156 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



of a sudden, he turned and running to a tree, proudly 

 patted its trunk. I looked and there I saw in indistinct 

 letters — my uncle's initials. Clarence had evidently 

 seen the deed of vandalism committed. I could not 

 have believed my relative would do such a thing had 

 I not seen the result with my own eyes. Not that I 

 mean to say my uncle is anything but truly British to 

 the backbone, but I thought he would have been the 

 man to rise above the habits of his countrymen. I 

 never looked on the stern old shikari as a man likely 

 to give the lighter side of life the upper hand. Expede 

 Herculem ! 



We turned to get back to the caravan, taking a 

 different route and found it stiffish going. In a little 

 shady dingle I came on the remains of a jungle king 

 dead and turned to dust. The oasis had been his 

 sepulchre these many years, and there was little of him 

 left to tell us of long passed monarchy. His skull, 

 which I looked at, was practically eaten away, and 

 was not worth taking. 



A venomous snake struck at me here, but was turned 

 by the top of my shooting boot. It was a near shave, 

 and I was off and out of the place in quick time after that. 



I missed a fine lion in this thick forest that evening, 

 and followed him in fear and trembling without getting 

 him. On the way back to camp however, disconsolate, 

 I bagged a small oryx for the pot, which turned a 

 somersault like a hare does when shot in the head. I 

 thought I had lost him when I saw him leap about 

 seven feet into the air, and then again and again until 

 I despatched him. 



