CHAP. XVI A SICK MULE 165 



all the great officers and their followings made this very 

 difficult. Meanwhile I was not idle, as I filled up the 

 time by mending the stock of my .400, which I found 

 had been cracked, cleaning the skulls of the game I 

 had shot, and packing up the trophies and the curios 

 I had collected in readiness to go down to the coast 

 with Captain Harrington on his return to England. I 

 was also able to puzzle out the putting together of the 

 steel safe and some stoves, the manufacturers of which 

 had neglected to enclose any instructions. I likewise 

 spent a day in the hills behind the compound, but only 

 saw a wild cat, which I missed. 



To add to my vexations, one of the mules fell sick, 

 apparently through eating some poisonous weed, and we 

 tried doctoring him, but without effect. One night he 

 broke out of his stable and was found rolling in a mud- 

 hole. While leading him home past some soldiers, one 

 of them came up and said he knew a man who had 

 some medicine which would cure the beast at once. 

 "Very well," I said, "let him bring it, and if he cures 

 it he shall have a handsome present." While the mule 

 was being cleaned, the medicine-man arrived, and with 

 great care undid a little bit of cotton-cloth and took out 

 what looked like a thin shaving of wood. I asked how 

 it was to be administered, and was solemnly informed 

 that it was to be tied round the mule's neck with a bit 

 of cotton. The man seemed hurt at my laughter, and 

 proceeded to tell us of the number of cures he had 

 effected by this remedy. Evidently my men quite 

 believed in it, so it was tied on, and we made the poor 

 beast as comfortable as we could for the nieht. Next 



