264 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



that were out betimes to breakfast. A somnolent 

 hartebeest stood up out of range behind a clump of 

 active aoul. Then we worked our way very gently to 

 a spot which gave us a clearer view. We lay down 

 awhile, glad of the rest, and watched the little harems 

 quarrel and make it up. Sometimes a buck of detective- 

 like propensities would seem to say " I spy strangers," 

 and communicated his alarm to the entire herd. A 

 perfect note of interrogation animated every one for 

 a few moments, and all would gather together, until a 

 buck skipped towards us, and then in active graceful 

 bounds dash back to bring a pal to help investigation. 

 Satisfied, they rejoined the admiring does again. 



But that hartebeest ! I longed to get near him, but 

 it seemed a hopeless task. His sleepiness had passed, 

 and now he was all ears and eyes. The sun lit up his 

 glossy coat, and caught the odd twist of his horns until 

 they gleamed again. We stalked in vain for an hour 

 or more. My arm was a great drawback to me, but I 

 would not allow it to hamper me, and played the 

 Christian Science dodge on myself, saying, whenever 

 a particularly acute shoot of agony stabbed me, " You 

 only think you have pain." At last we hit on a device 

 for ensnaring the active one. He was taking no 

 chances, and that the best laid plans 'gang aft agley 

 we know. Still my schemes and machinations were 

 rather disorganised for the moment, because I suddenly 

 realised I was sharing my small portion of the earth's 

 surface with a particularly nasty looking snake ! It 

 was quite large enough to rout us both, and we should 

 have fled, I know, had not the reptile manifested a 



