MY SOMALI BOOK 179 



head and detach the jaws with the tusks. Apart 

 from his monstrous head and huge " warts," the main 

 pecuUarity of the wart-hog is that his upper tushes 

 are longer than the lower ones. I had no opportunity 

 of testing his character, but though he is not credited 

 with the fiery courage of the Indian boar, Colonel 

 MeUiss has recorded excellent sport spearing the 

 wart-hog on the Zeila plain. 



On our way to camp I saw a pack of no less than 

 ten foxes {otocyon) hunting in the dusk with peculiar 

 little yapping calls. There was a leopard about that 

 night, but he showed his wisdom in taking a sheep 

 from an adjoining Jcaria instead of coming to sample 

 my mutton. 



We were now very near the end of the trip. On the 

 23rd September we encamped at Dubur on the northern 

 bank of the Dara Dowanle river-bed. Here there 

 was a last chance of a greater kudu, and just a possi- 

 bilit}^ of baira, the latter a prize that I had had no 

 expectation of getting, but both species were said to 

 have been seen here. 



The Jchabar, of which I was doubtful, turned out 

 genuine. The following afternoon I was exploring 

 some rocky hills, and had just reached the top of a 

 steep ascent, when there came a clatter of stones from 

 a ravine in front, and out bounded a pair of graceful 

 little antelopes and stood for a moment on the farther 

 side, looking back at us. I had never seen them before, 

 but there was no mistaking them in their dainty coats 

 of French grey : they were baira, buck and doe, and 

 only sixty yards away. But, alas ! after that last 

 climb I had no breath left ; the rifle went up to my 



