THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 271 



cover along the side of the river. Saw no animals, and 

 only a few old tracks. 



The Kavirondo now began to come down from their 

 \illages into the swamps and thickets to cut firewood 

 and thatch; and our guides, who seemed to know the 

 game thoroughly, told us we might as well quit, as now 

 the cob would all retire into the densest cover. There- 

 fore we again crossed the river pickaback and started 

 for camp. On the way we ran smack onto a fine 

 buck cob, in plain sight, broadside on, about 200 

 yards away. It was a good fair chance, but I missed 

 him, and also two other take-a-chance shots at long 

 range as he went. Had the same sort of nervous jerks 

 as my other bad streak. Hard luck to get this case of 

 "willies" just when we are after a rarity. Too much 

 work and sun. Overcast, with heavy showers all the 

 afternoon. The weather is very oppressive. Rain all 

 night. 



Twelve and a half miles; morning, 65; noon, 94; 

 night, 68. 



October 18. — Regretted still more yesterday's slump 

 in shooting when we hunted aU morning without seeing 

 a hoof. Covered the same ground as yesterday, and 

 now find that there is in all the country no other place 

 for cob! I think we have taken the entire cob census 

 — three or four bucks and a dozen does. 



After we had looked the field all over thoroughly, we 

 made some visits among the villages, and had a lot of 



