IN SEARCH OF FOOD 43 



separate groups of ostriches could be located. 

 These were miles apart, — their units varying in 

 number from five to twenty, or thereabouts. 

 Away in the dim distance southward some 

 large animals were visible ; they moved slowly 

 westward. These were almost certainly oryx. 

 About six hundred yards off, straight before 

 us, was a small herd of springbuck ; they were 

 busily grazing, moving to the right as they 

 grazed. This circumstance, combined with the 

 fact that the oryx were moving in the same 

 direction, indicated that out on the plains there 

 was an air-current from westward; conse- 

 quently there was some likelihood of the day 

 being fairly cool. 



The springbuck were too far away to fire at ; 

 probabilities would have been too much in 

 favour of a miss. On foot in the desert, 

 missing one's shot meant that one's chances 

 of obtaining meat were practically at an end 

 for the dav. So there was nothing for it but 

 to wait. Perhaps a paauw (bustard) might feed 

 up to within range. We had seen many 

 paauws on the wing the previous day. 



What most surprised us was the number of 

 jacKals. Several of these sneaking marauders 

 were visible, loping here and there. One ap- 

 proached the springbuck; a ram put down his 



