WITH FLASH-LIGHT AND RIFLE 



while, however, it becomes suspicious, shy and very 

 cautious. I always found zebras rather trustful. One 

 of the finest sights one may see is a large herd of these 

 beautiful "tiger-horses" galloping over the steppe. 



To estimate the number of zebras in German East 

 Africa is, of course, very hard. Fifty thousand have 

 been mentioned as the maximum number. According 

 to my own calculation, their number amounts to at 

 least several hundred thousand. 



The black-and-white striped animals blend remark- 

 ably well with the colors of the steppe, so that they are 

 hard to distinguish even at close range. Under certain 

 lights they appear grayish, a phenomenon which may 

 account for the oft-repeated assertion that there are 

 wild asses in German East Africa. The zebras rest at 

 noon, in the shade of trees and high bushes, then the 

 dancing shadows of branches and twigs mingle strange- 

 ly with their stripes. 



Just as the cave-dw^ellers of old loved to feast on the 

 flesh of wild horses, so the natives of East Africa are 

 passionately fond of the sweet flesh of the zebra, which 

 they prefer to that of any other game. 



The zebra is polygamous, a sort of animal Mormon; 

 the strong stallion guards his harem jealously. The 

 blood is, however, sufficiently mixed, because mares 

 join other herds when their lord and master is killed 

 by beasts of prey. 



The stallion is not only the lord, but also the pro- 



i88 



