THE SOUTHERN GUASO NYERO 



glade we caught sight of something tawny showing 

 in the middle of a bush. It was too high off the 

 ground to be a buck. We sneaked nearer. At 

 fifty yards we came to a halt, still puzzled. Judging 

 by its height and colour, it should be a lion, but 

 try as we would, we could not make out what part 

 of his anatomy was thus visible. At last I made 

 up my mind to give him a shot from the Springfield, 

 with the .405 handy. At the shot the tawny patch 

 heaved and lay still. We manoeuvred cautiously, 

 and found we had killed stone dead not a lion, but 

 a Bohur reed buck lying atop an anthill concealed 

 in the middle of the bush. This accounted for its 

 height above the ground. As it happened, I very 

 much wanted one of these animals as a specimen; 

 so everybody was satisfied. 



Shortly after, attracted by a great concourse of 

 carrion birds, both on trees and in the air, we pene- 

 trated a thicket to come upon a full-grown giraffe 

 killed by lions. The claw marks and other indica- 

 tions were indubitable. The carcass had been 

 partly eaten; but was rapidly vanishing under the 

 attacks of the birds. 



Just before noon we passed Donya Rasha and 

 emerged on the open plains. Here I caught sight 

 of a Roberts' gazelle, a new species to me, and 

 started alone in pursuit. They, as usual, trotted 



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