TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 71 



the animal. Our caravan on the march straggled like 

 a flock of geese. Some two or three of the camel-men 

 had to lead the van ; the others lagged behind in a 

 bunch. The hunters took it in turns to ride the spare 

 ponies, and Cecily and I rode the steeds we had 

 purchased at the first Somali karia we came upon. 



I often wondered what our followers thought of two 

 women being in the position to command attention, 

 deference, and work — the Somali feminine is such a 

 very crushed down creature, and takes a back seat at 

 all times. Even if a superabundance of meat is on 

 hand she is not spared a tit-bit, but is presented with 

 fearsome scraps and entrails, the while the masculine 

 element gorges on the choicest morsels. This is rather 

 different to our home system. I remember an English- 

 man of my acquaintance telling me once, with no 

 acrimony of tone, nothing but calm acceptance of the 

 inevitable, that he had never tasted the breast of 

 chicken since his marriage five years before ! What 

 a glimpse into a household ! 



My first excursion was after that oryx I had so set my 

 heart upon, and Clarence, to his joy, accompanied me. 



" Much better than I was," but still not quite fit even 

 yet. I carefully stalked a small herd of oryx, four to 

 be precise, crawling about on hands and knees for up- 

 wards of an hour, and when my chance came at last, 

 and a bull (not anything very wonderful I am glad to 

 remember) passed broadside on, well within range, 

 I fired — and missed ! At the very instant a violent 

 stab agony in my damaged leg made me cringe in- 

 voluntarily. The oryx was gone ! 



