TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 127 
But to return to that joint of mutton we sat down 
to. I took a whole armoury along with me, but had 
quite selected my 12-bore as the rifle for the job. I 
said good-bye to poor disappointed Cecily, thinking 
how lucky I was to be well and able to set off on this 
the greatest adventure of all my life. I little thought I 
was nearing one of its tragedies. As I rode along I felt 
light-hearted enough to sing. Even the woeful going 
and the consequent delays did not seriously vex me. 
The sandy plateaus presently changed to the most 
impossible thorn, and it became apparent we could get 
the encumbered camel no farther. The creature could 
not struggle on through such dense jungle, neither 
could the ponies. I would hear of no going back, and 
there was no going round, so I instructed the small 
caravan to await my reappearance under pain of all 
sorts of penalties, whilst “ the Baron,” myself, and 
Clarence pushed and crawled our way in a direction 
where we confidently hoped to come on rhino. 
I simply held my breath, took a header into the sea 
of bush before us, and with the ubiquitous Clarence 
ever and anon carving out a rough path for me with 
his hunting knife, held on the way. 
The heat was appalling. I can truthfully say I 
never was so hot in all my life. After about an hour 
of this, we all suddenly came upon a distinct passage 
through the jungle, running at right angles, a passage 
that could hardly be called one ; still the way was 
easier, and it was apparent that, though the brushwood 
had closed together again more or less, some mighty 
creatures had passed along. But which way ? Spooring 
