THE GREATER KUDU. 403 



we saw in plenty, of a dozen different varieties, 

 large and small ; but our five weeks' search 

 had thus far yielded us only the sight of the 

 same old, old sign, made many months before. 

 If you had stood with us atop one of the 

 mountains, and with us had looked abroad on 

 the countless leagues of rolling brush-clothed 

 land, undulating away in all directions over a far 

 horizon, you must with us have estimated as 

 very slight the chances of happening on the exact 

 pin point where the kudu at that moment hap- 

 pened to be feeding. For the beast is shy, it 

 inhabits the densest, closest mountain cover, it 

 possesses the keen eyesight and sense of smell 

 of the bush-dwelling deer and antelope, and 

 more than the average sense of hearing. There 

 are very few of him. But the chief discourage- 

 ment is that arising from his roaming tendencies. 

 Other rare animals are apt to " use " about one 

 locality, so that once the hunter finds tracks, new 

 or old, his game is one of patient, skilful search. 

 The greater kudu, however, seems in this country 

 at least to be a wanderer. He is here to-day 

 and gone to-morrow. Systematic search seems 

 as foolish as in the case of the proverbial needle 

 in the haystack. The only method is to sift con- 

 stantly, and trust to luck. One cannot catch 



