142 SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 



bullets but very little powder ; as it is always 

 dangerous to give natives powder when they are 

 likely to be with you, because they might turn your 

 enemies, and it would be adding insult to injury 

 to be shot with your own ammunition. 



The messenger who had brought our letters from 

 home to Adiaboo informed us that he had passed 

 some men on the road who, he believed, were bring- 

 ing some guns and ammunition to us. Here at 

 length was some news of my long-looked-for Express 

 rifle, and also my heavy rifle. I had intrusted the 

 carriage of the gun for us to the missionaries who live 

 at Ailet, and Mr. Lager, the head missionary, said he 

 w^ould arrange that everything should be forwarded 

 just as it was passed into his hands from the authorities 

 at Massowah. Sure enough, about noon the next day, 

 when we were lounging about camp and doing 

 nothing — in fact, waiting for the guns — I heard a shot 

 on the other side of the river, and very soon a short 

 little Abyssinian appeared, dressed in European 

 costume, followed by some natives carrying a box 

 and also some other cases. I was very much amused 

 at his firing the shot, as he strutted into camp with 

 an air of great importance, and feeling, no doubt, 

 that he had accomplished a great task. The shot 

 was to give notice of his presence as he came along. 

 I never was more pleased in my life ; the guns had 



