3 i2 THE LAND OF THE LION 



prolonged agony of such a journey cannot be imagined by 

 any who have not been in the country. After Von Hb'hnel 

 received what was almost a death-wound, on three occasions 

 the porters carrying him were so fiercely charged that they 

 let fall the unfortunate man's litter, and so almost extin- 

 guished the spark of life that nothing but his indomitable 

 pluck kept alight. 



Three of these porters were killed by rhino, so it was no 

 heedless panic that made them drop their suffering charge. 



I had in this same cactus jungle on this same river the 

 only narrow escape from fatal injury I experienced in East 

 Africa. 



Two or three miles back from the river are to be found 

 small bands of that rare and graceful little antelope, 

 geranuk. Its neck is long and flexible like a small giraffe's, 

 the horns somewhat like those of a reed buck, but turned in- 

 wards at the tip. It does not bound away as do other small 

 antelopes, but throws its forefeet forward in a springing and 

 exceedingly fast trot. I fancy this is the only place in the 

 Protectorate where it is to be found. You are limited to two 

 bucks and may count yourself lucky if you can get one. 

 Given time and patience and fair shooting, you may expect 

 that one, and should be content after that to leave the shy 

 graceful creatures alone. Farther out on the veldt between 

 the sparsely wooded hills and plains that stretch forty miles 

 to the base of Kenia the oryx is found in abundant numbers. 

 This is one of the finest of the African antelopes and carries 

 one of the most beautiful of heads; the male and female both 

 carry horns. The horns of the bull are thicker, those of the 

 cow often the longer. I would advise you not to be in too 

 great a hurry to shoot the first one you see. Learn to dis- 

 tinguish between bulls and cows. Look at them carefully 

 with your glass. Patiently crawl near, for if these should 

 escape you there will be other chances before long. You can 

 shoot but two, and if you kill males you will not hurt the herd, 



