THE SETTIT RIVER 165 



believed the animal to be a female, although M. was 

 right. The afternoon was spent attending to the tetel. 

 In the evening I went fishing, and landed a 26-lb. 

 barbel, but sprung my rod in striking, having had 

 half a dozen fish come short, although not beyond 

 repair. 



February 19th. Examined the country up-stream 

 along the left bank. Found tracks of a herd of 

 buffalo, unluckily of the day before yesterday. Saw 

 a couple of bushbuck, including a male, but bungled 

 the stalk badly. Crossed the Settit two or three 

 miles below Ombrega, and came down-stream along 

 the right bank, and saw a family party of oribi drink- 

 ing. There was a male among them, so I stalked to 

 within 60 yards and fired, missing clean. However, 

 the report of the rifle did not even bring up their 

 heads from the water, which bears out a theory of 

 mine that the Settit animals do not know what the 

 report of a gun means. The left barrel struck the 

 buck in the middle of the body, and flung him down 

 practically dead, when the other two thought it 

 time to move ofi. There was deep water between us 

 and the oribi, and Ibrahim started for the ford, 

 which was a long way ofi ; but the oribi nearly kicked 

 itself into the stream, so M. called him back, and 

 despite the crocodiles Ibrahim swam across and re- 

 trieved it. I mounted guard meanwhile with my big 

 8-bore, and M. and A. threw in rocks, although M. 



