172 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



towards a tangle of thorn country. This was absolute 

 nonsense, and I was provoked into firing anyhow, very 

 wide, I need hardly say how wide, as a sort of warning 

 to pull up. The runaways slackened speed at once, 

 and the chase ended like a pricked bubble. We 

 ranged alongside, and without speaking, bar a few curt 

 directions, turned campwards, and slowly — oh, how 

 slowly — retraced our way. We did not make home 

 until 5.30, and during the whole of the hours since 

 morning we had been going solid, and of course had 

 no opportunity to get a meal. I personally did not 

 require one, but the men must have been hungry. 



Terribly jolted and worn out I made for my little 

 hut, and lay down for an hour or so. Cecily was still 

 out, and I resolved to wait for her assistance to tell off 

 our shameless henchman. She arrived at last from a 

 fruitless expedition. She came on the kill and fol- 

 lowed the lion up, saw him, then lost all trace of him 

 in thick khansa cover. So we hoped for better luck 

 next day. 



Clarence conducted the crest-fallen butler to the 

 presence, and we intimated to him that we were aston- 

 ished, not to say disgusted ; that the promised bonus 

 at the end of the trip was now non-existent as far as he 

 was concerned ; and further, on returning to Berbera, 

 he would be indicted for the attempted stealing of the 

 rifle and camel. These words had tremendous effect. 

 He begged us to forgive him. With sophistry un- 

 equalled he explained that our ways were strange to 

 him, that the Mem-sahib in whose household he was 

 such an ornament was not like unto these Mem-sahibs. 



