A TWELFTH ON THE EQUATOR 51 



three cock ostriches. Despite much brave show and 

 widespread plumes, not one of the three would close. 

 The fiQ;bt deo-enerated into a mere demonstration in 

 three acts — defiance, charge (not carried home), flight — ■ 

 and this was repeated again and again. 



Here, on the Alabanyata, we decided to spend our 

 Twelfth, and made an early start. Down the riverside 

 at dawn were numerous wart-hogs in troops of five to a 

 dozen, besides ostriches, gazelles, small antelope and 

 jackal. Three miles below, the Alabanyata utterly dis- 

 appears — lost in a great green vlei, or marsh, of a league 

 in extent, all choked with tall flags. On the grassy fore- 

 shore lay a herd of large animals that, in the distance 

 and early sunlight, certainly looked like eland. On 

 approach they proved to be waterbuck (defassa), but 

 all apparently females, lying down. " No horn," was 

 Elmi's verdict ; but being confident that such a herd 

 would hold at least one fair male, I crept back and 

 presently gained another point of view. From here we 

 were rewarded by discovering a grand bull lying between 

 two groups of cows and half hidden thereby. His horns, 

 laid back along the withers, were also inconspicuous. 



The utmost point of cover was still distant just 270 

 yards from the game — the intervening foreshore being 

 bare short grass, flat as a cricket-pitch, and dotted with 

 enormous wild geese of the sj^ur-winged species (P. 

 gamhensis). Buff'-backed herons also marched about 

 among the sing-sing, relieving the animals of parasites. 

 The cows and calves kept up a low chorus of bleating 

 cries. 1 half thought of " whistling-up " the bull, but the 

 obvious risk of his form being then covered by the atten- 

 dant cows was too great, and nothing remained but to 

 take the long, lying shot. A sloping ant-hill afl'orded a 

 perfect " rest," and the shot was followed by an answer- 

 ing thud. Hither and thither ran cows in confusion, 

 but beyond them lay one big prostrate form. The bullet 

 had struck the neck. 



The horns of this bull taped 28 ins., by 8|- ins. around 

 the base. One was slightly splintered at the point, and 



