TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 91 



about as much chance of meeting as the man in the 

 moon ; " what for you 'fraid now ? " 



I told him women have a long-standing quarrel 

 with serpents : that a serpent once spoiled the happi- 

 ness of a woman and turned her out of a garden where 

 she fain would be. 



" She cousin of yours ? " he asked, with true Somali 

 inquisitiveness. 



"Very distant," I answered. 



Cecily and a couple of hunters met us quarter way. 

 She told us the ponies rushed into camp in the early 

 morning, as I had thought they would. She had not 

 been unduly anxious about me, knowing I was with 

 Clarence, and guessing we were bushed. They never 

 heard the shots at all. 



I did enjoy my breakfast, and never had a cup of tea 

 that tasted half so good. 



The thought of all that pork wasting in the near 

 vicinity bothered us no end. Very greedy, I know. 

 But, you see, dainties were not often to be had. We 

 ordered out a couple of ponies, and rode back to the 

 scene of my early morning encounter with the wart- 

 hog to find him, marvel of marvels, intact. Though a 

 thwarted looking vulture of business-like appearance 

 flapped off and sat down in stone's throw. They have 

 a mighty contempt for man, these birds, or else it is 

 they recognise they aren't worth powder and shot. 



Cecily evolved the idea of converting half the wart-hog 

 into bacon, putting it into pickle, and promising it 

 would equal the finest home cured. The ham was to 

 be a treat to which we should look forward for weeks. 



