ANTELOPES 



265 



only seeks safety in flight and never attacks. A solitary animal, 

 when chased, will sometimes go through singular antics, bobbing 

 its head up and down and whisking the tail about. I have seen 

 it tumble down as if shot, scramble up, career oft" to a distance, 

 then suddenly turn round and stand still, staring at the pursuer, 

 as if nothing had happened. 



The flesh is not very palatable, but decidedly acceptable to 

 the ever-hungry Swahili. On one occasion, on my fifth 

 journey, I shot a female at Lanjora with my Lee-Speed rifle. 

 The bullet broke both hind-legs and the poor brute dragged 

 itself along on its fore-legs. I shall never forget the distressing 

 bellowings of pain it uttered. For though, as a rule, game 

 suffers death without a sound of pain, now and then some 

 poor animal does moan or cry out. The herd of wilde- 

 beests remained standing near the one which I had wounded ; 

 but though my men urged me to shoot some more, I would 

 not, as I considered one animal sufficient for the caravan. Meat 

 can only be kept for a very few days ; 

 sometimes it goes bad already on the 

 following day. It would, therefore, be 

 wasteful to shoot more than is abso- 

 lutely required. The herd moved off, as 

 1 advanced towards them, and I speedily 

 ended the suft'erings of the wounded one. 

 A good many wildebeest must fall a prey 

 to lions, judging by the skulls which litter 

 the grassy plains. Hartebeest skulls are 

 also fairly common ; but skulls of gazelles 

 are rarely seen, and perhaps are de- 

 voured by wild beasts, owing to the 

 bones being smaller. 



The Pah. — From Mombasa right up 

 to Singo this tiny antelope is more or 

 less common. Near the Tsavo river 

 used to be its favourite haunt. It pre- 

 fers grassy jungles, where it can hide 



among the thorny shrubs and undergrowth, impassable to 

 larger animals. It is easier to bag a specimen with a shot-gun 

 than with a rifle. 



On the march through Singo, happening to be a little ahead of 

 my caravan, and tramping along with a walking-stick in my hand, 



,V...^«.i'' 



A PAH ANTELOPE. 



