206 ON SAFAEI 



accurate from the vantage -lieight of the saddle. I had 

 scarce ridden a mile than I found myself nearer far to 

 two first-rate hartebeest bulls than I had ever been in all 

 my strenuous hunting on foot ! They stood with heads 

 up, watching me, but otherwise showing no signs of 

 alarm. On arriving at a range judged (quite accurately) 

 to be 125 yards, I slipped from the saddle and dropped 

 both bulls with a single ball apiece. The second 

 presently regained his legs, and, though receiving another 

 bullet, moved slowly off some 500 yards, where he lay 

 down. I could just see his angular bracket-shaped 

 horns over a rise in the ground from near where we 

 stood, so decided to leave him to stiffen while we 

 oif-skinned the first. 



In case it may appear cruel to leave an animal thus 

 in pain, I reply that this was the safest plan to secure 

 him, and thus end his pain. To chase a newly-w^ouncled 

 beast hot-foot is a sure way to lose him. 



With chagrin we observed half-an-hour later that 

 twelve fresh animals had joined the wounded one, and 

 that all thirteen were on foot. Hamisi's keen eye, 

 however, saved the situation, for he never lost sight of 

 the dark splash on the wounded bull's pale-coloured 

 quarters, and presently I finished him wdth a ball in the 

 neck at 180 yards. The three bulls secured this morning 

 were all first-rate specimens of Buhalis cokei, their horns 

 taping l7f, 17^ and 16f ins. respectively. The span 

 varied from 11 to 13 ins., and the basal circumference 

 8f to 9 ins. Weight estimated at 300 to 350 lbs. 

 apiece. 



The hour was now 7.45, so, leaving some "boys" 

 to bring in the meat and skins, I rode on towards the 

 w^ildebeests, still two miles distant. Presently we sighted 

 them, feeding beyond a wide grassy hollow. But wdiat 

 was my disappointment to find, on advancing,- that in 

 that hollow there ran the Uganda railway, which marks, 

 at this point, the boundary of the Game-Eeserve, and all 

 beyond was sacred ! For a moment I admit having 

 regarded the situation with mixed ideas that may be 



