184 ABUNDANCE OF GAME. 



my walk. On my return I fomid my men ready to 

 start, they having been roused by the shot. They 

 tried hard to get permission to go and fetch some 

 meat, but I refused, promising to shoot them some 

 more before night ; and as I told them the one I had 

 just killed was an old buck, and had no mafoota ffat), 

 which statement was to a great extent corroborated 

 by the size of his horns, they said, "Tiende, tiende" 

 (go on — go onj, and were off. 



Half an hour's walk brought me out of this strip of 

 forest, and again I found myself traversing an exten- 

 sive plain. Here the grass had been burned, and the 

 waterbuck, pallahs, reedbock, and gazelles might be 

 seen wherever I looked, as far as the eye could 

 reach. I never saw such quantities of game anywhere. 

 Stalking was quite out of the question, as there was 

 not a bush to be seen, and all these animals were wary. 

 Though the Makololo tried hard to get me to risk some 

 long shots, or to endeavour to approach some fine buck, 

 I did not yield to their entreaties, but continued my 

 course. Shortly another belt of wood appeared ahead 

 of us, and I fancied Maramia's could not be far in rear 

 of it. I was walking along the river's bank, and close 

 to a native village, when I climbed to the top of a 

 high " ant-hill," and surveyed the surrounding country 

 with the binoculars. The plain was almost crossed, 

 and an extensive forest, covering the country to the 

 water's edge, was but a mile ahead. Everywhere, as 

 I looked over the plain, herds of antelope were to be 

 seen. The glasses now showed me that there were 

 many hartebeest among their number. 



While thus engaged Moloka, who had mounted 



