Northern Nigeria 



and then opening out and glittering under the 

 afternoon sun round countless small woody islands 

 and bare sand-banks. 



We decided to move on together to the 

 foot of the rise before us, when Porter was to 

 keep straight on inland, while I worked round 

 to my right, along the slope, keeping more or 

 less parallel to the river. This was the direction 

 in which I had previously seen my buck. Scarcely 

 had we parted when I heard a rustling in some 

 bushes to my right front, and I had barely time 

 to sit down when out walked a shaggy water- 

 buck doe within fifty yards of me. She paused 

 an instant, looked proudly around, and slowly 

 moved on across our front, full in the open, with- 

 out a blade of grass between us. A pause, then 

 out came another, and yet another, and finally 

 a glorious buck ; but the latter, being some yards 

 on the k far side of the does, was mostly screened 

 from me by bushes ; I could see bits of his 

 rough coat and a pair of grand horns. They 

 were all quite unconscious of our presence, and 

 not wishing to risk a shot through the bushes, 

 I marked an open spot he must pass, and breath- 

 lessly bided my time. Nor had I long to wait, 

 another moment and out he stepped, gave one 

 look around, two shots rang out simultaneously, 

 and he dropped stone dead. 



" *500 Express at the base of the neck," I 

 217 



