THE ROAN ANTELOPE 



107 



two of his potential harem, with their fawns (besides a 

 wart-hog and some reedbucks), showed up, of him we 

 saw no more. 



Following 1 are dimensions of my four Sudan roan : 



POSTSCRIPT. 



While hunting on the Binder river in 1920, Mr Francis 

 Mitchell witnessed a scene which he thus described to me. 

 Along the dry river-bed a herd of fifteen or twenty roan 

 antelope were slowly strolling towards a pool of water. Pres- 

 ently from the opposite bank a lion emerged and endeavoured 

 as it seemed, of deliberate purpose to drive the roan on to 

 the water-hole, whereat (as afterwards transpired) a lioness lay 

 in ambush. The roan, however, rose to their occasion. For 

 a while they had continued on their original course, though 

 obviously suspicious of danger by the water ; but, at the point 

 where the lion came directly above their wind, they at once 

 halted, formed up in line abreast thus presenting a solid 

 "defensive front" and boldly advanced directly towards where 

 the lion lay concealed. The latter retired, and, by a detour, 

 joined his mate by the water. Whether she upbraided him or 

 otherwise, the lion proceeded to make a second attempt to 

 drive in the roan, but always keeping at some distance beyond 

 them. Once more he failed. These bold antelopes again 

 assumed the aggressive, and finally the lion returned discomfited 

 to the water-hole . . where Mitchell shot him. 



