DOWN THE NILE; THE GIANT ELAND 451 



yards, gradually recovered, moved off step by step, and 

 broke into a slow trot. After it went Kermit as hard as 

 he could go, still fussing with the rifle, which he finally 

 opened, and refilled with five cartridges. Kermit could 

 just about keep the eland in sight, running as hard as he 

 was able; after a mile or two it lay down, but rose as he 

 came near, and went off again, while he was so blown 

 that though, with four shots, he hit it twice he failed to kill 

 it. He now had but one bullet left, after which he knew 

 that the rifle would jam again; and it was accordingly 

 necessary to kill outright with the next shot. He was 

 just able to keep close to the bull for a half mile, then it 

 halted; and he killed it. Leaving the shenzi by the car- 

 cass, he went off to see about the wounded cow, but after 

 an hour was forced to give up the chase and return, so as 

 to be sure to save the bull's skin. The gun-bearers, and 

 another shenzi had by this time reached the dead eland; 

 they had only Kermit's canteen of water among them. 

 One of the shenzis was at once sent to camp to bring back 

 twenty porters, with rope, and plenty of water; and, with 

 parched mouths, Kermit and the gun-bearers began to 

 take off the thick hide of the dead bull. Four hours later 

 the porters appeared with the ropes and the water; the 

 thirsty men drank gallons; the porters were loaded with 

 the hide, head, and meat; and they marched back to camp 

 by moonlight. 



It was no easy job, in that climate, to care for and save 

 the three big skins; but we did it. On the trip we had 

 taken, besides our gun-bearers and tent boys, Magi, the 

 sais, and two of our East African skinners, Kiboko and 

 Merefu; they formed in the safari a kind of chief-petty- 



