100 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
drag myself around. We had to dress the man’s 
wound for fear of consequences, and went on messing 
away with him until the first signs of dawn saw the 
return of the prodigals, travel-stained and weary. The 
camels promptly sank down and began chewing the 
cud composedly. Really the camel is the most 
philosophical of all living things ! 
Next morning I held a court-martial of sorts on the 
offenders, and threatened them both with the loss of 
the promised bonus to be given at the end of the trip 
provided all things pleased us. I also docked them of 
some pay. This had the desired effect, and battles, 
except wordy ones, were “ off ” henceforward. 
The wound by rights ought to have been stitched, 
bnt we rather shied off doing it. The dressing was 
pantomime enough ; I nearly lost my temper many 
times. An expedition like ours is a grand field on 
which to practise repression, and I was for ever 
trying conclusions with my capabilities in that direc- 
tion. 
Out early near here one morning we came on an 
astonishing sight — an oryx lying down in a thorn 
patch, and all around him, like familiars of a witch, 
crouched jackals, the length of one of their kind apart, 
watching with never flinching stare the centre of 
attraction. We cantered up, and the jackals reluctantly 
made off. One big fellow struck me as unlike his 
brethren, and a bit of a prize. So, reining in the 
pony, I jumped to the ground, losing a lot of time in 
the process, and fired with rather a shaky hand. The 
result was I hit the loping animal in the leg only, 
