344 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



females arc devoid of horns, and they look at a distance exactly 

 like the hinds of red-deer, or sambur. 



I have shot a great number of these animals, as I have been 

 compelled during many years to depend upon the rifle for a supply 

 of food, not only for myself, but for a large number of followers. 

 There is no superiority of sport in this variety, but I cannot help 

 recalling to remembrance a particular occasion when I nearly lost 

 a fine male through the want of penetration of the bullet. 



The flotilla of fifty-seven vessels was toiling along the adverse 

 current of the White Nile, and, according to the varying energies 

 of officers and crews, the ships occupied positions either in advance 

 or rear, straggling throughout a course of many miles. 



As my vessel led the way, we moored alongside the bank one 

 afternoon, where an extensive flat of perhaps a thousand acres 

 stretched from the water's edge to the base of low wooded hills 

 which formed a range, increasing in height as they stretched into 

 the interior. It was a pretty bit of country after the interminable 

 swamps of the White Nile, through which we had been so long in 

 passing, therefore I landed, with my rifle, accompanied by my chief 

 engineer, Mr. Higginbotham, and Lieut. Baker, R.N. 



We had walked through the wooded hills for a considerable 

 distance without firing a shot, although game had several times 

 been moved, when, upon descending to the lower ground, en route 

 to our vessel, we observed three large bull meheddhets feeding in 

 the open plain, directly in the path that we were about to take. 

 There was very little chance of obtaining a shot upon the exposed 

 ground ; I therefore begged my two companions to wait, while I 

 should endeavour quite alone to stalk the game. 



There were several large isolated trees growing in the marsh 

 outside the jungle, at the base of the rising ground from which I 

 now descended. I endeavoured to estimate the distance, which I 

 computed to be about 220 yards from the farthest tree to the 

 nearest of the animals. 



The difficulty would be to arrive at this tree without being 

 perceived by the mehedehets, as they were somewhat scattered. 

 Had there been only one, I might have advanced under cover of 

 the tree by keeping the thick trunk in a direct line with my 

 approach. At length, by dint of perseverance, sometimes crawling 

 along the rutty surface, then lying flat to conceal myself in the 

 grass about 18 inches high, whenever there was a danger of being 

 observed, I managed at last to reach the farthest tree. I rested 

 here for several minutes to become cool, and to wipe my eyes from 

 the streams of perspiration, which nearly blinded me. At length 



