Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



hid in the bush; so the only way was to seize 

 His Majesty, who, one way and another, spent 

 much time in the guard-room on a frugal diet. 

 Doubtless he felt that it was all for the best, 

 and that temporary discomforts were as nothing 

 compared to the advantages of the advance of 

 civilization! But "uneasy lies the head that 

 wears the crown." 



Some eighteen months after, during which 

 time I had been home and come out again, 

 I again found myself approaching Bajibo, and 

 sent on to the subaltern coming there for carriers 

 to be collected. He was new to the country, 

 and greeted me with " Awful sorry, but I've only 



just got Major A off; he wanted carriers, 



and I couldn't get them till yesterday. I was 

 advised to put the king in the guard-room, 

 and feed him on bread and water. I had him 

 there a week, and only let him out yesterday. 

 But I'll soon catch him again, if you like." His 

 highness had grown quite thin, so, to his intense 

 relief, I deposed him, and the prime minister, a 

 gigantic negro, ruled in his place. 



While waiting at Bajibo, two of us went out 

 after game. I always managed to hang on to 

 my '500 Express, however much campaigning kit 

 was cut down. We did nothing, but managed 

 to lose ourselves in the dense bush. At 5 p.m. 

 we were on some rocky hills, whence we could 



196 



