104 ON SAFAEI 



tlie other two I could not distinguisli. A second stalk 

 (in very mucli more open country) also failed, and this 

 time the game, I feared, had seen something, for they 

 went off at speed, and we utterly lost both sight and 

 touch of them. Hours of hard work and constant spy- 

 ing elapsed before at length we once more descried our 

 three friends — again far away to leeward. Another 

 long detour followed ; but luck this time favoured us. 

 In the first place, the elands w^ere now feeding in forest 

 where broad grassy opens intervened amidst the timber ; 

 secondly, after completing our final approach, we found 

 the three feeding towards us across one of the said 

 opens. Moreover, in the long interval that had occurred 

 they had forgotten their suspicions, and grazed towards 

 us in absolute security. First came a big old cow with 

 very long horns ; then a grand bull in his prime ; lastly, 

 the glorious old patriarch aforesaid bringing up the rear. 

 I was greatly struck by his iron-grey pelt and massive 

 proportions, the heavy pendent dewlaps sweeping the 

 herbage. The trio passed our front within 120 yards, 

 but the shot I made was none too brilliant, though it 

 could not have been more successful. Touchino- the 

 spine behind the shoulder (a foot too far back), it 

 dropped the big bull on the spot, yet left sufiicient 

 vitality to enable him to recover his fore-legs and remain 

 standing so — as a dog sits on his haunches, and as shown 

 in the plate opposite. The other two ran at the report 

 of the rifle ; but presently, looking back and seeing their 

 leader still apparently on his legs, they stood awaiting 

 him to rejoin. The distance was not much over 200 

 yards, giving me a good shot at the second bull. He 

 also was struck too high, but fatally, and hardly moved 

 100 yards. Both these splendid animals, in fact, stood 

 disabled close by, and within full view. 



Sending Elmi to finish the second bull, I walked up 

 to the first, which, unable to move, watched my advance 

 with mild, reproachful e3'es, tempering the savage joy 

 of success. He was a veritable patriarch, his front 

 adorned with a mat of dark curly hair, shading ofi" into 



