A RIDE THROUGH RHINO COUNTRY 327 



in. Lord turned first to one then to another of these 



much vaunted and useless men to find empty guns!!! 

 The lion was upon them. Lord - - fell, for some reason 

 or other, forward on his face. The lion seized one gun- 

 bearer and shook him. Then strode across the fallen 



body of Lord and seized the second man. As he 



did so the bloody spume from his mouth was streaked 



all over Lord 's back. All three, to Lady 's terror, 



lay prone, the lion standing over them. A man who was 



with Lady told me it was the worst thing he ever 



saw. The great beast then walked quietly away, unmo- 

 lested! That was a case where bad shooting and undis- 

 ciplined gunbearers combined invited a tragedy. 



The discipline of the gunbearer is a matter of life and 

 death. I may be held guilty of giving brutal advice to 

 sportsmen, but I feel sure that those who know what 

 dangerous game shooting is, will acquit me of brutality. 

 I advise you to have long talks and most clear explana- 

 tions with the men who must accompany you into danger 

 after wounded game. Having made your meaning per- 

 fectly plain, if your gunbearer disobeys you, there and 

 then knock him down with such a blow as he is likely 

 never to forget. It may save your life and his. And do 

 not take Somali gunbearers with you unless you can help 

 it. The Wakamba are in every way superior. Some 

 Swahili that are first-class can be secured. A Somali, 

 though brave, gets uncontrollably excited and is mon- 

 strously conceited, as a usual thing, to boot. He wants 

 different food from the other men. Tea, ghee, halva - 

 rice, sugar. He seldom speaks the truth and he bullies 

 the porters and makes much trouble in the sefari. And 

 there is one thing more should be said. The outrageous 

 prices that the Somali demand and receive are apt to have 

 a most demoralizing effect on your other men. 



