100 SAVAGE SUDAN 



in a breeze, game will assuredly take one's scent at 

 fully average distances. 



Away down that glade to leeward grazed the three 

 great roan, showing alternately dark or light according 

 as they faced the sun or touched the shade. Rejecting 

 Baraka's crude strategy, I devised a plan of my own. By 

 a rapid detour around the game, describing a semicircle of 

 a mile or more, we placed ourselves straight ahead of the 

 course they were then following and directly down-wind 

 thereof. We had long lost sight of the game, and owing 

 to the winding, irregular outlines of the glade, did not 

 detect their approach till two of the animals, both cows, 

 showed up together at about 1 20 yards, hidden up to their 

 withers in the deep grass. The bull was bound to appear 

 within a second or two, and the short range necessitated 

 a readjustment of the " sights." With wondrous sharpness 

 of eye, both animals had at once suspected danger and 

 now stood full-face at gaze. Then came the glorious old 

 bull, halting three-quarters "on" and exposing his chest. 

 A memorable spectacle the trio then presented, with their 

 striking facial adornments, massive figures, and huge ears 

 extended sharply forward. Into the broad chest of the 

 bull I put a soft-nosed bullet ; at the shot both his 

 consorts bounced away, but one (the bigger) soon pulled 

 up and turned, facing, receiving the second bullet, also in 

 chest. Both these superb antelopes fell dead, each with 

 a single ball. 



On walking up I was struck by their enormous bulk. 

 If a tiang weighs 300 Ib. and a waterbuck 500 lb., then 

 a big roan bull must go well over 600 certainly near 

 700 lb. 



A notable feature was the white tuft on the tear-duct. 

 This, especially in the female, was fluffed out erect like 

 a shaving brush ! or like the auricles of a demoiselle 

 crane. This it is difficult (or impossible) to reproduce in 

 mounted trophies. Both these roan were of a rich tawny- 

 chestnut, or cinnamon, in body-colour and both heavily 



