TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
194 
Cecily was much better, though still travelling 
luxuriously, but there was not much more than a 
gallon of water left. We opened a bottle of lukewarm 
champagne and drank a little at intervals, but this silly 
idea made us nearly frantic with thirst, and we wished 
we hadn’t thought of it. The ponies, poor creatures, 
had been without water for hours, and their lolling 
tongues and straining eyes went to our hearts. Cecily 
was the more concerned, because she said but for her 
the water would have lasted. I assured her it was my 
prodigality, but in any case it was water well wasted, 
as she was almost herself again. 
I consulted with Clarence, and we found that by 
going on, never stopping, for another twenty miles, we 
should make wells. Twenty miles was a big thing to 
us then with horses and men in the state ours were. I 
asked them, through Clarence, to “ make an effort,” 
and promised them water by the morning. We struck 
camp on a grilling afternoon at 4.30. Cecily in her 
hammock, I alternately walking to ease my pony, and 
then mounting for a little to ease myself. I will not 
describe the tramp through the night, or how very 
childish the men got. I prefer the English way of 
bearing small troubles — in silence. I think it is 
embarrassing to be let in on the ground floor of any- 
one’s emotion. 
Let it pass ! 
A few camel-men raced on ahead, and got to the 
wells before the main caravan, who were able to 
quicken the pace pathetically little, and we made 
safety, which this time spelt water, about an hour after 
