THE GUASO NYERO 



327 



Next day I hunted along the edges of a big swamp. 

 We saw waterbuck, but were unable to get within shot. 

 However, near the farther end of the swamp, in an open 

 swale, we found four eland feeding. The eland is the king 

 of antelope; and not only did I desire meat for camp, but 

 I wished the head of a good bull as a trophy for myself, 

 the eland I had 

 hitherto shot 

 being for the 

 National Mu- 

 seum. The lit- 

 tle band in- 

 cluded a big 

 bull, a small 

 bull, and two 

 cows; at a dis- 

 tance the big 

 bull looked 

 slaty blue. The 

 great, sleek, 

 handsome crea- 



tures were feed- 

 ing in the long 



Two Kikuyu boys 

 From a photograph by Edmund Heller 



grass just like cattle, switching their long tails at the 



flies. The country looked like a park, with clumps of 



thorn-trees scattered over the grassy sward. Carefully I 



crept on all-fours from tree clump to tree clump, trying 



always to move when the elands' heads were down grazing. 



At last I was within three hundred yards, when one of 



the cows caught a glimpse of me and alarmed the others. 



They were startled, but puzzled, and after trotting a few 



r rods turned to stare at the half-seen object of their alarm. 



Rising to my knee I shot the big bull in the throat as with 



- l iead erect he gazed in my direction. Off he went with a 



r rush, the others bounding and leaping as they accom- 



anied him, and we followed on the blood spoor. Bakhari 



nd Gouvimali trotted fast on the trail, and in order to be 



