14 MY SOMALI BOOK 



years. Near as it was to Berbera, the little gazelle 

 were decidedly shy, and it took half an hour's 

 manoeuvring before I could get within 170 or 180 

 yards of a nice buck. And then : the sand had been 

 heavy and I was out of training and the rifle wouldn't 

 stay steady ; it was a long shot, too, at a small mark 

 in the trying evening light ; moreover, my rifle was 

 new and untried ; and so — I am sure there were several 

 other excuses if I could only remember them — I 

 missed. 



We moved on, taking it easy ; for Brian, like his 

 master, was somewhat out of condition, having done 

 no work but trapping for a long time ; Elmi's mule, 

 too, was not disposed to undue exertion. So it was 

 getting dark when we came up with our camelry, 

 immediately after which we halted for the night, having 

 done about thirteen miles. 



It was not worth while putting up a tent for a few 

 hours, and it was a treat to sleep under the stars again 

 and realise that one was far, and soon to be farther, 

 from the haunts of men. At 3 a.m. we were up, but 

 the caravan as a whole, was, like some of its individual 

 members, not yet in training — had not yet found 

 itself— so the business of loading up by starlight was 

 not accomplished with the celerity that later on came 

 to be the rule. It was consequently 4.30 by the time 

 we were on the move. 



At daylight Elmi and I left the caravan and bore 

 off to one side. For a time the sand had ceased and our 

 way lay among low rocky hills. We saw nothing 

 of interest except two dliero (does) and a bustard, 

 until near Deragodleh, our next halting-place, when. 



