THIEVING NATIVES 
213 
it was well I did so, as natives were stalking them the 
whole time. After the people had danced themselves into 
a perfect frenzy — some of the young men falling down as if 
in a fit, their arms dropping helplessly to their sides when 
lifted up — I thought it was time to stop, so entered the 
zareba to fetch them out a present. My headman walked 
out with a bundle of tohes under his arm. Then commenced 
such a hubbub as I had never before heard in Somaliland. 
Before my headman could give the tohes to the head 
dancing man, there was a general rush made for him by the 
crowd, the tohes he carried were snatched out of his arms, 
and he himself was sent backwards rolling upon the ground. 
The thieves then made off at best pace through the bushes. 
It was now all I could do to prevent my men from firing at 
the runaways. Half a dozen of my men rushed madly after 
them, when two of the thieves dropped their spoil, whilst 
the others disappeared in the bush with four tohes. Now, 
my headman, although a great villain, was a shrewd man, 
and the moment he picked himself up he whispered some- 
thing in my ear, and, beckoning to four of my men, calmly 
walked up to a pony which was tied up to a bush, undid 
the halter, took up the saddle and bridle, and trotted him 
into camp, with two men with loaded rifles in front and two 
behind. After them came a huge crowd of natives, shout- 
ing, jeering, shaking and poising their spears. By this time 
I had upwards of fifteen men with loaded rifles all ready 
for action, and as the pony was ‘ run in ’ to camp, I gave 
the order to each to cover a man with his rifle and fire the 
instant the first spear was thrown. As the crowd neared 
the camp, the elder men stopped, and the younger men 
stooped and ran off sideways when they saw the rifles 
levelled at their heads. We then held a palaver with the 
headmen, telling them that they would receive their pony 
back when they returned our tohes to us. The dancing-men 
were of course furious at losing their present, and at once 
sent off after the thieves, and in a very short time we 
heard a song of welcome and the well-known ^ Mot, mot. 
