THE GREATER KUDU 



the next two minutes we would bring nothing into 

 camp but the memory of a magnificent beast. And 

 next day he would probably be inextricably lost in 

 the wilderness of mountains.* 



It was a time for desperate measures, and, to Cun- 

 inghame's evident anxiety,! took them. Through the 

 glasses the mane of the kudu showed as a dim gray 

 streak. Carefully I picked out two twigs on a bush 

 fifteen feet from me and a tuft of grass ten yards on, 

 all of which were in line with where the shoulder of 

 the kudu ought to be. Then I lowered my glasses. 

 The gray streak of the kudu's mane had disappeared 

 in the blending twilight; but I could still see the tips 

 of the twigs and the tuft of grass. Very carefully I 

 aligned the sights with these; and, with a silent prayer 

 to the Red Gods, loosed the bullet into the darkness. 



At the crack of the rifle the kudu leaped into plain 

 sight. 



"Hit!" rasped Cuninghame in great excitement. 



I did not wait to verify this, but fired four times 

 more as fast as I could work the bolt. Three of the 

 bullets told. At the last shot he crumpled and came 

 rolling down the slope. We both raised a wild 

 whoop of triumph, which was answered at once by 

 the expectant gunbearers below. 



The finest trophy in Africa was ours! 



Trailing for any distance was impossible on account of the stony soil. 



371 



