TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 169 



combustibles, and take care to lose all the match- 

 boxes ? But I — superior I — in Somaliland might strike, 

 and strike, and strike. 



Having once returned to Nature, one has eaten of 

 the tree of life and knowledge, and can never again 

 be content with what we call " civilisation." For- 

 tunately Nature can be discovered everywhere quite 

 close at hand if we hunt very carefully, but unless God 

 is very particularly kind with His storms and clouds, 

 imagination has often to do so much. Then, as if to 

 remind me of my own smallness and impotence and 

 limitations, came that earthquake roar again. 



In the morning breakfast was served by one of the 

 hunters who told us that Clarence — good man — was 

 out betimes spooring for the lion of the night, and we 

 hurried our meal that we might not lose any time in 

 getting started out ourselves. The butler did not 

 appear, and I did not ask for him, because I judged he 

 was trying to recover his lost temper and sense of 

 dignity. Breakfast over, Clarence rode into camp, 

 and we heard raised voices and much discussion. 

 We went on cleaning rifles. Presently a very per- 

 turbed Clarence hurried to us, and told us that the 

 butler had taken notice, yet without it had annexed 

 one of our best camels, its driver, a supply of food, 

 and levanted ! Heaven only knows where ! How 

 did he propose to reach safety, all unarmed as he was 

 too. But — was he unarmed ? As the thought struck 

 us both instantaneously, we rushed — Cecily and I — 

 pell-mell to our armoury, and delved into it. In an 

 agony of fury we realised that our ci-devant butler 



