22 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



and fired at it with the 200 yards leaf up as it was walking, 

 and I missed. The sable stopped, so I quickly pumped 

 another cartridge into the magazine of my 7-9 mm. Mauser 

 rifle and fired again, this time with better results, as I heard 

 the bullet make the welcome " phut." The sable started 

 forward and was soon into the bush, so I followed, and 

 suddenly saw him standing looking back. I fired quickly, 

 he dropped, and I thought I had broken his backbone. On 

 approaching close he suddenly jumped up and ran off at a 

 great pace, and I missed him. I felt disgusted at my bad 

 shooting, but I determined that I would follow him all day 

 if necessary. From the glances I had had of his long 

 curved horns I knew he had a good head, so I was soon on 

 his tracks, which were easy to follow as long as he was 

 running, for a sable cuts deep into the soil, and his hoofs 

 spread much when he is moving quickly. At last he began 

 to walk slowly, but he got into country where the ground 

 was covered with a thick carpet of dry fallen leaves, 

 perhaps the most difficult type of country to spoor in that it is 

 possible to find. Then we lost the spoor completely, and I 

 thought I was to lose the sable, but I spread out the men 

 and told them to look for the tracks, and to keep their 

 eyes open for the game. I was w r alking in the centre of 

 the line when I caught sight of the sable standing nearly 

 200 yards away. There was no time to sit down and take 

 a steady shot, so I fired standing, and very quickly, and I 

 was delighted to see him drop, and on going up to him 

 I found that the last bullet had entered close to the point of 

 his shoulder and got him in the heart a particularly good 

 shot, but at the same time a very lucky one, for I could not 

 depend on shooting so straight every time. 



The horns were a fine pair, measuring close on 42in. on 

 the curve, and they eventually dried to 4iiin., as all horns 

 do after being kept for a time. Ivory also dries up, and a 

 5olb. tusk may sometimes go dow r n to 461b. or so if kept in 

 a hot, dry climate. Horn and ivory substance is full of 

 moisture, and as this evaporates there is a slight decrease 

 in weight and measurements. 



