RIFLES AND GUNS 41 



had not once lain down, only stopped two or three 

 times to lean against a tree. Hope ran high of a 

 sure find, but hard ground was reached, the spoor 

 got mixed with other beasts' and the tracks were 

 difficult to define. 



This wasted much valuable time, and what was still 

 more vexing was that the sky had become overcast ; 

 and though as much speed as possible was exercised, 

 rain fell heavily and completely obliterated all the 

 tracks. Thus the animal was lost though very hard 

 hit ; but if the heavy gun had been taken out one 

 of the finest sable bulls, if not quite the finest, the 

 author has ever seen would now be hanging on his 

 wall instead of lying derelict in an African forest. 



On another occasion, before the '577 was acquired, 

 a small herd of wildebeest were approached very 

 closely, thanks to the aid of some clumps of palms. 

 An old bull facing was brought down with a shot at 

 the base of the neck, and as the others started off a 

 second bull was toppled over, but got up and went 

 on, looking very uncomfortable, and though a parting 

 shot was given tail on, no sign of a hit was shown. 



On rising and walking round the clump of palms 

 to go across to examine the first bull, nothing was to 

 be seen of it except a pool of blood and disordered 

 grass. It had gone, and yet came down at the shot 

 as though stone-dead, and attention being concen- 

 trated on securing a second beast, it was not seen 

 or heard. 



