EL BO GO I TO MOMBASA 411 



It is God's command." Such were their arguments. Could I 

 have seen my way to remain without risking their lives, and 

 have convinced them of it, I made no doubt that by staying a 

 few days I could compass the death of that lion and avenge 

 my gun-bearer's tragic end ; but the means were wanting, and 

 I felt constrained to yield to their importunities, for I could not 

 risk losing another man. My things had been already packed 

 during my absence, and we returned sadly to El Bogoi. I 

 asked Bathai that night if the lion was a big one. He spoke 

 no word in reply, but pointed to the trunk of a big tree. 



The morning after our return to El Bogoi some Ndorobos 

 from a distance brought in four more of my long-lost donkeys. 

 They were some of my very best, too, and were rejoiced over 

 the more that we had despaired of ever finding them again, 

 and had given up the search as hopeless. They had been 

 found in the open country between the Seya and the Mathews 

 range, grazing in company with zebras, and were looking as 

 sleek as their late companions do and seemed almost as wild 

 at first. The finders were liberally rewarded. There were still 

 four missing, and these I never recovered ; doubtless they were 

 eaten by lions. 



I was expecting my caravan to return again before very 

 long now. I could get no news of elephants in the surround- 

 ing districts, and there was not time for any lengthy excursion, 

 as I was anxious to be ready to start for the coast immediately 

 Abdulla should arrive. So I devoted myself to preparations, 

 and my shooting was for the purpose of obtaining skins for 

 lashing up loads of ivory, specimens, and meat. Among the 

 specimens was the head of a young bull giraffe, and the skull 

 and skin (entire for mounting) of a Grevy's zebra stallion. 

 These I took some pains to preserve and convey to Mombasa 

 and England with a view to presenting to the Museum, think- 

 ing they might be of interest. The former was eventually 

 accepted ; the other I found was not needed. I chose a not 

 quite fully adult giraffe for this purpose, on account of the 



