MY SOMALI BOOK 99 



something did come up to the kill and give a tug. It 

 didn't look like a hysena, but I gave it a dose of buck- 

 shot and found T had killed a black-backed jackal. 

 Though he was not responsible for that particular 

 crime, there were sure to have been others at his door, 

 for this particular species often kills lambs and kids 

 and I have twice seen one attack a full-grown goat. 



At daybreak next morning, a herd of oryx appeared 

 in sight of camp. After following them for about a 

 mile, I risked a shot through a slight bush : this may 

 or may not have turned the bullet, but anyway I 

 missed and could not get near them again. Later in 

 the morning, on my homeward way, I came across 

 another herd in more favourable country, and after a 

 stalk, the last fifty yards on hands and knees, I reached 

 a bush within 120 yards of them. They were getting 

 restless and it was difficult to judge of the horns. 

 However, the nearest was undoubtedly a bull, from his 

 thick-set neck, and appeared to have a good head. I 

 fired for the liver shot (a more effective one than is 

 often realised) as he was walking obliquely away from 

 me. He dashed away with the herd but after going 

 two or three hundred yards, he dropped. He had one 

 nice long horn, 31 inches, but the other was three 

 inches shorter. 



Out with the Sherwood that evening, after bagging 

 a dik-dik, I had a shot at a jackal trotting away from 

 me ; I think the bullet must have gone between his 

 legs, for you should have seen him jump ! He went 

 about four feet straight up in the air, twisting right 

 round, his head coming down where his tail had been, 

 then off as hard as he could go. 



