After eating, Hornfeiss stretched lazily and began sorting out his gear while Maria cleared the dishes beside him.
Hornfeiss crouched by the bed, tied the laces of his riding boots, pulled a wooden box from beneath it, and opened the lid. Inside lay a well-oiled musket, which he inspected.
He put on his coat, tightened his belt, checked his ammunition, and slipped it into his pockets.
"The waterskin is filled, and I've put dried rations and a raincoat in the bag." Maria handed him a brown leather satchel.
Hornfeiss kissed Maria on the forehead. "Darling, I'm leaving."
Maria nestled against Hornfeiss's chest. "I'll have dinner ready. Be careful out there, and don't ride too fast."
"I know. I'll be careful," Hornfeiss promised.
The two left the house together. Hornfeiss went to the stable, untied the whip from its peg, gripped it in his hand, secured the saddle, stepped into the stirrup, and sprang onto the horse's back.
"Wait for me to come back!" Hornfeiss called to his wife, then rode off to meet his colleagues.
There were not many people in Hornfeiss's village, only a dozen or so households. Before long, all the villagers had gathered.
Village chief Karl counted heads and, after confirming everyone was present, said, "Go to the cattle pen and drive out the cows."
The cattle pen stood beside the village and was fairly large, holding more than three hundred head in total.
Hornfeiss and his colleagues opened the cattle pen and drove the herd out. More than a dozen men guided the cattle toward the pasture.
"Hyah."
East Africa was a natural ranchland. Hornfeiss and his group drove the herd to a place with abundant grass and water, then began grazing them.
The cattle in Northern Kenya were not the batch Ernst had imported