CHAPTER XII 

 TO THE UASIN GISHU 



At Nairobi Kermit joined nie, having enjoyed a notably 

 suecessful hunt during the month since we had parted, 

 kilhng both Neuman's hartebeest and koodoo. Tiie 

 great koodoo, with its spiral horns and striped coat, 

 is the stateliest and handsomest antelope in the world. 

 It is a shy creature, fond of bush and of rocky hills, and 

 is hard to get. 



After leaving me at Meru, Kermit and Tarlton had 

 travelled hard to Rumeruti. They had intended to go 

 to Lake Hannington, but, finding that this was in the 

 reserve, they went three days toward the north-west, 

 stopping a score of miles east of Rarengo. The country, 

 which showed many traces of volcanic action, was rough, 

 rocky, and dry: the hunting was exhausting, and Kermit 

 was out from morning to night. Tarlton had been very 

 sick on the Guaso Nyero, and, although lie was better, 

 he was in no shape to accompany Kermit, who therefore 

 hunted only with his gun-boys, taking them out alter- 

 nately so as to spare them as much as possible. It took 

 three days' steady work before he got his first koodoo. 

 On the third day he hunted fruitlessly all the morning, 

 came back to camp, picked up a fresh gun-bearer, Juma 

 Vohari, and started out again. At four in the afternoon 

 he came to the brink of a great hollow a mile across, 



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