AWARDED THE M.B.E.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 71, 6 January 1936, Page 8

AWARDED THE M.B.E.

NATIVES REMARKABLE COURAGE. Edwardo Omara. was recently awarded the M.B.E. for gallantry and nobody who reads the report of the Giame AVarden of Uganda for 1934. will deny that it was well earned. Edwardo is an Aeholi. One of his friends is the local game guard, or chua. Elephants had been destroying the native plots, eating some of the 2rops and crushing the rest. The chua shot at an elephant, but only succeeded in wounding it, whereupon tho infuriated beast attacked him. It is hard to imagine anything more terrifying than a furious elephant, but Omara ran up, armed only with a <pear, and attacked the creature again and again. At last he succeeded in driving it away. Then ho picked up the wounded man and carried him many miles to have his injuries dressed. But Omara had risked his life in rain, for the man died. This is not Omara's only brave deed. Some time later a bush fire started, and out of it, burned and angry, .lashed an elephant. It was a bull, a ■•nighty beast with a sore body and a bad temper. Unluckily for the village the elephant took possession of a waterhole, the only source of water there, and would allow no one to go near it. . Once more Omara went out with Jus spear against an elephant. He must have seemed ridiculously puny comoavetl with the angry giant, and it is not surprising that the elephant was not driven away. But it would have been better for this Goliath if he had turned tail, for little Omara killed him with a spear.