SOMALILAND 
I 2 
shot, they bounded quickly off. 1 must confess I ‘ browned ’ 
them, but missed, and passing quickly behind some thorn- 
bushes, they did not allow me to get in a second barrel. I 
then rode on slowly until I overtook the caravan, which I 
accompanied until the sharp eyes of my syce again detected 
a couple of these beautiful little creatures. I again dis- 
mounted, and followed them for about half a mile, but, 
owing to the flat, bare ground, it was impossible to get 
near them, and getting out of our course we retraced our 
steps. 
Soon after this I called a halt of the caravan, having 
marched for two hours and a half, the distance covered 
being about seven miles. The men seemed to know their 
work, and each appeared to do something. The camels 
were made to kneel down in a large circle, when all their 
burdens were removed, and they were then turned loose 
to graze upon the tiny bushes close around us. 
By-the-by, talking of grazing reminds me that, just 
before halting, my head -shikari, pointing to a diminutive 
and sorry-looking plant, requested me to dismount. I 
thought he had found some rare little specimen, and that 
he expected me to pick it up and keep it as a precious 
prize. I asked : 
‘ What is it ?’ 
He replied : 
‘ Grass ; let pony feed.’ 
I dismounted, exclaiming : 
‘ Poor pony 1 what a supper after such a tiring hot 
march !’ 
But to return to camp. What a scene of bustle and 
action ! No sooner had we halted than the cook’s appren- 
tice, having collected wood, placed it in the centre of three 
brick-shaped stones pointing outwards. In the twinkling 
of an eye there was a blaze, in another the cook had 
chopped up some meat and begun simmering it on an iron 
vessel on the fire. My double-roof ridge tent was up in a 
jiff, water placed in a bucket for me to wash in, a water- 
