Big Game Shooting 



across without any trouble. They were grateful 

 to get into the cool water out of the heat after 

 having been driven so many weary miles across a 

 burning, sandy plain, and made no fuss at all. 

 The Masai warriors showed their handiness 

 again by walking across with them and patting 

 the beasts to encourage them, and also support- 

 ing the calves under the chin when the water 

 got too deep for them. 



We used to go and fish at odd moments to 

 while away the time, and one afternoon, whilst I 

 was dreaming at the end of a bit of string, a 

 heart-rending scream broke the silence, and put 

 an end once for all to my reverie. I rushed off 

 excitedly and found one of my men struggling at 

 the end of his line, slipping slowly down the bank 

 all the while. I roared with laughter, for the 

 fellow's face was ashen and his eyeballs protrud- 

 ing with fright. He told me that when he felt a 

 bit of a pull he thought he had caught a fish, but 

 that the creature was so strong it was impossible 

 to get a sight of what it was, much less to pull 

 it out. Meanwhile a crowd of excited people 

 had collected, all jabbering at once. If it wasn't 

 a crocodile he had hooked, I told the unhappy 

 angler, it must be a barbel, of which the river was 

 full, in which case the fish would soon get tired, 

 and something might be done. Somewhat re- 

 assured, he stuck to his line, and soon the water 

 swirled violently ; then the yellow scales and 



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