Soldiering and Sport in Uganda 



They had come across 250 of their soldiers in camp 

 up there, and had heard that a reinforcement of 300 

 more were on their way to join the first party. 

 They showed me their Ross-Eley rifles, which took 

 my fancy exceedingly. After bidding them farewell 

 I hurried on, but I was only half-way across an 

 extensive plain when night fell, and I did not arrive 

 at the Commissioner's house at Mbarara until 9.30 

 P.M., having performed a journey of a hundred and 

 fifty miles over a hilly and half-cut track during the 

 rainy season — a bit of a record for a three and a half 

 days' march. On arrival I sent for some men from 

 the military lines to pitch my tent, whilst I went up 

 to dine with my old friend the District Commis- ,' ^ 

 sioner. Over a cheerful glass of Burgundy I told 

 him all the news from our uncivilized and out-of-the- 

 way corner of the globe, 



I was allowed four days to take over the com- 

 mand of the company which had been allotted to 

 me; but owing to its being split up into several 

 detachments scattered about the country, from 

 Somaliland to the Congo, with headquarters in 

 Northern Uganda, I had to take a very much 

 longer time. 



What a paradise it was to be under a roof again, 

 and after five months in uniform to put on civilian 

 clothes for dinner, and to crack a bottle of cham- S^ 

 pagne with a friend ! These are ' the delights 

 attendant on a return from the wilds, such as only 

 those who have experienced them may know. But 

 it was office work from sunrise to sunset, my only 



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