XII 
THE FAUNA OF SOMALILAND 
SOI 
followers in the interior, shot numbers of beisa, none have 
appeared to me so fine as this first one which I had not the good 
fortune to shoot. I haggled with the MidgAns for the head 
and got it for two dollars, and also engaged them with their 
dogs to come hunting with me on the first day on which I 
should be able to get away from Bulhar. 
At midnight, a week later, I rode out on a camel, accom- 
panied by Ali Hirsi, the four Midgans, and nine dogs. We 
slept for a few hours at a MidgMi karia on the plain, and at 
dawn struck due south into the heart of the bush. As it 
became hot, after having seen nothing but walleri and small 
gazelles all the morning, we sat down to rest, sending a boy, 
one of the Midgans, up a thorn- tree to watch. The dogs lay 
round us panting, with their tongues hanging out, and all the 
men were soon asleep under the shade, except my Midgan 
sentry, who was softly intoning his Mahomedan prayers as he 
sat perched on the tree. Suddenly he stopped them with a 
jerk, slipped down the trunk of the tree, and came running to 
me snapping his fingers. We all got up, and the Midg&ns, by 
whistling and throwing pebbles, put the dogs on to the broad 
path of a herd of beisa. Off we went, and after running for 
five minutes as fast as our legs could carry us, the dogs being 
well out of sight, we heard a clamour in the distance ; and 
crouching low as we ran, came into a glade where we found 
the herd crowded together round a thicket, keeping the dogs 
back, the beisa charging repeatedly and the dogs dodging 
nimbly, trying to cut out the young calves. Directly the beisa 
caught sight of us they scattered like a bursting shell. I ran 
hard to cut off some of them, jumping over low mimosas and 
stepping on large thorns, and the Midgans sent a flight of 
poisoned arrows whizzing past me at the flying herd. The 
Midgans, I knew, wanted meat, so I dropped a large cow with 
the *500 Express as she galloped past at forty yards, rolling 
her over in her tracks. The Midgans, rushing up, breathed a 
short prayer, slashed her throat open, and then stood clear from 
the quivering body, while all the dogs fastened on to a calf, 
which was soon lying beside the cow with its head cut off ; 
and after half an hour spent in lighting a fire and roasting beisa 
meat, we loaded up the rest and made for Bulhar. 
I have had several trips with these Bulhar Midgans in search 
of beisa. Their camping arrangements are primitive, and many 
a time have I helped them to light a fire by rubbing two sticks 
