98 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



four we needed, but in vain. Finally after the fifth 

 hard stalk I took a couple of shots at them running at 

 about 200 yards, but missed. Also failed at a sing- 

 sing doe at about 300. Again owing to high wind. We 

 then started back to camp. When two miles from 

 there ran across a few topi stragglers. These animals, 

 so universally visible in the open, became almost in- 

 visible in the bush, even at short range and to the gun- 

 bearers. Where never molested, as in this country, both 

 topi and zebra are mostly found in the light brush. 

 They come out into the plains only occasionally, as do 

 impalla. 



These topi were travelling somewhere. We cut in 

 ahead of them and then sat down to let them get near 

 us. Killed one dead in its tracks at 148 yards, and 

 another, ditto, at 237. Left all men to bring in skins 

 and meat and hurried toward camp to lay out a kill for 

 Mr. Blackmane. It was now near five o 'clock and we 

 hoped to find some animals near the water. Sure 

 enough, a herd of topi and kongoni were there. Crawled 

 on my belly 100 yards in burned grass, emerging 

 like a chimney sweep, and put a bullet in a topi's 

 shoulder at 160 yards. He gave a bound past a small 

 bush and out the other side. Dropped him with an- 

 other shot, and found I had two topi. The first had 

 fallen dead behind the bush, and the second had been 

 standing there and leaped out as the first went down. 

 Left one for lion bait, and whistled men out from camp 



