78 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA CHAP. 



quite still for some time and allowed us to approach 

 to within a couple of hundred yards of them before 

 they turned and started off at a quaint gallop. 



No sooner had they made off than to my delight 

 my huge eland bounded out into the open from 

 under a tree. He was evidently the same that we 

 had seen in the morning, and it was certainly most 

 accommodating of him to have walked so far in the 

 direction of our camp. The moment I saw him I 

 stood stock still, telling the Masai to do the same. 

 After galloping a couple of dozen yards the eland 

 pulled up, and looked all round to see what had so 

 startled the giraffe. If he saw us he evidently took 

 us for part of the landscape, as we remained quite 

 motionless. At any rate he took no notice of us, 

 and flicking his sides with his tail, he sauntered 

 leisurely over to the nearest tree and took up his posi- 

 tion there in the cool shade. 



No sooner had he done this than I slipped quietly 

 off Aladdin, handed him over to Abbudi, and started 

 off with my .303 to do a stalk. Before setting 

 out I gave very emphatic directions to both youths 

 to remain absolutely still, as the slightest movement 

 on their part would spoil everything. 



A little way to my right the ground dipped into 

 a hollow, which, if I could manage to gain it un- 

 observed, would take me to a point within forty 

 yards of the great bull. I therefore wriggled along 



