122 THE GAME OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



The first two animals will probably run off directly you move, but the male might 

 be just behind the clump and you might get a look at him. 



The instant you see anything moving in the bush it is as well to stand perfectly 

 still until you have ascertained whether it is a single animal or a party. If you see 

 that it, or they, have not noticed you, then either sink slowly down inch by inch till 

 you are out of sight or else slowly make your way to the nearest cover or shade. A 

 great point to remember about all such movements is that, if possible, cover should be 

 sought by moving slowly directly towards the animal or directly away from it, such move- 

 ments attract less attention than a lateral movement which is very quickly noticed. 



With an object in the very far distance, such as a vehicle at the end of a long 

 road, it is often very difficult to tell if it is coming towards you, or going away from 

 you, or if it is stationary, but with an object moving across your front there is no such 

 difficulty, as it is always easy to tell at a glance not only that it is moving, but in 

 which direction it is moving. Therefore all lateral movements in the presence of 

 game should be avoided. If it is not possible to move either directly forwards or 

 backwards, then an oblique movement is the next best thing, but even this should be 

 avoided if possible. 



To stalk a member of a herd it is necessary to keep out of sight of all 

 the animals of the herd, as any one of them may give the alarm. So before 

 trying to stalk the one you want it is best to try to locate all the others when 

 you are lying behind some convenient cover or in the shade of a bush. When 

 trying to get near them you must remember to pass from bush to bush nearer 

 to yourself than to them, so as to always have the advantages of imperfect 

 cover resting with you. Never, if possible, expose yourself where there is a long, 

 open space towards them, no matter how thick the bushes at their end may 

 appear, for if they are close up to those bushes they are almost certain to see 

 you through or under them. The open spaces that exist under many bushes 

 are frequently overlooked, and you may be getting beautiful cover for your head 

 and body, but if you stoop or lie down you will find that the lower parts of the 

 bushes are not so thick and that your legs must show most of the time. The 

 open spaces under bushes on their shady side are admirable places from which 

 to reconnoitre, and also from which to shoot. It will often be found that in bush 

 or sparsely wooded country, that the shorter a person is, or the more he stoops, 

 the better can he sight game, for at a higher plane the foliage is thicker than 

 below, where are mostly only bare trunks. 



In heavily bushed country stalking is more difficult than in sparsely 

 bushed country. In the former country it would seem as if it ought to be easy 



