110 THE SABLE ANTELOPE 



surroundings betokening a terrible struggle. The 

 ground for many yards round was covered with 

 blood and trampled with sable spoor, and the 

 lion, pierced completely through the lungs by a 

 terrible thrust from the sable's horns, exhibited 

 in his hide the great holes which his active 

 adversary's massive weapons had made as they 

 tore their way to his vitals. The sable could 

 not have sustained much damage, as my friend 

 and his hunters took up the spoor, which they 

 followed for some miles until it was finally 

 lost; but although at first drops of blood 

 were seen upon the track, there appeared to be 

 no sign of weakness in the victorious sable's 

 gait. 



These antelopes are almost it not entirely 

 grass-eaters, and at early morning, and again 

 at sunset, they leave the forest to browse in the 

 wide glades and woodland grass clearings, where 

 they remain until after nightfall. One of the 

 most fascinating spectacles tropical Africa has 

 to offer is that of a large herd of sable antelope 

 as they gather themselves together on the first 

 alarm of approaching danger. I remember years 

 ago in Nyasaland, where I am glad to say these 

 animals are reported to be still numerous, I 

 made out one day a large herd scattered and 

 feeding in thin masuku forest shortly after 

 sunrise. After a very careful and difficult stalk; 

 I reached, by great good fortune, a point about 

 100 yards from the nearest members, and 

 there, sheltered by the crumbling moss-grown 

 trunk of some fallen forest monster, I stopped 



