MY SOMALI BOOK 121 



couple of feet, but nothing else, were found under a 

 bush. The ground did not permit of any attempt to 

 trace the leopard's subsequent peregrinations, so we 

 had to wend our way back to camp empty-handed 

 again. 



I have mentioned that on arrival at Kotunwein we 

 had appropriated a pool to our own use and fenced it 

 round to keep out the Somali sheep, whose irruptions 

 would soon have rendered the water undrinkable and 

 then quickly wiped the pool out of existence. This 

 was what happened before long to the rest of the water 

 owing to the Somali's wasteful methods ; a little care 

 would have made the water last twice as long. So 

 when a new karia came along and found only puddles 

 of mud they wanted water from my pool. If I gave it 

 to them I should have to give it to every succeeding 

 haria and it would be gone in a day. 



A deputation came to me and insolently demanded 

 access to the water which was theirs, they had a right 

 to it. I pointed out that I could not see it, as this was 

 merely casual rain water on land which was not the 

 property of this or any other wandering karia : more- 

 over, the fact that there was any water at all remaining 

 for any one was due to the precautions I had taken. 

 As they did not choose to be civil I point-blank refused 

 to give them a drop. 



They were not exactly mollified when Henduleh 

 remarked that as they were Aidagalla the mud puddles 

 ought to suit them very well (" Aidagalla," the nick- 

 name by which an important section of the Habr 

 Gerhajis tribe is known, signifying " one who rolls in 

 the mud " !). They blustered and threatened to 



