raging. The Dulbahantas would not let me see their country, as they
could not see why an Englishman should wish to travel where even
beggars were afraid to go; and then followed a hundred other excuses,
all of which I rejected as freely as he advanced them.

Then at length, Somali fashion, the true meaning of his unwelcome
visit transpired. He then said--"Well, if you have no fear of
anything, and will join us in our fight, to represent your nation's
disposition in our favour, I will give you as many horses as you may
wish to have, and a free passage to Berbera, as soon as it is
concluded." This was certainly a tempting offer, as I told him; but I
said, Although, as far as I was individually concerned, there was
nothing which would please me better, still, being a servant of the
Government, I could not represent anything they had not sanctioned;
and, moreover, I was bound to be at Berbera by a certain date, which I
could not if I went southwards with them. They argued, There would be
no delay in finishing the battles, if I merely showed myself as a
representative of the English, for the enemy would retire before a
shot was fired, concluding that the opinion of the world was against
them. They all declared the war had lasted so long, and had been so
harassing, they wished ardently to put an end to it. I told them, in
my opinion, it was all their own fault; that they ought never to have
commenced the war, for the chief they now recognised was a mere
usurper--a traitor, in fact, who ought to be punished.

The Abban's mother, Mrs Awado, of whom I knew nothing until now, and
who was living at Birhamir, in a hut close by, then hastened towards
us, joined our party, and interrupted the conversation by clapping her
hands and beating her knees, exclaiming, in wild dismay and terrifying
words, "Oh! why have you come to this land, where there are no laws,