xxu HOW ROSHAN KHAN SAVED MY LIFE 245 



as Pathans go. He had been my "boy" for some 

 time and was much attached to me, besides having 

 a touching faith in my prowess in shikar : probably, 

 indeed, this was the reason why he stuck so close to 

 me throughout the hunt. 



We breakfasted by candle light and managed to 

 get several miles on our way towards the source 

 of the Athi before dawn. As soon as it was 

 thoroughly daylight, we extended in line, Dr. 

 Brock, as the guest, being placed in the most likely 

 position for a shot, while Roshan Khan followed 

 close behind me with the day's provisions. In this 

 order we trudged steadily forward for a couple of 

 miles without coming across anything, though we 

 advanced through many patches of rushes and long 

 grass likely to conceal our expected quarry. It was 

 most interesting and exciting work all the same, 

 as we never knew but that a lion might the next 

 moment jump up at our very feet. We had just 

 beaten through a most hopeful-looking covert with- 

 out success and had come out on to a beautiful open 

 grassy glade which stretched away for some distance 

 ahead of us, when I noticed a big herd of wilde- 

 beeste browsing quietly some distance to our right. 

 I knew that Brock also wanted a wildebeeste, so I 

 whistled softly to him, and pointed out the weird- 

 looking, bison-like antelopes. He came across at 

 once and started off towards the herd, while I sat 



