312 THE LAND OF THE LION 
prolonged agony of such a journey cannot be imagined by 
any who have not been in the country. After Von Hohnel 
received what was almost a death-wound, on three occasions 
the porters carrying him were so fiercely charged that they 
let fall the unfortunate man’s litter, and so almost extin- 
guished the spark of life that nothing but his indomitable 
pluck kept alight. 
Three of these porters were killed by rhino, so it was no 
heedless panic that made them drop their suffering charge. 
I had in this same cactus jungle on this same river the 
only narrow escape from fatal injury I experienced in East 
Africa. 
Two or three miles back from the river are to be found 
small bands of that rare and graceful little antelope, 
geranuk. Its neck is long and flexible like a small giraffe’s, 
the horns somewhat like those of a reed buck, but turned in- 
wards at the tip. It does not bound away as do other small 
antelopes, but throws its forefeet forward in a springing and 
exceedingly fast trot. I fancy this is the only place in the 
Protectorate where it is to be found. You are limited to two 
bucks and may count yourself lucky if you can get one. 
Given time and patience and fair shooting, you may expect 
that one, and should be content after that to leave the shy 
graceful creatures alone. Farther out on the veldt between 
the sparsely wooded hills and plains that stretch forty miles 
to the base of Kenia the oryx is found in abundant numbers. 
This is one of the finest of the African antelopes and carries 
one of the most beautiful of heads; the male and female both 
carry horns. The horns of the bull are thicker, those of the 
cow often the longer. I would advise you not to be in too 
great a hurry to shoot the first one you see. Learn to dis- 
tinguish between bulls and cows. Look at them carefully 
with your glass. Patiently crawl near, for if these should 
escape you there will be other chances before long. You can 
shoot but two, and if you kill males you will not hurt the herd, 
