TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 19 



assertions to the contrary, for he stuck to us like a burr. 

 He was really by way of being a nuisance, as we had a 

 great deal to do in the way of satisfying the excise 

 people, procuring permits and myriad other things. 



One evening I heard the two warriors talking and the 

 elder said, not dreaming that his voice would carry so 

 clearly : " Look here, if you are not careful, we shall 

 have those two girls trying to tack on to our show. 

 And I won't have it, for they'll be duffers, of course." 



I laughed to myself, even though I was annoyed. 

 Men are conceited ever, but this was too much ! To 

 imagine we had gone to all the initial expense and 

 trouble only to join two sportsmen who, true to their 

 masculine nature, would on all occasions take the best 

 of everything and leave us to be contented with any 

 small game we could find ! 



It is true that being called a girl softened my wrath 

 somewhat. One can't be called a girl at thirty without 

 feeling a glow of pleasure. I am thirty. So is Cecily. 



I expect you are smiling ? I know a woman never 

 passes thirty. It is her Rubicon, and she cannot cross it. 



My uncle had written ahead for us to Berbera to 

 engage, if possible, his old shikari and head-man, and 

 in addition had sent on copious instructions as to our 

 needs generally. Our trip was supposed to be a secret 

 in Aden, but we were inundated with applications from 

 would-be servants of all kinds. I afterwards discovered 

 that a Somali knows your business almost before you 

 know it yourself, and in this second-sight-like faculty is 

 only exceeded in cleverness by the inhabitants of a little 

 island set in the Irish Sea and sacred to Hall Caine. 



