With twenty yards of open ground between us I 

 turned and waited ; but no crocodile appeared, nor 

 was there a sound to be heard in the reeds. A few 

 minutes wait ; a cautious return ; a careful scrutiny ; 

 and then resort to sticks and stones ; but all to no 

 purpose : there was neither sign nor sound of the 

 crocodile ; and not being disposed to go into the 

 reeds to look for something which I did not want, 

 but might want me, I returned to Mungo a little 

 wiser, it is true, but not unduly ' heady ' on that 

 account. 



Half an hour's jogging along the bank having failed 

 to propose anything, I struck away from the river 

 taking a line through the bush towards camp, and 

 eventually came across a small herd of blue wildebeeste. 

 Mungo's pricked ears and raised head warned me ; 

 but the grass being high it was not easy to see enough 

 of them from the ground to place an effective shot, 

 and before a chance offered they moved off slowly. 

 I walked after them, leading Mungo and trying to get 

 a fair opening on slightly higher ground. 



Presently half a dozen blackish things appeared 

 above the tall grass ; they were the heads of the wilde- 

 beeste all turned one way, and all looking at us with 

 ears wide spread. Only the upper halves of the heads 

 were visible through the thinner tops of the grass, 

 and even an ordinary standing shot was not possible. 

 I had to go to a tree for support in order to tip-toe 

 for the shot, and whilst in the act of raising my rifle 

 the heads disappeared ; but I took chance and fired 

 just below where the last one had shown up. 

 367 



