XV CONTINUOUS RAINS 323 



We could plainly see the blood running down on 

 both sides, forming a dark streak on the light 

 yellowish-red skin. At last I gave up all hope of 

 running it down, and fired at the big bull of the 

 herd at a distance of 250 yards. I made a 

 lucky shot, as I was getting unsteady from hard 

 running ; the ball caught him on the hip, and, as we 

 afterwards found, travelled the whole length of his 

 body and lodged in the neck. The animal, however, 

 ran at least two miles before we finally brought him 

 to a stand and assegaied him. This, I think, was a 

 very old bull, as he was very much darker-coloured 

 than the rest of the herd, and than the single bull I 

 had shot two days before. All along his back the 

 colour was a very rich dark red ; about a hand's- 

 breadth behind each shoulder was a patch of dark grey 

 about six inches in diameter ; the insides of the thighs 

 and the belly were of a very pale yellow, almost white. 



December 23^/. — -Rained all day ; so we remained 

 where we were, in a very leaky Kafir hut. I took 

 advantage of the delay to skin and preserve the 

 konze's head very carefully. 



Christmas Eve. — Though it still looked very 

 rainy, we packed up our things, and pushed on. 

 About mid-day we reached an old deserted Kafir town. 

 Here I shot a fine oribi ram, the first I had ever 

 bagged. About 3 p.m. we came to a sort of shed. 

 Here, a ^tv: heavy showers having fallen, and dense 

 masses of rain-clouds closing in upon us from all 

 sides, we resolved to sleep, and, by arranging two 

 waterproof sheets over one end, we made ourselves 

 pretty comfortable. About an hour before sundown 

 the rain came down in torrents, and continued to fall 

 without cessation during the entire night. 



Christmas Day.— As day broke it was raining in 



