144 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



heap to the ground. The wings hung limply around 

 the mouse body, and myriads of fleas scattered from 

 it. It was larger than our English bats, and the top of 

 the head was raised in a sort of crown-like lump. 



As we sat breakfasting, the camel-man in charge of 

 the grazing camels ran into the zareba and did a lot of 

 excited jabbering. Then most of the men made off 

 outside. I called to know what was the matter, and 

 the butler said one of the camels had fallen into a pit 

 and could not get out. Presently we went off to see how 

 affairs stood, and were exceedingly put about to find 

 Zeila, our big brown camel, had somehow or other 

 fallen into a long disused elephant trap which are still 

 to be found in parts of the Ogaden. They were quite 

 deep, and the intention was that an elephant would 

 tumble in at night and find itself unable to get out like 

 our Zeila, whose hump was about level with the top of 

 the hole. 



Every order the camel-man gave he countermanded 

 as soon as it was about to be put into execution, and 

 all they had as a means of retrieving our camel was 

 one leather lading rope. We sent back to camp for 

 more, and sat on the edge of the trap and waited. 

 The other camels grazed about us, and Zeila was very 

 quiet indeed, only occasionally breaking into groans. 

 The poor beast was ominously down in the fore- 

 quarters, and we thought must be kneeling. When 

 the ropes arrived the difficulty was how to pass them 

 around the camel, and if we did get them round how 

 to prevent the leather thongs from cutting into the 

 flesh. A rather sporting hunter volunteered to join 



