36 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA 



and wood-ashes to chew were then handed round, and 

 as darkness set in, Tombacca became very confidential, 

 and finally asked if we could not give him a charm or 

 medicine to ensure his wife bearing him a son ! He 

 promised that if we would do so, there should be no 

 difficulty in finding fresh camels, and that he would 

 gladly accept just what we chose to give him to let us 

 pass, and further that we could shoot what we liked. 

 So we put our heads together and, after much talk, 

 told him that in the morning we would give him a 

 little of some very precious medicine we happened to 

 have with us, and thus dismissed him in a happy frame 

 of mind. 



That night was rather an anxious one. Not know- 

 ing what the Oderalis had in contemplation, we made 

 the zariba as strong as we could, posted sentries all 

 round, lighted great fires, and all lay down with our 

 loaded rifies ready to hand. The night, however, 

 passed quietly, and next morning Tombacca was back 

 with a larger following, and bringing a present of four 

 goats. Then, with great secrecy and solemnity, we 

 presented him with the precious nostrum, to wit, a 

 few tabloids of quinine, each carefully wrapped in 

 silver paper. Afterwards, but more openly, we handed 

 him a small packet of dollars, three bundles of cloth, 

 and half a bag of his beloved tobacco. To two 

 or three of his headmen we also gave coloured cloths. 

 Still he seemed to think that he had not received 

 enough, and he and his men kept wandering round 

 the loads, as they were being arranged, asking for 

 everything they saw. Unfortunately H.'s bull -skin, 



