THE ATHI PLAINS 



203 



After many laborious attempts — all in vain — as a last 

 resource we tried an appeal to the known curiosity 

 of the gnu. As the string of great shaggy beasts 

 went prancing and capering along a slope 500 yards 

 away, Hamisi and I threw ourselves down flat on the 

 grass just before the animals took a slight fold in the 



THE SENTRY — WHITE-BEARDED GNUS. 



hill-face. We could then barely see their backs and 

 wildly- whirling tails as they scampered along, half- 

 hidden in the hollow beyond. The ruse, however, so 

 far succeeded that the troop, pausing in mid -career, 

 wheeled half round, dashed up the intervening slope 

 and pulled up, facing us, on the crest. 



They now presented a fair shot at 300 to 350 yards; 

 but Nemesis stood at my elbow, exacting the full price 



for that random shooting of the morning. 



It had 



