WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS 211 



entirely enclosing 1 the game. We did not hear the results 

 of this operation ; but that evening, on the opposite 

 bank, met a crowd of Nuers, all blood-covered, and 

 carrying eight reedbuck does and one small cob with 

 1 6-inch horn, all intercepted on their own bank. This 

 head, with fine courtesy, the Nuer chief insisted on 

 presenting to me and, on my respectfully declining the 

 trophy, laid the horns at my feet, and with a stately 

 gesture of farewell, turned to rejoin his troop." 



An unfortunate incident befell that evening. Before 

 dusk we had baited and set our two large steel-traps 

 intending to catch a hyena whose spoor in the sand 

 betrayed a regular nocturnal prowl by the riverside. Our 

 men had left the traps unguarded too early, with the 

 result that, before dark, a vulture and a Nuer dog were 

 caught. Reasonably the Nuers might have felt aggrieved ; 

 instead, they took the mishap quite good-naturedly and 

 in excellent part, recognising that it had been uninten- 

 tional. The dog's view was not ascertained. 



From these Nuers we learnt that most of the game 

 is killed by the spear ; dogs are only effective after an 

 animal has been wounded or with fawns ! The Nuers 

 exhibit great intelligence in availing themselves of 

 every advantage in the lie of the land, utilising each 

 promontory or isolated neck where game can best be 

 cut out. The buffalo they never attack ; they fear his 

 revenge, and state that his hide is too thick for their 

 spears to penetrate. Even the Baggara elephant-hunters 

 in Kordofan, who tackle that mighty pachyderm with 

 their shovel-headed spears, respect the Gamoos. Only 

 three survived, it is recorded, out of six who first essayed 

 such a fight. 



"February 20. Met to-day in the heart of the 

 forest, a gang of fifty Nuers with a pack of dogs ; they 

 carried eight reedbuck and cob does, with a lot of 

 unrecognisable fawns, and after greetings vanished like 

 wild game in the woods." See photo by Captain Lynes. 



