THE HARTEBEEST AND ZEBRA 



as cunning in getting away, often running up on ant-hills, 

 or other elevations, to have a better view of the surround- 

 ing country. 



Few animals are, I believe, as much hated by the hunt- 

 ers in general as the kongoni, for he is one of the most 

 wary and keen-sighted beasts in existence. Innumerable 

 times it has spoiled the day for the sportsman, because it 

 startled the game, which, until then, he had been suc- 

 cessfully stalking. I have myself repeatedly been thus 

 disturbed by this animal, which will always try to play 

 tricks on the hunter, warning and frightening the other 

 game. Even if the hartebeest should be several hundred 

 yards off, and the hunter stalk his game in a different 

 direction, this bothersome animal will gallop off in a half 

 circle to intercept the intended line of the attack, and thus 

 scare off all the game in the vicinity. 



This hartebeest also shows great vitality and is capable 

 of a marvelous speed. Few antelopes are as hard to over- 

 take, even when wounded. If not wounded, and not taken 

 by surprise before he can get a start, there is hardly a 

 hunting horse in existence that can outdistance a full- 

 grown hartebeest ; for they are not only exceedingly swift, 

 but seem to be able to gallop with undiminished speed for 

 almost any length of time. In British East Africa the 

 hartebeest is also hated by the settlers for different rea- 

 sons. In the first place, he is said to spread the dreaded 

 cattle diseases; and then herds of hartebeest have often 

 broken down and demolished miles of fencing, made to 

 keep the cattle together. Previous to this year each sports- 

 man was allowed ten hartebeests on his license, but on 

 account of their destructiveness to the settlers, each hunter 



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