no harm done.

"I know how it happened. You didn't want to worry the old thing with the tale of I death un.Chrlat- mas morning, so you took the sight of the letters as evidence and didn't go into it. As it turned out you were wrong. That's life."

He thrust the young man on ahead of him and came over to Campion.

"what beats me is how you eat- taned to it." he confided. "What gave you the idea?"

"I merely read it. I'm afraid."

m... -

'"I'hen . . .7" He was having div. ficulty with his voice. "Then the Dostman did not call this morning. mI'am?"

She stood looklnl at him placid- ly. "The postman never calls here except when he brings Iomethlng from the Government." she said pleasantly. "Everybody gets let- ter! from the Government nowa- days. don't they?

"But he doean't call here 'wlth personal letters because you see. llm the last of us." She paused and frowned very faintly. "There's been so many wars," she said. simply.

"But. dear lady .. ." Leo was Completely overcome. There were tears in his eyes.

She patted his arm.

"My dear man." she said. kind-

my boy.

ly. "Don't be distressed. It's not sad. in Christmas. We all loved ML C”"P'"" minded 'P0l0l9"C- Christmas. They sent me their "A" the 9"V910P” Wm ””"-'-

sticklng out from behind the clock.

lov t Ch ” t d, , B a Us ma! an you 3" The top one had a hI'penny stamp

I've still got it. At Christmas I re-

member them and they remember "" 51”: I l”f:le4d, " the past 1 t . I . h mnr . was .' 323- exp” w "av" they Pussy laughed. "Given to you,"

he chuckled. "Still. I bet you had I job to believe your eyes." "Ah." Mr. Camplon'I voice was

Her eyes strayed to I card with I coach on it. "I do sometimes wonder about poor George." she

remarked seriously. "He was my ""1'"3h”"1 1” the dusk "Th" husband's elder brother, and he giutpfr. lhai Wu H18 TEEUY dmlclllt

really did have quite a shocking life. But he sent me that re- markable card one year, and I kept it with the others

"After all. we ought to be char- itable, oughtn't we? At Christ- mas."

MYSTERY SOLVED

As the four men plodded back through the fields Pussy was jubil-

Leo. who had been striding in silence. was the last to climb up on the road. He glanced anxiously towards the village for a moment or so and presently touched Cam- pion on the shoulder.

"Look there."

A woman was hurrying towards them, and at her side. earnest and expectant, trotted I small. plump predatory child. They 5 cu r ti e d past, and. as they paused by the

nt. "That's done the trick," he'said. stile and the woman lifted the boy

Ilmply. "Thank God for that. Dc you know, Campion. all the way back here I've been wondering."

stable expelled I long Ilgblng breath. -

"So there wII I party." be and

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