174 



MY SOMALI BOOK 



first I had seen this trip. He was about 150 yards 

 off, trotting obliquely away, when I fired and missed ; 

 a second miss as he broke into great bounds was very 

 excusable, but I ought to have hit him the first time. 

 However, I then had a better view of his horns than I 

 had done at first, and they seemed to be only moderate, 

 so it was just as well that he escaped untouched. 



On the way back to camp we noticed a pair of 

 birds rather like, except for the beak, a small horn- 

 bill ; they were making what seemed a quite unneces- 

 sary fuss in and round a tree. A nearer view explained 

 the trouble : a greenish snake five or six feet long, 

 worming its way along a large branch that supported 

 an untidy nest, in the latter two pale- blue eggs. A 

 warning stone from Henduleh's hand changed the 

 marauder's mind for him, and he slithered from the 

 branch into an adjoining bush, and thence away 

 amongst the undergrowth ; no doubt promising himself 

 to return another day. 



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VPi If' M'K-i 



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