With Flashlight and Rifle -* 



a prey to these hy^ena-dogs. Close to the railway -station 

 at KoroQfwe I once saw them after a waterbuck, which, 

 however, was shot by an official ot the line before they 

 could get at it. On another occasion I saw a herd of 

 fourteen hysena-dogs hunting the gigantic eland, and I 

 have seen them after small antelopes as well. 



In the year 1899 I had been following for nearly four 

 hours the blood-tracks of a bull eland that I had shot, 

 when, suddenly, still hastening forward. I saw to one 

 side of me a troop of hyajna-dogs taking their noon- 

 tide siesta under the shade of an acacia. The moment 

 they saw me they slid off in all directions with their tails 

 between their legs. Then they reassembled, halting for 

 a moment in their flight and barking at me in strangely 

 high-pitched tones — they were regular dog-like barks. 

 With their ears pointed they came forward now like tame 

 dogs in my direction until they got to within five-and" 

 twenty yards, when they took to flight again to one side, 

 and the whole oame becjan atresh. 



I was so engrossed in this rare sight that I did not 

 shoot, but remained quietly crouching with my men. This 

 encouraged the dogs to come nearer. 



This settled for me the question as to whether or not 

 hyasna-dogs attack men. The natives say they often go 

 for unarmed men. 



I do not know how long this might have gone on, but 

 after about ten minutes the dogs seemed to have satisfied 

 their curiosity, and some disappeared in the dry grass. I 

 thought it time now to bring down two specimens with 

 a double shot, whereat all the others took to fiight. 



414 



