248 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



To dibaltig or not to dibaltig, that is the question. 

 And how we hoped they would answer it in the negative, 

 and let us get back to tea. 



With a wild war-whoop the matter was decided, 

 and girding up their loins, away and away, hither and 

 thither dashed the performers, throwing spears, 

 catching them, jumping off the pony, then vaulting 

 the saddle, then back again, finally gaining a seat face 

 to tail. A real circus show this. Going at a mad 

 gallop the riders would suddenly jerk the bit — 

 a perfect devil of cruelty — and back the foaming pony 

 would go, haunches to the ground. Poor creatures, 

 how lathered they were and beside themselves with 

 the pace and rush. Dust rose in volumes, and we 

 receded and receded, but the flying figures only drew 

 the circle closer. The affair went on for a whole hour, 

 when it had to cease because the ponies were done, and 

 could not keep up the required speed any longer. 

 All the Somalis came round us, the ponies' heads 

 facing us, almost touching us, and we must have been 

 hidden entirely from our own men, because as our 

 dibaltig friends sat their panting ponies they raised 

 both arms with spears held high, and dear me, how 

 they shouted that " Mot " sentence. 



I signed with my hand that we wished to get out 

 of the circle — it was not pleasant so near the panting, 

 pawing ponies, and one big black-looking fellow 

 backed his steed out and made a path. I thanked 

 them through Clarence and then began the usual 

 palaver about the inadequacy of the presents. 



If every man had to have a tobe it meant twenty- 



