End of Somali 



about, but they were wild as hawks, and as I 

 hadn't got one, I got rather wild myself at not 

 being able to approach a buck, and let off some 

 rather impossible long shots without doing any 

 damage. Having in this way wasted some half 

 a dozen cartridges, I next discovered that my 

 hunter had not brought any " reserve ammuni- 

 tion," i.e. other than that I had in my pocket, 

 so I was reduced to four cartridges. 



I now began to see quantities of game. 

 A herd of wild asses trotted across a shaly 

 slope above me; I had not shot one, so sat 

 down till they were crossing my immediate front, 

 when I whistled, bringing them to a dead stop. 

 I then shot one. Not an event I am particular 

 proud of, as they are hardly warrantable game, 

 and I felt many pangs of compunction as I looked 

 at the magnificent ass on the ground. However, 

 I thought one was allowable; it is not now, I 

 believe, but he was by no means wasted, as his 

 beautiful marbled legs and delicate hoofs form 

 the legs of an oryx shield table, while Spots 

 took off his skin and sold it at a karia we passed 

 soon after for the sum of fourteen annas, two 

 sheep skins and a drink of milk. This took a 

 lot of arranging, and it being rather late, we 

 headed for where we expected to find camp; it 

 was always rather problematical, as we were 

 marching every day now. I had three cartridges 



169 



