THE GREATER KUDU 



the next two minutes we would bring nothing into 

 camp but the memory of a magnificent beast. And 

 next day he would probably be inextricably lost in 

 the wilderness of mountains.* 



It was a time for desperate measures, and, to Cun- 

 inghame's evident anxiety,! took them. Through the 

 glasses the mane of the kudu showed as a dim gray 

 streak. Carefully I picked out two twigs on a bush 

 fifteen feet from me and a tuft of grass ten yards on, 

 all of which were in line with where the shoulder of 

 the kudu ought to be. Then I lowered my glasses. 

 The gray streak of the kudu's mane had disappeared 

 in the blending twilight; but I could still see the tips 

 of the twigs and the tuft of grass. Very carefully I 

 aligned the sights with these; and, with a silent prayer 

 to the Red Gods, loosed the bullet into the darkness. 



At the crack of the rifle the kudu leaped into plain 

 sight. 



"Hit!" rasped Cuninghame in great excitement. 



I did not wait to verify this, but fired four times 

 more as fast as I could work the bolt. Three of the 

 bullets told. At the last shot he crumpled and came 

 rolling down the slope. We both raised a wild 

 whoop of triumph, which was answered at once by 

 the expectant gunbearers below. 



The finest trophy in Africa was ours! 



*Trailing for any distance was impossible on account of the stony soil. 



371 



