140 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



somewhat superciliously, and went off with it with 

 both blades open. We had not once got to the main 

 point, the leopard, whose existence was supposed to 

 be a daily menace to their karia. I bade Clarence go 

 after our guest, and extract particulars. 



After a little time a convoy appeared with return 

 gifts, a couple of goats, and dirty hams without number 

 full of camels' milk. I thought at one time the extreme 

 uncleanliness of the hams accounted for the unpleasant 

 taste of the milk, but I liked it no better when I 

 sampled it from a can of my own providing. 



The leopard, for this time rumour had not lied, had 

 made serious depredations, and carried off nightly 

 goats, sheep, and even a baby camel. It jumped the 

 zareba wall with ease apparently. We decided to have 

 " machan," or rather a small enclosure, built, and 

 sit up for the thief. I never see much fun in this 

 sitting up business. It is so often all waiting and no 

 coming. We set some of the men to construct the 

 shelters, and arranged them some six hundred yards 

 away from the Somali encampment on the side where 

 the leopard had most often made an entry. We de- 

 cided to have a small zareba each, two hundred yards 

 apart, and took up our residence for the night about 

 6 p.m. Cecily had Clarence with her ; I had mine to 

 myself. I was most uncomfortably crowded as it was, 

 but Cecily had a little more space in her prison. 



We tied up a goat between us, and settled down to 

 dreary hours of silent watching. Though we kept 

 quiet, the Somalis never gave over singing and shouting 

 for a moment. I wondered at a leopard going near 



