MY SOMALI BOOK 17 



and then they began to get restless and in another 

 moment were off. No. 3, who turned out to be a 

 buck with a fine head, offered a chance of a stern 

 shot going away fast at a hundred yards ; but I did not 

 think it good enough, hoping for a better opportunity 

 which never came. I know the lesser kudu better 

 now, he is the one of the Somali antelopes upon 

 whom 3'OU must never count for an easier shot, but 

 shoot on sight, if he offers a chance at all. More of 

 him later. 



My camping ground at Mandera was a charming 

 spot on the wooded bank of a sandy river-bed. Besides 

 lesser kudu in the jungle below, there were greater 

 kudu in the hills above, the only place where I had 

 any chance of seeing the latter this trip. Our original 

 idea had be^n to press on at once to the Hand and try 

 for kudu on our way back. But I felt that, once in 

 the Haud, the hope of a lion would tempt me to stay 

 there to the last possible moment and leave no time 

 for kudu on the return journey. Next to a lion a good 

 greater kudu head was the first object of my ambition. 

 Moreover, I wanted an African leopard, and there was 

 a much better chance of getting one here in the hills 

 than further on. So it was decided to stay and make 

 Mandera our headquarters for two or three 

 days at least. 



That evening I went out with a shot 

 gun and bagged two dik-dik besides a 

 couple of lesser bustard. The dik-dik is a 

 quaint little beggar, with soft pretty skin 

 and Httle toy horns two inches long. No bigger than 

 a hare, he lies as close, then dashes off at great 



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