HINTS ON EAST AFRICAN STALKING, ETC. 189 



no haze. This haze, which only appears after the sun is well 

 up, is caused by the moisture of the earth being evaporated by 

 the sun. It is most noticeable after a heavy dew or a shower 

 of rain, and is not only very apt to deceive even the most 

 experienced in regard to distances, but as it makes everything 

 appear to be in a perpetual quiver, it renders shooting very 

 difficult. When taking a sight under such conditions the beast 

 aimed at will often appear very indistinct, and will seem to 

 move about in front of the muzzle of the rifle. 



There is still another argument in favour of early morning 

 stalks, and that is, that as all game beasts are thoroughly awake, 

 and on the alert, even though engrossed in feeding, the 

 stalker knows that he must exercise all his wits to the very 

 utmost to keep out of sight, not only of the beast or beasts he 

 may be stalking, but of other game which may be either to the 

 right or left of him. This knowledge saves a man from care- 

 lessness, and makes him do his very utmost in that keen rivalry 

 between animal instincts and human skill, in which lies the whole 

 charm of big game shooting. But although the early morning 

 has its advantages, a good many of which are of the nature of 

 personal convenience and comfort to the stalker, and has also 

 its many charms, which are not to be experienced later on in 

 the day, it certainly has a fair amount of disadvantages. To 

 begin with, as a rule, game is not so easy to approach when 

 feeding as when standing about or lying down. When feeding 

 beasts are constantly moving, and although they may be in a 

 capital position when the stalker first tries to circumvent them, 

 they very often move into an unapproachable one by the time 

 he gets up to within range of where they had been ; and of 

 course, as before suggested, all beasts are very wide awake in 

 the early hours of the morning, whilst, instead of being protected 

 by only one sentinel as at other times, the whole herd is more 

 or less on the qui vive, and the stalker may be detected at any 

 moment by any beast which may happen to raise its head, 

 or which may wander in his direction after some dainty morsel 

 of grass and keep him waiting- in an awkward position. 



