STALKING GAME. 121 



If only the trophy was something after the style of the ibex, now, or the 

 markhor, or the ovis poll, what enjoyable days might be spent on these rocky ridges 

 and terraces overlooking the plains ! 



Next in the order of stalking comes the thin, sparsely clad bush-country. This 

 is really plain covered with patches of bushes in clumps and belts, and generally 

 contains also innumerable termite hills. The charm of this country is that in it there 

 may be all sorts of game or there may be none at all, and from an outward 

 inspection it is impossible to foretell which. Wandering about, and carefully 

 rounding clumps and ant-hills, every turn may bring you face to face with some- 

 thing unexpected — or, as is more probable, there will be nothing there. 



In this kind of country almost everything depends on quickness of eye. The 

 animal is almost always in the shade, and often standing still, while, if it is grazing, it 

 will be moving very slowly ; so you must also keep in the shade and must not move 

 about quickly, or you will increase the animal's chances of being able to see you first. 

 As you walk there is always a tendency to look for game only in front of you, whereas 

 it seldom appears in your direct front. I know of no reason why this should be so ; 

 I only state it as a fact that game generally appears on a flank. Nine cases out of ten 

 in this sort of country the game comes into view, often close enough for a shot, on 

 your right or left, but seldom in your front. Often the first warning you get of the 

 proximity of some animal is a crashing of branches and the sound of galloping hoofs 

 from a flank. So you must keep on the alert and look out well all around, but more 

 especially notice the glades and recesses to your flanks, the back parts of which only 

 will come into view as you draw level with them. 



So for this kind of country quick eyesight is more necessary than anything else. 

 If the game are grazing you are more likely to see them than if they are lying up, as in 

 the former event they may be moving and therefore less concealed, or they may be at 

 intervals completely in the sun. However, when grazing they only move a few steps 

 at a time, while you are constantly on the move, so the advantage is still with them. 



Once an animal is seen, if it has also seen you, as can generally be told from its 

 attitude, you must decide at once whether it is worth the shooting, and if so you will 

 need to take a snapshot. The action of bringing the rifle to the shoulder will, as a 

 rule, be enough to scare the animal away, so the shot must be instantaneous. 



If the animal sighted is a female or immature specimen, then stand ready, for you 



may get a glimpse of the male with her as they make off. If a female and young 



stand staring at you, as so often do the hornless females of such animals as kudu and 



bushbuck which are never fired upon, and if a few steps would permit you to see 



behind a bush or clump close to them, it would be as well to step forward and look. 



R 



