THE SETTIT RIVER 173 



Nothing came down, but at the meshra opposite two 

 bushbuck drank, including a good buck of which I 

 had caught a glimpse in the morning, and at the large 

 meshra above another bushbuck came down to drink, 

 and was followed by a herd of seven or eight koodoo, 

 but too far off to be certain of the sex. 



February 26th. Went to the meshra in the early 

 morning. After half an hour M. came down from 

 his look-out post, and said that he had seen the big 

 bull. This time he actually showed me a female 

 koodoo, so conceivably he may have been right. 

 Nevertheless, I searched up and down the ravines 

 from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. without seeing a sign either 

 of the bull or his usual herd, so much doubted M.'s 

 information. I saw a female waterbuck and young, 

 and put up a leopard at 50 yards, at which I might 

 have taken a snapshot at full gallop, but did not care 

 to risk it after what M. had said. At 9 a.m., being 

 reduced to sausages in the way of meat, I went to 

 the big meshra below camp for gazelle, missing a 

 guinea-fowl on the way. After an hour down came 

 some gazelle, and I made a successful stalk. The 

 shot was a villainous one, taking the gazelle in the 

 nape of the neck instead of through the heart, but the 

 effect was satisfactory enough. I omitted to mention 

 that just as M. came down with his news, I saw a 

 very fair bull koodoo grazing 200 yards away on the 

 opposite bank of the Settit, at which I should certainly 



