BRITISH EAST AFRICA 255 



it turned out, instead, to be a long five. Every native 

 we met disagreed as to the distance, and doubtless if 

 we had been able to take our own time we should 

 have had better sport. As it was we had to rush 

 things very much. 



We only stayed one day in the camp by the hippo 

 pool, and the following morning started off at 5.30 

 down the Tana. We saw a large number of water- 

 buck (ellipsiprymnus) when once clear of the thick 

 bush which hampered us considerably to start with. 



We fell in with some zebra also, and as I wanted 

 a skin and had not as yet got one, I had a shot. The 

 animal at which I fired reared straight up on end, 

 pawing madly, then moved slowly off. I followed him 

 and had another shot, when a water-buck dashed past 

 me out of some bushes. I missed him with my first 

 bullet, but the second, by a lucky fluke, caught him 

 behind the ear as he galloped past and rolled him over 

 like a rabbit. 



I only killed two zebra whilst I was in Africa. 

 Though sometimes very annoying on account of their 

 numbers and wide-awake proclivities, it is too much like 

 shooting a pony to give one any feeling of pleasure. 

 They are very good bait for lion, as I have already 

 mentioned, but otherwise not much use unless their 

 slayer has a loud taste in winter waistcoats ! 



After getting the water-buck the character of the 

 country changed. The thick bush, which was getting 

 oppressive, ceased, and its place was taken by rolling, 

 partially timbered country cut up by small hills. 



