MY SOMALI BOOK 



105 



never forget that, barely a minute after Abdilleh's 

 departure, I saw the top of a great shaggy head and 

 neck come silently into view through the grass, and 

 stand, about twelve yards to my right front. We had 

 to deal with an old hand this time ; he had evident^ 

 been wide awake, and had heard the shikaris on the 

 other side. He had no notion of waiting to have his 

 mane singed ; and having, on principle, a dislike to 

 the presence of human beings, unless in the occasional 



necessary role of commissariat suppliers, he was looking 

 to see if the coast was clear before moving on. That 

 did not suit me, and I fired, aiming for his partly 

 exposed neck, none of the bod}^ being visible. He 

 ought to have dropped on the spot, but, as it turned 

 out, I had not made sufficient allowance for the thick- 

 ness of his mane, and the bullet passed' through the 

 muscles at the back of his neck, just missing the spinal 

 column it should have found, and doing no real damage. 

 At the shot he dashed back into cover with a rumbling 

 growl ; then, changing his mind, swung round and 



