CHAPTER VI 



Plans for a second trip — Things go wrong — M.'s success — My new battery — 

 An aggravating delay — Start again — Berbera once more — Difficulties — 

 AJxlilleh Ashur — The rest of my following— The kJiarif — Start for Har- 

 geisa — In the Reserve : partridges : sand-grouse — Weaver-birds : how 

 to keep a husband out of mischief — Hitting a friend when he is down — 

 Pork in sanctuary — -Hargeisa : its inhabitants — The Emperor Menelek : 

 " sacrament rations " — An irrelevant yarn : Colonial Office exports — 

 The A. P. O.'s poultry — An ill-return for my host's hospitality. 



Eighteen months later came the end of my time in 

 Aden, with fifteen months' furlough. My intention 

 was to put in the first three months of my leave in 

 Somaliland before going home. But " the best laid 

 schemes of mice and men . . . " ! Ten days before 

 my leave was due, the Civil Surgeon, examining my 

 throat which was giving trouble, said I was not fit 

 for a shooting trip and must go straight home. Pleas- 

 ing that, under the circumstances ! However, there 

 was no help for it. I had only had six months at home 

 in eleven years, and was, no doubt, a good deal run 

 down after three and a half years in Aden ; and I 

 might hope to go to Somaliland at the end of my 

 furlough instead of the beginning in better condition 

 for hard work. 



I had already made most of the arrangements for 

 my trip, and through H. had engaged as head shikari 

 one Abdilleh (or Abdillahi) Ashur, a man with a great 

 reputation. I now passed him on to a friend, M., of 



