98 LARGE GAME. chap. ii. 



and, going over the rise, was lost to view. While this had 

 been going on I had an impression that I could hear distant 

 squealing, such as these animals make only in then' death- 

 agonies, or when in very great pain, unless it be in 

 moments of fury, but now in the restored quiet I could 

 hear it quite distinctly, and I knew by it that my single 

 bullet must have mortally wounded the first one. It 

 would not, however, do to leave the brute squealing there 

 for long, disturbing eveiything within hearing, and not 

 impossibly bringing lions about, in which latter case I need 

 not hope to see any buifalo, so, although I was rather 

 nervous at the risk of coming across the other, which was 

 very likely close by, and would not, I knew, spare me if it 

 got the chance, I again got down, and proceeded in the 

 direction of the cries. I had to be careful ; the moon, 

 shining brightly enough in the open, cast deep black 

 shadows among the trees, and forced me to go forward 

 foot by foot, sometimes standing more than a minute 

 examining some dark recess before I ventured to pass it. 

 The squealing of the animal, loud enough when I started, 

 also gradually died away, until, ceasing altogether, it left 

 me without any guide. However, I persevered, and, after 

 going about a quarter of a mile, I saw a great shapeless 

 heap by the side of a clump of bushes, which turned out 

 to be what I was looking for, and, as it was quite d^ad, 

 I made the best of my way back. 



Nothing more disturbed the stillness of the pool until 

 after the morning star had risen, when I heard the startled 

 cry of the ititihoya plover, and knowing that it never 

 stirs during the night unless almost trodden upon, I 

 waited in expectation, and in a few minutes three old 



