TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
172 
towards a tangle of thorn country. This was absolute 
nonsense, and I was provoked into firing anyhow, very 
wide, I need hardly say how wide, as a sort of warning 
to pull up. The runaways slackened speed at once, 
and the chase ended like a pricked bubble. We 
ranged alongside, and without speaking, bar a few curt 
directions, turned campwards, and slowly — oh, how 
slowly' — retraced our way. We did not make home 
until 5.30, and during the whole of the hours since 
morning we had been going solid, and of course had 
no opportunity to get a meal. I personally did not 
require one, but the men must have been hungry. 
Terribly jolted and worn out I made for my little 
hut, and lay down for an hour or so. Cecily was still 
out, and I resolved to wait for her assistance to tell off 
our shameless henchman. She arrived at last from a 
fruitless expedition. She came on the kill and followed 
the lion up, saw him, then lost all trace of him in 
thick khansa cover. So we hoped for better luck 
next day. 
Clarence conducted the crest-fallen butler to the 
presence, and we intimated to him that we were 
astonished, not to say disgusted ; that the promised 
bonus at the end of the trip was now non-existent as far 
as he was concerned ; and further, on returning to 
Berbera, he would be indicted for the attempted stealing 
of the rifle and camel. These words had tremendous 
effect. He begged us to forgive him. With sophistry 
unequalled he explained that our ways were strange 
to him, that the Mem-sahib in whose household he 
was such an ornament was not like unto these Mem- 
