Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



another as they dashed into the bush, and his 

 sudden downfall caused the other two to check a 

 moment and look round, when, reloading, I scored 

 a miss by my same old right trigger going off 

 too soon, but dropped a third with the left. 



I cannot excuse this sort of shooting though, 

 except in an out-of-the-way and unhealthy part 

 of Africa where white men can only be rare 

 visitors at the most, and where riding or stalking 

 game is impracticable. 



The end of this trip came in the shape of an 

 express messenger recalling us to headquarters, 

 and as we were really on our long leave, and had 

 finished with our time of service in Nigeria, we 

 could only suppose it was a matter of great 

 moment, and we therefore made haste to pack 

 up our traps and make for the Niger again. 

 The Bariba hunters and ponies we sent back to 

 Kiama laden with meat and presents of cloth. 



The cause of our recall proved to be a request 

 for troops to be sent to Cape Coast Castle in 

 anticipation of trouble Kumasi way. It was a 

 great feather in the caps of our newly raised 

 Waffs to be called on so soon to aid the Empire 

 in, to them, foreign parts, and Sir James Will- 

 cocks, feeling sure that we would not like to be 

 out of it, had very kindly given us the chance of 

 accompanying our men, although our time was 

 really expired. 



230 



