XIX LARGE BUSTARD SHOT 401 



Bushmen came up. They had found the dead lion 

 and covered him up with bushes and grass to prevent 

 the vultures from getting at him. After cutting the 

 best meat off the fat giraffe we went back to the lion 

 and skinned him, and then Miller and I, leaving the 

 Bushmen behind, rode back to where we had left the 

 waggons in the morning, and gave the thirsty horses 

 a good drink of water, of which they as well as we 

 ourselves were much in need. We then again 

 saddled up, and, following the track, reached the 

 waggons about an hour after dark, having had a 

 pretty hard day. The skin of this lion when pegged 

 out measured 10 feet 6 inches, but he had a very 

 small mane. 



On May 10 we again proceeded on our journey. 

 During the first trek I shot a young impala ram. In 

 the afternoon, whilst walking in front of the waggons, 

 carrying my little Martini carbine, I shot an enor- 

 mous bustard, which was excessively fat and heavy. 

 Unfortunately I had no scales with which to weigh it, 

 but I do not think it could have been less than 40 lbs. 

 before it was cleaned. The fat on its back was 

 nearly an inch thick. Just before sundown I saw 

 two gemsbuck, the antelope of all others of which I 

 longed to shoot a fine specimen. With a good deal 

 of trouble I managed to creep to within shot of them, 

 and took, as I thought, a very careful aim. I 

 certainly hit the one I fired at, but it was with the 

 little rifle, and game will often go a long way after 

 receiving apparently a mortal wound from such a 

 small fast-travelling bullet, which lets out but little 

 blood and gives no shock to the system. Directly I 

 fired, one of the dogs came up from behind, and, 

 running on the spoor, caught up to the wounded gems- 

 buck. Hearing the dog baying I ran on, and soon 



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