Soldiering and Sport in Uganda 



Then I shouted to my orderly, and as soon 

 as he came up he told me the tracks were only 

 two hours old. We followed them up. Almost 

 immediately they took what the drill sergeant 

 calls an " about-turn," and led right back to where 

 we had previously been standing. Before I could 

 warn my party, and whilst one of the native hunters 

 peeped in over a bush, there was a wild charge, and 

 our friend was off like a bolt from the blue, and not 

 a couple of yards off us. I jumped back to get clear 

 of the wood to get a shot in, but it was useless. 

 The old beast must have been listening to all that 

 was going on ; and if he had charged about two feet 

 to his left, he would have bowled over more than 

 one of us. 



My hunters treated it as a huge joke, and 

 followed in pursuit, quite regardless of dangerous 

 spots and hiding-places. As my experience had 

 taught me that the wily beast very often turns the 

 tables round, and while you are still hot on his 

 tracks he is yet hotter on yours, I advanced with 

 extreme caution. About a mile away we came on 

 him apfain close to a thicket. This time we lined 

 up outside, while the natives beat about on the 

 farther side, hoping to make him bolt. Presently 

 we descried him moving off to our left. I raised 

 my rifle to fire, but unfortunately my orderly was 

 in the way. He, however, got excited and blazed 

 off, and he missed. Gready annoyed, I threw up 

 the sponge and returned to camp. In the rain this 

 seemed a good deal farther off than I imagined. 



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