THROUGH WILD EUROPE 207 



the authorities, that I should avail myself of their 

 services from time to time. Last year the then 

 governor had protested at my riding about the 

 country as I did, and declared it was not safe. 

 As a matter of fact I was a good deal safer with 

 Marco riding behind with a magazine rifle, and a 

 revolver in his belt, without counting my own rifle 

 and revolver, than under the safe conduct of his 

 men. Not that they would dare to do anything to 

 harm a foreigner, especially an Englishman ; but 

 they are not above robbing the country women of 

 their few ornaments when they meet them alone, and 

 otherwise acting more like brigands than police. 



So one day when I wanted to have a little shoot- 

 ing in the lagoon, application was made for a man 

 to accompany me. For his services, and for acting 

 as retriever, wading into the lagoon to pick up the 

 birds I shot, I paid rather less than eighteenpence, 

 with which he was perfectly satisfied. His uniform 

 was completely in rags, and on his feet he had pink- 

 and- white striped socks and heelless slippers, hardly 

 the footgear one would choose for the thick adhesive 

 mud and shallow pools through which we had to go. 

 Of course I could only communicate with signs, but 

 he was very willing and civil. On our way back 

 I met with a good many Snipe, but it was getting 

 late, and I found it impossible to see them, as they 

 dodged round the tall clumps of rushes and settled 



