AN EMPTY POWDER-HORN. 221 



that he would have to keep his distance for the fu- 

 ture. Having discharged my porters (as they wished 

 to return), and obtained fresh ones from this chief, 

 I made an early start. An hour's walking close to 

 the river's bank saw me at the end of the plain, where 

 I again entered a fine forest. Though this wood was 

 entirely composed of large timber, it was totally de- 

 void of underwood of any description, and, except 

 here and there, there was not even a blade of grass. 

 The soil was dry and sandy, and covered with the 

 footprints of almost every kind of game. I do not be- 

 lieve there is such another field for sportsmen to 

 whom time is no object as the banks of the Upper 

 Shire ; but, unfortunately, my time was too precious 

 to enable me to stay long anywhere. 



I had not gone more than a quarter of a mile 

 through this forest, when I saw five waterbucks (all 

 males) walking quietly into the depths of the forest. 

 A careful stalk brought me within a hundred yards 

 of the nearest, a fine buck, with long and handsome 

 horns, and the Rigby soon made him my prize. The 

 men loaded themselves with meat, and the hired por- 

 ters placed what remained of the carcass in a tree, 

 that they might have it on their return. 



On taking my powder-horn to give a charge of 

 powder to an old man I met with shortly after killing 

 the buck, I was astonished to find it empty, though I 

 had only filled it from the magazine before going to 

 bed the previous night. Now, as this horn was always 

 attached to my belt, which I never took off till I turned 

 in, and then placed at my head, or by my side with the 

 guns, all being under the blankets, the only person I 



