60 MY SOMALI BOOK 



leopard if he did return (there was no moon), and then 

 opened fire, aiming after a fashion by ear instead 

 of eye. I fired seven shots, but thej^ did not seem to 

 mind much, though one dropped and I hit another. 

 Then I called up the shikaris and came down. I found 

 that the dead hyaena had already been more or less 

 torn to bits b}^ his brethren, and the head (the skull 

 was the only part of him I wanted) had disappeared. 

 There was no more to be done, but to go back to cam]3 

 to dinner and cogitate on the good luck of Somali 

 leopards in general. 



I have since learned that it is not very unusual 

 for two or more h3^8enas in Somaliland to combine 

 to drive a leopard, especially a small one, from its kill. 

 And, of course, individual temperaments vary among 

 beasts as among men. A leopard with less than the 

 usual courage of its race would probably yield its kill 

 without a struggle to an exceptionally bold hysena. 



Next morning's march was a long one, starting at 

 4 a.m., Elmi and I travelled several miles out of our 

 way tracking a lesser kudu with a good head. Three 

 times he let us approach within sixty or sevent}^ j^ards, 

 standing, invisible, behind a bush, and would then 

 dash off without giving a chance. I did not get a shot 

 at him and arrived in camp to breakfast at 1 o'clock, 

 having done about 25 miles. An afternoon march of 

 15 miles brought us to Adadleh, where I went to bed 

 rather weary and with a touch of fever. 



The next morning I ought to have got a couple of 

 dhero, but was still a bit feverish and shaky and could 

 not hold straight. Crossing the Jerato Pass we saw 

 a pair of dark-coloured animals, looking like small 



