TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 185 
sufficient. If a man would give all the substance of 
a buck to him it would utterly be condemned. 
After what seemed like a very long period of doing 
very little, we judged our follower was well enough to 
be moved, and very glad we were to strike camp, as 
the men were none the better for so much idleness. 
It takes about an hour to strike camp, load up, and 
set out. The camels kneel for the process of lading, 
with an anchor in the shape of the head rope tied 
behind the knees. Unloading is a much more expedi- 
tious business. Everything comes off in a quarter the 
time taken up in putting it on. Our rifles travelled in 
cases made to take two at full length. They were not 
very cumbersome, and we felt that the terrific amount 
of banging about they would receive during loading 
and unloading made it a necessity to give them entire 
protection. 
This, I feel sure, is the very moment your hardened, 
seasoned shikari would seize to make a few pertinent 
remarks on the merits of various sporting rifles. 
Anything I could say on the subject, either of rifles 
or the shooting on our expedition, I am diffident of 
setting down. The time is not yet when masculinity 
will accept from a mere woman hints or views on a 
question so essentially man’s own. In the days of my 
youth I troubled myself to read all sorts of books on 
shooting : Hints to beginners on how to shoot, hints 
to beginners on how not to shoot ; how to open 
your eyes ; how to hold your rifle that you feel no 
recoil, how the rifle must be fitted to your shoulder or 
you cannot do any good at all with it ; and (gem of all) 
