126 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



one of the noted professional hunters of East Africa, Mr. 

 H. Judd; and Judd was kind enough to take me out hunt- 

 ing almost every day that we were at Juja. We would 

 breakfast at dawn and leave the farm about the time that 

 it grew light enough to see: ordinarily our course was 

 eastward, toward the Athi, a few miles distant. These 

 morning rides were very beautiful. In our front was the 

 mountain mass of Donyo Sabuk, and the sun rose behind 

 it, flooding the heavens with gold and crimson. The 

 morning air blew fresh in our faces, and the unshod feet 

 of our horses made no sound as they trod the dew-drenched 

 grass. On every side game stood to watch us, herds of 

 hartebeests and zebras, and now and then a herd of wilde- 

 beests or a few straggling old wildebeest bulls. Sometimes 

 the zebras and kongoni were very shy, and took fright 

 when we were yet a long way off; at other times they would 

 stand motionless and permit us to come within fair gun- 

 shot, and after we had passed we could still see them re- 

 garding us without their having moved. The wildebeests 

 were warier; usually when we were yet a quarter of a mile 

 or so distant, the herd, which had been standing with heads 

 up, their short, shaggy necks and heavy withers giving the 

 animals an unmistakable look, would take fright, and, 

 with heavy curvets, and occasional running in semicircles, 

 would make off, heads held down and long tails lashing 

 the air. 



In the open woods which marked the border between 

 the barren plains and the forested valley of the Athi, Kermit 

 and I shot waterbuck and impalla. The waterbuck is a 

 <=tately antelope with long, coarse gray hair and fine car- 

 nage of the head and neck; the male alone carries horns. 

 We found them usually in parties of ten or a dozen, both 

 of bulls and cows; but sometimes a party of cows would go 

 alone, or three or four bulls might be found together. In 

 spite of its name, we did not find it much given to going in 

 the water although it would cross the river fearlessly when- 

 ever it desired; it was, however, always found not very far 



