MY SOMALI BOOK 119 



combination of wariness and audacity that distinguishes 

 the leopard above any beast I know. 



As I walked into the zariba a small piccaninny 

 standing by its mother, catching sight of me unex- 

 pectedly, burst into tears and fled in terror. I wonder 

 if Somali mothers sometimes frighten their children 

 into good behaviour with tales of a white bogey-man ! 

 But the Somali ladies were not shy ; when my bedding 

 was put down beside my loop-hole a bevy of giggling 

 dusky beauties inspected it with much interest ; it 

 was quite embarrassing. 



The loop-hole they had made for me was, as usual, 

 about 2| feet from the ground, but was not, as it should 



'^""1' ^- ^ - -. 



have been, flanked by a screen of sacking or camel 

 mats on either side, so as to make it quite impossible 

 for an animal to see through the fence. This omission 

 proved unfortunate. The leopard turned up at about 

 12.30 a.m. and rushed the goat ; he failed to seize it 

 however, and stood a couple of yards be^'ond, where 

 I could not see him from the hole. I waited for him 

 to return to the charge — and had to wait — for he 

 did not come. He knew the zariba was occupied, and 

 if he had merelj^ heard the sounds of movements inside 

 would probably have paid no attention beyond perhaps 

 waiting until the sounds had ceased. But owing to 

 the absence of a screen, he must, I think, have seen, 

 through the fence, which might have been thicker. 



