TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 139 



be. The Somalis do not neglect their teeth, far from 

 it, but they use for cleaning purposes a soft stick, 

 rubbing and polishing away at all sorts of odd 

 moments. The result is of dazzling whiteness. 



It was unnecessary also for them to help themselves 

 as we were more than generous, and in response to 

 their unblushing demands for presents we gave them 

 at least four tobes, a turban or two, and an umbrella 

 without a handle, which the proud proprietor unfurled 

 and at once subsided beneath. 



When Cecily in the warmth of her heart began to 

 bestow things we really had need of ourselves I begged 

 her to curb her Santa Claus-like ideas, and let us try 

 and get to the leopard subject. But they were not to 

 be switched off so easily. The head-man yearned for 

 a rifle, and seemed to think we were the very people to 

 satisfy him, and I don't wonder, when we had been 

 playing universal provider to them for half an hour. 

 There is nothing on earth a black man longs for so 

 earnestly as a rifle of his own. It does not matter if it 

 is a mere piece of gas piping with sights set on it, so 

 that he may call it rifle. A vast amount of rubbish is 

 palmed off by rascally traders, who get the arms 

 through in spite of regulations and precautions. The 

 maker is nothing, the skill of the user nothing, the 

 mere name rifle is everything ; and the fact that a native 

 was not — it may still be so, I don't know — allowed to 

 own such a treasure made the prospect more enchant- 

 ing than ever. I refused the head-man's request, so 

 trifling as it was too, as firmly and politely as possible, 

 and offered him a pen-knife instead. He took one 



