A SAFARI AND WHAT IT IS 69 



there were four second gunbearers, who came along 

 just behind the first gunbearers. The second men 

 were, in our case, selected from the native porters, 

 and were subject to the orders of the first gunbearer. 

 The first gunbearer carries your field-glasses and 

 your light, long-range rifle; the second gunbearer 

 carries your camera, your water bottle, and your 

 heavy cordite double-barreled rifle. In close quar- 

 ters, as in a lion fight, the first gunbearer crouches 

 at your elbow, hands the big rifle to you; you fire, 

 and he immediately takes the rifle and places in 

 your hands the other rifle, ready for firing. By the 

 time you have fired this one the first is again ready, 

 and in this way you always have a loaded rifle ready 

 for use. There frequently is no time for turning 

 around, and so the first gunbearer is at your elbow 

 with the barrel of one rifle pressed against your 

 right leg that you may know that he is there. 

 Sometimes they run away, but the Somali gunbear- 

 ers are the most fearless and trustworthy, and sel- 

 dom desert in time of need. The gunbearer has 

 instructions never to fire unless his master is dis- 

 armed and down before the charge of a beast. 

 When an animal is killed the gunbearers skin it 

 and care for the trophy. Usually when on a shoot- 

 ing jaunt of several hours from camp several por- 

 ters go along to carry home the game. 



Third in the social scale came the askaris 

 armed natives in uniforms who guard the camp at 

 night. One or more patrol the camp all night long, 

 keep up the fires and scare away any marauding 



