126 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



The only animal a Somali really fears is the rhino- 

 ceros. His charge, though so blundering, is so terrific ; 

 and though he has not the cunning of the elephant, in 

 fact hardly any finesse at all, the native mind knows it 

 is safer to take no chances. I learnt by after experi- 

 ence that a rhinoceros is, indeed, a very big thing to 

 tackle ; that his immense bulk is no deterrent to 

 nimbleness, that his lumbering, bull-like charge is not 

 the most he can do, for if needs be he can turn and 

 double with agility. 



As soon as possible after hearing the great news we 

 prepared to try our luck. The country here was of 

 the densest description, and Clarence's idea was to 

 make a detour south, by way of some water-holes, 

 where we might come on tracks of more rhino. He 

 said the one we had heard of would probably by now 

 be far away, and, as we were right in the Ogaden, there 

 was every possibility of our picking up fresh rhino 

 spoor for ourselves almost immediately. We got 

 ready quite a little expedition, and I detailed a camel 

 to carry my requirements in case we thought it better to 

 stay out all night, and with Clarence, the Baron, a syce, 

 and two camel men my retinue was sufficiently imposing. 

 Danger from the Ogaden Somalis never presented itself 

 to me as a very real thing, in spite of certain lurid tales 

 we had heard and read. Although we penetrated the 

 country from end to end, the few tribes we met gave us 

 no anxiety save that of the off-chance that we might 

 catch some disease from them. They are very prone 

 to small-pox, and go on walking about with it, giving it 

 to all and sundry, when most people would be isolated. 



