MY SOMALI BOOK 43 



to send out an invitation to any lion there might be 

 within reasonable distance. One reads in books of 

 African travel of fires being lighted at night to keep 

 off wild beasts. We went on a different principle, 

 and used to light at sunset a bonfire to attract the lions. 

 The lion seeing the smoke or scenting the fire in the 

 distance pricks up his ears and thinks to himself, 

 " That means menfolk and an encampment which 

 signifies animals, camels, sheep, etc. ; which, again, 

 means meat ! Nearly a week since I have had a decent 

 dinner, that is obviously the place for me ! " Anyway 

 that is how he ought to reason if he does not— to your 

 stay-at-home naturalist I suppose it is heresy to use 

 the word " reason " in connection with a dumb beast ! 

 To supplement the effect of the bonfire, Elmi would 

 go out at dusk and lift up his voice : " Lion ! oh. 

 Lion ! Great Lion ! where art thou ? The feast is 

 spread for thy Greatness ! " 



Next morning they told me that a lion had been 

 heard roaring in the distance to the eastward at about 

 2 a.m., so we started early to try and hit off his trail. 

 By 8.30 a.m. we had failed to find it and Elmi was not 

 hopeful, when we suddenly came across a dihatag 

 buck. Now the dihatag {Ammodorcas Clarhei) is an 

 antelope that is found only in the Haud, and is dis- 

 tinctly a prize. It has, moreover, the reputation of 

 being shy and difficult to shoot. So I declined to let 

 the chance go as the buck was standing broadside on 

 looking at me. Not an easy shot, as he was 200 yards 

 away, and owing to the long grass I had to take the 

 shot standing. He gave a bound into the air as I 

 heard the bullet tell, and disappeared. I had dropped 



