ox THE 1!1M Ol' llll-. DESERT 1 :. I 



1)();ir. "Cluiti! SanL;li(M' 1 " ntid ni\' C()m]);nil(ms dropped 

 like well- 1 mined |Hiiiitcrs. Il \v;is odd tli;ii lie had iidt 

 seen iis. Imi he was too busy willi his supper, oi' i-aihrr his 

 breakfast. There was no time to lose, as tlie li^lit would 

 soon be none, and we crept towards liiiu in full \ie\v. I'dv- 

 ino- on his oljtuseness of sight and preoeeujiatioii. At hisl 

 we lost sight of liim in some rougli groumb and a]>])r(^a('1i('(1 

 UKire quiekly : ihcii he reappeared, eomiiig towards us, and 

 we again dropped lo tlie ground. He fed down bch)w us 

 iut(» a liollow, and we began to fear thai he wonhl gd llir 

 wimb ][e was snoutini'' about, aiul at last Cfot his head 

 beliind some bunelies of ff/f'a o-rass, thouuh tlu^ rest of his 

 Inxh' was expos(Ml. It was necessary to i-isk something, 

 amb trusting ihaL he would not raise his hrad, we jumped 

 u]) and ran (bnvn into a little ravine, under the cover of 

 which we ((nickly got to close quarters. (Jerald tndk m\- 

 ritle. ;is being uioi'e powerfnl than his own. fir he i-eall\' 

 was as bio- as a donkev in the body. The liuht was now 

 ver\' dim. and all we could see was a great arching back. 

 I am indinedi to think that tlie .-houlder was nnstaken foi- 

 the other end. .\t an\' rate the shot was rci-i/ far hack. 

 However, it knocki'd the pig clean over, but he recovered 

 himself with a loud "'•' ouf."' and ma(b^ oft'. I missed him 

 as he ran, but he seemed to realise for the lirst tinn' that 

 he had an enemy. He ficeil round towai'd^ u-<. and stood 

 with his head high in the air. A steady second shot from 

 Gerald laid him flat, ami his death struggles made the dust 

 fly. Celestin and I Iiuri'ied oft" to eam]i f •)• a niuh'. while 

 my son c<-impleted the obscijuies, and Juade a hre ol' di'\' 

 scrult as a beacon to show the spot. The bi-ute was 

 enormous, and taped from the tip of the tail to the snout 



