286 ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



accompaniments of the " roast goose " (really boiled first and 

 then fried a bit in a pot) were only millet porridge instead of 

 vegetables, a small millet-meal cake for bread, and porridge 

 again with honey by way of pudding ; while, for drink, coffee 

 sweetened with honey had to satisfy me : and I thought it all 

 first-rate. 



I had been feeling a shade low-spirited, the effect, perhaps, 

 of the contrast the day suggested between my loneliness and 

 the convivial associations usually considered appropriate to 

 the season. But Abdulla cheered me up by his hopefulness. 

 A good man, Abdulla, who always took a hopeful view of 

 things. I often used to have a chat with him in the evening 

 by the camp fire over my after-dinner pipe, and he invari- 

 ably maintained that our prospects were bright. " Inshallah, 

 Bwana, tu ta pata ndovu tele ! " (Please God, master, we 

 shall get plenty of elephants). He always identified himself 

 thoroughly with the undertaking, and took the greatest interest 

 in the serious business of the expedition. He often amused 

 me vastly by his contemptuous way of speaking of those who 

 went merely to " tembea " (that is, to take a stroll for amuse- 

 ment) in the " bara " — namely, scientific travellers, etc. 



Our march the next morning was really only about two 

 hours' actual going; but, though starting as usual, we did not get 

 to the kraals of Reshiat till 9.30, owing to delay over a Grevy's 

 zebra I shot on the way. It was a single old stallion. I was 

 very anxious to get some meat to make the men happy at the 

 end of the long desert journey, and had been rather regretting not 

 having halted a day among the game for the purpose of shoot- 

 ing them some, for we seemed to have got out of it now. So, 

 seeing this fellow standing some way off watching the caravan, 

 and knowing we had only a short march before us to-day, so 

 that the waste of time would not matter, I determined to try 

 hard to get a shot at him, and happily succeeded. There were 

 clumps of " suaki " about, favouring my chance, so that I was 

 able, by taking advantage of their cover, to get within shot while 



