AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



We had no means of telling how far the animal 

 would go, nor into what sort of country; and the 

 hour was well advanced toward sunset. However, 

 we took up the track and proceeded to follow it as 

 well as we could. That was not easy, for the ground 

 was hard and stony. Suddenly Cuninghame threw 

 himself flat. Of course we followed his example. 

 To us he whispered that he thought he had caught a 

 glimpse of the animal through an opening and across 

 the stream bed. We stalked carefully; and found 

 ourselves in the middle of a small herd of topis, one 

 of which, half concealed in the brush, had deceived 

 Cuninghame. This consumed valuable time. When 

 again we had picked up the spoor it was agreed that 

 I was to still-hunt ahead as rapidly as I could, while 

 Cuninghame and Kongoni would puzzle out the 

 tracks as far as possible before dark. 



Therefore I climbed the little rocky ridge on our 

 left, and walked along near its crest, keeping a 

 sharp lookout over the valley below; much as one 

 would hunt August bucks in California. After two 

 or three hundred yards I chanced on a short* strip 

 of soft earth in which the fresh tracks of the roanj 

 going up hill were clearly imprinted. I could not 

 without making too much noise inform the others 

 that I had cut in ahead of them; so I followed the 

 tracks as cautiously and quietly as I could. On the 



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