Stalking and Tracking Game. 25 



from the mountainous ridges of the Himalayas to the long 

 flat stretches of desert found in parts of Africa. In hilly 

 country the game will be searched for with a glass and then 

 stalked, and this is probably the highest form of big game 

 shooting. In Central Africa, unless an animal is tracked up 

 step by step, it will probably be shot by tramping about the 

 bush, and compared to hill stalking or the steady spooring 

 work necessary in tracking, this bush tramping is really 

 poor sport, as the animal is seen all of a sudden, and the 

 shot fired almost immediately, without any preliminary 

 work except some rough walking. 



Consequently, I put deer stalking in Scotland or any 

 other country, and markhor and ibex shooting in the 

 Himalayas, on a much higher plane than the generality of 

 African shooting ; although to be successful in the latter, 

 one has to exercise much care to go quietly, as at certain 

 times of the year the ground is covered with hard, brittle 

 leaves, some of which go off like a pistol if they are 

 trodden on. 



Most people who shoot in Central Africa wear heavy 

 boots, and often riding breeches and gaiters, and it is 

 impossible to " still hunt" in such a dress. The best foot- 

 gear is either thick rubber-soled boots or shoes, or others 

 with chrome soles; and the nether garments should be 

 pants, known as " shorts/' and I have found it best to shoot 

 in bare legs. Sometimes it is pretty hard on the skin, 

 although, with practice, the legs get hard, and one's eyes 

 become used like a native's to choose an easy path. A 

 European who has not been accustomed to walk about in 

 rough country usually keeps his eyes in the air, but a good 

 bushman's eyes are all over the place, for he will glance 

 down and seek a path free from holes or obstructions, and 

 the next second his eyes will be ranging the country ahead 

 and to the sides in search of game. 



If I had not accustomed myself, after ten years of rough 

 bush walking, to keeping a good look out where I put my 

 feet, I would probably have been bitten several times by 

 poisonous snakes, such as puff-adders, or I would have 



