Northern Nigeria 



up like white men. We hunted again from day- 

 light till about 4 p.m., when we reluctantly decided 

 that nothing more could be done. We had a 

 bugler out who had bugled at intervals all day. 

 As we were sorrowfully marching home an officer 

 who was with me suddenly said he never knew 

 why "Let the bugler sound again here." He 

 did so, and " Bang ! " a shot close by in the 

 bush. It was the N.C.O. lying in the last stage 

 of exhaustion by a pool. Note the combination 

 of extraordinary circumstances. It was his last 

 cartridge out of about twenty which he had fired 

 to attract attention ; had he not had it, he was so 

 weak that he would have heard the bugle and 

 yet been unable to attract our attention. There 

 was no natural reason why we should have called 

 upon the bugler, whose lips were so raw with 

 blowing he could hardly sound, to blow at that 

 point. Finally, we had meant to " draw " another 

 bit of bush coming home, and it was only because 

 we were all worn out that at the last moment we 

 had taken a shorter route, which led us to him. 

 We had previously searched the ground where we 

 found him, but he had then been wandering miles 

 away. 



In a fortnight's time he had recovered suffi- 

 ciently to resume his duties in Nigeria, but 

 became orderly-room clerk, as he had no wish 

 for further bush experience. 



221 



