THE GREATER KUDU. 407 



five weeks ' hard work hung in the balance. The 

 kudu did neither of these things ; he ceased 

 browsing, took three steps forward, and stood. 



The game seemed blocked. The kudu had evi- 

 dently settled down for a snooze ; it was impos- 

 sible, in the situation, to shorten the distance with- 

 out being discovered ; the daylight was almost 

 gone ; we could make out no trace of him ex- 

 cept through our glasses. Look as hard as we 

 could, we could see nothing with the naked eye. 

 Unless something happened within the next 

 two minutes, we would bring nothing into camp 

 but the memory of a magnificent beast. And 

 next day he would probably be inextricably lost 

 in the wilderness of mountains.* 



It was a time for desperate measures, and, to 

 C.'s evident doubtful anxiety, I took them. 

 Through the glasses the mane of the kudu showed 

 as a dim gray streak. Carefully I picked out 

 two twigs on a bush fifteen feet from me, and a 

 tuft of grass ten yards on, all of which were in 

 line with where the shoulder of the kudu ought 

 to be. Then I lowered my glasses. The gray 

 streak of the kudu's mane had disappeared in the 

 blending twilight, but I could still see the tips 



* Trailing for any distance was impossible on account of the stony 

 soil. 



