OUR SECOND SAFARI 



We reached the last river across the wide stretch 

 of plain, and then waited for the porters to come 

 up ; but they, although they had had a very long 

 march, wanted to go to the base of the escarpment, 

 about three miles farther. We were nothing loath 

 to do so, as it was not a very interesting spot where 

 we were. 



On the way my husband shot a Tommy, so that 

 we could take some venison back to friends in 

 Naivasha. We were rather sorry to do it, as it was 

 the only buck among thirty does. Afterwards I 

 wondered and wondered how long that desolate 

 herd of does would wander about, before they 

 met some companions of the other sex — it quite 

 saddened me ; but I was cheered up later by 

 hearing that at certain seasons of the year the 

 buck and does do separate and go their way apart, 

 the young bucks keeping together, the old bucks 

 banished to everlasting solitude. 



But to return to this Tommy ; the bullet had 

 passed quite through it, and when Hamisi and I 

 found it, for it dropped in the long grass and took 

 some trouble to find, its entrails were outside, and 

 it was quite dead, it must have died instantly. We 

 called to my husband and Saidi, and the latter ran 

 up immediately to cut its throat, as a good Moham- 

 medan does not eat of meat that has not had the 

 throat cut in a peculiar manner while the beast 

 is still alive. On reaching camp I told Baruku to 



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