12 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



he was the man who rudely disturbed her slumbers in 

 the wee sma' hours. She, like the inane creature she 

 is, went straight to the skipper and reported that 

 Captain H. was terrorising her. I heard that evening, 

 as a great secret, that the warrior had been requested 

 to leave the ship at Aden. Where the secret came in 

 I don't quite know, for the whole lot of us knew of it 

 soon after. 



Secret de deux, 



Secret des dieux ; 



Secret de trois, 



Secret de tons. 

 Do you know that ? 



I was not surprised to hear Captain H. casually 

 remark at breakfast next morning that he thought of 

 stopping off at Aden, as he had never been ashore 

 there, and had ideas of exploring the Hinterland 

 some time, and besides it was really almost foolish to 

 pass a place so often and yet know it not at all. I 

 went to his rescue, and said it was a most sound idea. 

 I had always understood it was the proper thing to see 

 Aden once and never again. He looked at me most 

 gratefully, and afterwards showed us much kindness 

 in many small ways. 



Mrs. R. preened herself mightily on having unmasked 

 a villain. She assured me the warrior's reputation 

 was damaged for all time. The silly little woman did 

 not seem to grasp the fact that a man's reputation is 

 like a lobster's claw : a new one can be grown every 

 time the old one is smashed. In fact we had a lobster 

 at home in the aquarium, and it hadn't even gone to 



