THE SETTIT EIVER ]67 



and they went off again. We still followed them in a 

 half-hearted fashion for another mile, but it was 

 obviously a forlorn hope, and at 11 a.m. I gave it up, 

 and we caught up the caravan at midday : at 3 p.m. 

 we started again, and got within a mile of Hagar ul 

 Zuruk, when darkness descended on us in a rocky 

 valley, where we spent the night. On the road I had 

 shot four guinea-fowl in the afternoon, and seen a 

 few ariel, a Heuglin, and a wart-hog. 



February 21st. Made another early start, picking 

 up three of my skins in Hagar ul Zuruk, which I had 

 left with the Sheikh, and marched to Ishaga, where I 

 had established a depot of dourra. At 10 a.m., before 

 the caravan arrived, I went down to the big meshra 

 below the village to watch for koodoo. After an hour 

 a party came down, including a bull which I de- 

 cided to be fair game ; but again fate interposed in 

 the shape of a party of Arabs, who passed by and 

 frightened the herd away from the meshra. We then 

 crossed over, as the ford was close by, and took up the 

 trail. A. followed it in first-rate fashion, and after a 

 mile I saw the horns and also unfortunately the eyes 

 of the bull over a rise some 50 yards ahead. He had 

 heard us, and had turned round to listen. I crept a 

 little closer, and suddenly stood up, hoping for a 

 running shot at easy range, but the cunning bull 

 at once bolted down into the bottom of the valley, 

 and then down it, and I next saw his stern at 



