Written By Ed Watts who ran the Game.
"Horror abounds on the Savannah ! Sir Joseph Fairplay dies in hideous melee
against Masai raiders.Police Lieutenant Matt Risk-Taking slain in village set-to!"
The Government reports with great sadness the loss of several officials in a
punitive raid against a local tribe of Masai who had been accused of the theft
of all cattle in the region .The abortive action of last March apparently did
not serve as a sufficient warning to the theft-obsessed pastoral acquisitors.It
was decided that only a personal reprimand from Sir Joseph Fairplay,the regional
commisioner,would convince these rogues to mend their mendacious ways.It was
decided that a surgically precise insertion of the lawful authorities' troops
would cause surprize and cause consternation amongst the Masai and make them
more amenable to an agreement to mend their perfidious purloining ways.Despite
some mischance of misdirection on the approach of the law officers all four
prongs of the enforcers arrived at almost the exact same moment in the vicinity
of the Masai village.Tragedy struck nearly immediately as Sir Joseph and several
junior civil officers encountered a group of young Masai out for a raid to establish
their manhood in the village of the aggrieved local tribe who had summoned the
commisioner to adjudicate the ownership dispute over the herds which so determine
the wealth of the area.A ferocius melee at pointblank range erupted which saw
the loss of Sir Joseph and a junior official and several friendly tribesmen.Despite
a desire to carry on with the mission,the young,inexperienced,grief stricken
clerk soon felt he could not carry on as his ally native force took to its heels
Unaware of the disaster of the mission command,the rest of the British and askari
police force carried on.Herdboys and pilfered cattle were soon taken under police
custody as the first of the Masai warriors rushed to respond to the perceived
threat to their home.A series of continual short range vollies followed by desperate
hand to hand fighting raged at the main village gate during which many Masai
malefactors were slain or driven off.Unfortunately,when the dust settled,it
was found that all of the European constables were slain or wounded.Despite
some initial misgivings and confusion,the Askari policemen were convinced to
return and carry off the wounded and not leave them to the tender mercies of
the surviving Masai.Desperate with rage,a Sikh non-commisioned officer,accompanied
by only an Askari donkey tender entered the village and boldly burnt down a
dung hut as a severe reprimand to these lawless raiders.To the South of the
village there occurred a lesser action in which the expedition machine gun malfuntioned
in its first attempt to fire on the charging Masai. Lieutenant Paul Graffgar
was obliged to return to the British residency to obtain the services of a mechanic
and parts to repair the gun as well as medical services for Sergeant O.N.Lucky
who remained behind to see that the Masai would not get up to any mischief with
the gun.It is hoped that the Lieutenant may soon return to retrieve the weapon
and his plucky non-com.It is to be hoped that the Masai will recognize the consequences
of their acquisitive ways and the resultant bloodshed and be shamed into a cessation
of their dreadful former behavior.An expedition will have to be mounted to assure
their compliant law-abiding behvior will continue.
