84 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



restore confidence in us. The old bucks and does 

 were the most suspicious ; the young were far more 

 trusting. Just as it is with we human things. Illusions 

 are smashed in buck land as in England. 



The ridiculous inquisitiveness of the aoul makes him 

 easy to stalk. The glinting of a rifle barrel seems to 

 charm him rather than frighten him, as it would one 

 of our Scotch deer. Sense of smell in the buck of the 

 wild is even more marvellously marked than in the 

 case of our home deer, and it must be so when we 

 consider the added dangers. Death lurks on every 

 side, but for one geruniik that falls a victim to King 

 Leo's appetite, I should imagine five aoul run into his 

 very jaws in mistaken endeavour to see how many 

 teeth in working order the fearsome enemy has. Never 

 did I see such an inquisitive genus ! 



I found one or two newly born kids by watching the 

 mother's movements. I would mark the place in my 

 mind to which she kept trotting away, then go later. 

 It needed so careful a hunt before one would come on 

 the little kid, covered up so ingeniously, in its cradle in 

 a thorn brake. In a very short time though the babies 

 get their jungle legs and can follow the mother at her 

 own pace. 1 don't know of any very much prettier 

 sight than an aoul nursery full of kids playing. They 

 are such sportive little creatures, just like lambs at 

 home — jumping imaginary obstacles, running races, 

 mimicking their elders in childish battle. Any little 

 alarm, crack of twig, or fearsome rustle sends them all, 

 on the instant, dashing back to the realm of safety by 

 the side of the watchful parent. 



