450 THE GIANT ELAND [ch. xv 



tlie saddle-marked lechwe. Its hoofs are like those of 

 the ordinary kobs and waterbucks, not in the least like 

 those of the saddle-back ; so that, although the does are 

 coloured alike, there is no chance of mistaking any 

 lechwe doe for any true kob doe. We found these kobs 

 in much drier ground than the saddle-backs, and there- 

 fore they were easier to get at. The one I shot was an 

 old ram, accompanied by several ewes. We saw them 

 from the boat, but they ran. Cuninghame and I, with 

 Kongoni and Gouvimali, hunted for them in vain for a 

 couple of hours. I'hen we met a savage, a very tall, 

 lean Nuer. He was clad in a fawn skin, and carried 

 two spears, one with a bright, sharp, broad-bladed head, 

 the other narrow-headed with villainous barbs. His hair, 

 much longer than that of a AVest Coast negro, was tied 

 back. As we came toward him he stood on one leg, 

 with the other foot resting against it, and, raising his 

 hand, with fingers extended, he motioned to us with 

 what in civilized regions would be regarded as a gesture 

 bidding us halt. But he meant it as a friendly greeting, 

 and solemnly shook hands with all four of us, including 

 the gun-bearers. By signs we made him understand 

 that we were after game ; so was he ; and he led us to 

 the little herd of kob. Kongoni, as usual, saw them 

 before anyone else. From an ant-hill I could make out 

 the buck's horns and his white ears, which he was con- 

 tinually Happing at the biting flies that worried him ; 

 when he lowered his head I could see nothing. Finally, 

 he looked fixedly at us ; he was a hundred and fifty 

 yards off, and I had to shoot standing on the peak of 

 the ant-heap, and aim through the grass, guessing where 

 his hidden body might be ; and I missed him. At the 

 shot the does went ofi' to the left, but he ran to the 

 right, once or twice leaping high ; and when he halted. 



