THE BUSH. t55 



your desire to reach the top. Suddenly there is a breaking of branches on a flank, 

 and, looking round, you catch a fleeting view of a flying impala. You have blundered 

 into a herd just at the only time during the whole day that you have been off your 

 guard. Reaching the top of the hill, a small duiker jumps out of a tuft of grass and 

 scampers off. 



The view from the top is good, and you are able to see a great deal of 

 the country, so you note down different likely localities for future use, and also mark 

 out a line for your return journey. On the way back you come to a deep valley — in 

 all probability a watercourse joining your camp stream — and you see something moving 

 at the bottom, which, on inspection with glasses, proves to be a young waterbuck 

 emerging from his midday retreat. This is the only animal to-day which you have 

 sighted before you have been first sighted, and in this spot the ground is favourable 

 for observation. So you creep into the shadow of a bush and watch with glasses. 

 The waterbuck grazes slowly down the valley, but of a sudden cocks up his ears. 

 What has he heard or scented ? Looking up above him you see, after a long search, 

 several more waterbuck, hardly discernible against some burnt grass, coming down to 

 the valley bottom. The first one is aware of their approach, having no doubt caught 

 a whiff of their strong smell or heard the rattle of a stone dislodged on the hillside. 

 They at present have not discovered him, and he stands expectantly awaiting them. 

 When they get within about eighty yards of him they suddenly see him and halt 

 After looking at him for some time one or two advance little by little towards him and 

 stop again. It reminds one more than anything of the manoeuvres of strange dogs on 

 meeting. 



Presently one of the party reaches the solitary buck, and, after sniffing at him, 

 commences butting with him. Then the others come up and examine him critically, 

 and presently they all stroll off together down the valley, grazing as they go. They 

 are working slowly towards a pool lower down the valley, from which they will take 

 their evening's drink. After watching them you return to camp, and the day's work 

 is finished. 



Next morning there seems to be more game about, for, just as you leave camp, 

 you put up a dikdik, which speeds away, and a moment later you hear the hoarse 

 bark of a bushbuck, which tells you that you have been seen by him. You try to get 

 a glimpse of him, but the crashing of branches tells that he is altogether too sharp 

 for you. You next come across fresh buffalo-spoor, and this you follow, and, as it 

 becomes fresher and fresher, the excitement grows, and you move with extra caution. 

 Then, all of a sudden, there is a rush as of a whirlwind, and a crashing of branches 

 and thudding of hoofs. They have outwitted you by their old trick of lying downwind 



