MEMBA SASA 



done in every respect. Now in skinning a bird 

 there are a number of delicate and unusual opera- 

 tions, such as stripping the primary quills from the 

 bone, cutting the ear cover, and the like. I had 

 explained none of them; and yet Memba Sasa, unas- 

 sisted, had grasped their method from a single 

 demonstration and had remembered them all two 

 months later! C. had a trick in making the second 

 skin incision of a trophy head that had the effect of 

 giving a better purchase to the knife. Its exact 

 description would be out of place here, but it actually 

 consisted merely in inserting the point of the knife 

 two inches away from the place it is ordinarily in- 

 serted. One day we noticed that Memba Sasa was 

 making his incisions in that manner. I went to 

 Africa fully determined to care for my own rifle. 

 The modern high-velocity gun needs rather especial 

 treatment; mere wiping out will not do. I found 

 that Memba Sasa already knew all about boiling 

 water, and the necessity for having it really boiling, 

 about subsequent metal sweating, and all the rest. 

 After watching him at work I concluded, rightly, 

 that he would do a lot better job than I. 



To the new employer Memba Sasa maintained an 

 attitude of strict professional loyalty. His personal 

 respect was upheld by the necessity of every man tc 

 do his job in th^ world. Memb^ Sasa did his, He 



47 



