XI FROM EL BOGOI TO LAKE RUDOLPH 239 



bit of country, well watered and verdant, which struck me as a 

 most desirable locality. The grass, kept green by the frequent 

 rains which the mountains attract (it rained, often with thunder, 

 almost every day I was there), is not rank, and, while timber is 

 abundant on the adjacent slopes, the open country has the 

 character of what is called " high veldt " in South Africa, and 

 gives one the idea of capital grazing, suggestive of horses and 

 sheep. The climate, too, seems healthy, with cool nights and 

 not very hot days, while the air is clear and fresh. 



Being anxious to see something of the open plains, and 

 particularly to make the nearer acquaintance of some large 

 antelopes I had seen in the distance once or twice, of whose 

 species (though apparently a hartebeeste) I could not be 

 certain, I gave up a day to visiting a small lake, called by 

 the Ndorobos " Kisima," which I had heard of On the way 

 I succeeded in stalking two young bulls of the hartebeeste 

 whose species I was anxious to identify, and shot them both. 

 One dropped on the spot, and proved to be Jackson's harte- 

 beeste ; the other went off slowly, lying down at intervals. 

 After waiting a little while I followed, and, when it ran, set 

 " Pice " (my tiny terrier, about eight months old only) after it. 

 He chased and brought it to bay, bravely ; but, when I got 

 near, he suddenly left it and fled back towards me. I could 

 not make out why, at first, but as he came nearer I saw a 

 jackal running after him. I had sat down to avoid alarming 

 the hartebeeste when its attention was no longer occupied by 

 Pice, so that the jackal came within a few yards before it 

 noticed me and retreated. No doubt it had recognised a 

 relative in my dog, and wished to make its acquaintance ; 

 indeed, I had once before had the opportunity of observing 

 similar advances to a dog of mine on the part of a jackal. 

 I then encouraged Pice to take up the chase again ; but now 

 a big bull of the same species as the one I was in pursuit of, 

 coming from a herd we had passed near, took up the running, 

 and jealously chased my wretched wounded buck. 



