210 SPOKT IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



Khor Semsem a nice reedbuck stood to look at the 

 caravan, and I knocked it over at about 30 yards with 

 a shot through the withers. However, approaching 

 it carelessly, I was caught napping, for it got up and 

 made good its escape, though I sent a fruitless bullet 

 after it. Tracks both of lion and buffalo were 

 plentiful near the new camp. I spent the heat of the 

 day fishing under a fig-tree, and although I was only 

 angling with light tackle and a fly-rod, landed five fish 

 in a couple of hours, including a couple of barbel of fully 

 10 Ib. each, the cast being broken more than once by 

 bigger fish. In the evening I returned to the maya, 

 where at least thirty reedbuck were scattered feeding. 

 I stalked to within 100 yards of a fair buck, when my 

 attention was attracted by a distinct lowing, which in 

 this country could only mean buffalo. I gave up the 

 stalk, therefore, and prospected along the maya, when 

 I saw a herd of seven or eight buffalo higher up. I 

 took A. with me as spare gun-bearer, and began to 

 stalk the herd, which seemed very restless, and soon 

 vanished into thick cover the other side of the maya. 

 I made a great error, following A.'s advice, in not at 

 once approaching the spot where they had vanished, 

 for after half an hour they again came out in the 

 same place, and went back once more. This time I 

 moved up towards them, but it was too late, as they 

 all came out again before I arrived, and moved 

 steadily across my front in a diagonal that always 



