A SAFARI AND WHAT IT IS 
69 
there were four second gunbearers, who came along 
just behind the first gunbearers. The second men 
were, in our case, selected from the native porters, 
and were subject to the orders of the first gunbearer. 
The first gunbearer carries your field-glasses and 
your light, long-range rifle; the second gunbearer 
carries your camera, your water bottle, and your 
heavy cordite double-barreled rifle. In close quar¬ 
ters, as in a lion fight, the first gunbearer crouches 
at your elbow, hands the big rifle to you; you fire, 
and he immediately takes the rifle and places in 
your hands the other rifle, ready for firing. By the 
time you have fired this one the first is again ready, 
and in this way you always have a loaded rifle ready 
for use. There frequently is no time for turning 
around, and so the first gunbearer is at your elbow 
with the barrel of one rifle pressed against your 
right leg that you may know that he is there. 
Sometimes they run away, but the Somali gunbear¬ 
ers are the most fearless and trustworthy, and sel¬ 
dom desert in time of need. The gunbearer has 
instructions never to fire unless his master is dis¬ 
armed and down before the charge of a beast. 
When an animal is killed the gunbearers skin it 
and care for the trophy. Usually when on a shoot¬ 
ing jaunt of several hours from camp several por¬ 
ters go along to carry home the game. 
Third in the social scale came the askaris— 
armed natives in uniforms who guard the camp at 
night. One or more patrol the camp all night long, 
keep up the fires and scare away any marauding 
