AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



have watched them even after the safari had passed; 

 and that they had not been alarmed. The chance 

 was slight that those kudu could be found, but still 

 it was a chance. Accordingly we rather reluctantly 

 gave up our plans for a loaf and a nap. Mohamet 

 said the place was an hour back; we had had six 

 hours' march already. However, about two o'clock 

 we set out. Before we had arrived quite at the 

 spot we caught a glimpse of the five kudu as they 

 dashed across a tiny opening ahead of us. They 

 had moved downstream and crossed the river. 



It seemed rather hopeless to follow them into that 

 thick country once they had been alarmed, but the 

 prize was great. Therefore Memba Sasa and I took 

 up the trail. We crept forward a mile, very quiet, 

 very tense — very sweaty. Then simultaneously 

 through a chance opening and a long distance away 

 we caught a patch of gray with a single transverse 

 white stripe. There was no chance to ascertain the 

 sex of the beast, nor what part of its anatomy was 

 thus exposed. I took a bull's-eye chance on that 

 patch of gray; had the luck to hit it in the middle. 

 The animal went down. Memba Sasa leaped for- 

 ward like a madman; I could not begin to keep pace 

 with him. When I had struggled through the 

 thorn, I found him dancing with delight. 



^^ Monuome, bzvana! (Buck, master)!" he cried as 



230 



