278 AFRICAN NATURE NOTES CHAP. 



soft feet had left so little trace on the hard ground 

 that even my Bushmen could not follow it, so we 

 gave it up and all returned to camp together. 



As I took my rifle from the Bushman who had 

 been carrying it, 1 saw that the hammer was gone. 

 This rifle was a single-barrelled ten-bore, with under 

 lever action and a hammer. On examining it, I 

 found that the screw that had held the hammer in 

 place on the tumbler had evidently worked loose 

 and fallen out, with the result that the hammer had 

 dropped off. Now I felt sure that just before I had 

 heard Kingsley's shot I had seen the hammer on 

 the rifle, and believed that it must have fallen oft 

 whilst we were running a distance of not more than 

 four hundred yards. I was very much annoyed at 

 the prospect of having my favourite rifle put out of 

 action indefinitely, although the Bushmen were 

 confident that they would be able to find the lost 

 hammer the next day. They said they would 

 follow the tracks of my gun -carrier and myself, 

 where we had been running, inch by inch on their 

 hands and kneesj burning the scanty grass as they 

 went along. In spite of their confidence, I must 

 say I had very little hope that they would be 

 successful, and lay down to sleep that ni^ht with 

 a heavy heart, for I thought that my well-tried 

 and favourite rifle would have to be laid on the 

 shelf for the remainder of the year. 



On the following day, after having sent my gun- 

 carrier and two other Bushmen to look for the 

 hammer of my rifle, Dorehill and I went out hunting, 

 leaving Kingsley in charge of the camp. On this 

 occasion I took with me, in place of my ten-bore, 

 a single-barrelled eight-bore weapon, which I had 

 often used before, as I had only lately sold it to 

 Dorehill. This rifle was fitted with a hair trigger, 

 which one set by pushing the trigger forwards. I 

 knew that my friend had taken the lock of this rifle 



