Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



of another purchased up-country, saw us through 

 well. 



Every one has experienced the delightful 

 sensation of waking up the first morning in a new 

 place. I shall never forget my waking moments 

 the first time I was clear off into the wilds of 

 Africa. We had not bothered to put up tents 

 overnight, and I was lying on my back on the 

 sand, looking up at the still dark and star-spangled 

 sky, with the grunting of camels and an occasional 

 hoarse cry from our waking Somalis to remind me 

 where I was, and that we were at last off, cut off 

 from civilization, with no worries, good rifles, and 

 one of the finest hunting-grounds in the world 

 before and around us. The fat cook produced 

 some cocoa at about 4.30 a.m., and by 5 our 

 long string of camels were moving off in the dusk. 

 It got light and hot all too soon. However, every 

 mile now we were getting higher up, and before 

 9 a.m. we had done twelve miles. The country 

 was still deplorable, only stones, sand, and low 

 thorn-bushes. Biding away to one flank of the 

 caravan I put up several " dik-dik," the smallest 

 buck on earth, weighing less than a full-grown 

 hare. I also saw some lowland gazelle ; but stalk- 

 ing was well-nigh impossible from want of cover, 

 and though I dismounted and had a long shot, it 

 took no effect. Aoul, or Soemering's gazelle, 

 were also sighted. We rested in the heat of the 



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