XVIII 
EL BOGOI TO MOMBASA 
4 i 1 
It is God’s command.” Such were their arguments. Could I 
have seen my way to remain without risking their lives, and 
have convinced them of it, I made no doubt that by staying a 
few days I could compass the death of that lion and avenge 
my gun-bearer’s tragic end ; but the means were wanting, and 
I felt constrained to yield to their importunities, for I could not 
risk losing another man. My things had been already packed 
during my absence, and we returned sadly to El Bogoi. I 
asked Bathai that night if the lion was a big one. He spoke 
no word in reply, but pointed to the trunk of a big tree. 
The morning after our return to El Bogoi some Ndorobos 
from a distance brought in four more of my long-lost donkeys. 
They were some of my very best, too, and were rejoiced over 
the more that we had despaired of ever finding them again, 
and had given up the search as hopeless. They had been 
found in the open country between the Seya and the Mathews 
range, grazing in company with zebras, and were looking as 
sleek as their late companions do and seemed almost as wild 
at first. The finders were liberally rewarded. There were still 
four missing, and these I never recovered ; doubtless they were 
eaten by lions. 
I was expecting my caravan to return again before very 
long now. I could get no news of elephants in the surround¬ 
ing districts, and there was not time for any lengthy excursion, 
as I was anxious to be ready to start for the coast immediately 
Abdulla should arrive. So I devoted myself to preparations, 
and my shooting was for the purpose of obtaining skins for 
lashing up loads of ivory, specimens, and meat. Among the 
specimens was the head of a young bull giraffe, and the skull 
and skin (entire for mounting) of a Grevy’s zebra stallion. 
These I took some pains to preserve and convey to Mombasa 
and England with a view to presenting to the Museum, think¬ 
ing they might be of interest. The former was eventually 
accepted ; the other I found was not needed. I chose a not 
quite fully adult giraffe for this purpose, on account of the 
