WILD CATTLE 229 



This track finally emerged upon the shore of the lake. Under the 

 leadership of a yellow cow, the whole point began presently to 

 descend this very track. As soon as the last of them was out of 

 sight, I rushed on to secure my shot. On the way I spied from 

 behind a boulder on high ground the coveted old yellow bull 

 knee-deep in the lake, drinking. Over the first part, which was 

 high, I had to be very careful, but once this spot was passed, 

 coming to the conclusion that as the light was fading so fast the 

 race would probably be to the swift, I hurried. Alas ! a deep 

 gully again blocked my way, and it was necessary to make a 

 detour of about half a mile through breast-high bushes. While 

 passing amongst the brush much care had, of course, to be exercised 

 to avoid the breaking of twigs or branches, as the herd was not far 

 off When at last I arrived at the cliff above the spot where the 

 herd had disappeared, I could not see the sights of my rifle. I 

 would have given much for two minutes of moonlight, for I could 

 hear the noise of the bulls moving within twenty yards, and the 

 smell of them was distinctly perceptible to my senses, sharpened 

 by months of a natural life. The whole herd had packed pretty 

 close together on the edge of the shingle, but it was already too 

 dark for me to shoot, so I retired after a while, comforting myself 

 with the prospect of following the herd in the morning. 



Yet although I followed, I never found. The herd, as was 

 to be read from the tracks, struck upwards after leaving the lake 

 and entered a wide piece of forest, in which no day was ever long 

 enough to find them. Several times after this we were on the 

 tail of a herd, and again and again lost them in the dense forests. 

 The ground over which one had to move was extremely baulking 

 to success ; it was covered with broken sticks, dead trees, and 

 branches, dry, rotten, and ready to snap beneath the smallest 

 pressure. Sometimes after a long stalk one found oneself in 

 a patch of dry dead bushes, the breaking of any bough of which 

 would certainly spoil all chance of success. Again, one could not 

 see more than from twenty to fifty yards ahead, and in thick forests 

 much less. A herd will stand quite still till within thirty yards if 

 you have not perceived them, but the moment your eye catches 

 one of theirs the animal makes off, taking his companions with him. 



