TWO DIANAS IN SO MALI LAND 87 



and many of Lazenby's soup squares, together with a 

 supply of biscuits. We had water too in a bottle on 

 Clarence's saddle, so, filling the cup carefully, I stuck 

 it into the glowing embers. When it boiled in went 

 my compressed tablet of ox-tail, and, after stirring it 

 all with a stick, I had a supper fit for a queen. I made 

 Clarence a brew of mock-turtle next. He said it was 

 very good, and finished off all the biscuit. He then 

 suggested he should keep guard and I might try to 

 sleep. I said we would divide the night, he playing 

 guardian angel the first half and I taking duty for the 

 rest. I showed him my Waterbury, and explained that 

 when the hands stood both together at twelve he was 

 to call me. He seemed to understand. Then I laid 

 me down, but not to rest. I could not help the fear 

 haunting me that my shikari might nod, and in that 

 moment of unconsciousness what awful thing might 

 not happen ! Such strange imaginings trouble a semi- 

 sleeping mind at night that with daylight would cause 

 us no concern at all. I lay and gazed at the stars. 

 Sirius was shining away, and Venus was as beautiful a 

 fraud as ever. I dozed awhile, I suppose, but the 

 strange sounds around me kept my senses more or less 

 awake. The jungle at night ! The most eerie thing in 

 the world, with strange short rustlings in the under- 

 growth, the furtive pad, pad, pad of some soft-footed 

 creature, and ever and again a sound as though some 

 man passed by, laggingly, and dwelling on his steps. 



The jungle at night is a world unknown to most 

 shikaris. Even Clarence was not familiar here. 



At twelve he called me, furtively pulling my coat 



