134 ON SAFARI 



The rolling treeless veld that extends northward from 

 Elmenteita, with its game, has already been described 

 (p. 122 et seq.). But there was, in February, no such 

 abounding aggregation of wild-life as we had met with 

 here in July, August and September. That circumstance, 

 however, wrs merely due to the seasonal migrations of 

 the animals, and had no relation to changing ownership. 

 The zebra, for example, leave this region early in 

 December, not reappearing till May or June ; while of 

 the other animals that were so abundant in July and 

 August, perhaps a tenth, or less, remained in February. 

 Not that there was any real lack of animal-life even now. 

 The veld, though no longer crowded, was fairly peopled 

 with beautiful creatures. There were no zebras, but a 

 few hartebeests and ostriches still lingered ; groups of 

 granti moved about wdth stately gait, and herds of 

 " Tommies " chased and gambolled in their sportive 

 style. Wart-hogs, owing to their subterranean habit, are 

 probably less mobile, and our first day here (February 

 8), being dull and drizzling, we saw great numbers, 

 including some real monsters. One solitary boar, in 

 particular, our hunters at first mistook for a rhino, 

 and we decided to spend the next day in acquiring 

 his mask. That mornins;, however, broke brie^ht and 

 hot, and never a pig could we see ! They were then 

 all underground. 



I shot that day a superb granti, a solitary buck, with 

 25-in. horns ; but merely mention the fact to illustrate 

 a phase that is worth note in this African shooting. 

 Though severely wounded by the first shot, the buck 

 held on, on — till it was clear w^e should never overtake 

 him ; never, at least, by following " hot-foot." I there- 

 fore recalled my men, much to their disgust, and lay 

 down to watch. The buck then, being alone, also laid 

 down, a mile ahead, and, growing stifter, at the end of 

 an hour I was able to approach again within 200 yards, 

 when a second bullet (in ribs) further crippled him : but 

 we still had to put in a second thirty minutes, Ij^ing 

 patiently in that sweltering heat, ere he would allow 



