180 



SAVAGE SUDAN 



failure hovered in the balance, eventually we reached the 

 solid land beyond, possibly the first white men who had 

 ever set foot thereon. 1 



Hardly had we landed than the fresh spoor of buffalo, 

 converging on the watering-place, with other unmis- 



"TREADING ON His TAIL." (Spotted Hyena). 



takable sign, convinced us that that element of chance 

 above defined, looked uncommonly like materialising. 



From the start this forest proved full of game. Tiang 

 and cob were ubiquitous ; we passed troops of waterbuck 

 sheltering in deep shade, reedbucks on the outskirts, 

 oribi among the thinner bush ; while the erstwhile marshy 

 khors (now sun-baked hard as bricks) were traversed 

 by the giant slot of giraffes, and elephants had broken 

 down trees by the acre. 



1 The spot is shown in photo facing p. 200. 



