THE SETTIT RIVER 151 



bushbuck and three female koodoo. Later on I came 

 down to the river and sat for an hour over the track 

 of a roan antelope, awaiting his return from water, 

 as the shikaris could make nothing of the track when 

 it reached the grass near the river. On the way 

 home I turned out three female koodoo, but saw 

 nothing with horns all day, and no fresh sign of lion 

 or buffalo. In the afternoon I revisited the meshra 

 of yesterday. I saw a male ariel on the way, but 

 did not shoot, and two more ariel came and left 

 almost as soon as I reached the meshra. After 

 half an hour a couple of oribi came down, and I 

 could see with the glass that one was a male. As I 

 wanted one of these animals, I proceeded to stalk, 

 and got within 60 yards, when the female detected 

 me, and both began to move off. I fired in some- 

 what of a hurry, and the bullet obviously struck 

 the buck in the left haunch. He went off slowly, 

 and I fear that I made three misses before he dis- 

 appeared under the high bank. I went down and 

 found a plentiful blood-trail up to the foot of the high 

 bank, but not a drop further on. I spent two hours 

 trying to pick up the trail, sending to camp for extra 

 assistance, but nobody could pick it up again, and 

 I had to give it up as a bad job. This is, of course, 

 the one weak point of small-bore rifles. However, 

 this is only the second animal wounded for certain 

 and lost to date, so I ought not to complain. In 



